Ferrari Trentodoc is an important brand that needs to be explained.
The brand does not refer to the the Ferrari car company. Ferrari Trentodoc is Italy’s leading Metodo Classico sparkling wine producer and it is the most popular Trento DOC wine.
Ferrari is a historic label appreciated all over the world.
Ferrari Trentodoc
Ferrari Trento was founded in 1902 by Giulio Ferrari. He was an enologist, nobleman and native of the Trentino region. He was born in Calceranica al Lago in 1879.
At the end of the 19th century Giulio Ferrari spent time in the Champagne area for his study viticulture in Montpellier. Giulio was convinced that Trentino was suitable for the production of sparkling wines.
Why?
Because of the ideal climate and local mountainous terroir for Chardonnay grapes. He even brought back the Champagne region’s Chardonnay grape to plant in his own Italian vineyards.
When having planted Chardonnay grapes in Trentino to make the sparkling wine, the brand Ferrari was born. Giulio Ferrari wanted to make sparkling wines from exceptional quality!
Lunelli
Since 1952 the “large” Lunelli family runs this business. Merchant Bruno Lunelli owned a wine shop in Trento, he was a good friend of Giulio Ferrari.
Giulio had no children and one day he decided to sell the business onto Bruno. In that time the production was less than 1000 bottles per year. Now the production is about 5 million bottles of Ferrari Trentodoc sparkling wines.
Giulio Ferrari died in Trento in 1965.
Today the third generation of Lunelli is keeping the Ferrari dream alive. In the 1980’s, alongside its Trentodoc, Lunelli started bottling water (brand Surgiva) and making still and sparkling wines in other Italian regions:
Trento wines (Tenuta Margon in Trentino)
Umbrian wines (Castelbuono in Bevagna)
Tuscany wines (Podernovo in Monticiano)
Prosecco Superiore (Bisol1542 in Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG)
Podium sponsor
Ferrari is luxury wine, it is a symbol of the Italian Art of Living and accompanies the most important moments in the world of institutions, culture, entertainment and sport.
To be podium sponsor of the Formula 1 Matteo Lunelli has signed a partnership with Formula 1 to celebrate victories of the best pilots.
Matteo Lunelli is CEO & president of Ferrari Trento.
The Formula 1 podium toast is a wine made from 100% Chardonnay and available in a limited edition. The drivers present the wines with a Jeroboam 3 liter bottle of Ferrari Trentodoc.
Ferrari Trentodoc is also official partner of Juventus and the Tennis Tournament in Rome.
Cheers!
Grape growing and wine making
Ferrari has its own vineyards (about 100 ha) and purchase grapes from growers to be transformed into a varied range of sparkling wines: Non Vintage, Vintage, Riserva and Prestige Cuvée.
Metodo Classico, traditional method, stands for second fermentation in the bottle. Traditional method is a prestigious method for producing sparkling wine.
The base wine in the bottle matures in the bottle by adding the liqeur de tirage. This process is similar to making Champagne. Prosecco, on the other hand, has the second fermentation in tank.
Trentodoc is a trademarked name and falls under the appellation Trento DOC. The Trentodoc trademark was created in 2007. The two O’s in the trademarked name are designed to be reminiscent of the process of riddling.
The grapes they use are mainly Chardonnay, but also Pinot Noir is used for some labels. The DOC regulations require the producers the wine to be made as follows:
handpicking the grapes (no machine harvesting)
using only grapes from Trentino (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc)
second fermentation in bottle (not in tank)
yeast contact for a long maturing process (normally most wine makers leave the wines on the lees for longer for more autolytic characteristics)
Great vintages Ferrari tour
A visit to Ferrari includes learning about its history. Walking through the silent cellars and seeing places where the wines are produced is a wonderful experience.
In the tasting room you will get a taste from the products (in this case 3 reserve sparkling wines).
I did the Great Vintages tour. The tour is in a beautiful setting and takes about 1-2 hours. It is a must do if you are in the area!
We tasted the following wines:
Ferrari Riserva Lunelli Trentodoc
Giulio Ferrare Riserva del Fondatore Trendodoc
Giuio Ferrari Rosé Trentodoc
The winery is along the river Adige and the A22 highway (Brennero). You can’t miss it.
Enjoy the wines!
Ferrari Fratelli Lunelli
Via del Ponte, 15
38123 Trento (TN)
Italië
We are at the end of the online course DipWSET4 – D1.
Uffa..
It were intense weeks with lots of posts, research, questions, wine tastings and group activities.
Many projects required a lot of effort!
In the first week of our course we needed to work alone on our vineyard establishment proposal. I choose for the wine area Bolgheri in Tuscany. This is my proposal I have submitted in the first week of our wine course.
Happy reading!
Bolgheri
I choose the territory of Bolgheri (Livorno) along the Etruscan coast, at the foot of the gentle Tuscan hills and a few miles from the sea.
The climate along the coast in Tuscany is more maritime than central Tuscany. The summers are dry, sunny and breezy. The weather is influenced by the sea. Temperatures in winter time are around 8-10 degrees, and reach rarely zero or less.
The sea and Apennine mountains moderate the temperatures in summer period. The driest months in Tuscany are July and August.
Bolgheri Rosso DOC
Bolgheri Rosso DOC is a blend of black grape varieties. The red wine can be made in different styles. I will plant the following grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese.
The black grape varieties need sunlight and heat to ripen fully. The grapes do not ripen at the same time. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese for instance. The harvest of the grapes is spread out.
Vine training system black grape varieties: cane pruned (single guyot), cordon trained. The vine’s cane and shoots are tied to the trellis for light and air circulation. Summer pruning will hardly take place as the leaves protect the berries from sunburn in (warm) summer conditions.
The soil is calcareous and contains a mix of rocks. There is a good drainage, which is important for grape growing. The altitude of the vineyards are about 100 – 400 m above sea level and the slopes are facing southwest.
The wine is full bodied with ripe red and black fruits, medium-high tannin, high acidity and high alcohol. Long aftertaste.
Suited for aging.
Super Tuscan wines have gained popularity in Italy and abroad since the 20th century. Especially the red wines. The wines are prestigious and sometimes also very expensive.
The average price for this wine is Euro 25.00*. *average price of Sylvia Italy’s Rosso wine – not available in my shop.
Bolgheri Rosato DOC
The black grape varieties used for the rosé are Syrah, Merlot and Sangiovese. This wine is a blend and pairs good with fish dishes. For example with the local cacciucco from Livorno.
Bolgheri Bianco DOC
For a white wine from the region I will plant Vermentino grapes. Vermentino is often vinified as a single variety but can also be blended with other white grape varieties such as Trebbiano Toscano.
The vine training system for the Vermentino grapes are cane pruned (guyot). The sea has a positive influence and gives Vermentino a mineral and aromatic character.
The Vermentino wine is an appetizer wine and pairs excellent with local fish dishes.
For both young wines the average price per bottle is Euro 13.00-15.00*. *average price of Sylvia Italy’s Bianco wine – not available in my shop.
Super Tuscan wines are produced also in other places in Tuscany, but Bolgheri is the birthplace of this wonderful wine.
The heroic grape harvest season of the Glera falls between the end of September and early October in Refrontolo. Refrontolo is a small town in the heart of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene and the Colli di Conegliano region.
Glera is the principal white grape variety of the prosecco sparkling wine. It is a late ripening grape variety. They are green and have a thin skin. The grape is classified as semi-aromatic with a high acidity, making it perfect for prosecco wine production.
The “vendemmia” in the province of Treviso is one of the most fascinating time of the year. It is a busy period when it comes to local harvest festivals and feasts.
Many tourists visit Italy especially in the fall season to discover the best (new) wines and food the region has to offer.
Vintage 2021
Summer 2021 in Italy was a warm growing season for the grapes. Warmer than average summer. The grapes didn’t suffer from water stress and sunburn, fortunately.
The quality of the grapes is superior this year. Due to the warm weather conditions the berries have accumulated more sugar than usual. The grapes are in good health and excellent in balance of sugar-acidity.
They say vintage 2021 is an outstanding wine year for prosecco. Good news for fans of this wine. Cheers!
Production process Prosecco Superiore
The area Conegliano Valdobbiadene is situated between Venice and the Dolomites.
All the grapes have to be hand picked. The vines are planted on hills with narrow ridges and steep slopes. This makes mechanized harvest impossible.
After picking, the tractor driver brings the next load to the winery for fermentation. But before they are unloaded, they are weighed by the winemaker in order to check that they do not exceed the production limits fixed for each vineyard every year.
The grapes are pressed gently in absence of oxygen and any skin contact.
The freshly pressed fruit juice is the must. The sugar concentration and the acid content will be measured before fermentation starts. Corrections/additions of yeast or acids can be needed and sulfites (SO2), are always be added during the wine making process.
Metodo Charmat / Martinotti
Prosecco is an Italian DOC and DOCG white sparkling wine.
The tank method “Metodo Charmat or Martinotti” is a very common method to make prosecco. The first fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to keep the fruity flavors in the wine.
While the second fermentation takes place, the large tank is sealed to prevent CO2 from escaping. This is a slow process.
The longer and slower the winemaking process, the more delicate the prosecco wine will be.
There are different qualities in prosecco. Production and quality of the grapes are definitely Superiore at Toffoli. Therefor their DOCG Superiore prosecco is often more expensive over the standard DOC.
Mind that prosecco is a wine to drink young, ideally within one year of its production. It is not a wine for storing.
Strada del Prosecco / Prosecco road
The Strada del Prosecco is Italy’s oldest wine route. At first it linked the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene but now it winds its way through more communities between the towns Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
The area has a number of biking,- hiking trails and good restaurants to eat. It is a unique and magnificent place where past and present come together.
Since 2019 the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills are UNESCO World Heritage site.
Wine tasting
Visitors are welcome at winery Toffoli to taste their wines. It is recommended to call or e-mail in advance to book a date and time.
The prosecco wine tasting takes place at the winery. Before you taste the wines the wine maker will guide you through his vineyards and the wine cellar.
Family Toffoli is happy to welcome you in Refrontolo!
Online wine tasting
A Taste of Veneto! is a unique wine experience with the winemaker himself Sante Toffoli and an Italian sommelier.
This online tour and tasting is the perfect way to get to know the winery and the wines from Veneto.
The tasting can be organized at any date and time of your choice. All wines from Toffoli will be sentfrom our distribution centre in Holland.
Getting excited? For more information about this online wine experience visit my website “A Taste of Veneto!” *
Recipes for ossobuco vary wildly. Although the “Ossobuco alla Milanese” from Lombardy may be one of the most famous and well known Italian secondo piatto.
My favorite recipe is: Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva!
Ossobuco di Chianina IGP
You can pair ossobuco with other dishes. I am talking about delicious saffron risotto such as: Risotto alla Milanese.
As a side dish you may choose to eat ossobuco with polenta or with mashed potatoes.
The Italian ossobuco is a beef shank from the cow’s leg. It is a cut of meat butchered from a cow’s or bull leg.
Much is written on which part is best. It’s been said that veal shanks from the hind legs are the best! Meat from those parts is more voluminous and fleshy.
Ossobuco literally translates to “bone with a hole” with meat. You can prepare ossobuco from veal but also with other kinds of meat such as pork.
However, the finest meat for cooking, in Tuscany, is Chianina breed. It is high valued meat with a more intense taste.
For this recipe I bought the ossobuco di Chianina at the Fierli farm in Foiano della Chiana. Fierli is an organic farm. The animals have a long life and they are treated well.
Recipe
The Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is a true Tuscan recipe. Many people don’t prepare it at home. Some cuts of veal from the store may be chewy.
Tip for buy-in, first look for shanks that are > 2 inches. If they’re too thin, they’ll braise too fast.
My style Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva needs the following ingredients:
Ingrediënten
Recipe for 1 person
1 ossobuco di Chianina
flour
red wine “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG” – Il Convento
2 cloves
1 clove of garlic
1 onion (soffritto)
1 celery (soffritto)
1 carrot (soffritto)
1 bay lief
pepper
salt
olive oil
When braising the ossobuco you may as well use meat broth or any other liquid (water). I prefer to use only wine. I do not mix the wine with other liquids. That would be a no-go, especially when it’s a high quality wine.
Also mixing tomatoes or tomato paste with red wine is not what I recommend. But that’s my personal opinion.
What else do you need
Stew pot.
Braadpan
How to cook
Chop the onions, carrots and celery.
Peel the garlic.
Heat the pot until the olive oil is well heated. Instead of olive oil you may also use butter.
First stir-fry the garlic. When the garlic begins to colour reduce heat. Add the soffritto and cook the vegetables until they begin to soften and caramelize.
Meanwhile cover the Ossobuco with the flour.
Ossobuco di Chianina IGP
When the soffritto has a golden wheat color, remove it or move it to a side. It depends on the size of the stew pot. Sear the ossobuco on both sides until nicely browned. Sprinkle the ossobuco with salt and pepper.
Pour the red wine over the ossobuco and bring it to boil to evaporate the alcohol. Reduce the heat and add the bay leave and cloves.
Cover the pot and check occasionally. When the wine is absorbed just add a little extra. The meat should be left at a low temperature for about 2-3 hours.
When the meat is tender it will fall off the bone. The marrow in the hole of the bone is the best part of the ossobuco. It is a real delicacy and super yummy!
Serve the ossobuco on a plate and the warm wine sauce on top of it.
Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG
What to serve with ossobuco
Due to its massive taste ossobuco goes well with a creamy risotto, mashed potatoes or polenta.
Wine
If you’re cooking beef or stew Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (sangiovese) is your friend. It affects the taste of the dish. The ripe flavors in this wine give complexity to the sauce and the meat. Chianina is a traditional and genuine meat with an intense and pure taste.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a full bodied wine. It is best when paired with the right food. In particular Chianina beef.
Nothing beats the magic of a brilliant wine and food pairing.
Buon appetito!
Video
Watch this video recipe to see how to cook Ossobuco di Chianina al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva.
Acciderba is Tuscan dialect. In Italian they say “accidenti” which means in English “wow” or “gosh”.
The winery Azienda Agricola Serni Fulvio Luigi in Castagneto Carducci has made up the name “Acciderba” for their most important Bolgheri Rosso DOC wine – and an exquisite one it is!
The wine Acciderba is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese. After wood aging in barrique for 12 months the wine is then bottled and set to age for a further 5 months.
It is an intense red wine with a strong identity and a long finish. On the palate flavours of small blackberries, ripe red fruit and soft tannins. This wine pairs well with wild boar, old cheeses and braised beef.
Everyone has their own taste and preference, but the wine Acciderba Rosso Bolgheri DOC is one of my favorite red wines from the Bolgheri area.
Wine tasting at Azienda Agricola Serni Fulvio Luigi
Wine tasting in Bolgheri is one of the not to be missed “experiences” while on a holiday in Tuscany. There are many options for a wine tasting and tour in this area with all range of possibilities and prices.
Azienda Agricola Serni Fulvio Luigi is a small winery in Castagneto Carducci. Castagneto Carducci is a lovely hilltop town from where you have amazing views over the hills and the sea.
The vineyards from the winery are exposed on the slopes down towards the sea and are close to Bolgheri. The wines they make are Bolgheri Vermentino, Bolgheri Rosato and Bolgheri Rosso DOC on their family-owned 5 hectares of vineyards.
Besides making wine, Azienda Agricola Serni Fulvio Luigi is also a “frantoio”, an olive oil producer.
Vermentino vines
Vermentino vines
The whole family is involved with the wine production and sale of their wines and olive oil, likely partly to account for the love and exceptional quality of the wines.
It wasn’t the first time that I have visited this wine cellar. I know the family personally. They are very welcoming, personable and friendly. The atmosphere, tour, wines and food are superb.
The wines they serve are accompanied by local cheeses and meats, such as dried ham and capocollo. Capocollo is a traditional Italian cured meat made from the neck of a pig. Both products are homemade. Their meat comes from a local organic pig farm and is cured on site by the family.
With the coronavirus pandemic, they haven’t been open to the public for a long time. A visit is well worth it if you’re in the area -send me photos from your experiences there- I’d love to see.
Hopefully they will be able to receive more guests for a wine tour and tasting in 2021.
Information for wine tasting:
Azienda Agricola Serni Fulvio Luigi
Località Le Lame 237
57022 Castagneto Carducci (LI)
info@sernifulvioluigi.it
Bolgheri
Bolgheri is a hamlet in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci, in the province of Livorno, between the coastal cities Cecina and San Vincenzo. The coastline is called the Etruscan Coast “Costa degli Etruschi” or “Etruria”.
The village is famous for its Super Tuscan wines. The most important wineries are Tenuta San Guido, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso.
Golfo di Baratti
The Maremma region is the land of the Etruscans. Many small towns have interesting Etruscan remains, wine roads, a mixture of woods and unspoiled walking trails.
A famous 5 km long cypress road leads you to the historic village Bolgheri. This lane is well known thanks to Giosuè Carducci in his poem “Davanti a San Guido” (In front of San Guido).
Bolgheri is dominated by its fortified castle and is worth visiting, but the main thing to see in Bolgheri is the village itself.
In the heart of this pretty little town are many wine bars and restaurants. They all serve local wines for tastings as well as by the bottle and typical Tuscan foods.
Enoteca Tognoni
Personal tip:
Enoteca Tognoni
Via Lauretta 5
57022 Bolgheri (LI)
Francesco Tognoni is the owner of this wine bar. He is a wonderful host. With special care and treatment, Francesco and his team make sure you have a comfortable evening out while enjoying good wines and foods.
The prices in Bolgheri for a good glass of wine are in every location the same. Enoteca Tognoni is a cosy wine bar, really recommended. Making a reservation is necessary, especially in high season.
Brasato means braised beef. The best part about the recipe “Brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano” is that it is an easy and slow cooker recipe.
This meat dish is delicious on a cold winter evening. Springtime is not really the season for a beef stew. But when it’s cold and rainy outside it is the perfect food to warm you up a bit!
There are many recipes of braised beef, but when preparing an outstanding brasato it is important to have high quality meat and good wine.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
What kind of wine would you recommend to use in beef stew?
I prefer a full bodied, robust red wine such as the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.
This wine gives a very special aroma to the meat.
Chianina beef
For this delicious recipe I use the perfect Chianina beef. This meat is expensive, but it is a very healthy meat and low in cholesterol.
Chianina is probably the oldest breed of cattle in Italy. Did you know that? This animal is also called the giant white cow “gigante bianco”.
Chianina farm Fierli
The homeland of the white Chianina cow is the Valdichiana area. The Fierli family is a four generations farm in Foiano della Chiana. A small town located between Cortona and Montepulciano. Today the family keeps 200 Chianina cows on 100 hectares of agriculture land.
Cecilia is member of the family Fierli. She came up with the rich, warm stew recipe “il brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano”. Guanciale di Chianina cheek in Vino Nobile wine.
The cheek is a hard working muscle that needs to be cooked very slow. It takes hours before the meat is tender, but it is worth waiting for!
Besides guanciale di Chianina and Vino Nobile wine other necessary ingredients for this dish are olive oil, soffritto, salt and pepper.
A soffritto is the Italian cooking base for sauces, soups, stews and many more. It is an aromatic mix of onion, carrots and celery.
Besides the basic ingredients I add bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves and fresh rosemary. Really recommended!
Important information
It’s important to bring the meat out of the fridge a few hours before cooking. The meat must come up to room temperature.
In this recipe the marination step is not necessary.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours at least
Serves: 2 people
Ingredients recipe
450 gram of bovine cheek (Chianina)
> 1/2 liter of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine
2 tablespoons extra-vergin olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 stick celery finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 juniper berries
3 cloves
salt, pepper, fresh rosemary
What else do you need
Stew pot
How to cook
Don’t remove the fat before cooking, that gives the meat a unique flavor and texture.
Clean, wash and chop the onions, carrots and celery.
Heat the stew pot over medium-high heat. Brown the soffritto in hot olive oil. Stirring frequently. The soffritto should be cooked until dorata (golden brown).
Add the meat to the pan and season it with salt and pepper.
Pour in the wine and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat, add the bay leaves, rosemary, cloves and juniper berries.
Cover the pot and turn the meat occasionally.
Leave the meat at a low and slow temperature.
The wine will evaporate. Let the wine reduce a bit and add more wine or other liquids when necessary.
After a few hours, when the meat is tender, remove it to a carving board. Slice the meat. Before serving make sure you remove the woody herbs stems and any bay leaves.
Arrange the meat on a serving plate and pour the wine sauce on top.
What to serve with beef stew
Serve warm with mashed potatoes, polenta or roasted potatoes with rosemary.. my favorite contorno!
A delicious antipasto
Antipasto misto di Cinta Senese: coppa, capocollo and speck.
Cinta Senese is an ancient Tuscan black pig with a white belt. They live free and they have a long and good life. The cinta senese meat has a DOP classification. It is top quality meat.
Wine
The main course pairs with the high tannic red wine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.
Red wine and fatty or high-protein foods is a perfect wine and food pairing.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG wine is an outstanding wine in the Tuscany region. Buon appetito!
Watch this video recipe to see how to cook il Brasato al Vino Nobile di Montepulciano!
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