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-- Richie Gronda, Pompton Plains Among foodies, Emilia-Romagna is to Italy what Provence is to France -- a gastronomic paradise. Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and proscioutto di Parma all hail from the Emilia-Romagna region, which lies just above Tuscany near the top of the Italian peninsula. Among wine lovers, however, Emilia-Romagna is largely invisible, overshadowed not only by Tuscany but by most of Italy's other wine regions, from Sicily in the south to the Piedmont in the north. The only well-known wine from Emilia-Romagna, Lambrusco, is mostly sweet, fizzy and forgettable.
"What makes Emilia-Romagna so culinary rich is also what makes much of the wine so comparatively poor," writes Karen Mac Neil in "The Wine Bible" (Workman, $19.95). "Running across the width of the region is the fertile Po River basin. Readily available water and nutrients may be great for food crops, but for grapes it's a worrisome equation that results in high yields and thin, simple wines." There are delicious exceptions, however, and Gutturnio is one of them. Gutturnio (pronounced "gu-TURN-yo") is a blend of two traditional Italian red wine grapes, Barbera and Bonarda. Bernardo Gatti, an importer who specializes in the wines of Emilia-Romagna, said Italian wine law dictates a blend of 60 percent Barbera and 40 percent Bonarda, and prohibits irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals in the vineyards. The result is a soft, easy-drinking red wine that complements a wide variety of food. In its region of origin, Gutturnio is most often served with simple roast meats and game, said Gatti, whose family's roots are in Emilia-Romagna. If you're not familiar with Gutturnio, you're not alone. The Nose had heard of it before, but just barely; to be honest, I thought it was the name of an obscure grape, not a blend that includes Barbera, one of the most distinguished red grape varieties in northern Italy. It turns out only a handful of wineries produce Gutturnio, Gatti said, and very few are exported to the United States. Gatti's Gutturnio, including a regular and reserve bottling, are the only ones I've seen for sale in this area. Gatti runs his company, Famiglia di Gatti Importers, from a converted firehouse in Port Jervis, N.Y., just across the state line from Sussex County. He contracts with a long-established Emilia-Romagna winery, the Azienda Agricola Cantine Romagnoli, to produce about a dozen wines under the Don Gatti label. A former steamship mechanic, Gatti, 64, launched his import business after vacationing in Emilia-Romagna during the late 1990s. His wife, Mary Ann, had always suffered from headaches when she drank red wine, but not on this trip. "The only (Emilia-Romagna) wine that gave her a headache was Lambrusco," Gatti said. Gatti has a passion for the region and its wines, and it shows in his latest vintages. Aside from his Gutturnio ($13 for the regular, $28 for the Riserva), the Don Gatti line includes a very nice Pinot Grigio ($13) and a couple of delightful sparkling wines from the Malvasia grape, one dry and one sweet ($12 each). Don Gatti wines have been available in New Jersey only since May. If you don't see them at your local liquor store, you can ask the manager to special order the wine by contacting Famiglia di Gatti Importers at (973) 293-3626. More information about Don Gatti wines is available at www.dongatti.com. |
