Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine February 2012 | Page 44
44 | madison originals magazine Some things just sound better in Italian.
Slick, expensive cars with exotic
names like Lamborghini Gallardo and
Maserati Granturismo. Unbelievably
stylish fashions from Prada, Gucci, and
Armani. An antipasto platter lled with
crostini, salumi, and formaggi.
On a recent trip to Tuscany, it was
easy to understand why Italians place
such emphasis on taking time to savor
a good meal. Relaxing on the patio of
a tiny trattoria, which overlooked a
breathtaking panorama of cypress trees,
olive groves, and rolling hillsides, I enjoyed a leisurely lunch with a great bottle of local wine. Tuscan food is truly unforgettable, but the real key to every great Italian meal is the vino. Wine is not treated as an accessory or afterthought, but as an integral part of the meal.As Americans, most of us are familiar with the famous Italian reds from Tuscany�Chianti and the decidedly more expensive Brunello di Montalcino. I have recently become enamored with the omni-present Sangiovese grape, Italy�s most widely planted red grape varietal. However, while Chianti and
Brunello (both composed of Sangiovese)
are indeed popular, there are two other
expressions of this workhorse grape
that are worth noting: Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, the wine served in the
noble houses of Montepulciano since the
17th century, and the relative newcomer
Morellino di Scansano.
Montepulciano is the highest hill town
in Tuscany, resulting in breezy, moderate
temperatures and unique microclimates
in the vineyards that surround this
beautiful village. By contrast, Morellino vineyards are located in a warmer coastal environment, which creates riper grapes that are not as age worthy as the Prugnolo Gentile grapes (the specic clone of Sangiovese) used in Vino Nobile. Morellino production is centered around the medieval hilltown of Scansano in Southwestern Tuscany, having only been granted DOCG status (a distinction that signies a better bottle of wine) in 2007. How the word Morellino, which means �little brown one� in the local dialect, came to describe the local wi �Rg&��F�Rw&�76WF�&�f��6R�2&�B�bח7FW'�v�V6�Ɩ�RF�R�6�V�BWG'W66�2v����6R6WGF�VBF��2'B�bGW66��&�F�f�����&��RF����FWV�6����B��&V�Ɩ��F�66�6��&Rv�'F�6VV���r�WB�F�W��fRf��FVB�V6��bF�R��R�&VB���FVB&�6W2���B��6��R66W26��G&�fW'7��bF�V�"��&Rf��W26�W6��26���F��B''V�V����F�Rf����v��r&R6��R�bג7W'&V�Bff�&�FRGW66�&VBv��W2�6W'F��F�G&�fRv�F�Rv��FW"&�VW2�V���F�V�2F�R�FƖ�2F�wv�F��V�G��bv��Bf��B�w&VB6�����BƗfVǒ6��fW'6F���� By Callie Steffen