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+--- Thread: Do I note a transgression??? (/thread-13018.html)
- mrdutton - 01-10-2001
Taking part of the latest from Wine Expo's E-mail newsletter:
<<We have watched proprietor Marco Caprai evolve from a shy, soft spoken young man into the absolute toast of the town in the Italian Wine scene and the wines transform from slightly rustic, Rhone-ish rossi to absolutely mindboggling, hyper-extractred, "who needs dinner, I can eat this with a knife and fork" examples of International Style IMPORTANT Red. Combine this with the almost frantic hype for the 1997 vintage of Northern Tier Italians and you've got a real scavenger hunt in the making. But, fear not dear WINE EXPO-isti, if you act quickly you can find out today just what all the fuss is about:
Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco 1997, Umbria $43.00 (10 cases only) At any other cantina this would be THE story: the Mack Daddy, the Turly Killer, the Slayer of Syrahs and Mauler of mere Merlots ....>>
I thought that THE INTERNATIONAL STYLE was something to be avoided. Now we are being told it is the greatest tongue lapper of all times.........
I'm confused..........
Maybe I am confusing personal opinion with marketing strategy and business sense.
After all, as a business, the objective is to make a profit. If INTERNATIONAL STYLE sells, then the business better stock it and sell it.......
That does not, I suppose, prevent the personal opinion that INTERNATIONAL STYLE is usurping the ability of the maker of the really fine, noble wines from marketing his wares.
What gives? I am curious............
[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 01-10-2001).]
- Thomas - 01-11-2001
Me too. Where's the author?
- winoweenie - 01-11-2001
Just pulled it off my E-Mail slot. Roberto are you in town or perhaps still in Brazil? Inquiring minds want to know. WW
- mrdutton - 01-11-2001
Maybe that is the answer. Roberto is still languishing in Brazil. (From what he's said in previous posts, I'd imagine the languishing doesn't really start until he returns from Brazil!!)
While the cat is away, the mice will play!!??!!
- Botafogo - 01-11-2001
You guys are WAY to literal. Maybe you didn't take enough acid when you were young (GGG!!!)? What we have done here is to:
1)Blast in a public forum our opinion (which anyone who reads our stuff knows is that the FUNK is better and usually cheaper) that young Marco (the actual proprietor, Arnaldo is the father) has strayed from the true path but we still have hope for him as he matures (we've seen this before).He (and his wine maker and importer) is a friend and we also make a point of not only championing the wines of his hated competitor, Paolo Bea (whom Marco thinks is "ruining the reputation of the appellation") but reminding Marco that Bea's ultra traditional wines outsell his in our store five to one.
2) use this wine as a contrast to the Aglianico based wines below which we actually prefer on both quality and value. We DO keep the odd example of the Aussie meets Clendendon style around to demonstrate the differences, but both the inventory and the sales of such are less than 2% of our stock. In our store the Vini Internationali do NOT sell in a big way as our clientele have had ample opportunity to try them side by side with more food friendly wines at our dinners and almost always reject the path of globalization in favor of terroir. As to "marketing" we often keep a bottle of OPUS ONE (taken in trade from a giftee who wants something more interesting) chained to the sales counter as a teaching aid as in what NOT to buy.
3) Use the Caprai wines as bait to entrap fruitsucking bats (oh..sorry..Parker-ites, Marvinettes and Red Shrimp) into our lair so we can make them taste Lagrein Dunkel, Rebo and Nurello Apassito. Then we make them drink Lambrusco and Sangue di Giuda and soon many are rabid WINE EXPO-isti, prozeliting the one true path to their friends and neighbors like good little zombies, it's a cult thing.......
and 4) service scores of long term clients who have verticals of the Caprai and bug us constantly for the next vintage. As we said, we started this guy in America and still hope to see him reach a middle ground in the future but in the meantime we have been the Casa di Caprai for over 10 years.
And, really, if you can't detect that that over the top offering was tounge in cheek then you need to get your sense of humor a check-up.
I am leaving on Saturday morning, THANK GOD!!!!
Roberto
- mrdutton - 01-11-2001
Gotcha!! Sometimes I wonder just who's sense of humour needs a check-up.
Enjoy your trip Roberto!!
- cpurvis - 01-12-2001
So, has anyone found a description in an EXPO "missive" that ISN'T "over the top"?
BTW Roberto, I personally like Reason #3, "entrapment".
cp
- Botafogo - 01-12-2001
Caution, actual wine content ahead:
Tonight I took my Portugues professora and two visiting Brasileiras to our favorite restaurant, Hideo Mitsuno's Restaurant 2117. We quickly demolished a bottle of A, Margaine Brut with Calimari and Scallop appetizers and then opened two different reds to deal with the oncoming onslaught of squab, venison and foie gras: An International Style Super Tuscan Sangiovese called "Puro Sangue" (pure blood) 1997 from Livernano and a traditional, slightly apassito Nebbiolo based wine, the Nino Negri Sassella le Tense 1996, from the Valtellina.
From the get, everyone at our table loved the elegant, multifaceted smoked meat and rose petal aromas and silky textures of the Sassella and though people oohed and aahed over the color of the Pure Blood and it was thick and viscous and fruity it was ultimately third class compared to the Negri despite costing three times as much. The Sassella opened up and gave new views of the terroir of Valtellina with each dish while the one dimensionallity of the Tuscan fruit bomb became more apparent with each sip. The aroma of the Sassella was such that a diner two tables away (a famous local chef having a night out) commented on it wafting his way from the decanter and we gave him a glass.
My guests, none of whom were particualarly sophisticated wine wise ALL prefered the traditional style by a mile. Not a scientific sample but one in an ongoing series of anecdotal results.
Next week, a blind tasting of guarana, Roberto
- winoweenie - 01-12-2001
Boto, Is that Guarana an offshoot of or a clone of our famous Ig-Guaranas that we have here in Az? winoweenie
- Thomas - 01-12-2001
Looks like Randy left and gave Roberto his sentences to throw around.
I like the entrapment method too, but I am positive that the NY State Liquor Authority has some sort of regulation against it, so I must rule it out at my shop--but I do like the image of Opus One hanging at the front desk--or hanging by its neck anywhere, for that matter.