Interview with Riccardo Cotarella
Angela Greco, PhD -- Published - February 2, 2012
Below is an interesting interview with the respected Italian enologist of international fame, Riccardo Cotarella, by Ms. Angela Greco, head of event promotion and marketing at Antica Azienda Agricola Vitivinicola dei Conti Leone de Castris s.r.l., in Apulia, Italy
Italian Enologist Riccardo Cotarella
Q. You started your professional career in regions such as Umbria, Latium, Marches, Apulia, Campania, and Sicily, that is, wine areas that were not believed to be top wine-producing zones until up to about 30 years ago. What are your thoughts after over 44 years in the business?
A. I started because I did in fact believe in the potential of those terroir. I was convinced that the general belief was based upon knowledge of the area limited by personal experience. I don't mean to say that I despise, or do not recognize the importance of experience and traditions, sometimes centuries old, of the local viticulture. I am rather certain that experience and tradition can be reference points, but we must not let them become obstacles which limit or inhibit the relationship between man and nature.
Because of this, I wanted to 'test' the convictions of those who believed that the soil structure of the fields in Umbria, Latium, Marches, Apulia, Campania, and Sicily impeded the production of truly great wines.
Today the South-Central regions of Italy are able to produce absolutely great wines despite the fact that the vine clones are exactly the same as they have always been. What then has changed is the approach to making wine, the awareness of being able to, and know-how to make them.
There is great satisfaction for those who, like me, took his first steps straddling the pride of coming from this area and loving it, and the curiosity and desire to innovate.
Q. Many see you as the 'magician who makes good wine', because you have been able to produce excellent wines which sell in the medium-low price range. Is there a specific philosophy behind this 'magic art'?
A. Wine is a very complex product, there are no defined formulas. Overall, it is contingent on the climate, an element which cannot be conditioned or controlled. It is the climate which lends that unique 'je ne se quoi' that cannot be reproduced and has no relation to any formula. From my 44 harvests I learned the importance of accepting with humility the seasons which make each harvest different from one another. I also learned that when one cares and follow the process with passion, wine is gives of itself generously.
Though some consider good wine a luxury item, I believe that good wine should be accessible to everybody. This is possible because we have the consumers on one side who, luckily, are well informed and understand what a good wine is, while on the other side we have serious estates which carefully do their best to keep a good quality/price ratio. In fact, those dark times when it was believed that the quality of a wine was measured by the cost of the bottle, thus the most expensive wine was believed to be the best, are over.
Q. You are working at projects in San Patrignano, as well as in Israel, Palestine, India, and Georgia. What is it that pushes you toward such experiences whose values transcend the enological quality alone?
A. The human component is the element that attracts me to these projects. I have affectionate links and profound friendships with these human and territorial pioneers who who carry on passionately, sincerely, and believe in their projects.
Q. You have said: 'My experience made me comprehend that in addition to making wine I had to spend my time understanding it, presenting it, and knowing the people'. Could you share with us the main aspects of wine comprehension?
A. One may manage to produce the best wine, however, if he's not able to share the understanding and appreciation of it with others, then that wine will be forever like something incomplete, incognito, that is, unknown. Especially with wine, which is the fruit of the work and sacrifice of the land and men, it is important to communicate and partake of this collaboration. For this reason it is essential to understand the consumer's approach, what the consumer may want and can discover from a particular wine zone, a particular estate.
Q. Is there something like a 'human' dimension to wine? What would that be?
A. I can see a tight relation between human and wine dimensions. This is not just because humans grow the grapes and make the wine, but more than anything because wine has an important part in human history. Suffice it to think, as an example, how wine is widely present in the Odyssey, and Iliad. Thus wine is not just a food product, but also a moment of joy, a feast. Wine has the virtue to consolidate human relationships, talking between people, and interconnection between cultures. Around wine, people talk, discuss, and converse, which is just part of being a human being.
Q. From some of your affirmations one can detect a particular attraction for challenges, both for what is new and what is lesser known. Is that true?
A. I am not particularly attracted by challenges and lesser known things in general. Let's say that my inclination toward challenges and the relatively known relates mostly to terroir. In fact, I recently started a new project in England to produce sparking wine south of London. I would like to underscore another fascinating aspect: the vitis vinifera vine is a most adaptable plant and produces different fruits depending from the area and soil where it is cultivated. This means that the grapes in particular highlight and multiply the creative potential of each soil, each climate exponentially.
Q. For several years you have been the house enologist for the Cantina Leone de Castris. How did this collaboration start? What motivated you? Wasthere a particular challenge?
A. The collaboration with this historic estate challenges me to improve something within a reality which has always been a reference point in the world of wine. In particular, the challenge is to maintain the quality levels and credibility of the Cantina, while revisiting some of the estate's historic products. I want to underscore that in doing this Piernicola Leone de Castris has been my valid and far-sighted ally. He was able to understand from the very start the growth and transformation possibilities facing us.
Q. It is thanks to the collaboration with you that the Leone de Castris estate has, as first in the region, completed the production process of a sparkling Negroamaro. Does this open a new season for Apulia sparkling wines? What are the perspectives for the Leone de Castris estate?
A. Truly, we are the first winery to complete the entire process of spumantizzazione for the Negroamaro in Apulia. [This means worldwide as the Negroamaro is a native grapes from Apulia and it is grown in that region only. Translator's Note.] Unfortunately as of now there are few other estates which have chosen to follow this direction. Certainly the spumantizzazione (Italian for the process of producing sparkling wine) is not readily available to everyone, but I hope that a growing conviction about its direct and vicarious benefits. Just think in terms of development for the Apulia region! The Cantina Leone de Castris developed two versions, the charmat method and the much more demanding metodo classico (classic method), the same way as the great French houses do.
Here, the challenge with the Cantina Leone de Castris is to continue to defy the tradition looking toward innovations and new market propositions.
Q. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italy, you coordinated the project for the Aleatico Spumantizzato (sparkling Aleatico wine) in three regions of Italy. How did the idea come about? What is its meaning today?
A. The idea was to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy emphasizing the Aleatico, which is one of the most 'Italian' grapes, as in time it has been planted and thrived in various regions. Usually the Aleatico wine is found as a passito dessert wine, but the process tends to either burn or flatten the primary aromas. Thus the project was to make a version of sparkling Aleatico to celebrate, in addition to the Unity of Italy, also this variety as a lively and fruity grape, with a captivating palate which exaltes in an exponential manner its characteristic notes.
In particular we selected three wineries for which I serve as enologist which are located in specific areas: Apulia (Cantina Leone de Castris with the version called 'I Mille', or 'The One Thousand', a reference to the army of 1,000 volunteers with which Giuseppe Garibaldi fought to unite Italy as a country), Campania (Cantina La Guardiense with the 'Teano' version) and Latium (Cantina Falesco with 'Anita'. Please note that both Teano and Anita are reference to the Garibaldi expedition. Teano is the location of a famous decisive battle, while Anita is the name of Garibaldi's South American companion). In reality the Aleatico, variety, as the vitis vinifera in general, originated in the Caucasus area, arriving first in Apulia, then crossed the Campania region and penetrated into Latium. In each area the Aleatico became acclimatized, thus generating unique perfumes and flavors.
What we have realized is an excursion along the discovery of the nuances of the Aleatico, embellished and emphasized by the spumantizzazione, and at the same time representing a path along the Italian land, unified and, at the same time, unique.
Q. A Leone de Castris tag line is conjoinig tradition with innovation (our tradition is innovation). What are your goals?
A. After this long season of innovations, which is crowned with the production of the Fiano Pugliese (this last project derives its name from Charles II of Naples, who was the first to plant these precious grapes in Apulia,) we plan to observe and re-think, in order to further perfect and strengthen our projects.
Q. By now the climate change is in front of everyone's eyes. Do you think that it could become a future opportunity for Apulia?
A. As long as the region will pay the needed attention and observation, study the change trends, the climate transformation and related contests, then innovations and techniques in the vineyard will be developed and refined. In this perspective Apulia could play a privileged part.
Angela Greco, PhD
Events & Marketing
Antica Azienda Agricola Vitivinicola dei Conti Leone de Castris s.r.l.
Tel. (+39) 0832 731112 • E-mail: planning@leonedecastris.com |
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