Live From the Slow Wine US Tour, Dallas, Texas
With Oltrepò Pavese, Lombardy, Italy Fun Facts
What is Slow Wine?
Slow Wine selects wineries that respect and reflect their local terroir and practice sustainable methods that benefit the environment. And for the first time ever, those wineries that receive the snail (the official Slow Wine seal) are 100% free of chemical herbicides, a quality that the Slow Wine Guide continues to passionately support. The Slow Wine Coalition evaluates over 400 different wineries in Italy and the USA and treats each with the utmost respect and attention. The Slow Wine team prides itself on the human contact it has with all producers, which is essential to the guide's evaluations. The wineries embody “good, clean, fair” ethics. Slow Food was started by Carlo Petrini and a group of activists in the 1980s with the initial aim to defend regional traditions, good food, gastronomic pleasure, and a slow pace of life.
The USA tour of Slow wine in 2023 takes place in San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, and New York City. I am pleased to have been invited to the Dallas tour, taking place at Eataly, Dallas. Thanks to Jonathan Gebser, Slow Wine “Vice curator guida,” for his thoughtful guidance.
The Slow Wine Conference US, Dallas
If you are lucky enough to have ever been at any Eataly location (found in Dallas, NYC x 2, Chicago, Boston, LA, Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, Toronto, 16 in Italy), you’ll know that this location has really enhanced the slow wine tour experience. Their Italian snack paired perfectly with our tastings. Last year in Austin, we had to check-in with vaccination certificates, so this year it was a pleasure to mix and mingle more freely in the Eataly and Slow wine experience.
Breakout: Discover Oltrepò Pavese
Subscribers, meet “the Tuscany of North of Italy: Oltrepò Pavese,” complete with medieval villages, castles, authentic Italian food, and local wines. The vineyard landscape welcomes hikers and mountain bikers. Oltrepò Pavese is an area of the Province of Pavia in the northwest Italy region of Lombardy which lies to the south of the river Po. It is oltre ('beyond') the Po when considered from the provincial capital Pavia and in general from the rest of Lombardy, hence the name.
Fun Facts about Oltrepò Pavese
* Oltrepò Pavese lies on the same Northern latitude as Bordeaux.
*Its four valleys are found just an hour South from Milan.
*There are lots of castles and hills, reminiscent of Tuscany.
*Pinot Nero (Noir) is a dominant grape here. It is reminiscent of the village-level Burgundy wines and many of the good-value Oregon wines.
*In 40 BCE, Strabo, the Greek historian and philosopher, was the first to write about wine barrels referring to those in Oltrepò Pavese. He said, “The abundance of wine was indicated by the casks made of wood and bigger than houses.” So, they may have been first invented here.
Wine Recommendations from Slow Wine 2023
Best of Tasting
2018 Le Macchiole Messorio, Bolgheri, Tuscany Italy, $320
James Suckling, 98 Points, Wine Spectator 97, Points, $320
This wine is mono-varietal Merlot from the Super Tuscan Region. This producer was the first, in 1994, to offer mono-varietals from Bolgheri, Tuscany. This wine features very fine tannins, plum and blackberry aroma, and a long finish. Wonderful.
Best Value
2020 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, $23
James Suckling, 92 Points
A great value Chianti Classico to pair with your next Italian dish…recommending Giada de Laurentiis, “Classic Italian Lasagna” from the Food Network.
Other Notable Slow Wine Offerings
2021 Long Meadow Ranch, Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford, Napa Valley, $24
Wine Enthusiast, 92 Points
I love a truly Napa Valley-grown Sauvignon Blanc, as the elegant fruit--grapefruit, melon, citrus--and lemongrass aromas come through. All the vineyards are farmed using organic practices certified by California Certified Organic Farmers.
2014 Borgogno Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, $89
Wine Enthusiast, 93 Points
A lovely violet-perfumed Barolo with refined tannins, cherry, baking spice, and cranberry flavors, and bright acidity. Should age very well but drink now.
Wine Wandering Editorial Calendar
Message in the Bottle – A Book Review and Interview with Tim Gaiser, MS
Martini’s - What’s New, What’s Old: Classic vs. Modern Martini’s
Touring Texas Distilleries – Newly Launched Bourbon Distillery at Bending Branch Winery
New Zealand: 1% of World’s Wine but Packs a Punch
Famous NZ Wine Regions and Recommendations
A White House State Dinner- Contrasting Administrations
Book Review: The Wines of the Southwest
What is Eau de Vie? Cocktails and Aperitifs
1881 Museum Napa Valley: A Transformation of the Oakville Grocery
Unexpected Blends – Explaining this Phenomenon.