Awsome Winemaker or War Criminal, You Decide!

[Botafogo]

Mr. C is not alone, he has an army of accolites and he himself is just the most famous and active of a score or more of consultant enologist such as Franco Bernabei, Attilo Pagli and Dottore Tachis who are all on the same warpath re changing styles and using "modern" fermentation technique. Mr. C's big contribution has been to actually get folks to rip up their vineyards and plant Merlot instead.

What we (who enjoy actually Italian wines) have to do is EVERY time some waiter starts raving to you about the latest International style Barrique abomination on his wine list FIRMLY ask for a traditional wine "like your grandfather would like" that will actually go with the food. Tell the restaurant owner that if you wanted Oak Aged Merlot you would go to an American Steakhouse and you came to HIS restaurant to enjoy ITALIAN cuisine which includes the wine. Vote with your wallet. Tell him to tell his suppliers how you , his customer, feel.....

We severely disrupted a presentation of emasculated Baroli last year (Prunotto, now owned and destroyed by Antinori) by asking the crowd of Italian restaurant buyers at the tasting what they though of the proposed rule changes for soccer to make it more TV friendly for the American market. After they vented on that for fifteen minutes we asked what the difference was between that and the domesticated, soft tannin, Pinot Noir wannabee Baroli that we were being asked to buy. Goooooooaaaaaaaaaalllllll!

En guarde, Roberto

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 10-02-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 10-02-2000).]