Meet the Winemaker: Alessandro Gallo, Castello D’Albola

Bringing yet another dimension to a lovely glass of wine is the opportunity to have dinner with the winemaker who is able to share his or her thoughts about the story of that wine!  I was fortunate to attend a wine and food pairing dinner with Alessandro Gallo, award winning Winemaker at Castello D’Albola located in Radda in Chianti in the Province of Siena and one of the properties owned by Casa Vinicola Zonin.  Gallo has worked at the winery for eight years and in that time, his Chianti Reserva 2007 received 91 points from Wine Spectator.  As a bonus, the Chianti Classico 2007 received 90 points from Wine Spectator and was included in their Top 100 list in the 2011 edition!  Alessandro Gallo shared that the Chianti Classico is contemporary without being international.  Somehow I knew that this evening was going to be quite delicious in many ways!

Castello d’Albola has a rich history with noble Tuscan families inhabiting the area from as long ago as the 12^th century.  Gallo expressed his desire to dedicate the wines to beauty and excellence as an homage to the early caretakers of this land.  At the Castello, there are “elegant vineyards of subtle character, which don’t surrender to the rough temptation of an immediate, predictable taste”.  Gallo expressed how the terroir of the vineyards makes the difference in the taste of each wine especially when the grapes, Sangiovese, are the same.  The soil in Radda is mostly clay with stones or gravel and good drainage gives that much needed nutrition to the vines.  The south facing slopes, autumn and spring rainfall averaging about four inches and a continental climate are factors which help to guarantee excellent ripening of the grapes which include Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Canaiolo, Trebbiano Toscano, and Malvasia del Chianti.

Alessandro Gallo presented wines paired with a delicious dinner at Roberto’s Restaurant in Elmhurst, Illinois.  Wine and food lovers may enjoy…

First Course

Albola Pinot Grigio 2011

From the Friuli region in North East Italy, this 100% Pinot Grigio was light, crisp, and fruity – a suprisingly perfect pairing with the…

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables served with ricotta salata and micro greens

Second Course

Albola Chianti 2010

Cherries, berries, spice and subtle tannins helped make this go-to Chianti a real deal complement to the…

Porcini Crusted Ahi Tuna served rare with a pepperonata sauce

Third Course

Castello D’Albola Chianti Classico 2008

There is a reason awards are given to this Chianti – the Sangiovese/Canaiolo blend was dry, well balanced and full of those rich fruit tastes which continued to make me want more…

Prosciutto and Peas Risotto served with a crispy prosciutto wafer

Fourth Course

Castello D’Albola Le Ellere

Wow!  A single vineyard 100% Sangiovese, this wine was amazingly smooth with cherries, spice, pepper, tannins…complexity and balance…I’m almost speechless!

Castello D’Albola Chianti Classico Riserva 2006

Another 100% Sangiovese, the wine was aged to perfection and the classic tastes of a beautiful Chianti were in my glass!  Both of these wines stood proudly beside the tender…

Chateau Briand with red wine rosemary demi served with baby marbled potatoes and rainbow carrots

Fifth Course

Castello D’Albola Vin Santo

Sweet, warm, and bursting with raisins, this dessert wine consisting of Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Chianti grapes was a memorable finale paired with…

Grand Coppa Banana

Chocolate and Hazelnut Gelato

Caramelized Banana Chocolate Sauce and Whipped Cream

Conversation during the meal was lively and the accolades from the group included phrases such as “I want another glass!”, “This is unbelievable”, “Each Chianti is better than the next!”, and one industry professional even stated “This guy knows his sh*t!”

Alessandro Gallo was in Chicago to participate in Tre Bicchieri 2013.  Sponsored by Gambero Rosso, winemakers from Italy and their distributors toured cities in the United States to proudly share their wines with those in the trade and consumers.  I was privileged to share the wines of Castello D’Albola with Alessandro Gallo at Roberto’s ~ Grazie!

Salut! ~ Cindy