Milano Wine Week 2023 - Italian Masterclasses at Il Gattopardo, NYC, USA

Milano Wine Week 2023
Italian Masterclass

Milano Wine Week in New York City is always a highlight of the wine season. We attended two very interesting and informative International Wine Masterclasses for industry professionals at Il Gattopardo restaurant in New York City on October 11, 2023, part of the Milano Wine Week presentations (October 7-15, 2023). Wine education consisted of tasting 8 wines per Masterclass, followed by a delicious lunch buffet featuring Il Gattopardo’s Southern Italian cuisine. Bellissimo!

The First Masterclass

The Dal Bianco Family’s Wine Vision – A Conversation with Federico Dal Bianco and Filippo Bartolotta

“Masottina is the historic brand of the Dal Bianco family born and bred in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore hills, listed in 2019 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

It was interesting to have the opportunity to taste the four of the brand’s Proseccos side by side and compare a non-vintage, two Proseccos from 2022 (Brut vs. Extra Dry), as well as a 2016 Prosecco Extra Dry.

Milano Wine Week 2023 - photo by Luxury Experience

The White Wines Tasted and Wine Notes

Masottina ViaVenti Prosecco DOC Trevisio Extra Brut

11.5% alcohol, made from 85% Glera, 15% Chardonnay. Very light in color, lively bubbles, with mineral and limestone notes.

Milano Wine Week 2023 - photo by Luxury Experience

Masottina ViaVenti Prosecco DOC Treviso Rosé 2022
11% alcohol, made from 90% Glera, 10% Pinot Noir. Pale rose color, lively bubbles on the palate, fizzy, lovely lasting finish.

Masottina R.D.O. Ponente Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Rive di Ogliano Brut 2022

More astringent, with a soft finish and lush sweetness.

Masottina R.D.O. Levante Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Le Rive di Ogliano Extra Dry 2022
11.5% alcohol. Made from 100% Glera. Mineral and citrus notes. Grapes were grown in a single plot of land facing east, with the grapes hand harvested and vinified using gravity.

Masottina Conegliano Valdobbiadene Millesimato Prosecco Superiore DOCG Le Rive di Ogliano Extra Dry 2016
11.5% alcohol. Gorgeous, pleasing sweetness. Floral notes on the nose, with apple, lemon, and grapefruit on the palate. Pairing suggestion, serve as an aperitif and more important occasions.

Milano Wine Week 2023 - Masottina RDO - photo by Luxury Experience

Al Palazzi by Masottina Rizzardo Colli Conegliano Bianco DOCG 2018
13% alcohol. Sweetness on the nose, with lemon and mineral notes. Would pair well with shellfish, salmon, and white meat. Recommended serving temperature 12-14 degrees Celsius (53.6 – 57.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

Editor’s Note: Understanding the sweetness level for sparkling wines: Extra Brut has 0-6 gr/l, Brut has < 15gr, Extra Dry has 12-20 gr, and Dry (Sec) has 17-35 gr.

The Red Wines Tasted and Wine Notes

What a difference a few years make. Like the Proseccos, it was interesting to have the opportunity to taste and compare two wines from the same brand from different vintages.

Ai Palazzi by Masottina Montesco Colli di Conegliano Rosso DODG 2017

14% alcohol. Deep red color. Motes of dark fruit, balanced, soft tannins. Would pair well with red meat and cheese. Recommended serving temperature 18-20 degrees Celsius (64-68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Ai Palazzi by Masottina Montesco Colli di Conegliano Rosso DOCG 2010

13.5% alcohol. Deep red color, soft on the palate, tannins still heavy. Aromatic nose, a stunner of a wine with a memorable finish, a wine that can still spend more time aging in the bottle.

The Second Masterclass

Exploring Italy Through The Glass: Tasting Unique Wines, Expressing the Richness and Biodiversity of Italian Indigenous Grape Varieties presented by Coldiretti

This Masterclass provided the opportunity to taste wines from various regions of Italy and to learn more about the diverse types of grapes used to create the wines.

Milano Wine Week 2023 - photo by Luxury Experience

The White Wines Tasted and Wine Notes

White Grape Varieties: Garganega, Falanghia, Albana, and Vermentino

Gianni Tessari, DOC Soave Classico Cru Tenda Scalete 2022
12.5% alcohol. This wine was from Veneto and won many international awards. Grown in limestone and organic soil. Made from 85% Garganega, 15% Trebbiano di Soave. Note: 2022 was hot and dry, producing a concentration of fruit that came through in the glass.

La Guardiense, DOC Falanghina del Sannio 2022 from Campagna

13% alcohol. Made from 100% Falanghina grapes grown in volcanic soil, with crisp aromatic notes, along with floral and fruit notes on the palate, with an exotic finish.

Az Agr Baccarini, DOCG Romagna Albana 2022

15.5% alcohol. Grown in a terroir mixture of clay, iron, silt, and sandstone. Grapefruit and stone fruit notes, and a creamier and juicier mouthfeel than the first two wines presented in this session.

Cantine Chessa, DOC Vermentino di Sardegna C’era Una Volta 2020

15.5% alcohol. Made from 100% Vermentino, the color is a deeper gold. Grapefruit, a round mouthfeel, with saltiness, and a pleasing lingering finish.

The Red Wines Tasted and Wine Notes

Red Grape Varieties: Nebbiolo Alba, Primitivo, Bovale, Cerasuolo (Nero d’Avola e Frappato

Poderi Moretti, DOC Nebbiolo d’Alba 2020

14% alcohol. Made from 100% Nebbiolo. This was a traditional Nebbiolo with black cherry and balsamic notes, and balanced tannins. This wine came from the Piemonte region and spent 12 months in oak and 6 months in stainless steel.

Teanum Srl, IGT Puglia Primitivo 2020

15% alcohol. This wine was from Apulia. Made from 100% Primitivo. Small production, deep color, softer, oak is gentler, with black fruit, jammy flavors, heady, aromatic floral notes, with a very nice finish.

Cantine Antigori, IGT Bovale Rosso 2020

14.5% alcohol. This wine was from Sardegna. Made from 100% Bovale. Deep, dark color. Grown in clay soil, on the nose there were red berries, licorice, and Mediterranean spices, with a fresh mouthfeel.

Horus, DOCG Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2019

14.5% alcohol. This wine hailed from Sicily. Made with 50% Nero d’Avola and 50% Frappato. Nero d’Avola to give it structure, and Frappato to give it aromatic notes. This had low tannins and was lighter in feel than the previous wine.

Milano Wine Week 2023 – Il Gattopardo Restaurant Luncheon Buffet

Crispy salad with seasonal radicchio, frisée, fennel, rainbow carrots, and radishes
Smoked burrata and fresh mozzarella
Vegetable caponata
Salumi and formaggi
Ravioli filled with eggplant in tomato sauce
Lasagna filled with veal, porcini ragout and for di latte
Grilled free-range chicken breast with fresh thyme
Sautéed spinach in extra virgin olive oil and garlic
Small seasonal tarts
Fresh fruit

With 16 wonderful wines tasted, it was interesting to later pair them with the food to see which would pair best. Once again, Italian wines reigned supreme during Milano Wine Week in New York City. It was an educational and thoroughly enjoyable day spent appreciating the art of Italian wine and food.

Until next time, saluti (cheers) and mangia bene (eat well)!

For more information on Milano Wine Week please visit their website: www.milanowineweek.com

Milano Wine Week Social Media
#MWM2023

Facebook: www.facebook.com/milanowineweek

Instagram: www.instagram.com/milanowineweekofficial

For more information on Masottina wines, please visit their website: https://www.masottina.it/en/collections/

For more information on Coldiretti, please visit their website: https://www.coldiretti.it/

For more information on Il Gattopardo, please visit their website: www.ilgattopardonyc.com

Il Gattopardo is open for Lunch, Monday through Friday from 12:00 pm until 3:00 pm, Dinner from Monday through Saturday from 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm, and Sunday from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm. They also have a Live Jazz Brunch Italiano on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am until 3:00 pm. Smart casual. Please refrain from sneakers, shorts, flip-flops, and sportswear.

Il Gattopardo
At the Rockefeller Townhouse
13-15 West 54^th Street
New York, New York 10019
United States
Telephone: +1-212-246-0412
Email: contactus@ilgattopardonyc.com
Website: www.ilgattopardonyc.com
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