Led by Grant Crandall, President of the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, there is a group of wine lovers in the Northern Virginia area that meets 4 times a year at one of the members' home for a wine-pairing dinner where everyone brings a bottle of wine with a corresponing dish, always under a common theme.
This time, the event took place at the home of Fuad Issa and Maureen Kelly in McLean, Northern Virginian (Greater Washington DC area), and the theme was: Italy, except Sangiove and sparkling wine.
1 Susan 2021 Donnafugata Anthilia
Caesar Salad
2 Cindy 2022 Pallazzone Terre Vineate (white - Classico Superiore) from Orvieto
Mini Caprese salads
3 Stephanie 2020 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis (Piemonte)
Tuna mousse bruschette
4 Tickie 2015 Mastroberardino Nova Serra Greco Di Tufo (Campania)
Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Puffs
Roland Young: Puff pastry stuffed with a mixture of Green Dirt Farms Sheep’s Chevre, chopped spinach, sun dried tomatoes and eggs and baked fresh there in the oven.
5 Maureen 2019 Bettini Valgella Valtellina Superiore DOCG (Lombardia)
Kibbe: meat & dark burghul shell stuffed with ground meat and nuts
Pasta with Chanterrelles
Elisabetta Foradori is one of most influential winemakers of Italy. She has become one of the leading green/ natural/ biodynamic wine makers in Italy. Italy’s most influential wine guide, Gambero Rosso’s Italian Wines, has consistently given her flagship Teroldego wine – Granato – is highest rating of Tre Bicchieri, of three glasses.
Elisabetta Foradori’s grandfather, a Trentino lawyer, bought the estate in 1929, little more than a decade after the Italian-speaking Trentino and German-speaking Alto Adige were annexed by Italy from Austria following World War I. Her grandfather sold the wine in bulk, but her father, Roberto, started bottling in the 1960s. When he died of cancer, Elisabetta, his only child, was 11 years old. Eight years later, after studying oenology and agriculture, she took over the winery.
Before World War I, the region was part of Austria and most of the wine produced in the region was sold in Austria’s a capital. Business was good but that changed after World War II, when the region was annexed by Italy. When Elisabetta's grandfather bought the estate, it was in a state of bankruptcy. The estate has been in the hands of the Foradori family ever since.
Very early on in her career, Elisabetta Foradori met German Professor Rainer Zierock, who had a major impact both on her private and business life. In 1984, when Elisabetta Foradori began her winemaker career, Trentino was dominated by large wine co-operatives planting international varieties such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon was fashionable. Rainer Zierock pushed her not to go the international varieties route, but to keep and to focus on the local varieties, including Teroldego. The professional relationship led to marriage and three children, Emilio, Theo and Myrtha, who was our host, and, sadly, separation only five years later.
Professor Rainer Zierock died in 2009. He taught a various universities and worked as consultant in various countries. Following his relationship with Elisabetta Foradori, he established Weingut Ansitz Dolomytos Sacker in Unterinn am Ritten in the 1990s, together with Margret Hubmann. The small estate (2.7 hectares with 150 different grape varieties) was designed by Rainer Zierock, with a strong influence of Greek mythology.
Biodynamics
In 2002, Elisabetta Foradori sprayed her first biodynamic preparations on her vineyards. She stopped fertilizing and tilling her vineyards, and instead started to encourage wild grass and weeds, which are mowed and raked into the soil. Based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, biodynamic agriculture and winemaking aim to strengthen ecosystems methods pegged to the phases of the moon.
Terra Cotta Amphoras
In 2008, Elisabetta Foradori started to ferment wine in terra cotta amphoras (large-scale vessels), a technique that dates to ancient Greek and Roman eras. It is one of the oldest winemaking methods in the world. Basically, you get the breathable qualities of wood without oak flavor. Today Elisabetta Foradori has about 150 upright amphoras in her underground cellar.
Single Vineyard Wines
In her most recent step, Elisabetta Foradori moved to single vineyard wines. She felt that with the biodynamic practice in the vineyard and the amphoras in the wine cellar, she had all the ingredients for making terroir-driven wines. Therefore she decided to make single vineyard wines from the Morei and Sgarzon vineyards – in amphoras. Morei and Sgarzon, both about 2 hectares, are located close to the Azienda Agricola Foradori’s vineyard. On the bottle, the vineyard names are printed in much larger letters than the grape variety Teroldego.
In addition, in 2007 Elisabetta Foradori took on an 8 hectares vineyard in poor condition just above Trento. The Fontanasanta vineyard was born, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc were uprooted and the local grape varieties Nosiola, Manzani Bianco and Teroldego planted.
In total, Elisabetta Foradori currently makes 4 single-vineyard wines in amphoras: A Manzoni Bianco und Nosiola from the Fontanasanta vineyard and 2 Teroldego wines from the Morei vineyard and the Sgarzon vineyard.
7 Dave 2021 Barbera del Monferrato
Balsamic Mushroom and Sausage Pasta
8 Angela 2013 Ciabot Berton Barolo
pasta e fagioli
9 Christian 2015, Pio Cesare, Barolo, Alba, DOCG
Lamb Chop Lollipop
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Co-owner Pio Boffa, Pio Cesare, in Washington DC in 2010 The company owns 70 hectares of vineyards in the Barolo and Barbaresco regions. Fruit for Pio Cesare's wines is also sourced from managed vineyards under long term contracts.
100% Nebbiolo
Vinification: In stainless steel tanks. Skin contact for about 20 days.
Ageing: In mid toasted French oak for 3 years: 70% in 20 to 50 hectoliters casks; 30% in barriques.
10 Karen 2019 Tenuta di Trinoro Le Cupole Rosso Toscana
Italian Braciole
11 Brian 2011 Batzella Peàn Bolgheri DOC Rosso (Toscano)
porcini crusted pork loin
12 Roland 1995 Agricole Vallone Graticciaia Salento Rosso IGP Negroamaro Grape (Puglia)
Roasted Tarragon Beef Tenderloin Crostini
Roland Young: Amarone style Negroamaro grape wine from Piglia. Vintage was 1995. Very limited production of around 200 cases.
Roland Young: Crostini with a cream cheese, fresh tarragon and horseradish spread, sliced Cornichons and medium rare roasted beef tenderloin with a scallion, brined crushed green peppercorns and fresh tarragon crust.
13 Fuad 2015 Giuseppe Campagnola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (Veneto)
Lamb meatballs in cherry sauce
14 Grant 2010 Giuseppe Campagnola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (Veneto)
blue cheese stuffed dates
15 Graydon 2022 Rinaldi Brachetto d’Acqui
Balsamic Strawberry Pazzo Cake with Herbed Creme Fraiche
16 Norm Carlo Martinez Marsala Fine Sweet DOC
Apple Pie
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Announcement: 2024 Tours by ombiasy (Annette Schiller) - Bordeaux, Loire Valley, German Classic, Rhône
Summery: Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours
Summary: From Lyon to Paris - Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours (July 02 - 13, 2023)
Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023
Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List
The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference December 2021
The 2023 American Wine Society National Conference in St. Louis/ Missouri/ USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens
Maison Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône: Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Tour - Rhône Valley Tour 2022 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Tour and Tasting at
Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Cellar Master Jean Christoph - Bordeaux Tour 2022 by
ombiasy WineTours, France
2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA
Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France
Carl Willner, Christian Schiller and Ken Bensley of the German Wine Society/ Washington DC Chapter (Re-)elected to the National Board, USA, Germany
Kékfrankos - Blaufränkisch - Lemberger: A Grape’s Immigration Story From Central Europe To The US West Coast - Seminar at the 2023 American Wine Society National Conference in St. Louis/ Missouri/ USA led by Annette Schiller
All Sorts of Sparklers: How do the Bubbles get into that Bottle? - Tasting at the American Wine Society (NoVa Chapter) led by Annette Schiller
Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists
20 Best Washington DC (USA) Alcohol Blogs + Websites (December 31, 2023): #3 schiller-wine by Christian Schiller