I’ve shared in the past that I really love roast chicken paired with a bottle of Chardonnay, and today we’re popping open one of my faves – Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay hailing from New Zealand’s North Island. 

I was first introduced to these wines several years ago when I had a chance to sit down for a tasting with Paul Brajkovich, a member of the owning family. I was quite impressed with the whole line and shortly after, I had planned to feature a bottle of a moderately aged but inexpensive Pinot Gris they had released at the time which I had paired with a fried chicken dish. Sadly, we lost all of the pictures related to that dish in a computer crash. Wahwah. I only see current vintages of their Pinot Gris available now, but I can vouch for the wine’s ageability and deliciousness.

I equally enjoyed their Chardonnays, and while their higher-end wines were beautiful, the Estate Chardonnay is moderately priced ($29 average, although I usually see it priced in the mid to low $30s) and delivers bang for the buck. When I first tasted the Chardonnays, I mentioned that they reminded me of a ‘Mersault with the volume turned up to 11.’ I eventually got to experience that comparison in real life. I brought a bottle with me to dinner at a friend’s house with a group of wine industry girlfriends. By coincidence, one of the other ladies brought a bottle of Mersault, so we got to do a side-by-side tasting. 

We enjoyed our Chardonnays from Meursault and Kumeu River with chicken and butternut squash.

Things played out basically as they had in my head. The Mersault was lovely of course – believe me, I’m not knocking white Burgundy. The wine had elegance, minerality, and some nice fruit, but it was a bit more subtle. The Kumeu River bottle had a similar balance of elements I expect from Burgundy, particularly the minerality, bright acidity, and hints of spice, but with the levels turned up a bit; in particular, the bright, sun-shiny fruit notes just jumped out of the glass more readily. Other wine geeks might counter that this is to be expected of a New World Chardonnay, and yes, you’re right, but the minerality and acidity in this wine are higher than one might expect from many California versions, for example. Another way to put it is that this is a great marriage of New World and Old World styles. 

Let’s go ahead now and travel over to New Zealand to get to know this wine better.

Auckland & Kumeu

New Zealand has become well known for its delicious Sauvignon Blancs, particularly those hailing from Marlborough on the South Island. Today, however, we’re going to the North Island, and fairly north in North Island at that, to the Auckland region, which shares its name with  New Zealand’s most populous city. 

Map borrowed from WineFolly.com

As you can probably imagine, being much farther north the most of the rest of the country’s winegrowing regions, the terroir here is a bit different. Most of the area lies on a narrow strip of land between the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific to the east. Having water so close in most directions means the region has a maritime climate that is much more humid than many of New Zealand’s other wine regions. This can make things tricky since humidity brings disease pressures. Moreover, most of New Zealand’s growing regions are in the rain shadow of the island nation’s mountain ranges. Most of the Auckland region gets no such protection. On the plus side, since the region is closer to the equator than most of the rest of the country, they also experience warmer temperatures than much of the rest of the country, which allows them to ripen grapes that simply don’t do as well in the cooler temperatures further south, such as Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, as well as particularly good Chardonnay. The breezes that come off the ocean, in turn, help moderate temperatures and keep things from getting too warm. 

The region was formed by volcanic activity about 50,000 years ago, and all of Auckland’s subregions have similar clay and loam soils that both add minerality to the wines, and can help keep the vines hydrated in drier years. On the flip side, those fertile, water-retaining soils can present challenges in the humidity. Growers have had to be very selective as to the types of rootstocks, grapes and clones, and growing methods they use in order to mitigate the problems with diseases and overcropping that come with the humid weather and fertile soils.

While James Busby brought vines to New Zealand in 1819, winemaking in the region really began in the early 20th century when settlers came over from Croatia, Lebanon, and England. As was often the case, the settlers brought their vines with them and many wineries in the area trace their origins back to these settlers, as we shall see. 

Auckland has several subregions, of which Kumeu is one. The town of Kumeu is located about 15 to 20 miles northwest of Auckland’s CBD. There are several larger-scale wineries based around Kumeu, but many of them source their grapes from elsewhere in New Zealand. However, there are also quite a few boutique producers, like Kumeu River, that have figured out how to work with the elements to make some excellent wines. 

Quick side note to give props: New Zealand as a country has an amazing track record on sustainability. Per WineFolly.com, to date, 98% of vineyards are above the ISO 14001 sustainability standard and 7% operate organically, so their wines are an excellent bet if sustainability is important to you.

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay

Image borrowed from WilsonDaniels.com

Kumeu River's history serves as a perfect illustration of the region’s history as described above and they were one of the region’s early pioneers. Mick Brajkovich emigrated from Dalmatia and arrived in New Zealand in 1937 to work in the Kauri gum fields – Kauri gum was a very important resource at the time. His wife Katé, son Maté, and daughters Frances and Nevenka followed him a year later. The family moved a few times, working and saving, and by 1944, they’d saved enough money to buy land in Kumeu. Initially, the property was used for mixed farming and they raised dairy cows and grew fruit and vegetables. There was already a small vineyard on the property, and they made for their own consumption, just as had been common in Dalmatia. Their production quickly exceeded what they needed for themselves, and as the quality was also very good, they started making wine commercially, initially focusing on dry red wines in the style that was popular in Croatia. Sadly, Mick died in 1949, but Maté and Katé kept the business going which became known as  San Marino Vineyards. 

Eventually, Maté married Melba Sutich, whose grandparents had also immigrated to New Zealand from Croatia. They had four children – Michale, Marijana, Milan, and Paul. In 1979,  the family began to move away from the hybrid varieties that were there, and towards  Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, which were unusual at the time. 

The new generation began to take an interest and get involved in the family business, which increasingly focused on quality and built a reputation. In 1986, the winery changed its name to Kumeu River Wines and began making a Burgundy-influenced style of Chardonnay using indigenous yeasts, extended lees aging, and malolactic fermentation. 

Today, Kumeu River has 30 hectares (74 acres) of estate vineyards in Kumeu, and they work with another 10 hectares (24.7 acres) from local growers, producing 250,000 bottles annually.  The wines are farmed sustainably and are vegan. The vineyards have predominantly clay soils overlying a sandstone base, which retain enough water to hydrate the deep-rooted vines, so additional irrigation is not needed. 

Image borrowed from WilsonDaniels.com

Fun fact, Michael Brajkovic, who is now their winemaker, became New Zealand’s first Master of Wine. 

I described Kumeu River’s Estate Chardonnay in general terms at the top, and on the night we opened the 2020, it showed all the lovely balance and bright flavors I was expecting. On the nose, I picked up notes of tangy peaches, crisp apples, lemon, and vanilla cream, all laced with minerals. All of those elements continued on the palate, along with a little butterscotch. The oak was well-integrated, and the wine’s bright acidity gave it a juicy quality at the start of the palate that then moved towards a sleek, mid-weight body with lots of minerality. Lovely!

Geeky Details

Details were taken from the tech sheet.

Vineyards: The grape for this wine come from six different vineyard sites in the Kumeu Region,  with careful attention paid to the selection of the grapes. 

Winemaking:  

Grapes are hand-harvested 

Whole-bunch pressed 

Indigenous-yeast fermentation

French oak barrels, 20% new oak

100% barrel fermentation

100% malolactic fermentation

11 months maturation in barrel

The Pairing: Roasted Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Veggies

Since I’ve had these wines quite a few times, I had a good idea of the flavor profile. As I mentioned, I find it hard to resist roast chicken with Chardonnay, particularly one with a bot of oak on it. This time I thought I’d create a sheet pan-style dinner with vegetables and seasonings that would play to the different aspects of the wine. Now, I say sheet pan, but I’d recommend using a roasting pan or at least a deeper sheet pan since the chicken and vegetables give off a lot of juices. Of course, you want to avoid a mess, but likewise, you’ll want to catch those juices to serve on chicken and veggies because they’re delicious. 

I used yogurt flavored with lemon and garlic as a marinade in order to play to the wine’s tangy, juicy qualities.  Meanwhile, I opted for cauliflower, mushrooms, and potatoes to tease out more earthy elements. I used parsley as a garnish, which is optional, but I do think it also helped bring out herbal notes in the wine and worked with its minerality as well. While I kept the seasonings fairly simple here, feel free to play around and change them up.

Everything worked as I’d hoped and different flavors in the wine came out depending on the composition of the bite – sometimes the citrus notes were highlighted, while at others the wine appeared more earthy or minerally. It was delicious, easy, and in the end, there was only one pan for my husband to clean. 

*****

This month the World Wine Travel (#WorldWineTravel) blogging group is taking a virtual trip around New Zealand's North Island. Linda of My Full Wine Glass is hosting and you can read her invitation here and be sure to check out the rest of the group's posts:

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm: A Fun Halloween Birthday Feast featuring Supernatural Spook Light Pinot Gris Orange Wine
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla: 3 x 3: Triple Porcini'd Polenta + a Three Grape Red Blend from Gisborne
• Susannah at Avvinare: Taking a Look At Waiheke Island Wines
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass: Two Hawke's Bay whites for a virtual visit to NZ North Island

Additional sources used for this post and extra reading:

• NZwine.com
  
• Winenz.com
  
• Wine-searcher.com
  
• NZwinedirectory.co.nz
  
• The Oxford Companion to Wine via Jancisrobinson.com
  
• Winefolly.com: New Zealand Chardonnay – Jewel of the South Pacific
  

I’ve been taking a summer vacation from the blog for a few weeks, and as I’m reemerging this week, I think it’s only appropriate to toast with a bottle of bubbly. 

Today we’re going way, way, way Down Under. We’re picking up our exploration of Australian wine, and we’re going about as far south in the country as you can go to Tasmania. Australia’s Island State is known for its Devils, gorgeous scenery, and incredibly clean air. It’s also a pretty ideal place to make sparkling wine – so let’s go ahead and pop a bottle!

Cheers!

An Intro to Tassie Wine

Map borrowed from WineFolly.com

Tassie wines are still somewhat undiscovered gems. They represent less than 1% of Australia’s wine production, but they’re known for their quality, and as a result, this is one Australian winemaking region where demand outpaces supply. 

Despite the production numbers being small, winemaking history goes back to the early days of Australia’s European settlement. Its first vineyards were planted in 1823 – which gives it a potential claim over the Hunter Valley, which is generally cited as Australia’s oldest region. The issue is that after its early start, winemaking on the island pretty much dried up for about a century starting in the second half of the 1800s and then reemerged in the 1950s, so it hasn’t been continuous. 

Tasmania is way down south – located between the southern parallels of  40° and 44° latitude, about 150 miles (240 km) off the coast of Victoria. As you can probably imagine, things get can get chilly around these parts, so the grapes they focus on as pretty different from much of the rest of mainland Australia. Rather than Shiraz, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon which like the heat, we see grapes that like the cool maritime climate take center stage here. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay take the top spots for plantings, and those are followed by Sauv Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. (We saw this in the Yarra Valley* in Victoria, and now we’re even farther south.) 

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay also happen to be the grapes most traditionally used for traditional method sparkling wines, and much like Champagne, cooler climates tend to be perfect for making bubbly as the grapes retain lots of crisp acidity. Lo and behold, Tasmania has developed a reputation for making some of the country’s best sparkling wines. Moreover, Australia’s first sparkling wine was made in Tasmania in 1826.

Tasmania’s landscape is dominated by dolerite-capped mountains which give the island its complex geography with many varying terroirs and micro-climates. Most notably, the mountains on the western side create a rain shadow that blocks the majority of rain from hitting the island’s seven major growing areas: North West, Tamar Valley, Pipers River, East Coast, Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley, Huon Valley / d'Entrecasteaux Channel. 

Thanks to the shifting and colliding of continents, plus volcanoes, and the movements of bodies of water, Tasmania’s soils are incredibly diverse. If you have a few minutes to geek out, check out this video for a mind-bending look at their geology.

The Wine: Jansz Premium Cuvée Brut Tasmania 

Alcohol: 12%  | Price: $19.99 (Purchased at K&L) 

Jansz Tasmania has been solely focused on sparkling winemaking since 1986. Champagne house Louis Roederer saw similarities between the climate in the Pipers River region, where the original vineyards are located, and that of Champagne, and they decided to partner with the owners of Heemskerk Wines to create Tasmania’s first premium, traditional method sparkling wine house. The Hill-Smith family purchased the property in 1998 and they’ve established it as one of the most highly regarded family-owned sparkling wine houses in Australia. 

The winery’s name pays homage to Tasmania’s namesake, the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman who first sighted the island in 1642. When the vineyards were first established in 1975, they were named after Tasman’s ship, the Heemskerk. 

Image borrowed from Jansz's website.

The Pipers River region has a maritime climate but also gets a lot of sunshine hours, making it excellent for grape-growing. Cool winds from the Bass-Strait also helps to moderate temperatures in the vineyards from becoming too extreme both in the summer and winter, resulting in a long, cool, sunny growing season that allows the grapes to ripen slowly and develop their flavors.  The Janz vineyards here sit on a bed of free-draining red basalt soils, which also adds to the minerality of the wines. 

The wines are made in traditional method and they've put a little spin on the "Méthode Champenoise" and call their take "Méthode Tasmanoise":

Méthode Tasmanoise is the embodiment of every aspect of our unique place. It goes beyond terroir, beyond winemaking. Méthode Tasmanoise encapsulates our Tasmanian way of life and our respect for our environment, the natural wilderness, our clean air, fertile soils, pristine waters, the untamed oceans. It celebrates our unique crafts and the synergy between our wares and our surrounds. Most of all, Méthode Tasmanoise embraces the people that call our island state their home

The Hill-Smith family owns several wineries around Australia and they are all run sustainably. They lay out quite a few of the details of their practices here. The particular bottling we’re talking about today is certified sustainable and vegan friendly.

We opened the Jansz Premium Cuvée Brut Tasmania NV and were greeted with notes of lemon cream and apple blossom on the nose. On the palate, the wine was crisp and bright with a mixture of crunchy green and gold apples, lemon juice and curd, white peach, a hint of berry, a touch of toast and brown sugar, and lots of salinity.

For the price, this is a lovely bottle of bubbly.

Geeky Details

The Pairing: Lobster Tartines with Leeks and Mushrooms

In looking up what foods are commonly grown and produced in Tasmania, I discovered that it is one of the world’s leading suppliers of lobster and abalone. Pairing this bubbly with buttery lobster seemed like a perfect way to go! 

Lobster need not be fancy. In this case, I decided to serve it on grilled bread as a tartine, or open-faced sandwich, topped with sautéed leeks and mushrooms that I thought would bring out the wine’s more earthy notes and tease out hints of herbal flavors. In the end, the dish I came up with to pair with this wine is more about assembly rather than any elaborate cooking.

I ran into one tiny snag when I went to the grocery store – no lobster. No abalone either. I found my solution in the freezer section via Luke’s Lobster pre-packaged knuckle and claw meat. It proved quite tasty and very convenient. (I was addicted to Luke’s Lobster rolls when we lived in New York.) I simply thawed the meat and tossed it all in warm, melted butter and heated it gently, then sprinkled it with a bit of included seasoning. 

The only thing on this dish that required real preparation was the leeks and mushrooms, and that only requires only a few ingredients and little attention. Despite this, the combo becomes really saucy and flavorful. I use the same mix in many different ways including to top all kinds of proteins, mixed into a grain bowl, on a sandwich, or in an omelet or quiche. If you add more stock or water it becomes a fabulous base for a soup, and if you stir in a touch of cream when it comes off the heat, it's fabulously completely decadent. 

In this case, as I mentioned, I layered the leeks and mushrooms on slices of buttery grilled bread, along with arugula, and the buttery lobster meat. The pairing was just lovely and worked even better than I’d hoped. The wine would show different facets with each bite. With the buttery sweet lobster meat the plumper, riper fruits note would come out. The char on the bread at times brought out the wine’s toastiness. At other times, earthier and more minerally notes came out to play. Mostly, it was simply delicious and refreshing with the tartines. 

***** 

*****

The rest of the World Wine Travel blogging group (#WorldWineTravel) is exploring the wines from Tasmania, as well as other Aussie Sparklers and Stickies this month. Check out the rest of their posts:

• Lori is tasting “Tasmanian Sparkling and Egg Rolls” at Exploring the Wine Glass
• Camilla is showcasing “Tasmania + Hawaii: Celebrating with an Island Wine and Island Eats” at Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Jeff shares how we can “Discover Rutherglen Stickies” at Food Wine Click!
• Robin is pairing “Sparkling Wine from Jansz Tasmania and a Tassie-inspired seafood curry pie” at Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Kat has a “Surprise! South Australia Pét-Nat is on the Rise” at The Corkscrew Concierge
• Susannah is featuring “Tasmanian Chardonnay” at Avvinare
• Deanna is popping an “Australian Sparkling Wine from Deviation Road” at Wineivore
• Linda is having “Sparkling Aussie Shiraz as summer draws to a close” at My Full Wine Glass

Sometimes, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel in order to get a delightful pairing. 

I recently opened this bottle of Oakridge Henk Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 and tasted it in order to create a pairing, but quickly discovered that there was a good one already sitting in my fridge. I’d made an orzo salad for a dinner party a couple of days before and it occurred to me to have a bite while I was tasting the wine and quite liked the match – I particularly enjoyed the way the wine picked up the flavors of the Parmesan cheese. 

I decided to run with the match, but made some additions in order to both tie the wine and the food more closely together and to switch things up to and reinvigorate the leftovers. Roasted shrimp with bacon pieces made for an excellent leftover makeover that came together quickly and turned this side into a main dish. To grab every last bit of bacony flavor, I also quickly tossed a couple of large handfuls of greens in the rendered bacon fat and incorporated them into the salad as well.

Oakridge Henk Vineyard Chardonnay 2019

Established in 1978, Oakridge is located in Australia's Yarra Valley. I wish I could’ve found more on the history of the winery, but they farm sustainably making use of cover crops, compost teas,  and they have an insectarium, all of which help to minimize the use of synthetic inputs and improve the health and biodiversity of the vineyards. They have 10 hectares (about 25 acres) of vineyards and also source grapes from carefully selected sites.

The Henk Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a north-facing site comprised of the red volcanic soils in the town of Woori Yallock. The wine was made in a traditional style. Grapes were whole-bunch pressed directly into 500-liter French oak puncheons where it was naturally fermented and then spent 10 months maturing on the lees for texture. Find more information on the 2020 vintage of this wine here.

I found this to be a lively and classic Chardonnay at a reasonable price. (I purchased this bottle at K&L in SF for $25. ) Notes of lemon cream, baked apples, and stone greeted me on the nose. Similar notes returned on the palate, although the apples were leaner, crisper, and less baked,  with notes of green pears and light herbs joining in. The lees added creamy texture and body to the crisp fruit notes elevated by lots of acidity. 

As I mentioned up at the top, the wine loved the Parmesan cheese, and the combination of seafood and bacon each spoke to different aspects of the wine’s textures and flavors. I think it resonated particularly well with the bacon’s smoky notes. A white pepper note in the wine also came out when sipped alongside the food. Having a few extra lemon wedges on hand to squeeze on top of the food while eating is also not a bad idea. I added avocado to a third iteration of the salad using up the last bit of leftovers, and I also think this would’ve worked quite well with the wine. 

Yarra Valley

Map borrowed from WineFolly.com

The Yarra Valley is located about an hour northeast of Melbourne, making it a  convenient side trip if you’re ever visiting the city. It’s one of Australia’s oldest winemaking regions, with the first vineyards in the area having been planted in 1838. However, the wines go against the grain of the general image we might have of Australian wines. It’s generally cooler than most of Australia’s wine regions, so it’s better known for cool-climate-loving Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and increasingly Riesling. However, the region features a lot of variation in terms of altitude, site exposures, and soils, which makes it conducive to different grapes and styles, so you will also find Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grown there as well, but they’re often made in leaner, elegant style.

Other Pairing Possibilities

After I initially tasted the wine, I enjoyed the last remnants in my glass with a turkey sandwich with a red chermoula spread and tomato soup and that was a solid match too. 

I also tend to love Chardonnays that are lightly oaked and/or have lees contact with roasted chicken, and I think this would certainly be a good candidate. Seafood topped with butter should also be delicious. 

Time for more bubbly!

Today we’re exploring a small region of Italy not enough people know about – Franciacorta. It’s understandable that this is still a fairly undiscovered gem – the region’s sparkling wine history only dates back 50-60 years. However, in that fairly short period of time, Franciacorta has established a reputation (among those who know about it) for high-quality, traditional method sparkling wine. 

In addition, the area is rapidly pushing forward on the sustainability front as well. The first organic bottling of Franciacorta came out in 2002 (from Barone Pizzini), but since then they’ve progressed by leaps and bounds so that now nearly 70% of the region’s wineries are either certified organic or in the conversion process. This gives Franciacorta the highest percentage of organic producers of any region in the country.

Altogether, it’s a region well-worth getting to know.

Franciacorta Cheat Sheet 

Styles: The major defining characteristic of the region is, as mentioned, that it specializes in traditional method sparkling wines – i.e. the same style as Champagne in which the second fermentation that creates the bubbles occurs in the bottle. (For an in-depth look at the process, check out this post.) The wines come in rosé and white styles and are available in the full range of sweetness levels typical of sparkling wines, ranging from Zero Dosage wines at the driest end, and demi-sec at the sweetest end. Brut is the most common style, and while up to 12 grams of sugar per liter are permitted, most producers stay well below that.

One distinctive style of Franciacorta is Satèn, which is bottled at a lower bottle pressure than the usual – it must remain below 5 atmospheres instead of 6 – creating more subtle, creamy bubbles. Satèn wines are made with only white grapes are produced exclusively in the Brut style.

Aging Requirements: Non-Vintage Franciacorta wines must age on the lees for at least 18 months. The number goes up to 30 months for vintage wines, and that’s doubled to 60 months for wines labeled Riserva. Satèn and rosé wines must age for at least 24 months on the lees. 

Location: Franciacorta is located in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It’s bordered by Lake Iseo to the north, which helps create a warm but moderate microclimate that gives the grapes plenty of time in the sun to ripen. Cooling breezes from the foothills of the Rhaetian Alps farther to the northeast help moderate the temperatures as they flow down through the area’s rolling hills, which also help to shelter the vineyards. The growing region is shaped like an amphitheater, which was carved out by retreating glaciers. The glaciers were also kind enough to leave behind lots of well-draining, mineral-rich gravel, and limestone soils. Put it all together and you get fairly ideal conditions for growing grapes that ripen well while maintaining acidity and can grow happy and healthy in the excellent soils.

Curtefranca DOC (formerly known as Terre di Franciacorta) covers the same area, but for still white and red wines made from international varieties.

Grapes: The key grapes are similar to those used in other traditional method regions. Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), and Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc) are the key grapes. Chardonnay is the leader both in plantings and usage, but Pinot Bianco can make up 50% of the blend. Rosé wines must contain at least 35% Pinot Nero. Erbamat, a white grape indigenous to the area that’s enjoying a resurgence thanks to its high acidity levels, is also permitted up to 10%.  

History: 

While the region’s winemaking history goes back to the 16th century, its modern chapter begins in 1961 when the house of Guido Berlucchiwith released the first traditional method sparkling wine ever to be produced in the region. The wines were in high demand right away, and as a result, a string of entrepreneurs was attracted to invest in the region. The style developed quickly, and Franciacorta was granted its DOC status in 1967 for sparkling and non-sparkling wines.

The region was conscientious in how it invented itself from the start. It modeled itself closely on Champagne, and the local Consorzio established a code of self-regulation for farming and production at least as strict as its example. Franciacorta has always set the bar high for itself in terms of quality, and its Consorzio (established in 1991) has generally campaigned over time for more and more rigorous standards. As a result of all of this hard work, as well as a good bit of lobbying, Franciacorta was promoted to DOCG status (Italy’s highest classification) in 1995. 

The region has established a reputation for high-quality wines that often have a good capacity for aging. (My example today had several years on it and was still quite delicious.) You’ll find a mix of large and small producers here, but they tend to share that focus on quality – which is heartening as a consumer. 

What makes it distinctive: 

Franciacorta might have modeled itself on Champagne, but it’s still its own region so there are distinctions. These two regions have very different climates and terroirs. Thanks to Franciacorta’s climate, they have a much easier time ripening their grapes. The fruit tends to have rounder and riper fruit notes, like golden apples and stone fruits, and even tropical fruits in warmer years. Personally, I often get a rich baked pear tart note from Franciacorta. 

Thanks as well to the ripeness of their fruit, Franciacorta can pretty reliably produce good zero dosage wines every year. This isn’t always the case in Champagne.

The next difference we already talked about – this is a much younger region. Champagne has about 300 years on Franciacorta. There’s also a huge difference in scale – Champagne produces about 100 times more wine per year. However, we’ve seen as well that in Franciacorta, that smaller scale goes with attention to detail and a focus on quality. 

The downside is that given the high focus on quality and smaller-scale production, bottles can definitely get pricey. However, at least you can be reasonably assured when spending the money that the wine you’re buying was conscientiously made, even if you know nothing about the producer as you're picking up the bottle. In addition, as mentioned at the top, there is an increasing focus in the region as a whole on organic and biodynamic viticulture. 

The Wine & Pairing: Cavalleri Satèn Brut Franciacorta with Braised Collard Greens and Polenta

Cavalleri is one of two biodynamic estates in Franciacorta. The family’s history in the region stretches back to 1450, but it was Gian Paolo and his son Giovanni Cavalleri that began to bottle wine for themselves and gave the company its current name in 1968, shortly after the Franciacorta DOC was established. (Prior to that, the family had sold their wines in bulk.) Giovanni Cavalleri was part of the group of winemakers that helped to establish the consorzio in 1990, and he even served as President. Giovanni’s daughters, Maria and Giulia, followed them into the business, and now his grandchildren, Francesco and Diletta, have also joined the company.

Cavalleri approaches farming in a holistic way, planting grass, cruciferous plants, and legumes in between the rows to increase the organic matter within the soil and increase its vitality by natural means. The house style is to produce wines that are ripe but dry, using low levels of pressed juice, sweet dosage, and sulfur.  They also partially ferment in large barrels of Slavonian oak, rather than barriques, which are more common.

I’d had the 2013 Satén in “my cellar” for a while, but it was still showing quite nicely. On the day we opened it, it showed notes of bruised golden apples and baked pears on the nose, along with dried flowers, yellow plums, and yellow peach. There were similar notes on the palate, although the fruit notes were a bit brighter and fresher. It also showed more leesy notes on the palate of pastry crust along with savory cheese rind and lots of toasty notes, perhaps coming from the age of the wine, well as the winemaking process. As it was a Satén, the bubbles were more subtle and had a creamier feel than your typical sparkler.

The pairing for this wine came out of a menu collaboration last Valentine’s Day with Dragonglass Glassware. (I’ve been meaning and trying to get this post up for A WHILE.) We paired this with a dish of braised collard greens topped with extra bacon and Parmesan. I love Serious Eats’ recipe – it’s rich and flavorful and has become my go-to method for preparing this Southern classic. 

I liked the idea of serving the collards with polenta, since polenta and grits are basically the same things, I saw it as creating a bridge between the Italian wine and the Southern dish. I use Marcella Hazan’s recipe for polenta as my template, although I tend to like to add cream and/or cheese at the end.

 These two made a delicious pairing. The wine became brighter and livelier with the food. The wine’s savory and umami notes, which were perhaps heightened from the wine’s age, mingled beautifully with the savory notes in the food. The wine also had a richness that matched the weight of the food but also refreshed the palate.

Geeky Details:

I couldn’t find a tech sheet for the 2013, but you can find the production details for the 2016 bottling of this wine here. The basic details for that vintage are as follows: 

For a rundown on the many styles of Italian sparkling wines, check out this post. 

And for a general overview on Italian wines, check out this post. 

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The Aura Champagne glasses were sent to me as samples, and since then I partnered with Dragon Glassware as an ambassador. Click here to get the glasses for yourself and use the code "NICOLE10" for 10% off. (I might receive a commission at no cost to you.)

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The Italian Food, Wine, Travel Blogging Group (#ItalianFWT) is exploring Italian Organic & Natural Wines of Italy. I'm very late to the party, but check out the rest of their posts:  

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm will share “Discovering Ziobaffa Wines”.
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Cam will share “With an Ethos of Quality and Sustainability: ZIOBAFFA Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane IGT + Braised Celery Over Farro Couscous”
• Susannah at Avvinare will share “Tuscany’s Querciabella Leads the Way on Vegan Wines”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator will share “La Maliosa Saturnia Biodynamic Natural Wine: Red, White Native Grapes Paired with Pizza #ItalianFWT”
• Jennifer at Vino Travels will share “The Sustainability Behind Sicily’s Principi di Butera”
• Katarina at Grapevine Adventures will share “3 Wines Going From Organic To Natural”