Miseria and Nobilta: A Neapolitan’s Wine Column

By Armando Bisceglia
The RI Echo, August 2017

If you like Pinot Grigio, try Biancolella

Biancolella is an excellent replacement for run-of-the-mill Pinot Grigios. Read on to learn how to find high quality varietals in the wine shop and at restaurants. 

Thank you to all who shared with me their enjoyment of last month’s column.

This month we will discuss a secret in the wine and restaurant businesses: the six most common wine varietals consumed by Americans (I call them “The Big Six”) are of amazingly poor quality. This fact goes unnoticed primarily because of the heavy PR and marketing efforts of wine importers and distributors.

We are going to remedy this situation with a frank conversation of why and how you can improve your wine drinking experiences. For the record, there are many good wines in each of The Big Six, even a few great ones. We’ll be focusing on Italian wines as we take a closer look at the disparity in quality of these popular wines.

The fact is, when it comes to The Big Six (Chianti, Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc/Riesling), distributors make a killing and, many times, consumers get an inferior product.

Let’s take a look at a very popular wine: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. Selling for about $20 per bottle in a shop and around $13 by the glass in a restaurant, this wine is profitable for businesses. But the consumer doesn’t know that grapes from this vineyard are so few that the company is outsourcing up to hundreds of miles away. In reality you are drinking a wine that is quite far from a true Pinot in terms of purity and the difference in taste is very obvious.

This is true for much of The Big Six varietals; however, Chianti is my Achilles heel. I have given it up because of the extreme deterioration of quality over the last ten years.  I’d rather pay a few dollars more per glass for a true Chianti.

And this is the simple solution to the dilemma of inferior Big Six wines: stop drinking them!

But what would you switch to? Start with your favorite varietal, and then focus on Riserva selections. Italian wines use the term Riserva to designate their better wines; the distinction includes length and means of aging, and grape quality, two key factors in production costs and also in the taste of the final product.

There are currently about 150 major varietals in Italy that can replace any Big Six. If you like big, earthy wines try selections from southern Italy. If a light red wine is your go-to, try varietals from Piedmont. Chianti lovers, take a look at Umbria. You like Cabs, a red blend from Puglia or a Piedirosso from Campania will surely turn your head.

For Pinot Grigio fans, you will love the wine I am introducing today: Biancolella from Cantine Antonio Mazzella.

Biancolella is produced on the volcanic island of Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea which lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30km from the City of Naples. Ischia is dear to me, having spent many summers on this beautiful, mountainous island. It is also a popular destination for Italians, the local population of approximately 60,000 almost quadrupling in the summer.

This white wine is pale yellow in color, medium body with acidity on the backend, with banana notes and a hint of florality. It pairs well with pizza, carpaccio, and especially, fish. It is a great wine for cooking rabbit (a delicacy on Ischia) and accompanying it when it is served. At Trattoria Zooma we pair this with Carpaccio di Carne, Cavatelli Salsiccia and Rabe, and Vitello Piccata.

Please feel free to email me for other suggestions or stop by Trattoria Zooma anytime to discuss great wines with me, Christina at the bar, or Matt at the table. We offer forty wines by the glass, including delicious and affordable replacements for The Big Six. You can find guidance at reputable local wine shops as well; I like Bottles on the East Side of Providence and Gasbarro Wines on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston.

That, my friends, concludes this month’s column. Remember to think outside of the box and enjoy varietals at their purest. See you in September and remember always drink with Miseria and Nobilta.