A Q&A with Alessio Carli
Posted February 28th, 2010 by sean@bevx.com
I first met Alessio Carli in June of 2007 at Pietra Santa Winery where he has been the winemaker for more than a decade. It soon became apparent that Alessio is a man of many talents. He was integral in the design and construction of the winery at Pietra Santa, as well as the vineyards and the entire olive oil program. He also makes a great pizza in his homemade brick oven!
Alessio was born and raised in Siena, Tuscany. He has been involved in winemaking at several Tuscan wineries including Badia a Coltibuono. When Alessio first came to the US he was hired as a specialist in Italian varietals, with emphasis on Sangiovese. When it was determined that we were featuring wines made with Italian varietals it was a certainty that I would begin the month with Q&A session with Alessio. For Alessio, making “Cal-Ital” wines are not an occupation; it’s a way of life.
Recently I was able to catch-up with Alessio in between his pruning vines and tending to the soon to be released new vintages from Pietra Santa, as well as his own little brand named Alicats. Here are some highlights from this recent exchange.
Carli - Well I got to Sonoma, California 20 years ago (Wahoo!) from Siena, Tuscany – the heart of Sangiovese grape. Yes, two decades ago the Sangioveses in California were at the beginning.
But before you were asking if the California winemakers were inexperienced, I would like to say also the vineyard managers and farmers were as well. I remember that at the beginning the vineyards were producing too many grapes and the grapes were not able to get full variation. Consequently Sangiovese wines were somewhat pale in color, green in flavor, lacking of SG character, sometimes too woody and covered by other flavors more common in Cabernet or merlot.
BevX - Is California a favorable region for growing Italian grapes?
Carli - Yes. California can grow good Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Dolcetto…this is a fact. Then some of these varietals have their own niche in the consumer minds and winemakers hearts.
BevX - What is your favorite Italian grape to work with and why?
Carli - My favorite Italian varietal is certainly Sangiovese. I’m originally from Siena and when I was living in Italy, I started making wine with Sangiovese and my father still makes some Sangiovese every year. Now he is 88 years (buon vino fa buon sangue). Sangiovese is the Tuscan expression, my tradition. It is a wine that is marrying well with food and not only with the Italian gastronomy.
BevX - Sangiovese seems to be the most popular Italian grape in California today. Which Italian grape will grow in terms of acres and wines in the future?
Carli - I think a great potential to be a very good wine in California is Pinot Grigio. I love this grape and this wine flavor. Pinot Grigio wine is very versatile and can be served everyday as aperitif or as a beautiful summer white wine.
BevX - What have you found to be the biggest differences in regards to winemaking philosophy in California as compared to your native Tuscany?
Carli - Well 20 years ago the differences in regards to winemaking philosophy in California as compared to my native Tuscany were more notable, but I still hope we are going to go back more to the regional style more representative of the area than a national or global style.
in
Source:
Sean Ludford, BevX
I first met Alessio Carli in June of 2007 at Pietra Santa Winery where he has been the winemaker for more than a decade. It soon became apparent that Alessio is a man of many talents. He was integral in the design and construction of the winery at Pietra Santa, as well as the vineyards and the entire olive oil program. He also makes a great pizza in his homemade brick oven!Alessio was born and raised in Siena, Tuscany. He has been involved in winemaking at several Tuscan wineries including Badia a Coltibuono. When Alessio first came to the US he was hired as a specialist in Italian varietals, with emphasis on Sangiovese. When it was determined that we were featuring wines made with Italian varietals it was a certainty that I would begin the month with Q&A session with Alessio. For Alessio, making “Cal-Ital” wines are not an occupation; it’s a way of life.
Recently I was able to catch-up with Alessio in between his pruning vines and tending to the soon to be released new vintages from Pietra Santa, as well as his own little brand named Alicats. Here are some highlights from this recent exchange.
BevX - You first came to California due to your experience with Sangiovese. At that time did you feel that many California winemakers were inexperienced with Italian grapes and maybe a little afraid of them?
Carli - Well I got to Sonoma, California 20 years ago (Wahoo!) from Siena, Tuscany – the heart of Sangiovese grape. Yes, two decades ago the Sangioveses in California were at the beginning.
But before you were asking if the California winemakers were inexperienced, I would like to say also the vineyard managers and farmers were as well. I remember that at the beginning the vineyards were producing too many grapes and the grapes were not able to get full variation. Consequently Sangiovese wines were somewhat pale in color, green in flavor, lacking of SG character, sometimes too woody and covered by other flavors more common in Cabernet or merlot.
BevX - Is California a favorable region for growing Italian grapes?Carli - Yes. California can grow good Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Dolcetto…this is a fact. Then some of these varietals have their own niche in the consumer minds and winemakers hearts.
BevX - What is your favorite Italian grape to work with and why?
Carli - My favorite Italian varietal is certainly Sangiovese. I’m originally from Siena and when I was living in Italy, I started making wine with Sangiovese and my father still makes some Sangiovese every year. Now he is 88 years (buon vino fa buon sangue). Sangiovese is the Tuscan expression, my tradition. It is a wine that is marrying well with food and not only with the Italian gastronomy.
BevX - Sangiovese seems to be the most popular Italian grape in California today. Which Italian grape will grow in terms of acres and wines in the future?
Carli - I think a great potential to be a very good wine in California is Pinot Grigio. I love this grape and this wine flavor. Pinot Grigio wine is very versatile and can be served everyday as aperitif or as a beautiful summer white wine.
BevX - What have you found to be the biggest differences in regards to winemaking philosophy in California as compared to your native Tuscany?Carli - Well 20 years ago the differences in regards to winemaking philosophy in California as compared to my native Tuscany were more notable, but I still hope we are going to go back more to the regional style more representative of the area than a national or global style.