What Are the Favorite Wines of Winemakers?

There are so many people at Vinitaly, so many enthusiasts, so many industry insiders and so many producers… the atmosphere almost creates anxiety about not being able to see everything, even just walking through! In this incredible scenario made up of familiar and unfamiliar faces, a Wine at Wine "character" wanders around – a curious soul – wondering: "What would each producer say is their favorite wine from their own cantina?" I know, it's a bit like asking a father or mother which of their children they prefer, but the curiosity is just too strong!
Not often presenting himself as an industry insider, he gets puzzled looks, stuttered answers and plenty of uncertainty!

The son of Grosjean, the tallest and most robust, who runs the side of the business dealing with fruit, tells us after a slight hesitation that he prefers the Fumin; I tasted a 2011 that in my opinion is the best of those I tried during those days: smoky, tannic, with very pronounced red fruits; our Angelo Becchio has already written about it, and he liked it too!

At the winery I Pastini, Gianni Carparelli, manager and winemaker, would have many good reasons to choose the Rampone – I knew it would be his favorite child; but on his face there is still the suffering of someone who knows they've given a little slap to the other children born in the family! The Rampone is a Fiano Minutolo, a grape variety belonging to the Moscato family, a white wine with rounded notes of ripe yellow fruits, acidic and fresh; I like it! I knew Gianni would choose it – he has waged a personal battle for the recognition of the grape variety and is still fighting to give it the recognition it deserves and remove that "Fiano" that causes confusion and penalizes this native Pugliese variety. As is often the case in the Italian wine landscape, the winery has fought alone, and we will dedicate a dedicated article to this wine: stay tuned!

The simple and very kind Nicole Charrere, daughter of Danilo, from the cantina Le Clocher, speaks her mind and decisively chooses the Cornalin! A girl who wakes up at dawn to work the land with her father: "There are only two of us and I have to pitch in, but I love it"; she doesn't want to study enology but simply to work the land that allows her winery to produce those excellent wines for which they are known! The Cornalin is a native Valdostan grape variety whose oldest vines were found right in Jovencan, where Le Clocher is based; lightly smoky, elegant tannin and a body that is present yet at the same time delicate – "more of a red wine for women"!

Francesco Sedilesu, head of production at the family winery and son of Giuseppe, could only choose a Cannonau di Sardegna – yes, but which one? They are masters; they produce many, all excellent! Caught off guard, he gives the most corporate answer possible: the Mamuthone, described in the brochures as "the winery's signature wine"; a 15-degree child! Made from grapes grown on vines at least 30 years old, it is crafted with a long maceration on the skins of up to 12 days, unfiltered and aged in 40 hl barrels; what comes out is a wine of garnet red color, with aromas of ripe red fruits, rather spicy with notes of pepper and fine tannins; on the palate it is round and sweet.

My favorite answer, however, is that of Fausto Albanesi, co-owner along with Adriana Galasso of Torre dei Beati, the Abruzzo cantina that produces, among others, the Mazzamurello. With Fausto I had a long and very enjoyable conversation: a bright and intelligent person, gifted with that innate wit that only people of a certain caliber manage to express. A long back and forth, lasting minutes on end, for him to choose his favorite! "But in the end the others decided" – and he replied: "Well obviously, they chose the one they earn the most from!"; "You see, the Cocciapazza and the Mazzamurello are children who walk on their own two feet, children who give you great satisfaction; but I have a particular emotional bond with a child who needed help – at his birth I felt great satisfaction – I choose the Cerasuolo Rosa-ae!"

In the end I managed it with him too; a tough nut to crack! In the end, though, everyone is right to be undecided: e' figl so piezz e core!