While travel to Italy was forbidden during the pandemic, a consortium of some of Italy’s finest winemakers dreamed up Brunello Week to bring a taste of Italy to America. The Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino first launched the “Finally Brunello” campaign with the intention of raising awareness in the mecca of New York City of two world-renowned wines from the tiny town of Montalcino and its glorious surroundings in southern Tuscany. At the same time, the consortium aimed to bolster a New York City restaurant industry that was severely affected by COVID.
The program launched in February with the first of 15 webinars and events that included tastings, interviews, masterclasses, premiers, and parties. Each affair, online or in person, featured Brunello di Montalcino and its younger variation, Rosso di Montalcino. Both wines are made from 100% Sangiovese grapes and aged accordingly (two years in oak and three in the bottle for Brunello; no oak required for baby brother, with one year in the bottle), and both wines are the beneficiaries of the special microclimate, terroir, and topography that grows a distinct sangiovese grape: a thick-skinned berry that births a sophisticated, complex wine, high in both tannin and acidity.
Brunello di Montalcino is of the highest DOCG designation and among the most sought-after wines for collectors. The array of frequent tasting notes could fill a composition notebook, ranging from fruits to chocolate to leather with high or refined tannins. Brunellos are better with age and are best enjoyed with a hearty meal, preferably one of Tuscan origin, such as a bistecca, game or plates enhanced by truffles. Rosso, meanwhile, is a versatile, less-expensive option paired with lighter fare or even quaffed alone.
Argiano is one of 56 Italian wineries taking part in Brunello Week June 14–20 in New York City.
Both wines have been making the rounds in New York during the “Finally Brunello” fest. The program’s culmination will be “Brunello Week” from June 14th through the 2oth where Brunello and Rosso from 56 wineries in Montalcino will be specifically paired with the cuisine from 40 restaurants (and two clubs) in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The restaurant lineup features many of Manhattan’s best-known Italian spots, including The Leopard at des Artistes (where La Cucina Italian contributor Jordan Frosolone is chef-partner), Hearth, Leonelli, Il Buco, Eataly Flatiron, and more.
Lasagna from The Leopard at Des Artistes.
An added feature of the events will be the focus on 2016 Brunellos, recently available and already hailed as a superior vintage.
In a press release, the president of the Tuscan Consorzio, Fabrizio Bindocci, captured the ethos of the program: “New York is the most representative American market for Brunello di Montalcino. The natural channel for the penetration of our wines in the USA has always been hospitality, so it was equally natural for us to plan Finally Brunello and partner with many great restaurants. Our goal is not only to celebrate the wines but also to lend a helping hand to an industry that has deeply suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.”
We’ll drink to that.