Barolo Chinato Green Walnuts and the Witches
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N. 3 | FEBRUARY 2016 SUPPLEMENT OF BARTALES CULT AROMATIC WINES BAROLO CHINATO LIQUID STORY / ON THE SLOPES OF MT. VESUVIUS COCKTAIL STORY / BARRACUDA GREEN WALNUTS AND THAT DRINK THE WITCHES’ SABBATH UPON THE OCEAN ZOOM / FRUIT BAR STORY / STEVE CRANE FRUIT COCKTAIL MIXES JOE'S KON-TIKI BAR EDITORIAL by Melania Guida TALES GOLDEN TIMES t was a time when ships were five-star hotels. Linen sheets were changed every day, and fresh fruit was served on silver platters. So far removed from jukebox ships and frozen foods. I It was the era of the “Michelangelo”, one of the most beautiful cruise liners. Those who boarded the ship knew that they were among the most famous jet setters – Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Alberto Sordi and Renata Tebaldi, for example – who were making the most of that social publicity that would make all the difference. It was a time when a bottle of Dom Perignon cost $8, and a cocktail just 60 cents. On board the “Michelangelo” was Benito Cuppari (see page 20), head barman, who designed the seven bars of the tran- satlantic cruise liner together with a team of architects and interior designers. On his ‘bridge’, the Bar Nero, he came up with the cocktail that would bring him fame: the Barracuda, a perfect combination of balance and creativity. It was the golden era of bartending, when discretion and sobriety were non-negotiable. It was a time when 1,500 cocktails had to be prepared in an hour and 15 minutes. It was the era of Californian millionaires – Cuppari recalls – of vicepresidents of banks and big companies who were quite able to spend entire nights gambling and drinking. At dawn, the crew would heat up the pool to 28 degrees, and then followed the last swimming session. At 6.30am omelettes and champagne would be served. And at 7.30am the guests would all head off to sleep. Different times. N. 3 | FEBRUARY 2016 EXECUTIVE EDITOR DIGITAL EDITION BY Melania Guida Dinamica Digitale srl ([email protected]) ([email protected]) STAFF EDITOR Fabio Bacchi Registrazione. n. 35 del 8/7/2013 Tribunale di Napoli ([email protected]) www.bartales.it ART DIRECTOR Cinzia Marotta © copyright BARTALES - Tutti i diritti sono riservati. Nessuna ([email protected]) parte di questa pubblicazione può essere riprodotta. Ogni violazione sarà perseguita a norma di legge. CONTRIBUTORS Dario D'Avino, Luca Di Francia, Anyone with a claim on the copyright of unidentified Luca Rapetti, Gianni Zottola pictures please contact Bartales TRANSLATION BY LMP International - Lonato (BS) Italy DRINK RESPONSIBLY February 2016 3 cult AROMATIC WINES BAROLO CHINATO Piedmont excellence makes a comeback BY LUCA DI FRANCIA group of aromatic wines that are zying success that over the years would making a comeback onto the in- be perfected more and more. In this way, ternational mixing scene are the it was able to distance itself from the un- cinchona (chinati) wines. Baro- balanced connotation of wines consumed lo,A Barbera and Vermouth make up this in ancient Rome, flavoured with rosemary group. or thyme, or the Mariani wines, obtained Barolo Chinato, an eclectic and through cold infusion of coca leaves and far-reaching representative of Pied mont extracts from herbs and spices into a excellence, is today, like never before, base wine from Bordeaux. able to meet the needs of international It was thus due to a need for growth barmen. The term Barolo Chinato can on- and change that led Giuseppe Cappellano ly be used by those aromatic wines that of Serralunga and Mario Zabaldano from use Barolo DOCG as a base, without the Monforte D’Alba, two pharmacists from addition of must or other wines, and its Piedmont, to develop the Barolo Chinato. aroma must remind one of cinchona. They bore a long and patient period of tri- During the second half of the 19th cen- als, experimentation and tastings, adding tury, Piedmont was the national point of and removing herbs and spices to Barolo, reference with regard to the wine and spir- a wine that at the time was receiving great its sectors. Canelli was the godfather of acclaim in markets around the world. It Italian sparkling wine, and when it came was around 1890 that the Barolo Chinato to aromatic wines, Vermouth reached diz- Zabaldano was awarded a gold medal at 4 February 2016 the 1899 Franco-Italian Expo in Nice. great demand among Italians for the so- In the years that followed, other Barolo called “pharmacist wines”, or medicinal producers started adding aromatics to it, wines, tonics, cordials or digestive aper- among whom were Giacomo Borgogno of itifs, provided they offered medicinal or Barolo and Giulio Cocchi from Asti, whose health benefits. letterhead read “producer of Barolo Chi- But how was Barolo Chinato born? As nato”. This was a time when there was already mentioned, it cannot be labelled February 2016 5 INNOVATORS JULIETTE VICTURINE COLBERT DE MONT LEVRIER AND MARQUIS CARLO FALLETTI TANCREDI OF BAROLO. BELOW THE SPICES USED TO PRODUCE BAROLO CHINATO AND AN EXAMPLE OF CINCHONA CALISAYA. as such unless it is produced with Barolo Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, the mayor as a base. Powerful, robust and majestic, of Grinzane (Cuneo), to produce a wine of made from the Nebbiolo variety of grapes, great stature and that represented the Barolo was born thanks to Giulia of Barolo, region at its best. that is, Juliette Victurine Colbert de Mont In order to obtain Barolo Chinato, Levrier, who married Carlo Falletti Tancre- the base wine must be clarified by add- di from Barolo. He was a marquis who ing gelatine or albumen, which makes it asked Frenchman, Louis Oudart of Reims, more stable and smoother. Next, sugar is a well-known oenologist who worked for added to the wine using special shakers 6 February 2016 PRODUCERS VINTAGE PHOTOS OF THE to dissolve it. At this point, and the solution is continu- COCCHI BUSINESS. ethanol is added (general- ously pumped so that the ABOVE, THE ly from sugar beet), and active ingredients are ex- HISTORIC BAR. the mixture is pumped tracted consistently and in special steel vats. effectively. The spices Thereafter the various that are most common- herbs and spices are ly used are: star anise, added as selected by citrus peels, cinnamon, the manufacturer, based angelica, cloves, vanilla, on the final product that cardamom, rhubarb and they want to achieve. others, although each pro- The key element is the cinchona ducer has their own special com- – the Calisaya, Soccimano and Succirubra bination. varieties are used – but Calisaya is the The infusion that is obtained, or infu- most widespread and commonly used. sions (since usually more than one infu- The choice of medicinal herbs and spices sion is created separately with various is not an easy one, because extraction percentages of alcohol) are channelled time of the active ingredients is variable. into a single preparation tank, and then They can be divided into herbs that are mixed together with the Barolo base to bitter, aromatic and bitter-aromatic. It is add the aromatics. A few months of ag- therefore an arduous and meticulous task ing (more often than not in oak barrels) that of balancing the various medicinal is followed by the final phases, that is, herbs so that equilibrium is achieved, filtration and bottling. avoiding dominant flavours and aromatic Among the various contemporary pro- notes that are not complex and invasive. ducers, we call to mind Giulio Cocchi, who Usually, herbs and spices are made to thanks to his recipe, was central in the marinate in 50% hydro-alcoholic solutions spread of Barolo Chinato. February 2016 7 fame in a short space of time. His en- trepreneurial acumen, which was rather unique at the time, pushed him to open authorised retail outlets where he distrib- uted and sold these products. By 1913 Giulio Cocchi had opened seven Cocchi Vermouth retail stores, soon growing into twelve outlets. During the Parisian “Belle Époque” Giulio Cocchi was a young Florentine and the Italian futurist period, the Cocchi pastry chef, who in the last years of the brand gathered around it a group of enthu- 1800s moved to Asti. Here Giulio Cocchi siastic consumers among the intelligen- discovered the widespread local trend tsia of the time, and it soon turned into of adding flavours to wines with herbs a product for connoisseurs. The Cocchi and spices. In 1891 he started his own brand and products soon became famous business and worked on the recipes of around the world. It was exported to all certain aromatic wines; Barolo Chinato, continents, thanks also to the European the well-known “Aperitivo Americano” and presence during the colonialist period. various types of Vermouth. He established Since 1978, the Giulio Cocchi business “Bar Cocchi” and achieved success and has been owned by the Bava family, well- 8 February 2016 BRAND ON THESE PAGES, OTHER VINTAGE PHOTOS OF THE COCCHI BUSINESS. TO THE RIGHT, ROBERTO BAVA. BELOW, NEBBIOLO GRAPES FROM LANGHE. known wine producers in Monferrato and Together with other entrepreneurs, the Langa. A targeted production modernisa- business has played an active role in re- tion process and clever strategies regard- opening the historic Cocchi Bar in the city ing its brand identity have placed Cocchi of Asti. products in the most famous bars in the After enjoying a certain degree of inter- world, turning the brand into a real cult est, and together with the farming crisis, product within international bartending. Barolo Chinato was placed under pressure This notwithstanding the fact that it has following the war between the fifties and maintained its craftsmanship’s charm seventies.