Daniela Cester, Export Director for Piera 1899 wines, is the special guest during a lunch interview at Pasquale’s Trattoria in Oakville. Cester, nearing the conclusion of a promotional tour of LCBO stores in Burlington, Oakville and Toronto, is missing her home of Treviso in the Northeastern Italy wine region of Friuli.

Situated as close to the Austrian and Slovenian borders as it is to Venice, the area is swept by cool breezes rolling off the Dolomites from the north, with a steady, moderating breeze funnelling up from the Adriatic Sea in the south. It makes for “a unique microclimate,” explains Cester, with ample rainfall, but thankfully blessed with well-draining soils. “It allows the vines to develop aromatic characteristics in the grapes—especially the white grapes,” she says.

Founded in 1899 by Giovanni Martellozzo and developed by his son Mario, the winery has, for the past 27 years, continued under the guidance of its namesake, Piera Martellozzo, with distribution in 40 countries.

Although challenged by the fact that she was a woman in a male-dominated industry when she assumed the reins from her father in 1992, Piera’s business acumen has stood the test of time. Although “people were wondering what she was thinking,” Cester relates, Piera was among the first in the region to produce organic wines—beginning in the early ’90s.

Now flourishing under the winery’s “Pura Terra” label, Martellozzo’sfour sustainably grown wines are among the 28 wines the company produces.

Just two, however, are available in Canada, but they’re easy to spot: the iconic blue glass bottles of Blu Giovello Prosecco and Pinot Grigio. The well-priced Prosecco (normally $15.95, but currently $13.95 until the end of this week) is hugely popular—consistently among the top three sellers at the LCBO. But don’t sleep on the Pinot Grigio. The 2018 edition is a solid piece of winemaking.

Over the course of her travels, the young Cester, a certified sommelier who estimates her family has farmed vineyards of their own for close to 300 years, continues to accumulate mental notes on local varietals. “I love discovering wines,” she says—her list including Ontario Baco Noir, Riesling and Vidal. “It’s hard to find international wines in Italy. If there’s one wine that I’ve tried (during my travels) that made me do the biggest ‘wow,’ it was Altamura Sangiovese from Napa Valley.”

And if there were just one more of Martellozzo’s wines that she could bring overseas to Canada? “That would probably be the Sauvignon Blanc DOC Friuli Terre Magre,” she says. “It would be a vintages wine around $18-$19. It’s a three-time gold medal winner at Concours Mondial de Sauvignon.”

For now, though, the Blu Giovello Prosecco must carry the load. Born 25 years ago—although the distinctive bottle was introduced more recently—Blu Giovello’s eye-catching hue honours the sea and sky, Cester says, but also the colour of the beloved Azzurri, Italy’s national soccer team. “It differentiates it from the other Proseccos. And the colour of blue we have is distinct—no other bottle has that exact colour.”

Just don’t pigeon-hole it as a celebratory beverage, Cester pleads. While concocted from Prosecco’s traditional Glera grape, this one is a blend from varying soils, earning its minerality and backbone from the gravelly, porous lands of Friuli Grave, with the fruit and florals primarily derived from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area. The combination gives this bubbly some versatility when it comes to gastronomical pairings, Cester explains.

“Prosecco is sometimes considered a wine for celebration and parties, and for some Proseccos that’s true,” she says. “But in this case, due to the minerality and structure from its soils, this matches well with a salad like the one we’re having here (Pasquale’s arugula salad, with shaved parmesan, tomato, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice). And seafood—especially sushi—goes very well. Also with fruit, as a refreshing drink in the afternoon. Even grilled meats, which you wouldn’t normally think of. And you can cook risotto with Prosecco!”

It’s admittedly hard not to think of food at this moment. Pasquale’s is dishing out some seriously impressive Italian fare—the owner promises the Tiramisu will be the best Daniela has ever tasted, and Leslie from Majestic Wine Cellars, the Ontario rep for Piera wines, confirms that her ravioli is the finest she has ever experienced.”

But time is tight, as Cester is off to Toronto for another meeting.

Before returning to Treviso, she has to finish riding that Blu wave in Ontario.

 

Blu Giovello Prosecco – Friuli, Italy ($15.95—on sale for $13.95)

Solid value here. Pear, Granny Smith apple, light citrus, leading to a tight, moussey, lively, bubbly palate that registers 17 grams of residual sugar per litre. That puts it right on the border of Extra-Dry and Dry (keeping in mind that the weird world of Prosecco designation, Blu Giovello is almost venturing into the semi-dry category in terms of taste, but its minerality helps it cling to the dry side. Crowd-pleasing stuff. 87

Blu Giovello 2018 Pinot Grigio – Friuli, Italy ($13.25—on sale for $11.25) A little bit of time on the lees helps soften this light straw-coloured pinot. Apple, pear and a faint orange and citrus rind on the nose, with a crisp palate that finishes well for its modest price. A nice pairing for ham and soft cheeses, suggests the winery. 87