Over the last five years the small city of Como in Lombardy has become one of my favorites in Italy. Its size makes it far more appealing than tourist-overrun cities like Venice, Florence and Siena, and, while it has a great history and splendid architecture, it has none of the crumbling, decrepit look that passes for antiquarian charm elsewhere.  I shall be writing sometime soon about the attractions of the city itself, but for the moment let me tell you about its best hotels and restaurants, two of which are one and the same.
          Vista Palazzo Lago di Como (Piazza Cavour  24; 031 329111) is currently closed because, like all hotels in Ital';s tourist areas, there are no American tourists. Still, when it re-opens Americans will want to stay here for all the right reasons.
    The hotel is set right on the curve of the lake and right on the city’s main piazza. It is a true palazzo that has kept the best of its history in its façade and interior while adding all the modern amenities and décor you expect from a luxury hotel. It is not, however, open at this writing.
    There are beautiful balustrades, glass walls, parquet floors and marble bathrooms, and the bedrooms are large and positioned to receive plenty of Lombardian light. There are four floors and only eighteen rooms, so you feel you are at a marchese’s home rather than a cookie cutter hotel. From the top floor terrace you have a grand panorama while the Infinity Bar at twilight has a breathtaking view of the lake, the mountains, and, if you’re lucky, a ripening moon.
         My wife and I began our meal there (pre-COVID) with cocktails and small appetizers of fried eggplant balls with a mozzarella dip; croquettes of perch with aïoli sauce and kumquat; spicy, chile-rich n’duja raviolo with mushrooms and black olive powder.
         The strikingly modern, very comfortable small restaurant named Sottovoce is adjacent to the bar, and Chef Stefano Mattara’s menu is a mix of tradition and la nuova cucina. So, we began with a “fake egg” craftily made from carrot jelly with pecorino and Gorgonzola fondue. A fillet of hare was scented with mountain pine and sweet pumpkin puree and chestnuts, and fresh sardines in a tangy-sweet saor of onions cooked on ash. Risotto was laced with a lush smoked burrata cream, red prawns, pistachio crumble and bergamot aroma. Odd but interesting was a wild rabbit ragu' mixed with shell-shaped pasta, a chocolate reduction, sweet and sour pomegranate, finished with Parmigiano foam.  Octopus was made velvety by being cooked at a low temperature with mushrooms, hazelnuts, bread, parsley “caviar” and aïoli, while a dish called “Cubismo” was beef braised in red wine in a squared-off bread crust, with creamy white polenta and dark chocolate sauce.
        The first of the desserts was dark chocolate praline with figs, ginger and pistachio crumble, then a “Gin and Tonic” made from gin-and-lime jelly, white chocolate cream, that fizzy rock candy and tonic water. The last dish was beautiful “Red Velvet” of chestnut mousse, pomegranate sponge, caramelized cherry, pomegranate coulis and dark chocolate.
        I know this sounds like a Lucullan gorge, but portions were of modest size and my wife and I each received different dishes with each course. There is an à la carte menu but the tasting menus—€130 (wines €70), €100 (wines €50) or €90 (wines €50)--are the best way to go.  All these were matched with Lombardian wines by bar manager Alessandro Rabolini.

      

     Sheraton Lake Como (Via Per Cernobbio 41A;031-5161), which is owned by the DeSantis family that owns Hotel Grand Tremezzo on the lake, is much more modern, with 137 rooms, three restaurants, two bars, swimming pool and spa, and conference rooms. I did not stay there, but the rooms look to be about what you’d expect of an upscale Sheraton hotel in Europe. Upon entering you are greeted at the top of an impressive white marble staircase. The Kitchen Restaurant overlooks the garden; Kincho offers all-day dining and pizza, while Gusto is where Executive Chef Carlo Molon works his culinary magic.  Gusto has not yet re-opened (later in the fall is the goal), but it will maintain the hotel’s dedication to fine dining with menus full of dishes like the one we enjoyed last fall, including the snack called sciatt made of fried cheese with fennel; spaghetti alla carbonara; veal shin morsels in a rich reduction; veal alla Milanese cooked in clarified butter, and a dessert made exclusively from vegetables named orto dolce (sweet garden).
         One caveat: the hotel is not in Como but outside of it by several miles, and taxis are difficult and expensive to hire round-trip because they charge for the outbound trip to come get you after dinner.
         In Como one of the best trattorias is Osteria Gallo (Via Vitani 16; 031-272-591), which has been in the di Toma family for 37 years, so they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the traditional food they cook to an always-packed house. Their motto is “Good taste and originality.” Located near the Cathedral of Santa Maria, Osteria Gallo (gallo means rooster, and the motif of fowl is carried through the decor), with three rooms, is very cozy—you have to move the chairs to let people by—and the food comes out apace. The owner will relate the day’s menu of four or five dishes to you (his English is almost non-existent, but order anything he suggests and you’ll be happy).
         We began with a very hearty plate of housemade penne quill pasta with braised meats and sausage. Luscious crespelle (crêpes) stuffed with a forcemeat came lavished with a béchamel sauce that had a subtle smoked cheese flavor. Succulent braised pork had sweet prunes and chestnuts in the sauce and potatoes to soak it up with. The vegetables are, typically, overcooked. The wine list is exemplary. A three-course meal per person without wine but with tax and service will costs about €35.
         Lombardy may not be known for Neapolitan-style pizza, but Como is lucky to have two Napule Pizzerias (Via Luigi Dottesio 22; 031-307-932; Piazza Domenico Croggi 10; 031-307-824) to make a completely authentic array. It’s run by “Papa” Umberto and his three children, Ciro, Antonio and Katiuscia (right). In two bright, baby blue rooms, with white tablecloths, this fast-paced but wholly amiable spot is the pizzeria the concierges around town always recommend (especially if he comes from Naples), and aside from a delicious pizza, Napule also serves a first-rate mix of fried seafood. The pizzas run €7 to €12.

 

 

NEW YORK CORNER
By John Mariani

LOVE AND PIZZA

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

© John Mariani, 2020

NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR

Interview with Michael Twelftree – Proprietor and Managing Director, Two Hands Wines

 By John Mariani

 

    South Australia has been producing wine since the 1820s, and by 1930 seventy-five percent of the country’s wine has come from that fertile region. By the turn of this century the winemakers of the Barossa Valley have been slowly moving away from the high-alcohol blockbusters of the past once lauded by the wine media, and Two Hands, founded in 1999 by Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz with a $30,000 investment, has concentrated on Shiraz by breaking away from the region’s “formulaic style” in favor of “showcasing the diversity of Australian Shiraz by highlighting regional and vineyard characteristics by allowing the fruit to be the primary feature of the wines.”
    Their first vintage was 2,000 and a state-of-the-art winery was built by 2004. Since then Two Hands has received high accolades, and is now co-owned by Twelftree and Colorado native Tim Hower, who have been expanding their estate with new vineyards. I interviewed Twelftree by e-mail to ask how things have gone in the Barossa Valley since they arrived.

What was the state of winegrowing in Barossa in 1999? How has it changed?

Viticulture when we started was very basic; every application was done the same way year in year out, without working with the conditions of season. Most vineyards were spur pruned,* as it created smaller bunches (90 to 120 grams), little or no catcher wires or lifting wires were in place, and the vineyards pretty much gave you what you got. Now, we are much more hands on, and employ various sustainable viticultural measures to ensure our vineyard produces the best possible fruit each year. We were also the new kids on the block, in a tapestry of generational wineries. We’ve definitely cemented our place in Barossa’s history over the 20 years. 

* Spur pruning is done on vines that retain one or two pairs of long canes (a permanent cordon) trained along a trellis system. Each winter, new canes that have grown along the permanent cordon are cut back to a small shoot containing two buds, known as a spur. In spring new growth develops from the buds on the spur.

 

What is Massale Selection?

Massale is the selection of cuttings from an existing vineyard. This gives you the chance to pick wood from the best and healthiest vines. Essentially, it’s “paying it forward”—using material from a great and talented vineyard in future plantings in a new home, allowing for interesting possibilities with more diverse plant material going forward.

 

What is cane pruned?

This is a style of winter pruning. We select two canes from the previous season and place them along the pruning wire for support. When pruning, you leave to small two-bud spurs around the head of the vine to create the growing canes for the following season. This type of pruning means that the vines need less water through the growing season and produces larger bunch configurations (140 to 160 grams) that ripen slower. Most importantly, this pruning style mitigates the risk of onset of Esca (Eutypa) as the vines’ arms are replaced each season. Vines that are pruned with permanent arms have large pruning wounds for the Esca spores to sit on in the winter months, that then start to kill the vine from the outside in over as little as 4 to 6 growing seasons.

 

How Is Barossa Valley in Australia similar to and not similar to other wine regions? What others is it most like?  

In Barossa we are dealing with the 34th Latitude in the Southern Hemisphere, whereas the Northern Rhône is at the 45th and Napa is at the 38th in the Northern Hemisphere. This means we are much closer to the Mediterranean Climate. I could only see us being climatically similar to the Western Cape of South Africa.

 

You say, “Wine growing is a craft with nothing left to chance.” To some, especially in Europe, this would suggest “manipulating” the wines and vineyards. Please explain. Do you let Nature take its course or work to change it?

Essentially this means that we believe that wine production starts in the vineyard. Healthy and vital vines produce exceptional fruit. Exceptional fruit produces exceptional wine. I’ve traveled extensively throughout Europe, and have learnt from and been inspired by the best producers in France and Italy. We employ similar techniques in our vineyards to those in Europe, so we’re not manipulating anything.
    Our team works tirelessly in the vineyard each year to ensure our vineyards are the best they can be. Each of our estate vineyards are cane pruned by hand to assist the vines to survive our warm summers. Each vineyard is pruned, trained and picked by hand to minimize tractor movements and soil compaction. In winter, cover crops are grown between the rows to promote soil vitality and our Scottish Highland cattle contribute to the 300 tonnes of organic compost we add back into our vineyards each year, in order to support the natural balance within our vines. Our winemaking approach is the same. With exceptional fruit, we produce good wine.

You say you don’t much like new oak. Why?

I always prefer tannins from the fruit to tannins shown by oak in wines. Our oak program is very important, as we get the best results from our one-, two- and three-year-old barrels. I like the oak to complement the fruit and work with the mouthfeel and texture of a wine. Oak is not a flavor enhancer; it is an oxidative tool. It is incredibly important in our winemaking style, but I would always prefer a great vineyard to be the hallmark of our wines than the tonnellerie.

How did you come up with the names of the wines?

Most really do happen by complete accident, to be honest. Many are lines in favorite songs or from movies that make me laugh and that I enjoy. The Garden Series is named after members of my original business partner’s family and mine. I love the fact that we can make people smile and brighten their day just a little when they grab a bottle of Sexy Beast, Gnarly Dudes or Bella’s Garden.

You say you have 97 acres of vineyards and buy from growers. What percentage?

One-third of our grapes are from our estate-owned vineyards, and the balance we buy on long-term contract with growers. We value our relationship with growers immensely, as this was the foundation of our business 20-odd years ago. I am a firm believer that you don’t need to own a lot of vineyards; you only need to the own the best, and I believe we do own the best.

How is climate change affecting Australian viticulture? I know Antarctica is very far away but the destruction of the ice is concerning?

Climate change is affecting us greatly and we have had to react to the way we grow our grapes. First, we irrigate mostly in winter to make sure our soils have moisture deep down for the duration of the growing season and the vine needs to work to access it. All our vine rows run East to West on a high VSP (Vertical Shoot Position), which creates shading on our fruit zone at the warmest part of the days in summer. We use sap flow monitoring to communicate with the vines on how they are working. This allows us to add irrigation when the vines actually need it and saves us 30% to 50% of our water over the growing season. Straw is spread under vines to keep the soil temperature and surface roots cool on hot days, as well as adding vital carbon back into the soil. Leading into harvest we spray all the northern sides of our canopies with Kaolin Clay to act as “sunburn cream” for exposed bunches to ensure we get perfectly ripe fruit without burn or shrivel. So, yes, Climate Change is a real concern, but we are reacting as best as possible in our vineyards.

What do you see for the winery’s future in 10 years?

To keep on keeping on. We have a great team that really enjoy what they do, and we will continue to refine the styles of our wines and offer great quality to the end consumer. The race is never won, you just get better at running it.

How has Covid affected the winery.

Covid has created a contrasting time for our winery; it hit in the Barossa Valley whilst we were in the middle of our harvest.  We had to react to a number of different protocols at the time, but we were very lucky to complete the harvest without a glitch. After the harvest we had to re-assess every area of the business to live with the onset of Covid. We have been very lucky in South Australia, as to date we have only had 459 cases and 4 deaths from Covid. The Australian government has been very supportive with a job-keeper package, and we have been able to keep every employee on either a 3-, 4- or 5-day work week, depending on the area that they work in the business. This is interesting, as the vineyard and winery need to continue to work at their full capacity, as we are dealing with a natural agricultural product in real time. On the business front we are well positioned to get through the pandemic and have engineered the business for the slow bumpy U-shaped recovery.