Braida Tasting at Wine Watch
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 - 07:00 PM
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It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one's present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason.
Latin saying
[FIRSTNAME], when you browse our selections in the store you can tell the wines that I really like, we have a vertical selection with more than 5 vintages, we have the wine available in several sizes, you see events planned with the producers wine, and we are on a first name basis with the owner of the vineyard. Rafaela Bologna is one of my favorite personalities in the piedmont and the wines of Braida are legendary in her home town of Rocchetta Tanaro. Giacomo Bologna is considered to be one of the founders the modern style of Barbera and was one of the first winemakers in the Piedmont to promote Barbera as a varietal on par with the noble Nebbiolo varietal and treat it as a wine that could be cellared for a decade or more. Join us tonight as we discover the full range of wines that Braida has to offer as we have the Export Director for Braida Nadine Weinhgold on hand to guide us through this tasting. Wine Watch Catering will be serving up a few treats to accompany the wines and the fee for this tasting is $35 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.
Wednesday, February 10th
Braida Tastings at Wine Watch
7pm
Tasting Line-up
Braida Il Baciale 2006
Price: $26 Sale $22.88 Case $266
(87 Points) The 2006 Il Baciale is a blend of 60% Barbera, 20% Pinot Noir, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It is a soft-textured ripe wine with plenty of fruit and an accessible personality, although it naturally lacks some of the character of the best wines here. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010. Wine Advocate # 178, Aug 2008
Barbera d'Asti "Montebruna" 2007
Price: $24 Sale $21.12 Case $245
(89 Points) The 2007 Barbera d’Asti Montebruna is a deep, earthy wine imbued with dark cherries, licorice and spices. Some rough edges remain, but the Montebruna should offer very fine drinking at the dinner table. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2013. Wine Advocate # 184, Aug 2009
Barbera d'Asti "Bricco dell'Uccellone" 1996
Price: $74.25 Sale $65.34 Case $758
This wine is drinking at its peak right now and is somewhat reminiscent of a vintage burgundy with lots of dried floral notes and fresh earth, porcini mushroom nuance to the strawberry and black berry fruit on the nose. Soft and round on the palate this wine offers up a lot of complexity on the palate with layers of spice and earth notes through the finish with lots of fresh acidity holding everything together in nice proportion. Finish 45+ Most Excellent
Barbera d'Asti "Bricco dell'Uccellone" 2006
Price: $53 Sale $46.64 Case $541
(92 Points) The 2006 Bricco dell’Uccellone reveals a touch more ripeness and inner perfume than the Bigotta yet shows similar clarity and precision. While made in a soft, opulent style, in this vintage Bricco dell’Uccellone is a touch more restrained than has sometimes been the case, resulting in a wine that is noteworthy for its finesse and elegance. Sweet scents of French oak, smoke, licorice and jammy dark fruit linger on the clean, refreshing finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018. Wine Advocate # 185, Oct 2009
Braida Barbera d'Asti "Ai Suma" 2004
Price: $95.50 Sale $84 Case $974
(90 Points) The 2004 Barbera d’Asti Ai Suma is made from late-harvested fruit, and as is to be expected, reveals an extra dimension in its ripeness and richness. This deeply-colored, sumptuous Barbera is redolent of plums, dark cherries, blackberries, spices, minerals and toasted oak. It displays outstanding length and plenty of style. I would prefer to drink it on the young side although this bottling has proven age-worthy. A recent bottle of the 1989 was still in fine shape, even if to my palate its best years belong to the past. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2014. Wine Advocate # 173, Oct 2007
Braida Moscato d'Asti "Vigna senza Nome" 2008
Price: $18.00 Sale $15.84 Case $184
(89 Points) The 2008 Moscato d’Asti Vigna Senza Nome is an understated, fragrant Moscato made in a moderately sweet style. A long, clean finish rounds out this pretty wine. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2010. Wine Advocate # 184, Aug 2009
Braida Brachetto d'Acqui docg 2009
Price: $23.50 Sale $20.68 Case $240
This is the red equivalent to Moscato for a light and slightly sweet, slightly sparkly dessert wine just loaded with candied cherries, roses and spices finishing with enough acidity to keep it fresh.
Menu
Assortment of Cheeses
Risotto Balls with Mozzarella Cheese filling and Roasted Tomato Sauce
Mushroom Duxelle over Goat Cheese Mousse with Roasted Pepper Puree
Jamon de Serrano and Fresh Melon
A bit about Braida Winery
The story of Braida begins as the story of a beautiful village. Rocchetta Tanaro, located in the Piedmont, is a village which is at the "centre of the world". And everything began for this wine producer, as in every village story, with a nickname, Braida, which Giuseppe Bologna earned on the field on Sundays, playing "pallone elastico", a typical Piedmont sport.
The head of the family was a carter and cultivated his beautiful Barbera vineyard for himself and his friends. Giacomo Bologna inherited both the vineyard and the nickname from his father, but especially his unconditional love for his land and his wine, a love which he transmitted first of all to his wife, Anna, then to his children, as well as to all those who traveled some of life's highway with him.
Giacomo was not only one of the true characters of the Piedmont, but also one of the first "cutting edge" wine producers of this region. He traveled to Bordeaux and to California to see what the top minds in these regions were doing to produce their best wines. He came back from his travels and was one of the first wineries in this region to practice controlling the temperature of the alcoholic fermentation and was also one of the first producers to age barbera in small French oak barriques. Giacomo was one of the first producers in the Piedmont to believe that barbera was more than just an average quality grape varietal.
Today the company is an enlarged and faithful reflection of the philosophy of Giacomo and Anna, of their way of understanding life, the earth, wine and friendships. It was Anna who, bearing Giacomo's torch, carried forward the projects he had outlined and dreamed of. At her side were her children, Raffaella and Beppe, sharing with her the years of courageous initiatives and important investments, both in the cellars and the vineyards. Raffaella and Beppe are both oenologists yet each sibling has a different aptitude - with verve and intelligence Raffaella focuses on the commercial side of the business while Beppe, more reflective and reserved, concentrates on the agricultural sector and production. Both, however, share the same dream, cultivated with enthusiasm, that of conquering for Barbera the status of nobility and quality which some appear to think is due only to the vine-growers of the Burgundy hills.
Wine for both of them is a lifetime's project, a way of expressing themselves through things that are simple and authentic, like their land, which has, inevitably, infected their respective partners, who have joined and now play a full and active role in this family. Cristina, the wife of Beppe and mother of Greta, works in the administration offices; while Norbert Reinisch, an Austrian doctor and partner to Raffaella, inspired by his love of wine, and during a visit to the Rocchetta Tanaro cellars, met the family's "monella" and fell in love with her - so deeply in fact that he left his homeland and his job to become the company's Exports Director.
Braida is a young company, the result of great synergies, exchanges of ideas and enthusiasm, embracing the family and all members of the company's personnel. Although they specialize in barbera, Braida also makes rwo wonderful dessert style wines, one from Moscato (entitled Vigna Senze Nome "The wine without a name") and another from Brachetto (Brachetto D’Acqui). Both are light and slightly frizzante with a low 5% alcohol rating making them a light and refreshing treat anytime of the day. There are three different barberas produced at Braida: 1) Bricco della Bigota- the granddaddy of all Barberas capable of aging for 10 years or longer. 2) Ai Suma (a piedmontese exclamatory term that is used to express when a long term goal is achieved "We’ve Got it!" This is a late harvest barbera of epic proportions. 3) Bricco Dell Uccellone, a wine that has perfect balance and is the quintessential example of what barbera can be at its best. Uccellone is the name of one of the very best vineyards on the hilltops of Rochetta Tanaro. The vineyard takes its name from the old woman who lived in the house next to the plot, who always dressed in black and so was given the nickname l'uselun or ‘big bird’.