​We continued our wine exploration on the mainland, visiting six more wineries – two known for their Barolo, two known for their Brunello, and two known for their Sagrantino.  Our first stop was in the Piedmont region of Italy, at the mountain town of Alba.  Alba is famous for two things – Barolo wine, and white truffles.
For those of you unfamiliar with Barolo, it is made from Nebbiolo grapes grown on the south-facing slopes near the town of Barolo.  The Nebbiolo grape is also used to make Barbaresco (near the town of Barbaresco) and – surprise! – Nebbiolo.
Now to produce Barolo you must 1) have the grapes grown in the Barolo DOCG region and 2) follow the Barolo DOCG rules.  So how does Barolo differ from Nebbiolo?  Is it just better grapes?  The answer lies in the fermentation process.
Italian Nebbiolo wines are fermented in more or less the standard method.  The grapes are crushed and the combination of grape juice, grape pulp, skins, seeds, and sometimes stems are fermented together.  This combination is called the ‘must,’ as in you ‘must’ ferment this mix to get red wine.  Anyway, the normal process is to press the must after all the sugar has been converted to alcohol by the yeast.  This takes one to two weeks, depending on such variables as fermentation temperature, yeast, and sugar content of the grapes.  To make Barolo, however, the must remains unpressed for a minimum of four weeks to extract every bit of tannin from the grapes as well as a wide variety of other chemicals either from the grapes themselves or produced by the yeast.

​Our first winery in Alba was Renato Ratti.  The view from the winery is shown in the picture above.  A relatively new, modern facility, we had a large room all to ourselves with an absolutely wonderful server.  He set us up to taste three wines.  The first was a Nebbiolo, i.e., a wine made using the common process of pressing the must when the fermentation was complete.  The second was a similarly-aged Barolo, again made by pressing the must at least four weeks after starting fermentation.  The third wine was the same as the second but a much older vintage – 2005 versus 2020.  It was a truly remarkable wine, smooth but quite complex – and a bit outside my price range.

​As for the truffles, we did not participate in a truffle hunt but we did ingest some.  For lunch we had fresh truffle on a dish of pasta.  5 euros per ounce with a minimum of 6 ounces.  Expensive lunch….

The wine shown below is made from the very rare Perricone grape.  Around 2,500 acres of this vine exist, pretty much only in Sicily.  We did not have a chance to visit the Funaro Winery from whence this particular bottle was born, but based on what we tasted it is worth noting.  We had this at lunch after a visit to the temples and museum at Agrigento….

​The Greeks built a series of temples on the hills near the city of Agrigento around 2,500 years ago.  Only one is relatively intact, as shown below.  The others are in various states of ruin.

​In addition to these ruins, there is a museum that holds many artifacts from the site as well as others from around Sicily.  You should be warned that both the ruins and the museum are quite extensive.  We tried to do both in one morning.  Big mistake!

​Our plan was a bit questionable, to say the least.  It seemed like a good plan when we’d had a few bottles of wine….  Archimedes had been killed when the Romans took the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily.  It was an accident – the Roman soldiers were told not to kill him, but mostly likely they didn’t know what he looked like.  The idea then was to find his time device and send images of Archimedes to the Romans so they would not kill him.  Who knows what he would discover with Roman support?  Of course, we couldn’t send pictures – just images such as the one shown below:

​First problem then was to find his time device.  Our first attempt was by land, starting with the Archimedes museum.  The museum is located on the small island that sits in Syracuse bay, Ortesia.  We found the museum, but could not find any clues there or in the area near the fountain, or the ruins of the Temple of Apollo.

​We returned with our full retinue a few days later.  While some of our group continued to search Ortesia, some of us decided to look for it from the water, taking a boat around the island and into the many sea grottos around the city.  Alas, no sign of a time device.

​Having failed to help Archimedes, we naturally headed out to a winery.  It is, after all, what we do best.  Our intrepid group, now numbering twelve (thirteen if you include our driver) once again headed up the dangerous north slope of Mount Etna, along more narrow mountain roads, to the Gambino Winery.  Gambino winery has been around awhile, and it is worth noting that they are committed to ”organic farming, water conservation, and minimal intervention winemaking.”  I expected another rustic facility, with just a few other visitors.  Instead we found ourselves in a beautiful, new, and very popular winery.

​They also have a great view:

​We were a large group so we did our wine tasting (after a brief tour) in a large room set up for large groups.  Very nice room, indeed, but it had the American restaurant problem of no noise suppression.  Really hard to hear our server over the general din of conversation.
When we sat down at the table in the tasting room we were quite surprised to find boiled eggs.  Turns out that in addition to wine and olive oil, Gambino sells very special salts.  Really good salts.  Oh, and their olive oil is superb.
We tasted several wines.  The most interesting wine was their white Tifeo Bianco.  It is a blend of two white Sicilian grapes – Carricante and Catarrato.  It is a very nice wine.  The red wines we tasted were made from Nerello Mascalese, Nero D’Avola, or a blend thereof.  All were nice, but not particularly noteworthy.

​We were taking a great risk, visiting Planeta Winery.  Planeta has several facilities in Sicily, but we chose to visit the one on the side of Mount Etna.  Mount Etna is an active volcano.  Below is a picture of Taormina, a famous Sicilian resort, taken from the neighboring town of Naxos.  The black rock behind the fence is volcanic, deposited there from Mount Etna in 1669.  Naxos is about 24 miles from Mount Etna, and were going to a winery on the side of the volcano!  Granted, the risk of being killed by a Mount Etna eruption was very small, but it does give me a chance to show some of the pictures I took….

​It is worth noting the Italian system for classifying wines before we discuss Sicilian wines.  The system they use is based on the French system of Appellations.  In Italy, the highest classification is DOCG, similar to the French AOC.  The classification goes to a group of wineries in a specific area – say Barolo – for wines that are made using methods agreed upon by the group, and getting government approval.  Italy actually goes a step further.  The government tastes the wines.  You get the G if your wines are good – basically the government guarantees the quality of the wine.  Only one wine in Sicily has DOCG status. 
The reason is that while they have been growing wine grapes in Sicily for thousands of years, wine making was not very common.  In fact, until recently, 97% of Sicilian grapes were shipped out of Sicily.  Only 3% were used to make wine, and that was primarily low-level table wine.  This is not an easy transition.  If you are growing grapes to make table wines you want high yields.  If you are growing grapes to make quality wines you want low yields to concentrate the flavors in the grapes.  Going from quantity to quality may require replacing the vines, a time-consuming and costly process.
Planeta was one of the leaders of the movement to produce quality wines in Sicily.  They began making wine in 1995, and now have five wineries in different areas of Sicily.  This is pretty much the same time frame as the wine industry development in Southern California.  One great difference is the accessibility of the wineries.  The winery we visited was on the north slope of Mount Etna, quite a drive from the nearest population center, up very narrow winding mountain roads, far less accessible than wineries in our area.

​They started the Etna facility in 2008, taking over a largely-abandoned old winery.  Vines were not in great shape, so they had to replant. By 2012 they had planted the red grape Nerello and the white grape Carricante.  They preserved the old structure, as shown below, along with a picture of the view from the winery:

We started out with a short tour and presentation, then tasting with cheese pairing and more food.

​We tasted wines made from both Carricante and a Nerello variation called Nerello Mascalese, where Mascalese refers to the region where the vineyards are located.  As noted in the picture below, we tasted two wines of each grape variety.  Both grapes were new to me, so it is hard to judge how representative they were.  I found the two whites to be quite nice, but the reds were just ok.  If you are interested, Planeta exports their wines to the United States and are carried in such wine shops as Total Wines & More.

Eventually, we had to leave and head to other venues.  But we got in one picture, with the Planeta server...

​In the HBO series “White Lotus” an older man and his son try to contact their Sicilian relatives.  It does not go well.  They are chased away by an old woman with a broom.
Perhaps if he had contacted them before dropping in it could have gone better.  He might have been presented at his hotel with a book on the family genealogy put together just for his visit.  Perhaps he might have even been invited to meet the town mayor, where he would also meet thirty or so of his relatives and been given a presentation on the town and his family origins.  Perhaps he could have been invited to visit the greatest bakery on the planet, owned and operated by some more of his relatives.  They might have even invited him to their houses.  I know that all of this is possible because it all happened to me….
Of course, there is more to how this came about which I will not bother you with.  Bottom line is I visited my grandparents home town of Troina along with my wife, two sisters, brother, son, granddaughter, and another eight relatives (17 of us all told), and, yes, all I described above happened.  Why blog about it here?  Well, Troina was the first stop on a four-week trek that took us to wineries in Sicily, Piedmont, Tuscany (Montalcino) and Umbria (Montefalco), along with a lot of sight-seeing.  So, for the immediate future, I will be posting stories of our great Italian adventure.
Troina is a small (population 7,000) town at the top of a mountain.  In fact, it is the highest town in Sicily.  When the Normans ruled Sicily, it was their capital.  A great battle was fought there in World War II.  Oh, and there is a dam in their area that supplies around 90% of the fresh water for the island – and it will be dry before the end of November.

​Naturally, I took a lot of pictures.  Here is Troina, starting with the town as seen from the top and from our hotel:

​Narrow streets:

​Oh, the bakery.  Turns out one of my distant cousins owns and operates an absolutely fantastic bakery in Troina.  Treated us to the best pizza possible and the absolutely perfect cannoli.  Great cookies as well.  Pictures follow:

​There’s a story around the hotel we stayed in, but I will leave you to look it up yourself.  It was nice, with a big, largely unused dining room:

​It was a beautiful summer day when we came upon the empty buildings.  They were in one of Bacchus’ playgrounds, an area atop Mount Monserate in the enchanted land of Fallbrook.  It was not our first trip to these hallowed grounds, of course.  On all our previous trips we had struck it rich, finding fine wines and food, but never at the same location.  Sometimes we went left, and sometimes we went right.  This time the Monserate Winery sign sent us to the left, to the buildings that had not been there before.  And they were empty.  Could the forces of evil have driven Bacchus’ servants away?  Was this a case of alien abduction?  Or, could it be, that we were there on the wrong day?  Maybe they just weren’t open on a Tuesday….

​So, we came back a few days later, on a Friday, proving that we should have read the signs….  As we entered the archway, we were greeted by a spirit guide who showed us where to get the spirits – and food.  Choosing a nice table, we proceeded to feast on a Caprese salad and a truffle-mushroom pizza, washed down by various wonderful libations, including Fiano, Barbera, Montepulciano, and, last but by far not least, Sagrantino!  The setting was simply wonderful, so wonderful the setting that a couple decided to get married right then and there!  (OK, we actually only saw the groom and his groomsmen when they were taking pictures before the wedding, which, of course, was planned well in advance.  But you have to admit it makes for a better story if it were spontaneous).

​Truth be told, we were aware that these buildings would some day be completed, and the days of wondering whether you turn left or right through the gate would come to an end.  What we anticipated was that the new facility would have a “sterile” look.  Instead, as you can see from the pictures, it is anything but.

​I must also point out, as shown in the picture below, that they keep their red wines chilled in the outdoor tasting bar so you can be assured that you will taste them at their best.  Amazing how so many wineries can’t get their hands around this simple concept.

​You should have noticed that my last blog was in mid-July.  Well, I apologize for not giving you the benefit of my great wisdom presented in the most glorious and thrilling manner expected of me.  I can give a number of excuses for this dereliction of duty on my part, but suffice it to say that it was a really, really hot summer….
With the weather cooling somewhat, I did manage to leave the comfort of my home for a quick trip to Temecula, where my wife and I enjoyed a lovely lunch at Ponte and then gelato at Europa Village.  Surprisingly little wine was consumed in this mini-adventure, leaving only the winery facility to pontificate about.  In particular, Europa Village has completed its Italian section, La Vienza.
When we first visited Europa Village they had a small tasting room off Rancho California in Temecula.  Over the years they have split the winery into three sections, with three distinct labels:  a Spanish section, complete with hotel and restaurant, with the Bolero label; a French section using the original building, with the C’est La Vie label (with plans to expand); and the Italian section, which includes a deli offering pizza, espresso, and gelato, soon to add villas, with the label La Vienza.  It is this last section that we visited this past week.
If you enter from the main Europa Village entrance off Rancho California, you will need to go up to the ground level of La Vienza, as seen in the pictures below.  A lot of stairs.  This will put you on the delicatessen level.  The tasting room is in the upper level, reachable by stairs or an elevator.

​There is another way to get to the tasting room – from the top.  La Vienza is on the side of a hill, and you can get to the top of this hill by taking the road off of Rancho California just past the Europa Village entrance, the one with Carol’s Restaurant on the corner.  Turn left at the second gravel road and you will go into the La Vienza upper parking lot.  As you work your way along the back of the building you will encounter this:

​Pretty impressive!  As you can see, when we visited, they were setting up for an event.  The last time we were there, this was still in construction, so it is pretty much brand new. 
Oh, they have finally listened to me and added Graciano to their Bolero Spanish wines.  Well, maybe they didn’t actually get the idea from me….

​I finally got around to a second visit to Correcaminos Vineyard in Ramona, and it was well worth it!  To begin with, we spent a lot of time with the owners, Sue and Doug Robinson.  I won’t say anything more about them – I just can’t do justice to their stories!
There have been some changes in the facility.  When we first visited Correcaminos we did the wine tasting in a small tent.  Now they have a large tent.  See pictures below.

​Time has been good to their vines, and this is greatly reflected in the quality of their wines.  Spaghetti Strap is still their best red.  We did not revisit the white wines.

​The most intriguing wine they offer is their Fiesta, a 100% Malbec varietal.  We found it to have a very distinct herbal aroma and taste.  My wife is even more specific, calling it out as mint, sort of like a mint tea.  We ran against four other Malbecs, including two from Argentina.  None of the others had any herbal hints at all, so it really stood alone.  By the way, the Malbec from Chuparosa in Ramona beat the pants off an Argentine Malbec that got a 93 rating from James Suckling.

​Many wineries provide musical entertainment.  The owners of Correcaminos have taken a step beyond – they have comedy nights where they bring in three professional comedians!  Check on either their website or the Winery News section for the next performance.  They sell out quickly.

​I am not a big fan of urban wineries.  Unlike beer, wine is not particularly better served fresh so it is hard to see how an urban winery can be competitive with wine bars.  So, I was pleasantly surprised to find one, LJ Crafted Wines, with a very competitive and interesting twist.
LJ is located on La Jolla Blvd. in the Bird Rock region of San Diego.  I shall now digress from discussion of LJ to a general discourse on wine tasting, a necessary lead-in to LJ’s uniqueness.
Basically, when I go to a winery I really can’t say I do wine tasting, or at least do it the right way.  I mean, you’re supposed to spit out the wine!  Never going to happen….  From the sommelier point of view, wine tasting is a formal procedure to determine the quality of the wine.  But what about its likeability?  I mean, I have tasted a lot of high-quality Tempranillo that I absolutely hated.  So, if I am not wine tasting, what am I doing?  I thought a lot about this, giving it a whole ten minutes of my time, and have come up with a brilliant term for what I, and most of you, do at a winery: “wine sampling” Pretty clever, huh?
Now as we are sampling the wine it is quite acceptable to swallow it.  In fact, I suggest more than one swallow to fully appreciate the wine.  I define wine sampling as the method of determining if you like a wine.  Of course, wine sampling is this a perfect way to find a wine to bring home. 
There are three issues you must address in selecting a wine to buy.  First, as noted above, you sample the wine to see if you like it.  Wine tasters spit out the wine so the alcohol does not affect their senses.  As you are likely to have more than one sip of the wine when you open it up to drink, it is most likely you will be under the influence of the alcohol for most of the time you are actually drinking the wine.  Hence, true wine sampling entails swallowing the wine.  In fact, more than one swallow would seem most appropriate.
Once you have determined which wines you like, then you have to decide when you are likely to drink the wine.  The wine you like might never get opened.  For example, you might find a wonderful white wine that goes great with fish.  But if you never cook fish at home, it will never get opened.  The wine might need to be aged, but if you don’t have a place to properly store the wine you should not buy it.  Of course, there is the downer – the price.  The wine might be great at $40 a bottle, but at $100….
But here’s the thing:  most people drink their wine within a week or so of buying it.  And that’s where LJ comes in.  You see, they don’t sell wine in traditional bottles.  Rather, they sell wine in reuseable bottles, as shown in the picture below, much like the growlers used in the craft beer industry.  Just like a propane tank, when the bottle is empty you bring it back to exchange for a full bottle.  They recommend that you drink the wine within a week of purchasing it.

​To do this, the wine in the barrel must remain the same as the barrel is drained down.  In particular, the vacated space cannot be replaced with air – the oxygen will ruin the wine over time.  A low pressure system of replacing the wine with inert gas is used instead.  The system is patented, by the way.  Oh, and for those of you who care, the growler method greatly reduces the use of bottles, hence saving a lot of energy.

​As you can see in the rather bad pictures following this paragraph, they offer a nice selection of wines.  On the white side are two of my favorites – Chenin Blanc and Albarino.  The reds include the two most popular – Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.  In truth, they are greatly overshadowed by the Sangiovese. 

​None of the wines are made from grapes grown in Southern California.  The wines are made in Napa and shipped down to San Diego in the barrels.  You can also get their wines in growlettes – two glass growlers – or in cans with twist tops if you want the wines shipped to you.
Perhaps the best part of LJ is not the wine, but the food.  Specifically, the dates.  We tried both versions.  Delicious!!!

​First, let me apologize to you and to the folks at Hungry Hawk Vineyards & Winery for not stopping in to visit their winery sooner.  It has been on my list of wineries to visit, but for some reason never got around to it.  Had a friend who had a round tuit on his desk.  I guess I should have had one as well.
Hungry Hawk is located north of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.  If on your way to the park from Escondido past Orfila you turn left on the road that leads to the park instead of right, then take a left at the next light, you will find yourself on a winding road that leads back toward the park.  A few miles along the way you will come to Hungry Hawk.  It is well worth the trip.  Wonderful facility, very friendly staff, and decent wine as well – with one great surprise….

​It is so nice to visit a winery where everything is done properly.  None of the bar nonsense – wines are brought to the table, and in a set so you can do some parallel tasting.  The wines are served at the right temperature, water is provided, and food and snacks are available.  We sat outside in great comfort, with a very nice view.

​As for the surprise, well, you see, they have a Tempranillo that both my wife and I liked!!!  Now, not being fans of Tempranillo, we wondered what Tempranillo lovers would think of the wine.  As it turns out, we have two in the family – my son and his wife, who is also Doc Ed’s daughter – that’s right, Doc Ed and I are The In-Laws!  We bought a bottle and brought it to my son’s house on Fathers’ Day.  Sure enough, he thought it was not all that great, lacking the tastes of eye of newt, dirt, drain grease et al. that give Tempranillo it’s horrible after taste….

​Of the other wines we tasted, the Carmenere was the most interesting.  Carmenere was at one time thought to have been completely wiped out by the phylloxera root louse.  It was rediscovered in Chile, where something like 70% of their Merlot was found to be Carmenere.  Their version is a bit rough, but I think with a bit of aging will prove to be quite nice.  It should be noted that they source these grapes locally from amateur growers, unlike most of their other wines which are made from their own grapes or grapes grown by professionals.

​They have a wine club with all the good features.  Members get a 20% discount on four wines every four months (12 per year), with the added feature that they can select the wines.  Includes pick-up parties with food, two free tastings every visit, 15% discount on other wine purchases (going up to 20% if members purchase wine during the pick-up parties).