Montecarlo Wine Festival
The long-awaited Montecarlo Wine Festival will officially begin on September 1st, after a year with a reduced version due to the covid. At 7.30 pm on Thursday the Major Federico Carrara will officially start the dances with the cutting of the ribbon in Piazza d’Armi. Following, in the garden of the Pellegrini Carmignani institute, the inaugural concert by the Giacomo Puccini Philharmonic of Montecarlo which will begin at 9.30 pm and will be directed by the maestro Gabriele Micheli, who will offer a vast repertoire of classical, modern and original music.
The 2 main points of food and wine administration will be immediately active: Piazza d’Armi, with the classic stalls managed by all the Monte-Carlo associations, and tasting under the stars: a quieter corner in Piazza Garibaldi designed for wine lovers.
The Il Salotto del vino e del Verde event will start on 4 September at the Pellegrini-Carmignani Institute, which will include 8 themed dinners featuring the products of excellence of the territory such as the Sorana bean, the Garfagnana spelt, the fish from the Tuscan coast, potatoes and flours from the Lucca and Pistoia mountains. The journalist Fabrizio Diolaiuti and actress Vania della Bidia will host 4 evenings each. Among the guests there will be the actors Andrea Muzzi and Renato Raimo, the sports journalist Sandro Sabatini and the famous restaurateur, butcher and writer Dario Cecchini.
There will be no lack of art exhibitions, starting with the Art of Dionysus at the Rocca del Cerruglio, with the works of various artists, to be held from 2 to 18 September, and the artistic introspective of the young painter Federica Gaspari at the Sala dell’ex-misericordia, the photographic exhibition Wine and Flavors with a food and wine theme, organized by the photographic group L’ora blu, of Bagni di Lucca.
There will also be entertainment for kids and adults, with shows and concerts organized in one of the gardens located just below the Fortress, while the Monte-Carlo historical group will set up a small field for archery. On Friday 9 September the participants will parade in a historical procession through the streets of the town, while the procession for the feast of the Madonna del Soccorso, protector of Montecarlo, will be held on Thursday 8 September.
Tenuta del Buonamico will be present with all its wines in the various food and wine stands, which can be enjoyed as an accompaniment to typical dishes of the area or appetizers such as fried polenta and croutons.
On the evenings of 4 and 6 September, during which at the Salotto del Vino e del Verde there will be a selection of wines from the various Montecarlo wineries, chosen by the Montecarlo Consortium, Tenuta del Buonamico will participate with its Spumante Particolare Brut. The themes of the evenings will be respectively “Tea in Capannori” with chef Masaki Kuroda from the Serendepico restaurant and “Pesce Azzurro” with Pierantonio All’Antico Ristorante Forassiepi. The Particolare Brut is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Trebbiano and Semillon, which is made sparkling according to the Charmat method, with the addition of selected yeasts and sugars directly in an autoclave. After the fermentation, about 120 days, there is almost immediate filtration, in order to preserve the natural freshness. Bottling is preceded by a few weeks of aging in autoclave. The nose shows soft floral sensations, followed by white berry fruit and a toasted bread finish. Very balanced and complex on the palate, it has a fine and persistent perlage that makes it ideal as a wine for the whole meal.
The evening of 7 September, on the other hand, will be dedicated to the Flours of our Land (organized by the producers’ association of the Garfagnina supply chain), with dishes offered by the Osteria Martinelli. Tenuta del Buonamico will participate with its Spumante Inedito Particolare Brut Nature, VIVI Vermentino IGT Toscana and Cercatoja IGT Toscana.
The Inedito Particolare Brut is a pure Pinot Blanc that is made sparkling according to a long Charmat method, lasting 6 months. The sparkling process is preceded by a passage in wood for about 9 months. On the nose it combines elegance and complexity, pleasantness and sensorial depth, with marked hints of apple and peach. Structured and complex on the palate, it contrasts the marked acidity with a balanced sugar content. Suitable in combination with white meat and fish, it has an extremely fine perlage and has a residual sugar of only 1.5 g per liter, thus approaching a pas dosé.
The VIVI derives its name from the ancient Vivinaia (the Via del Vino), which was the original name of the village of Montecarlo. It is a pure Vermentino, which is obtained from a soft pressing. The extracted must is left to cool for 24 hours, in order to favor the natural sediment, and the clear part is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature.
The nose is fresh, intense, floral, with a light mineral note. The taste is fresh, savory, full of character and with a marked acidity that gives persistence. Perfect as an aperitif or with fish or vegetable dishes, especially if fried.
Cercatoja, which takes its name from the Montecarlo area surrounding the Estate, is a blend of Sangiovese (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (20% each), which is the oldest reserve produced at Buonamico, since 1975. The fermentation of this wine takes place in stainless steel, while the malolactic fermentation and aging take place in French oak barriques for 18-20 months. It has an intense aroma of dark fruit, black cherry, figs, plums, cocoa and spices, while on the palate it is elegant, with remarkable structure and depth, with a pleasantly rounded and balanced tannic texture. He recently participated in the International Wine and Spirit Competition, where he was awarded the gold medal, and also earned the Trophy, which made him one of the five best reds in the world. Excellent in combination with red meat, game and savory cheeses.
Sure that you will find particularly interesting pairings with our wines, we invite you to participate in large numbers at the Wine Festival, hoping that 2022 is truly the year in which to forget the restrictions of the past and return to fully enjoy the conviviality of good food and good wine.
