Monday, June 3, 2013

Wines of Braida

Folks, let me start by apologizing for my extended absence. Two contributing factors have left me sans-blogging for far too long. 1- I've been using my iPad more and more in place of my laptop, and the iPad and blogging don't cooperate well. and 2- I've been spending a lot (i.e. the vast majority) of my free time fishing. Point being, I'm sorry and I'll try to be more consistent. What a better week to get back into blogging than the week we have a visitor from the Braida winery!

The Braida winery was founded over fifty years ago by Giacomo Bologna. Giacomo and his winery Braida are widely recognized as the founding father of the modern wine we know as Barbera. Giacomo was the first person to really put time, energy, and money into the wine of the Barbera grape. Before his time, Barbera was largely used to produce large volumes of easy-drinking table wine. Utilizing very strict yields in the vineyards, meticulous winemaking methods, and an unflinching desire for perfection, Giacomo Bologna put Barbera on the map. Reborn in the image of "Bricco dell'Uccellone" and "Ai Suma" the winery's two top reds, wine in northern Italy has never been the same. (Some of you might remember my blog post back in February on one of the Braida wines: Montebruna.)

The wine "Ai Suma" (which translates to an expression similar to "We've arrived" or "We've done it"), is the very pinnacle of wine made from Barbera grapes. The Ai Suma wine is bade from 100% Barbera grapes in the DOCG of Barbera d'Asti. Grapes are harvested from a single vineyard in Rocchetta Tanaro, the best of all areas for the Barbera grapes. The grapes are left out on the vine just a touch past 'ripe', not quite late harvest, so let's say 'extra ripe.' Because of the harvesting method, the Ai Suma can only be made in the best vintages, when the climate and weather cooperate absolutely perfectly. The wine undergoes a long twenty day maceration, followed by roughly fifteen months in oak. The resulting wine is big and intense, about as enormous as you could possibly get a Barbera d'Asti under natural circumstances. The extra-ripe grapes and winemaking style gives the Ai Suma an unparalleled flavor profile and mouthfeel. The Ai Suma is the Italian wine for drinkers who love big, bold, over-the-top cabernet or syrah.

The wine "Bricco dell'Uccellone" is the little brother to the Ai Suma, but there is absolutely nothing little about this wine. Bricco dell'Uccellone takes it's name from the old woman who used to live next to the vineyard. As the story goes, she was always dressed in black and the neighbors called her "l'uselun", the big bird. The name of the wine "Bricco dell'Uccellone" means "the hilltop of the big bird." This wine serves as the flagship of the Braida winery. The grapes are again harvested from a single vineyard in Rocchetta Tanaro. Maceration is at least twenty days under strict temperature control, followed by fifteen months in French barriques and another year in bottle before release. The Bricco dell'Uccellone is a little softer and more elegant than the Ai Suma, making it the perfect representation of incredible, world-class Barbera.

Today the Braida winery is run by Giacomo's children, Raffaela and Guiseppe (Beppe). Both are third-generation winemakers and have carried on their father's legacy like few could imagine. Together they continue to make headlines for their stunning wines, including the Ai Suma and Bricco dell'Uccellone described above. The winery is also world-famous for their Moscato d'Asti and Brachetto d'Acqui, often referenced as the definitive wines in their respective DOCG's. As a matter of fact, if you've got a wine book at home that doesn't reference the Braida wines as some of the best in the Piedmonte region, simply throw the book in the trash. I've seen the Braida winery referenced in almost every serious wine book I own; I've even heard other winemakers mention the winery in an attempt to compare their own wines to the legacy that Braida has created.

If you've never tried any of the Braida wines, you absolutely must seek them out! Not only are they available in fine wine shops throughout Connecticut and New York, but they're readily available throughout many states. If you happen to be in Connecticut (like me), Sergio from Braida will be here in CT this week and there will be some tastings popping up over the next week or so. If you're in western CT, I believe Sergio is going to be in Kent this Friday, June 7th. Then on Saturday, June 8th, Sergio will be stopping at a couple stores near the shoreline: Spirits of Madison in Madison and Seaside Wines in Old Saybrook. If everything comes together, we're even hoping to do a little dinner with the Braida wines at Tosca Restaurant in Suffield on Saturday night.

Check your schedule, give your local wine shop a call, and get ready to experience the wines of Braida!


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