A Visit to Giuseppe Rinaldi

[Levi Dalton]

The Cobweb Window would seem to be a hallmark of the traditional Barolo cellar. Bartolo has some crazy webs as well.

The Cellarman draws some 2008 Brunate.

The stairs to the cellar.

There is a sparkling wine being made for family use, the family being tired of paying Champagne prices. This is the entire production on these two riddling racks.

This is Piemonte, so it doesn't take long to find one of these on a shelf.

Zabaldano Chinato is legendary amongst the old timers. It was apparently in a style very different than Cappellano, but just as great. It hasn't been produced for ages. Somehow Giuseppe has three full bottles in his Cantina.

There have been several historical variations on the Giuseppe Rinaldi bottle label. This is one of them.

These labels are au courant.

G. Rinaldi has moved to this label for the Freisa, citing confusion over the pink and grey label that was being used for that bottling until recently. This label is more in keeping with the labels for the rest of the G. Rinaldi range. Hopefully you picked up one of the old label Freisa bottles at Chambers Street while you had the chance. Delicioso.

One way to get a picture of Giuseppe Rinaldi while he isn't scowling at the camera is to snap a shot while his gaze is downwards. Another way is to avoid taking a picture.

This homemade salumi was the best sausage I have ever had. Giuseppe being the perfectionist that he is wasn't happy with it.

Even the Parmigiano is Vecchia at G. Rinaldi.

Mrs. Rinaldi shows us the vineyards around the house.

This is the Le Coste vineyard in the foreground.

A view down Le Coste from the top. The bottom rows of this vineyard go into Giacomo Grimaldi's Le Coste, I believe. All the mid- and top slope vines belong to Rinaldi.

Le Coste.

Vine in Le Coste.

Vine in Le Coste.

Soil at the top of Le Coste.

Soil closer to the house.

The view out and to the right from the Le Coste Vineyard.

Here you can see the valley at the bottom of Le Coste, which is planted to trees.

The vineyard in the mid-ground of this picture is Ravera. This is a view from Le Coste. In other words, these two vineyards (Rinaldi owns vines in both) basically look at each other and are also visible from the windows of Rinaldi's house. This is the Ravera of Monforte in the picture, not the Ravera of Novello.

One of things that I learned on this trip (thanks Greg!) is that while Rinaldi blends Brunate and Cannubi with Le Coste or Ravera in 750ml, it is possible to have a magnum G. Rinaldi bottle with wine made from a single cru. This is because the remainders of each botte after blending are bottled seperately in magnum. By strange coincidence I sampled a magnum of 1998 Brunate this evening and it tasted pretty darn good to me.

These are the vines directly behind the Cantina, and around the corner from the previous vineyard pictures.

Another shot of the vines directly behind the Cantina.

This is all the way at the other end of the Cantina. Behind this tree is a plot of Dolcetto.

G. Rinaldi smiling. Somehow.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

Not just any old shelf; all chinato, I think.

 

[Mike Klein]

So cool. Great pics of the cheese and sausage in particular. Very still life.

 

[Keith Levenberg]

Nice shout-out to Serafino Levi there.

 

[Brézème]

Nice.

Thanks

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

Awesome.

 

[Ian Fitzsimmons]

Beautiful photo essays, these, and replete with learning.

 

[Levi Dalton]

With a look that seems to say "don't take my picture."

 

[scottreiner]

bravo! tell more about the 98 brunate. was it really ready?

 

[Levi Dalton]

originally posted by scottreiner:
bravo! tell more about the 98 brunate. was it really ready?

No, it was not ready. It was Giuseppe Rinaldi.

 

[SFJoe]

originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Giuseppe Rinaldi in New York recently

A look that seems to say "don't take my picture."

Brad, Brad, is that you?

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by SFJoe:

originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Giuseppe Rinaldi in New York recently

A look that seems to say "don't take my picture."

Brad, Brad, is that you?

I was going to say, I get that look a lot. Like Levi, I ignore it.