All of the wines presented were native to (harvested/made in) the Campania region (Southern Italy), of which both Franco Nuschese and Bruno de Conciliis are natives.

(Larry Ruvo hosting the Franco Nuschese, Bruno de Conciliis lunch/dinner at SWS)

Nuschese Wines

Nuschese wines are not the type of wines that you will find in regular wine lists or in local wine stores.  They are made from less available grape varietals like:

• Greco di Tufo
• Falanghina
• Fiano di Avellino
• Aglianico
• Primitivo
• Primitivo di Manduria

The more readily available varietals or wine grapes used in making Nuschese wines are:

• Barbera
• Malvasia
• Moscato

Wine Reviews and Wine Tasting Notes

The Nuschese wines featured at the tasting were paired with a seven-course meal.  There were nine wines in all.  Two of the wines were served as an aperitif while the remaining seven were served with a specific course.  It was definitely a wonderful and innovative way of presenting wines.

The following are my wine reviews of the wines featured at the Nuschese wine tasting:

Il Sogno (Italian for Dream)

60% Fiano, 30% Malvasia, 10% Moscato

Served as an aperitif

(Franco Nuschese enjoying a glass of Il Sogno with a Mrs. Ruvo)

Wine tasting notes:  This sparkling wine, which is not a Prosecco, is made using the Charmat method, also known as the Metodo Italiano.  Unlike Champagne, it undergoes a secondary fermentation in the tank rather than in the bottle, after which phase it is bottled under pressure.

This wine has floral aromas with a touch of tropical fruits on the nose.  In mouth, the aromas open up to more floral notes, and you can notice “saltiness” due to the proximity of the grape vines to the ocean.  Refreshing and clean, with a smooth finish pulling more towards the acidity side.

Falanghina 2007 IGT

Falanghina

Served as an aperitif

Wine tasting notes:  This is a white wine with the aromas of lime, grapefruit rind, lemon, green apple, and lots of jasmine.  Very noticeable minerality giving way to the more tropical fruit side of this wine.

Greco di Tufo 2007 DOCG

Greco di Tufo

Paired with citrus marinated langoustine with zucchini, fennel salad and pink peppercorn olive oil

Wine tasting notes:  This is an aromatic white wine.  It has the aromas of melon, lime, bruised pear, and white flowers.  Fresh and lively, well-balanced with good minerality notes.  This has a wine style that you will not encounter often.

Fiano di Avellino 2007 DOCG

100% Fiano di Avellino

Paired with warm baby octopus salad with vegetable panzanella and Italian parsley pesto

Lucretia 2007 IGT

50% Fiano di Avellino, 50% Greco di Tufo

Paired with imported paccheri pasta with sautéed Maine Lobster, marjoram and fava beans in a light spicy cherry tomato sauce

Wine tasting notes:  This aromatic white wine has more complexity than the Fiano di Avellino.  Its aromas of green apple, melon rind and jasmine as well as its strong terroir attributes beautifully complemented the lobster.

La Pietra 2007 (The Rock)

50% Barbera, 40% Aglianico, 10% Primitivo

Paired with sautéed Monkfish ossobuco with Italian lake beans, pancetta and mussels guazzeto

Wine tasting notes:  This wine is called “The Rock” after Bruno de Conciliis.  It represents the more realistic side of life, as opposed to the Il Sogno (see above), which was named after Franco “the dreamer” or the visionario.

This red wine with medium plus acidity is very well suited to tomato-based dishes or even fish.  It has the aromas of red cherry, raspberry preserve, green pepper, plums, a hint of white pepper, and a touch of strawberry (typical Sangiovese characteristic); yes, indeed, this wine has a splash of Sangiovese in it.  Fruit forward with fruit tannins, no oak.  Long finish.

Taurasi 2004 DOCG

Aglianico

Paired with braised veal cheek with Jerusalem artichoke pure and baby vegetables

Cassius 2005 DOC

Aglianico

Paired with imported Italian Pecorini cheese with truffle honey and homemade radicchio jam

Wine tasting notes:  This wine is definitely unique.  After drinking it, you’ll think a small piece of vanilla bean was left on your tongue!  You can tell that this wine has had substantial oak contact.  New World wine style aficionados will surely love this wine.

MarcAntonio 2006 DOC

Primitivo di Manduria

Paired with chocolate chili cremoso with delicious rosemary berries compote

Wine tasting notes:  Very complex and sophisticated for a Primitivo di Maduria, this dark-colored, almost-black wine has the aromas of raspberry, blackberry, plum, spices, leather, dark chocolate, vanilla, and a hint of smoke.

What a feast!  I have to say that the wine pairing was executed flawlessly; the wine and the dishes were exceptionally well-matched.  I look forward to visiting the de Conciliis winery this summer and enjoying the wines on site.  I am sure that the trip will make for some pretty interesting posts in this wine blog.

That’s all for this wine tasting.  Cheers!

Typical Format

First, the theme and the basic criteria are set. Next, the competing sommeliers are selected. Up to three sommeliers are chosen to compete. The competing sommeliers have to volunteer, of course; these sommeliers compete for personal glory and do not represent their establishment. Once the candidates have been selected, the location (usually a private residence) is selected next. During the contest, the competing sommeliers may be required to prepare as many as three dishes. Most of the cooking must be done on-site. The sommeliers must not only cook the best dishes; more importantly, they must pair their dishes with the right wines. The “best somm in the kitchen” is chosen by a panel of three judges who can be chefs, sommeliers and/or food critics. Typically, the judges select the winner based on food presentation, originality, taste, and wine pairing.

A Toast-Worthy Experience

Let me tell you. There really is nothing better than when gourmands get together and show off their hidden culinary skills, share their favorite dishes and pair them with the perfect wines. If you get lucky enough to get invited to “Somms in the Kitchen,” don’t forget to bring the required bottle of wine. And it had better be decent wine! When you have twenty plus sommeliers in the house – sommeliers, I might add, who work in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the country – the last question you want to hear anyone asking about your wine contribution is, “Who brought this bum wine?” Cheers!

Red Wine or White Wine with Cheese?

Most people believe that one should drink red wine with cheese.  This age-old practice of pairing up cheese with red wine is actually the result of the dinner routine where it is customary to drink lighter wines before heavier ones.  Since cheese is usually served before desert (that is, late in the meal), people have been inadvertently serving heavy reds with cheeses.

The truth is that most cheeses are better accompanied by white wines.  In fact, you can destroy the entire cheese experience if you pair your cheese with the wrong wine.  In your next dinner party, use the following tips to help you correctly pair up cheese and wine.

Wine and Cheese Pairing Tips

As a general rule, serve cheese with a white wine rather than a red wine.  If you prefer red wines over white wines, though, stick with a light one.  Beaujolais and Burgundy wines do a great job of balancing out the lactic acids found in cheeses.

In general, wines with low tannin content also do much better with most cheeses.  Port is cheese friendly, too.

The following are some ideal cheese-wine pairs that you should consider:

• Soft Goat cheeses with Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc) or Cotes du Rhone
• Hard Goat cheeses with Vin Jaune
• Munster Family cheese with Gewürztraminer or Rieslings
• Epoise with Marc de Bourgogne (liquor) or Chardonnay (from Burgundy)
• Parmigianino-Reggiano family with champagne/sparkling wines
• Beaufort with Ports (Twany)
• Roquefort or blue cheeses, in general, with Sauternes or sweet desert wines
• Gruyere with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• Mild Cheddar with Chardonnay
• Sharp Cheddar with older Rojas

Wine and Cheese Pairing List

I have compiled for WineAromas.com, an extensive list of ideal wine and cheese pairs.  The wine and cheese pairing list includes over 80 cheeses from all over the world.  You can find this list at http://www.winearomas.com/info/cheese.html.

The above wine pairing guide and the wine and cheese pairing list at Wine Aromas are just general guidelines that can help you avoid cheese and wine pairing disasters.  We all have our own tastes, though, so I urge you to experiment with different cheese and wine pairs so you can discover for yourself what your personal cheese and wine pairing preferences are!  You sure will have a lot of fun doing it.  At the very least, this will give you the perfect excuse to sample different cheeses and taste / drink a lot of wines.

Have fun experimenting with wine and cheese pairs!  Cheers!