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| by
David Lynch, Wine Director
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| THIS
MONTH: CARSO
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As
further evidence that there is more viticultural diversity in
Italy than perhaps anywhere else on the planet, we give you
the Carso -- the thin slice of land connecting Trieste to the
main mass of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Officially speaking, this
is Italy, but, as is the case all along Italy’s border with
Slovenia, the wine culture transcends national boundaries. Winegrowing
Carso extends well beyond the border into Slovenia (as does
winegrowing Collio further north), and its trio of peculiar
local grapes -- the whites vitovska and malvasia and a strain
of the red refosco known as terrano -- are uniquely Slavic contributions
to the “Italian” viticultural whole.
Carso is a limestone-rich plateau that extends out from the
city of Trieste and reaches toward the Julian Alps to the north.
The heavy limestone content of the soils likely gave the zone
its name (Carso is thought to be derived from a Celtic word
meaning “land of rock”), and it lends the wines, both white
and red, a firm acidic backbone and mouthwatering minerality.
On the white side, this means flinty, fragrant accompaniments
to fresh seafood in Trieste, Muggia, and other fishing towns
along Friuli’s Adriatic basin, while the red terrano is a high-acid
companion to the heartier, Slavic- and Austrian-inflected food
further inland (you’d be surprised how good a tart, tongue-piercing
red like terrano can be as a contrast to the richness of stinco
di vitello).
Naturally, we’ve got you covered at Babbo, with all three of
the Carso’s local grapes finding their way onto our list. I
often recommend the white vitovska to Austrian wine lovers,
as its chalky minerality and floral aromatics are reminiscent
of a good Austrian grüner veltliner. Malvasia istriana is a
little weightier white, with a distinctive orange-blossom fruitiness
and a slightly oily, waxy texture that sometimes reminds me
of viognier. Terrano, on the other hand, is an admittedly tougher
sell -- since we’ve become conditioned to drink super-extracted
red wines with barely perceptible acidity, the tartness of terrano
is a little more than most wimpy American palates can take.
I’m not saying I’m such a tough guy myself — I can’t really
take terrano without some seriously rich food, like Mario’s
massive Deconstructed Ossobuco, to tame it. Terrano is a wine
for thick-fingered, thick-mustached Slavic guys who work outside
for a living, but even a lightweight cork-puller like myself
needs a little fortification from time to time. So man up and
try some yourself!
At the moment, we feature wines from two prominent Carso producers,
Edi Kante and Zidarich, and here are two excellent wines to
seek out on your next visit:
Carso Malvasia Istriana, Edi Kante
A fleshy, fragrant white whose orange blossom aromas and apricot
fruit and framed with a touch of smoky oak.
Carso Terrano, Zidarich
Buyer beware: This is not California grape juice. Use the razor
sharp acidity of this violet-scented red to cut some of the
richness of Mario’s Brasato ai Porcini (braised beef shoulder
with porcini) or, as noted above, the Deconstructed Ossobuco
for Two.
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To
purchase any of these wines, visit
Italian Wine Merchants online or in
New York City, just off Union Square! |
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