#MadeinItaly Vs The Italian Sounding Phenomenon

I was recently at a dinner hosted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Chef Giorgio Locatelli to learn about the Italian Sounding Phenomenon. But more on that later.

Italy has a staggering 810-plus food products and wines recognized by the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) or Protected Geographical Indication (IGP), making it one of the leading countries in the world for food and wine excellence. Think Pasta di Gragnano (IGP), Salame Toscano (DOP), Mozzarella di Bufala Campania (DOP), Amalfi Lemons (IGP) to name just a few, there are so many easily recognizable names even for us folks here in the UK, right?

But what if I told you that an estimated sixty billion euros are generated worldwide from sales of Italian-sounding products that have little if any connection at all with Italy? Welcome to the Italian Sounding Phenomenon!

In the UK, Italian products that are mainly affected by this include Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and olive oil. We all use Parmesan cheese in our everyday cooking but perhaps not many are aware that the real McCoy Parmigiano Reggiano is matured for at least 12 months and has “Parmigiano Reggiano” fire-branded on the rind. In addition to that, the name Parmigiano Reggiano and their DOP certification symbol should both be visible on the packaging. Having the words “Parmesan Cheese” on a label is not in itself an indication of authentic Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. So watch out.

DOP and IGP certification go far beyond the labeling and marketing of Italian food and wine, they are certificates of provenance and outstanding quality that we should understand and look out for.

Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) identifies food products and wines that are made in a specific geographical area by local producers using only local ingredients under a precise set of specifications.

In addition to Parmigiano Reggiano, other popular DOP labeled ingredients are Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Prosciutto di Parma. Their DOP certification attests to their quality and is a guarantee that these products could only have come from Campania and Parma respectively. So make sure to look out for their full Italian names and the red DOP logo on the packaging before making your purchase.

Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) refers to Italian food and wine linked to a particular region where they are made by local producers. The main difference between DOP and IGP labeled food and wine is that with IGP products, the ingredients used to make them need not to have come from that same geographical region. IGP labeling is very commonly seen in wines, though to obtain this classification, at least 85% of the grapes used for the production of these wines should come from the indicated geographical area.

A fine example of an IGP labeled food ingredient is Pasta di Gragnano IGP. Gragnano is home to the very best artisan pasta of Italy and I was lucky to visit it only a few years ago by invitation of the Italian Trade Agency and learn about San Marzano tomatoes, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Pasta di Gragnano, you can check this feature here: http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk/2015/01/a-foodie-pilgrimage-in-campania-italy.html.

Back in London, and in the very good hands of Chef Giorgio Locatelli, we were treated to a spread of authentic Italian DOP and IGP products. These included a selection of breads and grissini, olives and cured meats such as Salame Felino IGP, and Salame Toscano DOP studded with fennel seeds (which was rather special), and Prosciutto di Parma DOP.

Next up were steamed asparagus, quail egg and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP – the matured, umami-laden cheese brought great depth of flavour to a deceptively simple dish.

The following dish included two other DOP ingredients - Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP served over Caponata (a Sicilian aubergine stew with a number of other vegetables) with Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP, which imparted a lingering sweetness and acidity, perfectly balanced.

The star of the dinner though was the Calamarata di Gragnano Pasta IGP with monkfish, candied Amalfi Coast Lemon IGP peel, samphire and capers. Locatelli tells us that you should always choose your sauce based on the shape of the pasta used.

This was my first time trying Calamarata, a tubular pasta very similar to the Neapolitan Paccheri but a tad shorter. I loved the sauce – a mix of small pieces of monkfish with candied Amalfi lemon peel and crunchy greens, indeed a great match to the Calamarata di Gragnano IGP.

Locatelli then served us Sicilian cannoli filled with almond cream made from Mandorle di Noto IGP (almonds of Noto), and Pistachio di Bronte DOP ice cream – a perfect ending to a highly accomplished Italian dinner.

As with Japanese, Italian food is a fine example of a cuisine that is deceptively simple but relies on high quality ingredients. It is all about the ingredients when it comes to Italian food, so using lower grade or Italian sounding ingredients to create authentic Italian dishes will just not do.

The Extraordinary Italian Taste is a campaign that aims to increase awareness of authentic Italian food produce and wines to non-Italian food professionals, writers and consumers. If you would like to learn more about this project, check their website at http://www.italchamind.eu/news_item/the-extraordinary-italian-taste/1/519/EN

Franciacorta - Italy's Answer to Champagne? We Find Out.

Words & Photography by Greg Klerkx

Think of the world’s venerable winemaking nations, and Italy will surely be near the top of the list, with rich Barolo, peppery Chianti, and dozens of other venerable varietals, regions, styles and makers happily crowding the mind. Think Italian fizz, however, and that expansive, multi-hued picture often reduces to a single frame crowded with one word: Prosecco.

This ubiquitous sparkler can, of course, be lovely; it can also be, and too often is, unbalanced and one dimensional – the stuff of a thousand cheap Bellinis. Italian winemakers have long howled that there’s much more to their country’s sparkling wine scene, and so it was with great anticipation that we sat down recently for a master class featuring six Italian sparklers looking to knock Prosecco off its perch.

The fizz in question hailed from six winemakers in one of Italy’s prominent sparkling regions, Franciacorta, located in Lombardy a couple of hours’ drive from Milan. Though wine has been made here for centuries, Franciacorta sparkling wines received DOCG status – the top quality marker in the Italian wine industry – only in 1995. The rise of Franciacorta as a producer of sparkling wine since then has been precipitous: from 3,000 bottles a year half a century ago to over 15 million bottles sold last year.

There are now 113 sparkling wine producers in Franciacorta, six of which were on show at a pop-up tasting held at Andaz Liverpool Street curated by Christopher Cooper, former head sommelier of Soho House and Gordon Ramsay Group. “Everyone should know about Franciacorta,” Christopher said. “It easily rivals Champagne for quality and often beats it for value.”

We put Christopher’s words to the test with a range of sparkling styles, beginning with a Franciacorta Brut made by Antica Fratta (£28.50, Amazon.) This non-vintage style fizz was medium dry with top notes of hay and wood-smoke and a honeyed finish that was slightly sweeter than expected, though not off-puttingly so. Very low acidity made it also very drinkable, and a fine choice to start any dinner party.

Next up was a wine made in a style called Saten (‘satin’), which is unique to Franciacorta. Made only from white grapes and with slightly lower pressure, Franciacorta Saten is typically more delicate and somewhat less bubbly than other sparklers. We had a Franciacorta Saten from Castello Bonomi that seemed an appropriately silky representative of the style, with an aromatic caramel corn nose leading to a crisp feel and very blanc de blanc notes of pear and gooseberry, an excellent match for creamy dishes (and indeed we drank it with a tasty morsel of Andaz wild mushroom stuff tortellini and lobster puree to underscore the point.)

A highlight of the event was the Ca’Del Vent Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2011, a so-called ‘zero dosage’ Extra Brut with no sugar added. Non dossato sparklers have long been a favourite aperitif in northern Italy and it’s easy to see why: absolutely bone-dry, the absence of extra sugar amplifies the pure sweet-tangy flavour of the grapes, offering a lean, fresh feel and taste. Zero-dosage wines can often been astringent, but this Franciacorta Extra Brut was a revelation that I’d happily buy by the crateful.

The Bellavista Alma Cuvee, a non-vintage Franciacorta sparkling wine, was not quite as wow as the Extra Brut but has the distinct advantage of being easily purchased in the UK (£13.21, uvinum.com.) Alas, while Franciacorta sparkling wines are broadly available in the UK, many of the labels sampled here would require a trip to Italy (or paying the appropriately steep shipping cost from a UK importer.) Bellavista is good value at the price and would match well with hearty, meaty dishes – we tasted it with a portion of aged beef roast with spring onions – and would be a fine, if not outstanding, aperitif.

Gatti Enrico Vintage 2008 is a Franciacorta Brut made in what’s known as Millesimo, or ‘year-defined’, style (Millésime is the Champagne equivalent.) Most sparkling wines are made from grapes harvested in different years, but occasionally a wine-maker produces a Millesimo to highlight the quality of a particular vintage. If the Gatti Enrico is anything to go by, 2008 was very kind to Franciacorta: this was the most classically Champagne-like of the Franciacortas, in the best possible way – earthy, bready, firm and delicious.

We finished with Franciacorta La Valle Rose (£30.49, Italyabroad.com), described by Christopher as an “up and comer” in the region. Made only from Pinot Noir grapes – and with the wine left on the skins to produce its gorgeous rosy hue – this was a soft, lightly bubbling glass filled with strawberries, pear and sunshine…just the sort of thing to nudge a bit of la dolce vita into our blossoming English summer, and an excellent match with a variety of foods, including the crumbed taleggio with red pepper emulsion we were served.

As mentioned above, some of the labels represented in this tasting aren’t yet readily available in the UK. That said, many Franciacorta sparkling wines are very easily found via Ocado, Majestic, Fortnum & Mason and any number of specialty wine shops. Based on the consistency of our tasting, you’ll be well rewarded for trying any of them…and for leaving all but the finest Prosecco behind.