MARCH 2014 VENETO DELICIOUS DIVERSITY Bottega owners CHIANTI Fabrizio and Massimo Covone ITALIAN ICON BROTHERS 30 WINES IN STORES IN PIZZAS AND PAIRINGS MARCH 6 AND 20 IN STORES MARCH 6 AND 20 30 newly arrived wines. DIRECTOR – SPECIALTY PRODUCTS BUSINESS UNIT – SAQ Michel-André St-Jean MANAGER FOR SPECIALITY PRODUCTS, MARKETING – SAQ Sophie Drouin PUBLISHER – SAQ Johanne Morrisseau CONTRIBUTORS – SAQ Marie-Lyne Alarie, Éric Bertoldi, Daniel Bonasso, Liette Chaput, François Couture, Luc Dallaire, François Fortier, Pierre Lauzon, Martin de Lottinville, Marie-Ève Meunier, Julie Perreault, Justin Rouette, Veronica Ruiz, Alain Smith, André Viola CONTENTS Médias Transcontinental S.E.N.C. PUBLISHER – VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER SOLUTIONS Lise Paul-Hus MARCH 2014 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Catherine Elie ART DIRECTOR COVONE BROTHERS’ PIZZERIAS Renée Grégoire LIFESTYLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 6 ITALY ON THE MENU Josée Larivée Great pizza plus wine. EDITORIAL STAFF Catherine Bergeron, Myriam Huzel, Pascale Navarro CONTRIBUTORS 12 VERSATILE VENETO Kler-Yann Bouteiller, Rémy Charest Italy’s most productive COPY EDITORS wine region. Joan Irving, Donna Jensen TRANSLATOR Felicity Munn 20 VENERABLE CHIANTI ART Iconic wines. Graphic artists Blanca Arellano, Christiane Gauthier, Davor Nikolic QUEBEC TERROIR DIGITAL PRE-PRESS SERVICES Sylvain Renaud (Director) 28 DOMAINE DU RIDGE Linda Desjardins (Production Coordinator) Ex-politico Denis Jules Alexandre Obry Paradis’s winery. LOUISE SAVOIE. PHOTO: (Director of Deployment and Support Tablet Computers) 514-845-2211 ON THE COVER ADVERTISING SALES 29 NEW ARRIVALS Brothers Fabrizio and Massimo Covone Sabrina Boucher – SAQ bring Italian tradition alive at their Bottega 514-254-6000, ext. 5115 Details on our specially pizzerias in Montreal and Laval. SAQ CUSTOMER SERVICE selected new releases. Montreal area: 514-254-2020 Elsewhere in Quebec: 1-866-873-2020 PRINTING TC Imprimeries Transcontinental, a division of Imprimeries Transcontinental S.E.N.C. All correspondence should be addressed to: 1100 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, 24th Floor, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 4X9, CANADA. Telephone: 514-392-9000 [email protected] CELLIER NEW ARRIVALS, published eight times a year, is produced and published by TC media (www.tc.tc), in association with the following SAQ departments: Marketing; UPCOMING EVENTS Purchasing and Merchandising; Les Cours Connaisseurs; Communications; Quality Management; Sales; and Legal Services. SAQ headquarters is located at • SALON COCKTAILS, BIÈRES IMPORTÉES ET VINS D’ÉTÉ – LAVAL 905 De Lorimier Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H2K 3V9. CELLIER is a registered trademark of the Société des alcools du Québec. Any reproduction of articles, illustrations or MARCH 1 AND 2 photographs is strictly prohibited. Prices for products in the magazine are subject to • WEST ISLAND WINE AND SPIRITS SHOW – POINTE-CLAIRE change without notice. Legal Deposit: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, National MARCH 19 Library of Canada. ISSN 1911-2238. Publications Mail Agreement 40064963. Return undeliverable addresses to CELLIER, 905 De Lorimier, Montreal, Que. H2K 3V9. Limited quantities. No layaways are permitted until the Monday following the release of products. Prices are subject to change without notice. March 2014 3 FABULOUS FINDS OF ALL KINDS MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN YOU THINK MUST-TRY SELECTIONS Aff ordable prices, New arrivals starting at $14.00 every two weeks Wines identifi ed Products in by taste tags limited quantities D107422B_100203993_Spread_Cellier_B.indd 1 2013-10-11 10:59 ANGLAIS CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK SPREAD CELLIER 18” X 10,875” InDesign CS4 CS5 D107422B_100203993_Spread_Cellier_B PG Montage à 100 % du format final CLIENT : SAQ SAQ PAGE 1 Épreuve à 86 % du montage PUBLICATION : Cellier AN 08/10/13 ÉPREUVE 1 Impression finale à 100 % Photos vérifiées PARUTION : Décembre 2013 R.-C. NO DOSSIER : 100203993 Rédaction Directeur Direction Service à Client Production Correction Commentaires de création artistique la clientèle d’épreuves CD/DVD FORMAT : Double Page Spread ATTENTION AdDIRECT COULEURS : 4 COLOURS Le « trapping » est à faire par l’imprimeur selon ses propres specs. Date : FABULOUS FINDS OF ALL KINDS MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN YOU THINK MUST-TRY SELECTIONS Aff ordable prices, New arrivals starting at $14.00 every two weeks Wines identifi ed Products in by taste tags limited quantities D107422B_100203993_Spread_Cellier_B.indd 1 2013-10-11 10:59 ANGLAIS CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK SPREAD CELLIER 18” X 10,875” InDesign CS4 CS5 D107422B_100203993_Spread_Cellier_B PG Montage à 100 % du format final CLIENT : SAQ SAQ PAGE 1 Épreuve à 86 % du montage PUBLICATION : Cellier AN 08/10/13 ÉPREUVE 1 Impression finale à 100 % Photos vérifiées PARUTION : Décembre 2013 R.-C. NO DOSSIER : 100203993 Rédaction Directeur Direction Service à Client Production Correction Commentaires de création artistique la clientèle d’épreuves CD/DVD FORMAT : Double Page Spread ATTENTION AdDIRECT COULEURS : 4 COLOURS Le « trapping » est à faire par l’imprimeur selon ses propres specs. Date : Restaurateurs Fabrizio (left) and Massimo at Bottega. Brothers Fabrizio and Massimo Covone ITALY ON THE MENU Fabrizio is a pizzaiole and sommelier, while Massimo is a born communicator We have organic wines, and avid wine lover. Together, the “natural wines, wines made from indigenous grapes, and sibling restaurateurs embody both so-called ‘popular’ wines. innovation and a profound attachment Our wine list is very diverse. to their Italian roots. – Massimo Covone” hen Montreal’s Il Mulino was at a peak Massimo, “I’m going to go for an indigenous grape – of popularity in the 1980s, restaurateur Nerello Mascalese, for example. Respect for terroir Aniello Covone’s young sons Fabrizio and is a philosophy that applies to wine as well as food.” W Massimo would often play in the kitchen of But Bottega patrons who are less familiar with Italian the legendary Italian eatery. Now 32 and 31, wines needn’t worry. For Bordeaux fans, for example, respectively, the brothers are themselves the joint owners of Massimo might suggest a blend of Merlot and Cabernet three Montreal-area establishments: the Bottega pizzerias Sauvignon, but in a Supertuscan version. For customers in Montreal and Laval, and the classic Italian restaurant who swear only by Pinot Noir, he might recommend a Hostaria on Rue Saint-Zotique. When Fabrizio opened Frappato. Mind you, the brothers have also been known Bottega Pizzeria in Little Italy after spending two years to add French rosés to their wine list in summer. “They learning the craft of pizza making in Naples, Massimo was were from Corsica though,”notes Massimo under Fabrizio’s still studying political science – but already knew so much amused gaze. “So, historically, these wines were at one about wine that it was he who created Bottega’s wine list. time Italian!” Seven years later, Fabrizio obtained a sommelier diploma While the Covones always have a mild argument about from the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec. what to open for their own enjoyment, they fully agree But Massimo, assisted by Luigi Cecere, continues to oversee on the importance of broad representation. “A good wine the wine at their restaurants. “Now that he’s a certified list has to be diverse,” Massimo declares. “In every price sommelier, Fabrizio puts in his two cents worth too,” Massimo range [their wine list runs from $34 to $811], customers says with feigned despair, eliciting a smile from his brother. have a choice of regions and grapes, and can find wines The wine list is 100-percent Italian and features many from small properties and big producers alike. It’s a small producers. “If I want a red from Sicily,” explains tricky balance and I’m very proud of it.” March 2014 7 IN STORES MARCH 6 AND 20 Pizzaiole Fabrizio says there are three rules to making authentic pizza: the right oven for the crust, the right cooking for the tomato sauce, and a little restraint in the number of toppings. “Plus a suitable Italian wine!” adds Massimo. If I want a red from Sicily,” “explains Massimo, “I’m going to go for an indigenous grape. Respect for terroir is a philosophy that applies to wine as well as food. ”– Massimo Covone Fabrizio and Massimo Covone, who grew up near the brothers hold a wine tasting with the wait staff once Saint-Martin Boulevard in Laval, run an authentic Italian a week, before the restaurant opens. “Sometimes we hire pizzeria – but that authenticity is of necessity nuanced. sommeliers or invite producers to lead our tastings. “It’s a pizzeria that’s tailored to Quebec tastes, though We explore new blends and discuss them as a group.” we try to follow certain precepts,” explains Fabrizio. Before uncorking a bottle for a customer, the number “The oven was imported from Italy and can cook pizzas one rule for the brothers and their team is to listen to in 90 seconds. We never cook tomato sauce before the patron. “Everyone evolves differently,” Massimo brushing it onto the dough; it gets cooked along with observes. “When I started buying organic wines, for the other ingredients. Lastly, we try to keep the toppings example, I didn’t like them. There’s a whole process to three ingredients, four max. The flavours really come you have to go through before getting to a point where through that way. Provided, of course, the ingredients you can appreciate them. I used to invariably go for are top quality and super fresh.” Sangioveses and Cabernet Sauvignons. Now I’m The brothers are of the opinion that regional pairings interested in vins de soif and indigenous grapes, and are