This is part of an ongoing series on wine-in-context, stemming from the belief that not only does every bottle have a story to tell, but every winery and knowledgeable wine merchant.
For years, my younger sister, who lives in Seattle, has been singing the praises of her local wine shop in Capitol Hill managed by Doug Nufer, a wordsmith genius (more on that later) with an educated palate and a penchant for coming up with the perfect wine pairing for odd requests. Example: my sister once asked him what would pair well with a night of board games and he responded, “ A Barolo. Because it goes on and on.” Spot on, no?
During a sister visit this past September, I finally got to meet Doug face-to-face along with his well-mannered best friends-cum-assistant shop clerks (see image above). He helped me pick a wine that was admittingly supposed to be September’s wine-of-the-month…then my fall Italian tours took over…BUT, things sometimes happen for a reason: this wine is not only a stellar pairing for a mushroom risotto as the post title suggests, but it’s also a delicious Thanksgiving wine and goes well with autumnal fare in general, making this the ideal month to showcase (drum roll, please):
November’s Wine of the Month:
Rovellotti
Ronco al Maso
Colline Novaresi Vespolina
2013
THE WINE: Ronco al Maso Colline Novaresi Vespolina | $20
Vespolina is a native grape to Piedmont in Northern Italy, typically used for blending with the most important grape of the region, Nebbiolo (which is believed to be one of its parents). With lighter tannins than Nebbiolo and a range of aromatics from fruity to floral to earthy, Vespolina has a lot to offer, though it is rarely used to make a single varietal wine. Rovellotti’s Vespolina grown in Alto-Piemonte, in the comune of Ghemme, bursts forth with cherry, plum and rustic, underbrush flavors and finishes off with a touch of black pepper. Even seven years later, the acidity of the 2013 vintage is still bright and could withstand a slight chill.
The photo above is a pumpkin-mushroom risotto I made for my sister and her fiancè back in September (Seattle was already pretty chilly in the evenings and was calling for a hearty dish), and it was a match made in heaven. My mouth is also watering thinking about this Vespolina paired with turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing. Let me know what you think if you try it out!
THE WINERY: Rovellotti
Run by two brothers, Antonello and Paolo, the Rovellotti family traces its roots to the their territory to the end of the 15th Century, though the history of Ghemme, of course, reaches back even further. The “Ricetto”, a walled compound that now functions as the Rovellotti’s winery, is first mentioned in documents dating all the way back to the 10th Century. (Cue goosebumps!)
The family owns about 40 acres of vineyards in the Colline Novaresi, an area of undulating hills situated between the Po River Valley and Monte Rossa in the Italian Alps, from which they grow Nebbiolo, Vespolina, Bonnarda and Erbaluce, which are vinified to become various DOC and DOCG wines, including Ghemme DOCG and Colline Novaresi DOC. Since the 1980s, the family has been farming their vineyards without the use of pesticides.
THE WINE MERCHANT: European Vine Selections | Seattle, WA
European Vine Selections is the third oldest wine shop in the state of Washington, which was conceived when a group of friends (3 teachers and a lawyer) were trying to figure out how to get access to the wines they loved. Though initially envisioned as a hobby, the original owners realized it was more work than they could handle and hired Doug Nufer to manage the shop. Now one of the 8 current owners, Doug is there most days, helping customers, tasting wines with sales reps, and organizing weekly tastings to showcase interesting wines. “You can’t carry wines that are everywhere when you’re a small wine shop,” says Doug. Very true. Often smaller retailers can’t match the low prices of more mass-produced wine sold by large retailers. The result is an eclectic and sincerely-curated selection of wines mostly from the Old World. Doug still likes to choose wines that have a great price to quality ratio, even though he’s noticing an upward price point trend as the demographics of the area change.
When Doug isn’t selling wine, he is writing epic, mind-blowing books of poetry and novels, each using a different writing constraint. I picked up his The Me Theme, which follows the rule that each word or phrase is followed by the same consecutive letters but broken into different word fragments. For example:
See things, passion pass
I on origins
(or I, gins
ingest in gest).
He has also written a book that is only in the negative (Negative Land), and is working on a novel in the form of a giant palindrome. Though not smooth reads, his works push the boundaries of language in an inventive and playful way, and like certain unlikely wine pairings, they pleasantly surprise you! More can be found on Doug’s books here.
Past Wines of the Month
December 2018
A Heart-warming Red from the Dolomites
Castel Noarna “Mercuria” Rosso 2015 - IGT Dolomiti | Kingston Wine Co., Kingston, NY
January 2019
A Do-Good Bottle to Kick Off the New Year
February 2019
You’ll Cry It’s So Good
March 2019
Wonder Women of Wine
April 2019
Magma in Your Glass
May 2019
An Artist’s Barolo
June 2019
The Gallery of Wine Presents…
Clos Guirouilh, Jurançon Sec 2015 | Le Chai Galerie du Vin - Savannah, GA
July 2019
Coastal Flavor
Il Morellito, ‘Calaniuru’ Rosso Sicilia 2018 - Maine & Loire - Portland, Maine
August 2019
Summer Vacation in a Bottle
Cardedu ‘Praja’ Monica di Sardegna 2017 | Mr. B’s - Denver, Colorado
