By
Margaretta wa Gacheru (5 February 2019)
Valentine’s
Day is around the corner and many couples are wondering what to get their
sweethearts other than chocolates and flowers this year.
Why not try
wine! What could be more romantic than to get a bottle of red or white wine and
celebrate over a meal, a light snack or even a pizza.
But please
be advised: there is an entire etiquette of wine, even an age-old culture of
what to drink when and with what food.
One doesn’t
have to follow those traditions except that they’ve evolved over centuries
among people who’ve discovered which wine tastes best with what foods. So why
not take a few tips from a wine expert like Stephano Rusticali who’s
specialized in the fine art and etiquette of specifically Italian wines.
Countries
that are renowned for their wines include Argentine, Chile, South Africa,
France and even California. But probably the most highly evolved and longstanding
wine culture is Italian since they have been growing grapes and preparing wines
literally for thousands of years. What’s more, the Italians produce scores of
different wines that come from virtually every region of that Mediterranean
country.
Most
everyone knows that red wines are drunk with red meats like beef and white
wines are served with foods like fish, chicken, desserts and even pizza.
“But pizza
is probably better served with beer than wine,” says Stephano who, when
pressed, adds that pizza can be served with a light white wine like Trebbiano which comes from around
Ravenna where he grew up and once worked in a winery himself.
For
convivial occasions, like Valentine’s Day, Stephano suggests a light white wine
called an aperitif. Prosecco is a favorite Italian aperitif which is normally
served before a meal and often in the afternoon. The other aperitif that he
recommends is a ‘Spritz’ which is a delicious mix of Prosecco and Aperol, which
has a fruity orange bouquet (smell) and is especially popular among the ladies.
The more
robust wines are red, and Stephano has a whole range of both red and white
Italian wines at his La Terrazzo Restaurant, Lounge and Art Gallery in The
Green House on Ngong Road.
“The price
range of wines depends on many factors,” explains Stephano whose wine cabinet
is temperature control on every shelf where his various wines rest.
“Temperature is critical,” he says, noting that he keeps his wines at optimal
temperatures so his bottles might be ten years old, more or less. But age in
another factor in the value and quality of a wine.
“Our most
expensive wine is Amarone classico
which is made with only the best grapes from every plant,” he says, adding that
the process of making a wine is also critical. “The Amarone must be stored in a barrel for no less than 24 months, so
the quantity produced is small, but the alcohol content is high (16.5 percent)
and it’s delicious when served with any cut of beef.”
Stephano’s
son Jacopo notes that last week, two Kenyans came in and ordered a bottle of Amarone and then went out on the
restaurant’s top floor terrace to share their wine over an appetizer. It sounds
like a perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, although a bottle of Amarone (2007) is KSh28,000.
Fortunately,
for the more modest wine drinker, there are many Italian wines that are not
nearly that expensive. For instance, the Trebbiano
is Sh2,500 a bottle and like all of Stephano’s Italian wines, one can take
a bottle away or drink it right there either on the Terrace or inside where the
views of Nairobi are spectacular both by day or night.
Then there’s
the sparkling sweet white wine known as Moscato
Dolce which is also perfect as a Valentine treat; it’s Sh3,000. The equally
sweet still white wine, Mosceto Giallo
is Sh3,200.
And among
red wines, the Merlot Trentino is
Sh3,000 and the Merlot Cabernet is
Sh2,500. From the Veneto county comes a red Ripasso
Superior and from Tuscany comes La Braccesca’s
Vino Nobile. Both sell for Sh4,500 a bottle. Stephano explains that the thousand
shilling differential is due to the manner in which the two sets of wines are
processed. The longer wine is stored in a barrel, the richer and more robust
the taste. So the Ripasso and Vino Nobile are stored anywhere from 12
to 24 months in barrels while the Merlots are simply bottled; nonetheless, they
are still good quality wines.
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