Who is Bacco? “Life is too short to Bacco Selections is based in Pinehurst NC. We are direct im- drink bad wine”... porters and independent distrib- drink Bacco’s! utors of fine Italian wines in the Carolinas. Bacco, nevertheless The Bacco Wine Times is also the Roman God of wine. VOL. I...No. 2 Copyright © 2015 Bacco Selections LLC Pinehurst, November 9th 2015 www.baccoselections.com

Podere Sapaio “Caciucco” recipe One of the most famous fish soups, << With the precious help of a friend The crown, which is the logo of always served with slices of Tuscan and business mate, Roy Bernard, I ar- Podere Sapaio, pays homage to the nobil- bread brushed with garlic. The most rived in Bolgheri in 1999 and I bought ity of the wine and the territory, a nobility famous legend suggests that a family of the first 8 hectars of land. Then I met fully respected by the job carried out both fisherman in , after having lost Carlo Ferrini, who was fascinated by in the vineyard and in the cellar. The first everything in a storm, found themselves our project and started to work with vintage of both Volpolo and Sapaio was in total poverty. After three days of us to build the vineyards. We planted 2004. I believe that there are two main hunger, the children of the family, asked , , components in a wine: one natural and the other fishermen in the city to each and . In 2002 I one intellectual. The terroir is the natu- donate them one fish. The children’s moved to Bolgheri full time. The prop- ral component. The intellectual compo- mother gathered some herbs and toma- erty has been developed and now Po- nent is the capacity of a winemaker to toes from the garden and, with a little dere Sapaio has 40 hectars of land interpreter the terroir through his job, oil, prepared a sauce and added it to the with 25 hectars of vineyards. From both in the vineyard and in the cellar. >> fish. She then prepared a large bowl of the beginning we decided to produce Massimo Piccin soup with a piece of bread, upon which two wines, expression of both the “ter- she placed the pieces of cooked fish and roir” and Bolgheri DOC appellation: fish stock. The inviting aroma of the Volpolo Bolgheri DOC and Sapaio a soup reached the family’s neighbors, Bolgheri Superiore. The names Volpo- who came over to ask for the recipes: lo and Sapaio derive from the names and so cacciucco was born. of two ancient Tuscan grape varieties (Volpola and Sapaia). They have been Ingredients (4 servings) chosen to emphasize, starting with their ap- - FOR STOCK pellatives, the local features of the products. ¾ oz garlic, chopped 2 oz extra virgin olive oil ¾ oz parsley, chopped 3 ½ oz dry white wine Bolgheri - FOR FISH 7 oz baby octopuses 5 oz shrimp Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast just south of Livorno, is one of ’s most prestigious vine- 4 oz San Pietro fish yard areas. Its winemaking zone is made up of sloping coastal vineyards at the foot of the 5/8 lb tub gurnard hills between the town of Bolgheri, after which this DOC is named, and the southern part 3 oz ray fish of Castagneto. Located in close proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea, it has been described as 5/8 lb mussels ‘the golden oasis of the Maremma’ (an area of south-western and northern Lazio). 7 oz clams 5/8 lb tomatoes, ripened HISTORY Mario Incisa della Rocchet- 1/8 oz chili pepper, fresh ta planted the first Cabernet vineyard ¼ oz salt in di Bolgheri in 1944. - FOR CROUTONS According to the legend, the Mar- 8 slices rustic bread chese received the sprigs from Châ- 1 clove of garlic teau Lafite. The wine was determined 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil exclusively for private consumption. Over time however, Marchese Mario Preparation Rochetta notices how good his house Lightly fry the garlic in oil in a pan, as wine which originates from stony soil soon as it browns, add the parsley. Add develops while ageing in the bottle. In white wine and reduce. Add baby oc- 1965 he then plants two more vine- topus after washing carefully, cook for yards, one with Cabernet Sauvignon 10 minutes. Add tub gurnard (or capone and one with Cabernet franc. He bot- gallinella) and cook. Add San Pietro fish tles part of the 1968 vintage with the (or Dory) cut into chunks and the ray. purpose of selling it for the first time. It is labeled a because at that time none of the wine Add crawfish. Add the clams. Finally, law paragraphs apply to the Bordeaux blend. Winemakers and vineyards start following his exam- add mussels. Add diced tomatoes, add ple in droves, planting Bordeaux varietiesines with an original and personal character and raced, the salt and chili and bake in oven for 30 most famous of which are the result of a perfect adaptation of the Bordeaux grape varieties to the minutes. Cut slices of bread, toast the Bolgheri climate, a Mediterranean expression of Cabernet and Merlot, which is just as fascinating slices and brush with olive il and with as the Atlantic expression. The area covered by the DOC Bolgheri certification has expanded rapidly fresh garlic. in the last ten years, going from 250 hectares at the end of the 90s, to 1.200 hectares today. There Serve in a soup dish by placing the are currently 40 members of the Consortium, out of 52 companies which operate in the territory. bread slice on the bottom and covering In the 1960s the industry was in need of a shake-up, and Bolgheri became one of the avante- with fish soup. garde areas that helped bring this region back to life. One of the tactics was to start a new trend of non-DOC wines, and in 1968 an innovative style of wine was named the Super Tuscan. Eventually, in 1994, Bolgheri Sassicaia and Bolgheri DOC were born. The main focus of the Bolgheri DOC is the importance of terroir and for this reason, the Bolgheri Rosso and Bolgheri Superiore wines are labeled without the mention of grapes, as terroir is considered more significant than grape varieties. It is also why Bolgh- eri wines are reputed for their true expressions of terroir.