Have you ever heard of the Only Wine Festival?
It’s a fair for small and young wine producers. It happened after Vinitaly and in Città di Castello (Umbria).
I also took part in the last edition. The Only Wine Festival is a type of wine event which I like, because you can discover some interesting pearls in the wine trade.
I’ll now give you more details about the event and which new wines impressed me.
Are you ready? Let’s start!
Only Wine Festival 2018
The 5th edition of the Only Wine Festival took place on 28 and 29 April. The location was the city center of Città di Castello. Yes, you read right – the city center. Città di Castello has a small city center and there you can find many placements grouped by type.
Every year AIS Italia selects the 100 best wineries that follow these characteristics:
- producer under 40;
- less than 15 years of history of the winery;
- up to 7 hectares of vineyard.
It’s not necessary for the winery to fulfill all the three previous points. It can fulfill only one, but when it fulfills all three, it’s a real icon of the Only Wine Festival.
There are also other requirements, such as the owner’s presence at the event, wines realized from indigenous grapes (if possible single grape) and wines of high quality.
The offer of the Only Wine Festival 2018 was very rich. You could find tasting desks, wine guided tastings, Speed Wine, and Speed Food.
There were also one lunch and two dinners with wine tastings. Giancarlo Polìto (La Locanda del Capitano, Montone), Isabella Potì (Bros’, Lecce), Floriano Pellegrino (Bros’, Lecce) and Fabiana Scarica (Villa Chiara Orto e Cucina, Vico Equense) were the chefs and realized some delicious food experiences.
In addition to the 100 wineries selected by AIS, there was an area for the Orange Wines. It was realized in partnership with Francesco Saverio Russo, founder of Wine Blog Roll. There was also the International Wine area this year (selected by Luca Martini – Best Worldwide Sommelier 2013), where you could find wines from France, Spain, Germany, Georgia, and Croatia. Another new feature of this edition was an area dedicated to the wines from Umbria.
But Only Wine Festival was not only one of wine, because there were also whiskeys and cigars in their respective areas.
Wine Guided Tasting
The best sommeliers guided the several wine guided tastings (included Speed Wine and Speed Food). They are Maurizio Dante Filippi (Best Italian Sommelier 2016), Andrea Galanti (Best Italian Sommelier 2015) and Luca Martini. Here are the guided tastings in which I took part.
Its Majesty the Riesling
Guided by Andrea Galanti, it started from a magnum bottle of Julian Haart, Goldtröpfchen Kabinett 2016. The wine had a pale yellow color with greenish highlights. On the nose you could detect some aromas of citrus fruit, aromatic herbs, gunpowder, and melon. A fresh wine with a bit of sweetness and a long finish.
After the magnum there was Riesling Neumagener Rosengärtchen Auslese 2017 of Weingut Scholtes. Its color was pale yellow with golden highlights. Younger than the previous, then spring flowers, peach, more fruity than mineral. Fresh and quite sapid.
The next three wines belonged to the same winery, Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler. The vintages were 2014 (Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett), 1975 (Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese) and 1971 (Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese). The first had pale yellow color, whereas the others were golden. The bouquets were from young notes of 2014 such as spring flowers to the complexity of 1975 and 1971. Then some notes of petrol, saffron, menthol, and candied fruit. The old vintages reached the end of their evolutionary states.
Aglianico Speed Wine
A little overview about Aglianico grape, guided by Maurizio Dante Filippi.
Only two wines: Mastrodomenico Likos 2015 and Nardone Taurasi 2011. Their color was ruby with garnet highlights. Two styles of ageing – barrique for Likos and large barrel for Taurasi. The bouquet of the first wine had berry fruit, licorice, and overtone of greenness. The other had some notes of blackberry, dried flowers, and cinnamon. Likos was a young and fresh wine, while Taurasi was elegant.
The Big Bubbles of Europe
Another tasting guided by Maurizio Dante Filippi, this time six wines.
It started with Roccat Valdobbiadene 2017, Charmat method with 180 days in autoclave. A young wine already from the greenish yellow color to the aromas of green apple and spring flowers. Good interplay between the nose and the mouth.
The second sparkling wine was from Spain, then 1037 Brut Reserve Cava. Its color was pale yellow. Some aromas were those of crusty bread, apricot, and a mineral hint.
From Cava to Franciacorta, to discover Corte Fusia Franciacorta Brut, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It offered some aromas of pear and spring flowers. The next wine was again from Franciacorta. It was Rizzini Franciacorta 2011 with notes of apple, aromatic herbs, and crusty bread. Fresh and persistent.
At the end it was Champagne time. The winery was Pernet & Pernet with the wines L’Ambonnay Blanc de Noirs and Blanc de Blancs. Both wines had the typical aromas of Champagne, but the first one was more elegant and the other softer.
Red Passion
My last wine guided tasting, this time also with Maurizio Dante Filippi. We tasted the most famous red wines from Italy.
The first was Barolo 2014 of La Bioca. Ruby was its color. You could detect aromas of strawberry, currant, and dried flowers. Good acidity, but the tannins needed more ageing.
From Piedmont to Tuscany for Le Macioche Brunello di Montalcino 2012. The color was ruby. On the nose were some aromas of alcohol-steeped fruit, spices, currant, and bark. It was enveloping and quite tannic.
The descent of Italy continued to Sicily with Leonucci Re del Sole 2010. The grape is Sagrantino and looked dark ruby with garnet highlights. The aromas were red jam, spices, cloves, and a hematic hint. Tannins were strongly present.
The fourth wine was served blind. It was Giovanni Aiello Chakra Rosso Primitivo 2015. The wine offered some aromas of peach, cloves, cherry, and plum. It had a good softness.
Elena Fucci Titolo 2007 was the penultimate wine. The grape is Aglianico and the color was garnet. The bouquet was composed of dried flowers, balsamic hint, and tobacco. It was persistent with fine tannins.
The last wine was a magnum bottle of Le Guaite di Noemi Amarone della Valpolicella 2009. It had an intense ruby red color. On the nose you could detect pepper, licorice, and cocoa. Round, elegant, and persistent.
My Wine Tastings
During the Only Wine Festival 2018 I found these new interesting wines. Do you know them? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Trebbiano Spoletino 2017 – Le Cimate
Trebbiano Spoletino is an indigenous grape. The color was pale yellow with golden highlights. There were some aromas of citrus fruit, peach, and a mineral hint. The wine was fresh with a long finish.
U Baletta 2016 – Enrico Dario
Here we are in Liguria with Pigato grape. Pale yellow was the color and the aromas were apple, peach, and honey. Tasting it, the wine was soft and well balanced.
L’Usciòlo 2015 – Cantina Doveri
This is the only wine produced from Cantine Doveri. The grape is Syrah. It looks dark purple. On the nose you could detect some aromas of red fruit, tobacco, and dried flowers. The wine was round and well balanced with a long finish.
What’s your favorite small and young producer?
The Only Wine Festival 2018 gave me the opportunity to discover some new interesting wine producers.
I tasted a lot of wines during the two days. The wines offering was very complete. You could find all the Italian wine regions and also foreign ones in the international area.
Do you know other small and young wine producers who produce good wines? Let me know by leaving a comment.
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Cheers
Simone
