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Cal-Italia, or Return of the Pomodoro by Krystyn Freidlin Try for a moment to imagine Italy without the tomato. That’s right—no tomato sauces, no tomato for soups and salads, no tomato at all ever, day after day, no tomato, none, niente, zip. While it is almost impossible to imagine, such an Italy did exist throughout all but the past few hundred years of its illustrious history. (Imagine all of the flavorful nuances that had passed unnoticed in those ancient Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Teroldego wines—subtle flavors brought forth only when accompanied by a delicate pomodoro sauce over pasta al dente . . .) Yes, you probably guessed it. The tomato was introduced to southern Italy in the sixteenth century by Spanish voyagers returning from the New World bearing an array of culinary riches indigenous to American terroir. A sensory and culinary renaissance took place in Italy—because of a particularly astonishing American beauty: the pomo d’amore, the tomato. The pomo d’amore (love apple), as it was first known to Italians, was seen to impart a "lusty vigor" to all who ate of it because of its high iron and vitamin content—furthering a well-founded image of the passionate Italian. Within just a few years of its introduction, the pomo d’amore had revolutionized Italian culture. Men hurried home from the fields each day in anticipation of yet another pomo d’amore dish, as wives and lovers competed and refined their culinary discoveries, sauce after sauce. Hence, renewed attention was turned to the family vineyards as the developing sauces continued to cause previously untasted flavors to be revealed in the wines. Why then, one might wonder, isn’t Italian cuisine more aptly referred to as Italian-American cuisine? And is there any wonder why such cuisine is so popular in America today? It is most likely because our indigenous tomato has returned home to America bringing with it a delightful array of complementary elements. The most obvious and notable complementary element (other than basil which has its origins in Genoa)? Italian varietal grapevines planted to American terroir. Ah, further refinement of Italian-American cuisine . . . a new era of sensual awakening begins—call it Cal-Italia. Food and wine, family and friends, passion and discovery. Italian varietals planted in California are a perfect and obvious match with any form of American cuisine. We have conducted extensive research into these phenomena by pairing Bill Mosby’s Cal-Italia wines with a variety of traditional and contemporary American dishes—with and without the tomato (work, work, work). For example, the Mosby Rosato di Sangiovese is a natural with fajitas and papaya-cilantro salad or tomato-barbecue sauce, while the Mosby Moscato di Santa Barbara sparkling wine is downright decadent with strawberries dipped in dark chocolate on a bed of toasted almonds. Roasted lamb with fresh rosemary connects with Dolcetto, the everyday varietal of Piemonte, as if they were destined to become one through the taste buds. The bold and exotic Mosby Nebbiolo, when paired with grilled meats and hearty vegetables like roasted garlic, tomato and peppers, reveals to the palate multiple levels of flavors in the wine. Pinot Grigio with fennel and olive oil, Traminer Aromatico with curried chicken or gingered stir-fry, Sangiovese with . . . anything tomato you can imagine. Cal-Italia isn’t simply a new category of wines—Cal-Italia is about celebrating the return of the pomodoro and all that came home with it. Italy has been growing and producing their wines for centuries, but only in recent times has significant attention been focused on further enhancement of their home varietals. Did "Cal" -Italia pioneers spur this renewed interest? These pioneers, like those trail-blazing chefs of Italy with their delicate pomodoro sauces, transplanted the complementary Italian grapevines in California to launch yet another level in our sensory evolution. Indeed, at the very heart of Italian cuisine, of Italian wine-country living, is a food that is as indigenous to America as baseball and apple pie: the tomato. (The name was later changed to pomo d’or or "golden apple" to memorialize the Hesperides myth. The name pomodoro is still used in Italy today.) So, the next time you dine Italian in America—which should be soon—complete the meal with a Cal-Italia wine. Ciao! |
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