D’Amato & Szabo: Wine Thieves

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The Wine Thieves get their hands dirty with a star quartet of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano producers to learn why and how soil matters most to sangiovese, more than any other production parameter. Weighing in from their estates in Montepulciano are: Andrea Lonardi of Tenuta Tre Rose, Luca Tiberini of Tiberini, Luca Corrado of Boscarelli and Antonio Zaccheo of Carpineto. Sangiovese can be delicate! It can also be hearty, tannic, high acid, soft and approachable. A chameleon that is impressively reflective of terroir, we draw inevitable comparisons between Italy's most famous grape and another equally transparent one: pinot noir. We also learn to chill out, as stress is bad for everyone, including sangiovese.

Momentum towards more sustainable production is underway with 68% of producers on board with new sustainable approaches to viticulture and winemaking in the Vino Nobile production region. Also on the round table: the future of "international" grape varieties, new production standards for Vino Nobile with sub-zones, Vin Santo as a natural wine, and, is subregional labelling important? 

Don't miss this episode on the extraordinary wines of Montepulciano featuring John's insights on Rosso di Montepulciano as a must-have aperitivo and Sara's musings on the transcendental nature of the mother "madre" yeast.

In partnership with the Consorzio Vino Nobile and the Toronto Office of the Italian Trade Commission. A campaign financed according to EU regulation no. 1308/2013

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At some point in every wine lover's deepening obsession , they fall down the cartographic rabbit hole.  If you've fallen prey to this map-centric preoccupation, don't miss this episode of Wine Thieves.  John and Sara speak with mapmaker straordinario Alessandro Masnaghetti,   founder of Enogea, publisher of the  world's most detailed maps of wine regions.  More than just practical tools, these are works of cultural significance, humanizing and preserving a living landscape. But they do also help us  to understand a wine's shaded nuances of flavour and structure, positioning each in contextual time and space.  Masnaghetti's map of Montepulciano guides the Wine Thieves as they delve deeper into the distinctive terroir of Vino Nobile . For this episode, you'll want to follow along with your own map; go to Consorziovinonobile.it or enogea.it to download your own copy and join us on the tour.

Finally, John acquiesces  to Sara's repeated requests to share the mysteries of Italian language pronunciation. You will not want to miss this final segment (46:45) that will have you pronouncing mammolo, nobile and bruschetta like a full blooded Italian!

In partnership with the Consorzio Vino Nobile and the Toronto Office of the Italian Trade Commission. A campaign financed according to EU regulation no. 1308/2013

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This week the Wine Thieves head to Tuscany and more specifically to the DOCG of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Italy's first DOCG and "the king of all wines" according to poet Francesco Redi. They foolishly consider rolling an empty barrel  600m up to the top of the medieval hilltop town of Montepulciano  (in the "annual Bravio delle Botti"), to take advantage of the sweeping views of the Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana, the latter home to Chianina cattle and source of the legendary Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

In this first of a 3-part series, we speak with  president, Andrea Rossi,  and vice-presidents, Susanna Crociani and Luca Tiberini, (also all producers) of the Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to learn of the illustrious history of the region, its traditions that united a community under the sphere of Florentine influence,  grape varieties, and soils. Sommelier student alert: we also get a sneak peak at the imminent changes to come from this multi-faceted wine growing region, including a new cru system of sub-zones named after local medieval parishes, defined by elevation, aspect and soils.  Pour yourself a glass of this southern-Tuscan sangiovese (aka prugnolo gentile), discover the past, present and future of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and let the heady aromas whisk you away to the historic hillsides of this classic Tuscan hilltop town.

In partnership with the Consorzio Vino Nobile and the Toronto Office of the Italian Trade Commission. A campaign financed according to EU regulation no. 1308/2013

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Our 20th episode is dedicated to Blaufränkisch, the widely acknowledged "grape of the future",  and its epicentre of production in the Federal State of Burgenland on the eastern edge of Austria.  Barbaresco or Côte Rôtie? Chinon or Pommard?  What does Blaufränkisch remind you of? We go straight to two of the world's greatest artists of the ancient grape to get the inside story: Roland Velich (Weingut Moric) and Uwe Schiefer. 

From his base in Mittleburgenland, casino croupier-turned winegrower Roland Velich is the counterculture Blaufränkisch rebel,  whose wines tread the line between radical and refined, drawing inspiration from ancient vines and techniques. His mission is simple: restore the fame and quality of  Burgenland and Blaufränkisch, once the jewels of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  We also pay a visit to Weingut Uwe Schiefer in the Eisenberg DAC. Schiefer,  a sommelier-turned-winemaker,  was compelled to leave an illustrious career Vienna to make wine from the schisty Eisenberg hill, a then unknown but now a coveted niche for Blaufränkisch, using a sommelier's sensitivity and sensibility with stunning results.  With nary a barrique in sight, we reach Schiefer's right hand man, Mark Matisovits for the back story and the current techniques that make for great Blau. Terroir, it turns out, does matter, and a great deal. Limestone, schist, clay, gneiss... all reveal themselves with clarion clarity through Blaufränkisch's DNA. 

For  wine students, we also cover the basics of the DACs of Eisenberg, Mittleburgenland, Leithaberg and Carnuntum, and reveal what an Uhudler is. You need to know.

Bring your tissues and join us this week as we journey back to the future into Blaufränkishland, the world's most peppery destination outside the northern Rhône!

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Think you know Austria's Weinviertel (the "Wine Quarter")? Our continuing journey down the Danube may yet surprise you. We look north of Vienna and the river to this vast DAC , Austria's largest, and first protected designation of origin established in 2002. DAC Weinviertel on the label means fragrant, fresh, oak-free, dry and peppery grüner veltliner, the region's signature. Reserve and Grosses Reserve categories were were introduced in 2009 to accommodate a growing number of more powerful versions. Yet a region is not solely defined by its regulations. For the underground spirit of the Weinviertel, we turn to biodynamic winemaker Johannes Zillinger. Johannes speaks of the importance of the creation of the DAC, and also why he doesn't bottle his wines under it. He talks about the generational friction caused by evolving philosophies in family operations, and how a trip to the Republic of Georgia inspired his wines. Far from being one large ocean of peppery grüner, the Weinviertel is instead a collection of  multiple seas, foaming with  innovation and exploration, tradition and convention, from farmhouse to factory. Learn what "unconventional" can mean, what  PIWI varieties are and how they may change farming for the better, and how family, travel, perspective and a collaborative spirit shape a dynamic wine style.  Finally, the Wine Thieves benefit from tips on leading a biodynamic lifestyle and see how they size up. You won't want to miss this episode! mit freundlichen Grüßen, The Wine Thieves.

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The Wine Thieves begin their cruise along the Danube exploring Neiderösterreich (Lower Austria), pausing to marvel at the magnificent, steeply terraced vineyards of the Wachau, the variegated side valleys of the Kremstal, Kamptal and the Traisental, with a pampered pitstop in Langenlois before next week's hike into the Weinviertel. Sara loses John briefly to a reverie on loess, whose thick strata are the origins for the world's greatest grüner veltliner, but brings him back in time for a conversation with Michael Moosbrugger, thoughtful winemaker and estate manager of historic Schloss Gobelsburg in the Kamptal, celebrating 850 harvests this year. He's also the president of the ÖTW (Österreichische Traditionsweingüter), and speaks to us about the ongoing development of the Erste Lagen - "1er cru" - classification and the 30 years of study and research and tastings it will take to realize the  project. Our conversation gets Cistercian again as we delve into pre-industrialized winegrowing, the importance of terroir over grape variety, and how history continues to define us. So, settle in with a gneiss glass of riesling, grüner veltliner or sankt laurent and join us for part one of our winding journey through the Danube Valley. 

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Content in grüner Austria, the Wine Thieves spend this week delving into biodynamic history and practices in a virtual encounter at Austria's oldest biodynamic winery and second oldest winery to be certified in the world. We speak to Nikolaus Saahs of the Nikolaihof winery in the Wachau whose winemaking legacy dates back 2,000 years in the village of Mautern on the southern side of the Danube.  Nikolaus offers a frank, insider's perspective on new green certifications, what it means to lead a biodynamic lifestyle and the value of collaboration. So put away your Stein-er, grab a glass and Thun-in for a riveting episode featuring avant-garde Austria.

This episode was created in partnership with Austrian Wine. For more information visit: austrianwinie.com

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The Wine Thieves launch 2021 on a highly positive note: "Green Austria”, the first in a mini-series on Austrian wines. This small country in the heart of Europe has quietly been green, and getting greener for over a century, showing the way towards more responsible, earth-friendly wine production. Austria registered the first organic farm in the world in 1927, and was the first country to create national organic farming regulations. And fully 15% of Austria’s vineyards are farmed organically, 3x more than the world average, while nearly 100 producers are certified biodynamic, a remarkable number for a country with only 40,000 hectares of vines. Our guest is celebrated vintner Fred Loimer of Weingut Loimer, a biodynamic producer in the Kamptal region since 2006, and co-founder of Respekt-Biodyn. Loimer shares his thoughts on the history and evolution of environmentally-responsible winegrowing in Austria, sustainable certification, natural wines, changes to the appellation system and much more.

This podcast was produced in collaboration with Austrian Wine. 

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The Wine Thieves speak with four women at the top of their game about how to taste. We invite Elsa Macdonald (Master of Wine), Elyse Lambert (Master Sommelier), Jennifer Huether (Master Sommelier) and Véronique Rivest (Canada's Best Sommelier and International Sommelier Champion) to a round table discussion about what matters most when blind tasting but first we talk about their illustrious careers, gruelling studies and becoming masters of their domaines. Spoiler: you'll find out that blind tasting is just as hard as it looks but it is not an impossible feat. Differences between tasting as a Master Sommelier, a Master of Wine and for international competitions are revealed. Whether you are a student in training (at any level), an avid wine enthusiast or are intrigued about what it takes to make a career in wine, you won't want to miss this episode of Wine Thieves! 

This episode was created in consultation with, but not sponsored by, the not-for-profit organization Femmes du Vin, a grassroots women's organization that values, promotes and amplifies the voices of all women in wine to bring the wine industry forward through education, scholarships and mentorship. They work to inspire, educate, empower and change lives of women in wine by opening up opportunities. Their Harvest Series of seminars ran from September to November of 2020 creating scholarships for women in wine. Video recaps of these sessions can be viewed for free at: www.FemmesduVin.org but donate if you can!

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If these are not words that you often associate with Bordeaux and more importantly, Médoc then this next episode should prove perspective changing. It may be a region that is damp, affected by both maritime influences and that of the Gironde Estuary, but this is a welcome challenge to environmentally minded, innovative producers of the region. The greater region of Bordeaux is the heartland of the HVE government initiative that certifies sustainability and encourages organic production in France. The uptake in Médoc has been impressive and stimulating despite climatic realities.

You won’t want to miss this interview with the inventive Jean-Baptise Cordonnier, proprietor of Château Anthonic in the commune of Moulis-en-Médoc. Cordonnier has developed an enhanced organic system that meets the unique challenges of Médoc based on agroforestry techniques. A thorough understanding of forestry, viticulture and biodiversity drive his pursuits. We’ll delve a little deeper into the ambitious and necessary goals that the appellation has established to make Médoc a leader in eco-viticulture.