Humble Beginnings
It’s a bit challenging for me to remember the first time I tasted a wine that grabbed my attention. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the Spring of 1979. That same year, my two hometown teams, the Pirates and the Steelers won their respective championships: The World Series & The Super Bowl. (It was also the Spring that the Three Mile Island nuclear plant disaster occurred on March 28th.)
I gallantly signed up to spend the second semester of my junior year abandoning Ann Arbor, where I had been attending the University of Michigan, to join Temple University/Tyler School of Arts program in Rome, Italy. Not knowing a soul or even possessing the most rudimentary command of the Italian language, I jumped in feet first. My insatiable appetite for Baroque art would surely see me through! My living arrangements, coordinated by the school, put me in a pensione on the Via Margutta, a small street that was the artist quarter in the 1600’s, sandwiched between the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. Among the past residents of that block were Picasso, during his time in Rome, and Federico Fellini (who was busy shooting “City of Women” when I was there.) It was an incredible, historic location. Lucky me!
One of our long weekends found me taking a train to Siena. If someone accompanied me, I can’t remember for the life of me who it might have been. Siena is a much more manageable town, certainly compared to Rome, Venice, Naples or even Florence. The city plan and relative size makes it much more explorable by foot, with quaint neighborhoods, winding, narrow streets, and beautiful architecture. The medieval Duomo, with its white and grey stripes, is a stunning attraction as is the Piazza del Campo. The scallop, shell-shaped main public square is famous for the Palio di Siena, which occurs twice a year. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards, in a tradition dating back to the 17th-century. (I was not there for this event however, which fortunately made it far less touristy.) One of the small strade that radiated from the square had a tiny restaurant with a beaded curtain at the entrance, where I experienced the most amazing, Flintstone-sized bisteca that I have ever seen. It literally spilled over the sides of my plate. What a splurge it was for a college student whose daily diet consisted almost exclusively of pasta and pizza (by the etto.)
In a normal story, this would have been the occasion for my first “wine bug bite” but alas, the story continues.
In the course of my visit, going to the Pinocoteca Nazionale and the Opera della Metropolitana to do my due diligence art historically, I wandered into the Fortezza Medicea. Built in the 16th century, it was home to the Enoteca Italiana. It was there where I experienced my first, informal wine tasting. It wasn’t a noble Nebbiolo from Piedmont, home of Barolo and Barbaresco, nor was it a legendary Brunello di Montalcino that drew me in. It was a local Chianti that captured my attention. The Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) designation which has come to distinguish Chianti Classico as a consortium of 33 producers in Radda was established in 1924 (The oldest in Italy.) The pedigree of these wines, first as a DOC in 1967 (Controlled Designation of Origin) and subsequently as a DOCG in 1984 (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) symbolize excellence from the region. Something about being in this magical area, tasting wine produced from vineyards that surrounded these small towns and villages, captured my attention. The concept of “place” is a big talking point in wine speak these days, and I can safely say, in 1979, it was pivotal in the beginning of my wine appreciation. Chianti Classico remains one of the best deals in the wine market. The price point has not increased to a place where you can’t find a nice bottle for under $25. (The choices are vast as there are many producers, even outside of the Gallo Nero designation.) Two of my favorites (and widely distributed) are Fattoria Felsina Berandenga and Castello di Monsanto. These producers make consistently high quality wines vintage to vintage.
*As fortune would have it, Claire is presently studying on the same program in Rome that I attended 46 years ago. She texted me last week and said she was in Siena on a class trip and said “Hey!! Got some wine at lunch and it’s a Chianti (thought of you.)” This is the first time I’ve ever revealed this story so there is a bit of kismet here.