Description
Nonno’s in the backyard stoking the fire of his makeshift pizza oven while
Nonna throws ingredients around the kitchen with spirited abandon. A dusting
of flour, a handful of leafy basil, too much garlic and the sweetest of
tomatoes plucked straight from the garden (of the backyard lined otherwise
fence-to-fence with concrete). She’d wink, flash a cheeky smile and waggle a
finger at you when asked about that secret sauce she had tucked away in the
cupboard… Salami hangs from the rafters. Passata from February lines the
pantry. In this house, wild gesticulation is a language universally
understood.
#### Who is Gusto Mama?
Wine’s usually an unceremonious affair, opened as much to quench thirst as it
is to flesh out the ragout. But Gusto Mama is for those good occasions, when
family’s around. It’s on the top shelf in the kitchen, away from underage
fingers. Usually this would be the worst place for wine due to heat, but the
turnover’s high. It’s still drunk from tumblers, but it’s accompanied by a
mumbled, satisfied ‘mmm’ from Nonna and a ‘hfff’ from Nonno as he sinks into
his chair. That’s a lot more than you’d get from anything else. You can tell
it makes them feel more at home; and you didn’t think that was possible.
#### Made by Joel Pizzini & Family
Joel Pizzini’s taken his dad Alfredo’s legacy of making renowned King Valley
wines and doubled down on the region’s standout specialty: sangiovese. He’s
trained at top wineries around the globe, including Isole e Olena in Chianti -
one of the world’s best sangiovese makers. Joel regularly walks the vineyards
with his dad, forever honing his knowledge of the land’s foibles and features.
Of course it’s a family affair, with siblings Natalie, Nicole and Carlo all
playing key roles in the business. Alfredo remains Pizzini patriarch, but
perhaps the most important person of all - of course - is Katrina, who isn’t
only Pizzini ambassador but, fittingly, also runs her own cooking school. A
mama with much gusto indeed!
#### The Wine
Her secret is out, and we’ve bottled it. Gusto Mama is effortlessly fresh,
capturing that 2017 vintage goodness with panache, assuredness and a certain
suavity. An inescapably seamless bundle of red fruits, spice and earth lures
you in. Perfectly ripe red cherry, sage and a touch of lime, black pepper and
cocoa, rolled up in that hedonistic sense-memory of pottery clay. There’s a
fresh jam-filled doughnut thing going on, too, that speaks of grapes kept
happy from budburst to bottling. The palate’s brightly juicy, packed with more
generous red fruit. It’s lightly dusty to match the juiciness, with a fine
line that lengthens everything just the right amount. This is a wine not of
power or boldness, but of tension and poise. Deliberation, if you will.
Gusto Mama truly is the matriarch of the dining table. On her command, family
rivalries are set aside, at least for the day. This is unpretentious, humble
wine with a generous soul but a calm, commanding presence - simply pour into a
carafe, share liberally and drink with gusto!
The wine is rewarding, but wait till you add pizza. We’ve worked out how to
make pizza better and that may just be the greatest discovery of all time.
Gusto Mama tastes best when paired with lashings of rich tomato sauce, spread
over a crispy base and topped off with, well, whatever you want. Pineapple?
Controversial, but you do you, mofo. Gusto Mama judges but we sure as hell
don’t.