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Gambero Rosso is a publishing organization (founded 20 years ago) that focuses on Italian food, wine, and culture. They publish and promote high quality products (food and wine) from Italy through multimedia whether it be guides, iphone apps, tv, online. Their goal is to promote Italian culture and all the wonderful products that come with it. They have a rating guide for wines and each year they come out with the ‘Tre Bicchieri’ awards- the wines they consider best of the year. Tre Bicchieri means ‘3 Glasses’ which is the highest award- there are ‘2 glasses’ or Due Bicchieri also indicating runners up. Think of it as the oscars of italian wines.
A16 has offered tre bicchieri wines by the glass the week of the event every year so we carry on the tradition here at SPQR. We have 4 tre bicchiere whites by the glass and 4 tre bicchiere reds:
Broglia , ‘La Meirana’, Gavi di Gavi, Piemonte 2008:
100% Cortese in the center of the historical commune of Gavi in Piemonte. Broglia has the La Meirana vineyard which is considered one of the oldest in the area- records date back to 971 AD that the Meirana vineyard grew vines and chestnuts. Broglia has been producing Gavi since the mid 70’s and has remained a benchmark for the appellation (Gavi became one of those over produced chicken water wines of Italy in the 80’s).
Light to medium bodied; super high acidity; brambly meadow flowers; lemon pith and zest; chalky minerality
Clelia Romano, Fiano di Avellino, Colli di Lapio, Campania 2008:
Gambero Rosso’s White wine of the year! A huge honor for southern Italy, Campania, and Fiano itself. Clelia Romano has fiano vineyards in the Colli di Lapio which is considered the best area for Fiano within Avellino. There are only 2 other fiano producers in Lapio (one of them Rocca del Principe). Her fiano has always been our favorite and we are excited that the rest of Italy recognizes it now too.
Medium bodied, super flinty minerality, soft stone fruit , elegant super long finish. Gorg!
Kante, Malvasia, Carso, Friuli Venezia Giulia 2006:
Edi Kante is one of the many wild eccentric wine makers in Friuli. He is located as far south east as you can go in an area called ‘Istriana’ that hits right up against Slovenia and Slovakia. Carso is an incredibly unique plateau that is made of complete limestone. To build his facility Kante just tunneled into the limestone hillside. His wines are well respected and he is considered the best of Carso- always really pure warm fruit from the maritime climate of the coast but screaming acidity and minerality. Uses large old French tonneau to age his wines and add structure without adding oak flavors.
Medium bodied; ripe even darker fruit; apricots and marmalade and mango; rich minerality with fruit all the way to the end.
Pra, ‘Montegrande’ Soave Classico, Veneto 2007:
Graziano Pra is one of the best Soave producers and one of our dearest friends. His single vineyard Montegrande is almost always Tre Bicchiere. He blends 10% Trebbiano di Soave into this wine (with 90% Garganega) to add a little richness. Montegrande vineyard sits on the top of Monforte d’Alpone (hill next to Soave hill) with most of the vineyards terraced.
Medium bodied; soft peachy fruit; little honey notes; luscious and elegant.
Biondi, ‘Outis’, Etna Rosso, Sicilia 2005:
The newest and most exciting producer in Etna in our market; Ciro Biondi’s winery is the south side of Mt Etna and has been in production (in some way or another) since 1635. Outis means ‘nessuno’ which means ‘ no one’ which refers to the tale of Ulysses and his journey – legend has it that when Ullysses was confronted by Cyclops Polyfemous at Mt. Etna he gave the name ‘Nessuno’ meaning ‘no one’ and was able to escape. Soil is complete volcanic sand which is particular to Mt. Etna. The Outis Rosso is aged in barrique for 1 year but oak is extremely well integrated. 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio that are alberello (bush) trained).
Medium bodied; intense dusty sandy minerality; bright red fruit; burgundian elegance.
Elena Fucci, ‘Titolo’, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata 2004:
One of the leading Vulture producers this winery is led by young enologist Elena Fucci with her family’s support. They own some of the best vineyards on Mt. Vulture (now extinct volcano) which are located on a specific lava flow named ‘Titolo’. The soil is a particular type with many layers of volcanic ash which allows excellent drainage for the vines and extreme minerality. Fucci is a new winery but has won tre bicchieri acclaim for almost all of its vintages.
Full bodied; intense smokey dusty minerality; dark red dried fruit; lots of leathery earth and spiceness; elegant structure and strong tannins.
Ettore Germano, ‘Ceretta’, Barolo, Serralunga, Piemonte 2003:
A more modern Barolo producer- Sergio Germano took over his family winery in 1993 after 6 years in enology school and working at Fontanafredda nearby. His winery is slightly north of Serralunga which is in the southeast area of Barolo. Most Serralunga vineyards are clay based soils making them (usually) the fullest and most structured of all barolos. The Ceretta cru was planted in 1978 and is one of their 2 crus (other is Prapo which is an older vineyard only .7 hectares in size).
Full bodied; dark earthy tones; lots of tannin and structure; subtle dry fruit tones; tar; black tea.
Villa Medoro, ‘Adrano’, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Colline Teramane, Abruzzo 2004:
Run by two families (Della Loggia and Morricone) in Abruzzo their 50 hectare estate is mainly clay and limestone vineyards that face the Gran Sasso Massif mountain and national park in the Appennines.
Full bodied; dark intense black fruit; earthy and muscular tannins; dark coffee.
A16 has offered tre bicchieri wines by the glass the week of the event every year so we carry on the tradition here at SPQR. We have 4 tre bicchiere whites by the glass and 4 tre bicchiere reds:
Broglia , ‘La Meirana’, Gavi di Gavi, Piemonte 2008:
100% Cortese in the center of the historical commune of Gavi in Piemonte. Broglia has the La Meirana vineyard which is considered one of the oldest in the area- records date back to 971 AD that the Meirana vineyard grew vines and chestnuts. Broglia has been producing Gavi since the mid 70’s and has remained a benchmark for the appellation (Gavi became one of those over produced chicken water wines of Italy in the 80’s).
Light to medium bodied; super high acidity; brambly meadow flowers; lemon pith and zest; chalky minerality
Clelia Romano, Fiano di Avellino, Colli di Lapio, Campania 2008:
Gambero Rosso’s White wine of the year! A huge honor for southern Italy, Campania, and Fiano itself. Clelia Romano has fiano vineyards in the Colli di Lapio which is considered the best area for Fiano within Avellino. There are only 2 other fiano producers in Lapio (one of them Rocca del Principe). Her fiano has always been our favorite and we are excited that the rest of Italy recognizes it now too.
Medium bodied, super flinty minerality, soft stone fruit , elegant super long finish. Gorg!
Kante, Malvasia, Carso, Friuli Venezia Giulia 2006:
Edi Kante is one of the many wild eccentric wine makers in Friuli. He is located as far south east as you can go in an area called ‘Istriana’ that hits right up against Slovenia and Slovakia. Carso is an incredibly unique plateau that is made of complete limestone. To build his facility Kante just tunneled into the limestone hillside. His wines are well respected and he is considered the best of Carso- always really pure warm fruit from the maritime climate of the coast but screaming acidity and minerality. Uses large old French tonneau to age his wines and add structure without adding oak flavors.
Medium bodied; ripe even darker fruit; apricots and marmalade and mango; rich minerality with fruit all the way to the end.
Pra, ‘Montegrande’ Soave Classico, Veneto 2007:
Graziano Pra is one of the best Soave producers and one of our dearest friends. His single vineyard Montegrande is almost always Tre Bicchiere. He blends 10% Trebbiano di Soave into this wine (with 90% Garganega) to add a little richness. Montegrande vineyard sits on the top of Monforte d’Alpone (hill next to Soave hill) with most of the vineyards terraced.
Medium bodied; soft peachy fruit; little honey notes; luscious and elegant.
Biondi, ‘Outis’, Etna Rosso, Sicilia 2005:
The newest and most exciting producer in Etna in our market; Ciro Biondi’s winery is the south side of Mt Etna and has been in production (in some way or another) since 1635. Outis means ‘nessuno’ which means ‘ no one’ which refers to the tale of Ulysses and his journey – legend has it that when Ullysses was confronted by Cyclops Polyfemous at Mt. Etna he gave the name ‘Nessuno’ meaning ‘no one’ and was able to escape. Soil is complete volcanic sand which is particular to Mt. Etna. The Outis Rosso is aged in barrique for 1 year but oak is extremely well integrated. 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio that are alberello (bush) trained).
Medium bodied; intense dusty sandy minerality; bright red fruit; burgundian elegance.
Elena Fucci, ‘Titolo’, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata 2004:
One of the leading Vulture producers this winery is led by young enologist Elena Fucci with her family’s support. They own some of the best vineyards on Mt. Vulture (now extinct volcano) which are located on a specific lava flow named ‘Titolo’. The soil is a particular type with many layers of volcanic ash which allows excellent drainage for the vines and extreme minerality. Fucci is a new winery but has won tre bicchieri acclaim for almost all of its vintages.
Full bodied; intense smokey dusty minerality; dark red dried fruit; lots of leathery earth and spiceness; elegant structure and strong tannins.
Ettore Germano, ‘Ceretta’, Barolo, Serralunga, Piemonte 2003:
A more modern Barolo producer- Sergio Germano took over his family winery in 1993 after 6 years in enology school and working at Fontanafredda nearby. His winery is slightly north of Serralunga which is in the southeast area of Barolo. Most Serralunga vineyards are clay based soils making them (usually) the fullest and most structured of all barolos. The Ceretta cru was planted in 1978 and is one of their 2 crus (other is Prapo which is an older vineyard only .7 hectares in size).
Full bodied; dark earthy tones; lots of tannin and structure; subtle dry fruit tones; tar; black tea.
Villa Medoro, ‘Adrano’, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Colline Teramane, Abruzzo 2004:
Run by two families (Della Loggia and Morricone) in Abruzzo their 50 hectare estate is mainly clay and limestone vineyards that face the Gran Sasso Massif mountain and national park in the Appennines.
Full bodied; dark intense black fruit; earthy and muscular tannins; dark coffee.
