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A Walk on the Wild Side: A New Look at Lambrusco by Alan Tardi, CSW
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Today we have a guest post from Alan Tardi, CSW. Alan gives us a deep dive in the real Lambrusco as well as a preview of his upcoming session—A Walk on the Wild Side: A New Look at Lambrusco—to be presented at the 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators. The conference is scheduled for August 10-11 in Coachella Valley (Indian Wells, CA).
If you think Lambrusco is nothing more than a banal, reddish, cloyingly sweet bubbly, it’s time to taste again.
It happened over and over again: The first wines of a given appellation to be exported to America from post-World War II Italy were the most commercial, inexpensive, readily accessible ones possible. Some of them became quite popular, though it was often more about an appealing name or jingle or the color or shape of the bottle than it was about the wine.
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In the 1960s and ‘70s, Americans started to become more familiar with and attracted to wine. At about the same time, a handful or two of visionary Italian wine producers began focusing on attaining a high-quality level of production and capturing the essence of their particular grape varieties and growing areas.
There are numerous examples of this but one of the best is Tuscany, specifically Chianti.
Prior to this time, the majority of consumers looked (often fondly) upon Chianti as a cheap, rustic wine in a straw-covered flask sitting on a checkered tablecloth next to a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Then it got a makeover, shed its straw, slimmed down into a Bordeaux-like cylinder and became super, sexy and more expensive. Many other wines underwent a similar transformation (think Barolo, Valpolicella, Friuli whites, Southern reds) and subsequently garnered respect and appreciation in the marketplace.
This has not happened to Lambrusco. But it should and I have no doubt that it will. Here’s why:
- Unique Terroir:
- Lambrusco is a terroir-driven wine. It grows in a very limited part of North-Central Italy, specifically a small area in the center of Emilia with a tiny adjacent zone just across the Lombardy border.
- The area where Lambrusco grows is quite unusual. While most grapevines perform best at higher altitudes up on steep slopes, Lambrusco prefers the flat plains or low hills of the Po River valley.
- Ancient Origin:
- Lambrusco is considered to be one of (if not the) oldest native Italian grape varieties, with its origin dating back to sometime around the Middle Bronze Age (c 1700 BC).
- It is thought to have originated as a wild vine that was domesticated by a mysterious group of people who inhabited the western part of the Po valley around what is now the city of Modena.
- Family of Grapes:
- In fact, Lambrusco is not a grape variety but a family of grapevines that are closely related to one another but genetically distinct.
- Thus, while they do have some basic characteristics in common, each one has its own distinct personality, and each has its own home within the larger perimeter of the defined growing area.
- Variations on a Theme: In addition to the numerus subvarieties, there are many different production options:
- Lambrusco may be made from one type of Lambrusco grape or blended with others, depending on appellation regulations.
- There are a number of specific Lambrusco appellations as well as other generic regional appellations that include a Lambrusco-based wine.
- Lambrusco runs the full gambit of sugar, from brut nature (no added sugar) to sweet.
- It can be made frizzante (lightly fizzy) or full bubbly (spumante), using the Traditional Method (in bottle with disgorgement), Ancestral Method (in bottle without disgorgement) or Martinotti Method (tank).
- Time on lees can range anywhere from days to years. And color ranges from pale pink to deep purple.
- Food Friendly:
- Emilia is considered to have one of the finest regional cuisines in Italy. The food is rich and full-flavored, and Lambrusco — whether fizzy or foamy, delicately pale and tart or dark, earthy, and tannic — provides the perfect accompaniment.
- These same basic characteristics also make it an ideal partner for many other types of food, from pizza to barbeque, burgers, spicy Asian or Indian.
- User Friendly: Lambrusco is
- versatile
- bubbly
- relatively low in alcohol
- very affordable
- fun and enjoyable; sometimes simple and rustic, other times elegant or ethereal
- undervalued and misunderstood (except by those in the know)
- Decidedly Distinctive:
- There is nothing quite like Lambrusco. It has its own unique flavor profile — earthy yet elegant, with a slightly wild streak — regardless of which guise it is wearing.
- It is red (in various hues) and bubbly (in different levels of intensity) and has tannin. It is, one could say, something of an appealing anomaly.
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Alan’s session—A Walk on the Wild Side: A New Look at Lambrusco—is scheduled for Wednesday, August 10th at 8:45 am as part the 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators, to be held August 10-11 in Coachella Valley (Indian Wells, CA). Click here to read about the extraordinary wines—as well as a few other treats that will be tasted as part of Alan’s session.
About the speaker: Alan Tardi first got interested in wine while working as a cook and chef in some of New York City’s finest restaurants and this interest blossomed into a passion when he opened his own restaurant in Manhattan in 2001. While still working long hours in his restaurant, Alan became a frequent panel taster at Wine and Spirits Magazine’s New York office and began writing for the magazine. Over time he went on to write for numerous other publications including The New York Times, Sommelier Journal, Food Arts and Wine Spectator. In 2003 Alan moved to the village of Castiglione Falletto in Piemonte, Italy where he worked extensively in the surrounding vineyards and wineries and managed the town’s Cantina Comunale. His first book “Romancing the Vine: Life, Love and Transformation in the Vineyards of Barolo” won a James Beard Award for Best Wine Book of 2006. His second book “Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and Timeless Allure of the World’s Most Celebrated Drink” (2016) received a Gourmand Best in the World Award. Alan holds a CSW from the Society of Wine Educators, IWS and Champagne Master certificates from the Wine Scholar Guild and is currently pursuing the WSET level 4 Diploma.
News Flash! Format Update regarding the CWE Exam (Tasting Portion)
In today’s world, identifying a wine in a blind tasting—or, in the context of SWE’s Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam, a semi-blind tasting—seems to be losing relevance as an accurate gauge of the skillset involved in the sensory evaluation of wine.
As such, we have decided to revise the format of the varietal/appellation identification portion of the CWE exam and rename it as simply the CWE Tasting Exam.
The reality is this: we are seeing definitive changes in what was once considered to be the benchmark or typical style in many iconic wines. Good examples of this shift-in-progress include Rioja, Oregon Pinot Noir, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, and even Bordeaux. Soon, the wine world may need to accept that many regions are seeing such changes due to regulatory revisions, advances in wine making technology, adaptations in viticulture, stylistic development, and/or climate change.
- Effective immediately, the new format of the CWE Tasting Exam will be as follows:
- Candidates will be presented with a flight of four unidentified wines. Using the SWE Wine Tasting Grid—CWE—which will be provided and available for use during the exam—candidates will be asked to provide a written analysis and tasting note of each wine. The total time allotted will be one hour.
- Each wine assessment will be worth up to 30 points, as detailed on the tasting grid. In addition to providing descriptions of the appearance, aroma, taste components, and quality of the wine, candidates will be asked to match the identity of each wine using a provided list of possible answers. Only one point (out of the 30 possible for each wine) will be dependent upon the accurate identification of the wine.
- The minimum passing score—combining the responses for all four wines—will be 90 points (out of a possible 120).
SWE acknowledges the diversity of human sensory perception and will accept a range of descriptive vocabulary in candidate answers. We are looking for responses that are demonstrative, logical, consistent, and appropriate for each specific wine.
Note: The format of this exam may be modified for use in a virtual setting, which may involve verbal assessments in place of—or in addition to—the written exercises.
If you have any questions, please contact Jane Nickles at jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org.
Meet the Board: Lisa Kozloff, CSS
Lisa Kozloff, CSS
Lisa Kozloff, CSS, is a newly elected member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) and has also been elected to the position of Secretary. Her introduction to SWE came while a candidate for the Hospitality/Beverage Specialist Certificate (HBSC) which she earned in 2012. She’s seen the benefit of wine and spirits education in building a career and opportunities in the industry.
Lisa began her career in hospitality in college, working as a server and then bartender. She earned a degree in journalism from UNC Chapel Hill, but she chose to continue working in restaurants. “Years later and I have still never worked with my degree which makes my mother very unhappy. She brings it up every Thanksgiving,” she told us.
Lisa currently serves as the Director of Beverage for Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, a national chain of 51 upscale casual restaurants. She has been with Firebirds since they opened their first restaurant in 2000; she began her career with the company as the Bar Manager and later moved up to become the General Manager at their second location. In a typical day, Lisa maintains working relationships with beverage and alcohol vendors, oversees on the beverage menus for the chain, helps design and test new menu items, and sample new products such as wine, spirits, beer, and other beverages.
When asked what she loved most about working in the hospitality industry, she told us, “It’s never the ‘same old thing.’ You are constantly meeting new people. Interacting with folks all over the country. When you’re in the restaurants there is always such a hum of energy working the floor. We are hosting a party every day!” We also asked what advice she would give to someone starting out with a career in wine and spirits. “Be more empathetic, especially when people are in a tough situation. Years ago, managers and chefs could be very inflexible with their staff. The job is much more fulfilling when you treat people the way you would want to be treated.”
When she isn’t working, Lisa enjoys cooking and traveling with her husband and her 14-year-old daughter, Rory. Her hobbies include spending time with her six-year old boxer Coco and collecting tiki mugs.
Welcome to the board, Lisa!
Post authored by Ben Coffelt, CSS, CSW
SWE Virtual Conference: that’s a wrap!
Looks like we made it! SWE’s first-ever virtual conference (held August 12–14, 2020) was a success!
We welcomed nine speakers and covered a diversity of topics ranging from the Pyramid Schemes of Germany and Austria to climate change and the best of rosé. We even tackled Tuscany vs. Piedmont under the guidance of Sharron McCarthy! Check out the conference agenda here.
The conference sessions have all been archived and are now available for viewing. Session handouts and review quizzes are also available on the Conference Attendee Portal.
If you are a current member of SWE and would like to access our archived 2020 Virtual Conference, please contact Danielle LaRosa, SWE’s Meetings and Events Coordinator at dlarosa@societyofwineeducators.org.
Note: the conference archive will remain available indefinitely and is available free-of-charge to current members of SWE.
Zirbenz, Vermouth, Gruyère: Gifts of the European Alps
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The European Alps—stretching from France, Italy, and Switzerland through Germany and Austria and Slovenia—contain within them a diverse series of ecosystems. These include the Alpine lowlands—rich with deciduous trees and ideal for farming and vineyards. Higher up, the area is known for conifer forests of fir, spruce, and pine. Above the tree line, the valleys explode with the plants of the Alpine meadows: herbs, grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs.
The bounty of the Alps is reflected in the wine, food, and spirits of the region. These include:
- Absinthe: The first-ever Absinthe Distillery was opened in 1797 by Henri-Louis Pernod in the Swiss town of Couvet [now part of Val-de-Travers])
- Vermouth: The town of Chambéry, located in the Alps of Eastern France, has long been a center of vermouth production and is now home to several brands of vermouth including Dolin, Routin, and C. Cosmoz.
- The wines of the Alps, which include those produced in the French regions of Jura and Savoie and Italy’s Val d’Aosta.
- The wines of Switzerland, which include some fascinatingly obscure wines produced from the native grapes of region—such as Chasselas, Amigne of Vétroz, and Cornalin du Valais.
- Botanical liqueurs: A range of fascinating and historic botanical liqueurs that includes Chartreuse, Génépy des Alpes, and Bonal.
- Cheese: The legendary dairy farms of the Alps produce a range of cheeses that includes Emmental, Gruyère, Appenzeller, Comté, Abondance, and Fontina Val D’Aosta (as well as fondue and raclette).
Photo by Moroder (derivative work) via Wikimedia Commons
And then there’s Zirbenz, known as the Stone Pine Liqueur of the Alps. Zirbenz is a sweet, slightly bitter, fruity, and resinous liqueur flavored with the immature fruit (cones) of the Zirbelkiefer tree (also known as the Arolla Stone Pine Tree). The Arolla Stone Pine grows in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains of central Europe, and can thrive at elevations up to 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) above sea level.
Zirbenz is produced at the Josef Hofer Distillery in Steiermark (Styria), Austria. After the unopened (immature) cones of the trees are harvested, they are sliced open and macerated in a base spirit. This provides the liqueur with its natural earthy-red color and its slightly bitter, tannic finish. It’s something you have to experience to believe.
References/for further learning:
Meet the Board: Meg Hansen, CSW, CSS
Meg Hansen enjoying a tasting at Frank Family Vineyard in Napa
Meg (Margaret) Hansen, CSW, CSS is one of the newest members of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) Board of Directors. Several years ago, Meg experienced an amusing “accidental” introduction to SWE as she was serving on the wine committee of the Minnehaha Country Club. It seems that the club’s chef was scheduled to take the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam, but by the time the exam rolled around he was no longer employed there. As such, Meg had a “last minute” opportunity to step up and take the exam and by doing so, became determined to learn more about wine and to achieve the CSW. Within a short time, she had earned the CSW as well as the Hospitality Beverage Specialist Certificate (HBSC) and the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) as well. Meg is currently a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) aspirant and has attended the last three conferences as well as dozens of our certification summits and webinars!
In her professional life, Meg is a physician assistant who at one time practiced in the allergy and asthma field and served as a professor in the South Dakota University physician assistant program. For the past 13 years she has been the executive director of the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners—the licensing board for physicians and allied health professions who hold a South Dakota license.
As the chair of the Minnehaha Country Club’s wine committee, Meg leads a group that organizes monthly wine dinners and tastings designed to educate the club’s staff, members, and public guests about the wide world of wine and spirits. She wears her CSW and CSS pins at every opportunity and if they do not get noticed, much to the chagrin of her family, she is more than happy to point them out.
Welcome to the Board, Meg Hansen!
SWE News: Digital Badges!
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So…you studied for months, drew upon all the wisdom garnered through your years in the industry, experienced the last minute jitters and (finally) earned your CSW! Or your CSS, CWE, CSE, or HBSC!
Of course, now you’d like to tell the world, post it to LinkedIn, and make sure potential clients, employers (or maybe even dates) know what it means to have earned your credential.
Here’s how you can do that: download a digital badge (available via Acclaim) and post it to your social media accounts, your email signature, and use the jpeg to attach it to your paper resumes and business cards
Digital badges serve as verification of your credential and may be shared via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, and other websites. For old-fashioned paper uses, the badge may be added (as a jpeg image) to business cards, resumes, or any other printed materials.
Digital badges shared electronically provide a link that provides the following information:
- Name, date, and title of the credential and the certifying agency
- Links to a list of skills that are represented by earning the credential
- Lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to earn the credential
- Links to additional information about the credential (on the SWE website)
- Links to related jobs and information about employer demand for the credential
For current holders of the CSW, CWE, CSS, and CSE certifications—as well as all current and future holders of the HBSC certificate, please contact Ben Coffelt of the SWE Home Office for information on how to claim your badge: bcoffelt@societyofwineeducators.org
For future CSS and CSW credential holders: information on how to claim your digital badge will be forwarded to you after completion of your certification exam at a Pearson Vue Testing Center.
For more information on digital badges click here: https://www.youracclaim.com/badge-overview
Congratulations to our First Class of Certified Spirits Educators!
During our 2015 conference in New Orleans, the Society of Wine Educators administered the first ever Certified Spirits Educator exam to a group of leading industry professionals. Six candidates successfully demonstrated superior theoretical knowledge through multiple choice and essay questions, tasting acumen through accurate blind identifications and rationales, presentation skills to a targeted audience, and proof of responsible beverage service. For more information on the rigors of this exam click here.
Please, meet and congratulate the first group of official Certified Spirits Educators!
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Hoke Harden, CSW, CSE, B.N.I.C. Certified Cognac Educator, and French Wine Scholar – An enthusiastic lover of wine and spirits, Mr. Harden left a career in academia to follow his other muse for the last 27 years, trekking around the world to the great producing regions. Recently referred to as a veritable walking omnibus of wine and spirits knowledge, he has experienced every possible facet of the world of wine and spirits as a retailer, restaurateur, bartender, buyer, wholesaler, supplier, marketer, critic, writer, competition judge and an educator. He is currently with Elixir Vitae Wine & Spirits Consultants, a member of the Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Instructor at Mt. Hood Community College, and a Master Instructor with the French Wine Academy.
Hoke on the CSE Exam: The new Certified Spirits Educator program is a highly complex self-study program offered to professional spirits educators and industry professionals; the equivalent to the Society’s highly acclaimed Certified Wine Educator. Other programs dabble in spirits or include ancillary courses in the basics; the CSE focuses singularly on the world of spirits.
daubenmire, experts photos shoot, 2014
Linda Pettine, CWE, CSE – Linda Pettine is an Associate Professor for the College of Culinary Arts, Providence Campus, Johnson & Wales University. She has been at Johnson & Wales University since 2000, where she teaches in the Beverage & Dining Service Department. She was recognized for her teaching skills with the Beverage & Dining Services Department Service Award in 2001 and Teacher of the Year in 2007. With over 20 years of industry experience, Ms. Pettine operated and managed fine dining restaurants in the south suburbs of Boston before joining the faculty at Johnson & Wales. Prior to that, she was a sales associate at Branded Liquors in Westwood, Mass. Linda is an active member of the Society of Wine Educators, Women Chef’s & Restaurateurs, and the USBG. She is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Specialist of Spirits, and a Certified Hospitality Educator. Pettine recently became a Certified Cognac Educator and is certified through the Ėcole du Vin as an international Bordeaux educator. She holds degrees from Massachusetts Bay Community College, North Adams State College, and Johnson & Wales University.
Linda on the CSE Exam: I am fortunate in my like that I have had the opportunity to pursue my passions, “wine and spirits”. The time and effort studying for the CSE exam was rigorous and demanding utilizing a variety of study techniques and tasting formats. However, when you are passionate about the subject, it seems less like work and more like a journey. I am thrilled to have arrived at my destination!
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Lisa Graziano CSW, CSE – Lisa Graziano grew up with a German father and Irish-American mother in Los Angeles, California. An education in beer, wine and spirits came with this upbringing. She has pursued the study of wine and spirits seriously for the past eight years, earning both Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits from the Society of Wine Educators, and currently works as a retail hand seller for Gallo Fine Wines and consults for Bottle Shop 33 in Denver. Her current passion is craft spirits and educating people about them – and she’s obviously great at it!
Lisa on the CSE Exam: The CSE exam was certainly challenging! I ate, slept, studied and tasted spirits intensely for three months to prepare. The SWE online Spirits Academy was a helpful tool in preparing for the exam as was the list of iconic spirits and suggested reading list.
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Harriet Lembeck, CWE, CSE – Harriet Lembeck is a prominent wine and spirits educator and writer. She is President of the Wine & Spirits Program, headquartered in New York City, and was the Director of The New School Wine Classes for their 18-year duration. She has revised and updated the textbook “Grossman’s Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits”, is a favorite speaker on wine and spirits at SWE Conferences, and is a contributing editor to Beverage Dynamics Magazine.
Harriet on the CSE exam: I think that the Certified Spirits Credential is very important for those who teach spirits as well as wine, and for those who already have the Certified Wine Educator credential, it completes the picture. The test was very comprehensive. Multiple choice questions (not as easy as one might think), writing an essay, and then completing two differently-styled tastings made for a long day, but each element was necessary for a candidate to illustrate familiarity with the subject of spirits.
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Ira Norof, CWE, CSE – In 1976 Ira’s wine & spirits career began in a retail wine shop. As his knowledge and passion for the product grew, he eventually became a Sommelier in a Beverly Hills Restaurant. In 1983, he was hired by Southern Wine & Spirits of California, and in 1996 he was named the Director of Education. His illustrious career has taken him to visit most of the major wine regions in Europe and the Americas. He attained the CWE (Certified Wine Educator credential) in 1999. He holds a diploma from the Bordeaux Wine School and is a certified International Bordeaux Educator, as well as a certified Cognac Educator as ordained by le Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. He is a guest lecturer at Cal Poly Pomona’s School of Hospitality each semester. Ira served as the President of the Society of Wine Educators from 2010 – 2013 and has been on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of the AIWF and was a member of the Bon Appetit Tasting Panel. Ira remains actively involved in many wine-related charity events throughout the country.
Ira on the CSE exam: I am privileged to have been part of the first CSE exam and will continue to mentor within our California organization on both wine and spirits education. We have over 200 CSW and/or CSS certified employees in the state as well as 4 CWEs. I look forward to help increase those numbers in the coming months.
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Jane A. Nickles, CWE, CSE, MBA – “Miss Jane” is the Director of Education for the Society of Wine Educators and in charge of all educational materials such as study guides, workbooks and online courses as well as exams and certification instruments. In the past two years, she has introduced SWEbinars, ebooks, online prep classes, our blog, and computer-based testing to SWE. Before working for SWE, she created and taught wine classes for 20 years at Le Cordon Bleu Colleges, was the 2012 Banfi award winner for best score on the CWE exam, won the 2008 WOSA wine essay award (the prize for which was a 2-week tour of the winelands of South Africa), and has published countless textbooks and journals, including the latest editions of the SWE Study Guides.
Miss Jane on the CSE exam: Over the past few years, the CSS program has grown rapidly, and we have received an increasing number of requests for more in-depth programs and a higher level certification in spirits. One could even say the CSE was created due to popular demand!
Congratulations to our new CSEs! Now…who will be next?
And the Grand Award Goes to…Cristina Mariani-May of Banfi Vintners!
Cristina Mariani-May accepts SWE’s Grand Award on behalf of Banfi Vintners
As part of the Society of Wine Educator’s 39th Annual Conference held in New Orleans, the Society’s Annual Grand Award was presented to Cristina Mariani-May of Banfi Vintners. Ms. Mariani-May is the youngest daughter of John F. Mariani, Junior. Together with her cousin James Mariani, she currently serves as the co-CEO of Banfi Vinters, and represents the third generation of family leadership in the company founded by their grandfather, John Mariani, Sr.
Granted annually to a deserving wine industry leader for lifetime achievement, the prestigious “Grand Award” has in the past been presented to such wine luminaries as Robert Mondavi, Sandro Boscaini, Jancis Robinson, Warren Winiarski, Carol Meredith, and Mike Grgich, among others.
“The Society of Wine Educators is proud to present Cristina Mariani May, as the co-CEO of Banfi Vintners and its public representative, with the SWE Grand Award for 2015,” said Edward Korry, CHE, CSS, CWE, President, Board of Directors, Society of Wine Educators. “Banfi Vintners has been and is a model for wine education worldwide in terms of its commitment, outreach, and generosity.”
Banfi Vintners was founded in 1919 by John F. Mariani, Sr., who named the company after his Aunt Teodolina Banfi. Mariani’s sons John, Jr. and Harry expanded the company’s Italian import portfolio to Germany, Switzerland, and France starting in the mid-1950s, before introducing the immensely popular Riunite Lambrusco, which has topped the imported red wine category over the past four decades.
In 1978, the Mariani family founded Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy’s most honored estate and the inspiration for a renaissance in Tuscan winemaking, and in 1988, began working with the family leadership of Concha y Toro, catapulting that brand to its own leadership position and introducing Americans to Chilean wine.
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Castello Banfi is internationally acclaimed for its clonal research to improve upon the region’s historical Brunello di Montalcino, and making premier quality wines that are low in sulfites and histamines. It was the first winery in the world to be awarded international recognition for exceptional environmental, ethical, and social responsibility (ISO 14001 and SA8000) as well as an international leader in customer satisfaction (ISO 9001:2000).
Encouraged by their success in business, the Mariani family established the Banfi Foundation and from its earnings contributes to leading national charities and higher education through scholarships, fellowships and grants-in-aid. To promote greater knowledge of the fine wines of Europe and the US, the Foundation has endowed the Banfi Chair of Wine Education at Cornell University and provided funding for a Chair of Economics at Colgate University themed to the American economy and the importance of the free enterprise system. In addition, each year the Foundation provides scholarships for students at select hospitality and business colleges to travel to Italy for seminars on that nation’s wine and food culture.