Spirits
As the evening sets in, Francesco and Federico Armani sit down together for some fine wine and conversation. The conversation seems to take on the predominant theme of the art that is winemaking. Francesco begins by explaining the brand’s signature concept of duality, and asks Federico Armani more about creating the wines.
Talking about the careful process behind the creation of prosecco, a sparkling wine that is a true symbol of the Italian wine culture, -wine fam- narrates how they grew up running around, playing among the vines with the tart smell of fermenting grapes in the air. Prosecco Asolo Superiore, one of the two varieties of wine offered by Katkoot, is produced in the hillside town of Asolo in Northern Italy, where their vineyards are situated. The grapes are selected manually following an ancient rigour of excellence. All the bunches are selected in a natural way, without using any type of machinery, preserving their deepest nature. In fact, the hills of Asolo with their gentle slopes make this manual and heroic viticulture, a mix between territory, perseverance and creativity.
FB: “The steps are quite different from those of producing white wine. The traditional Martinotti method of double fermentation in the tank is used, and the wine that comes out offers fruity aromas and a frothy bouquet.”
Francesco then mentions how there is a distinctive difference between aromas and bouquet in wine terms. Where aromas are the initial scents of grapes that a wine gives off, bouquet consists of the more complex flavours a wine develops with age. The perlage of this prosecco is gentle but consistent which brings the palate alive.
FA: “What exactly is perlage?”
asks Federico Armani, taking a sip and realising how truly sophisticated the flavours are. Francesco explains that perlage is a term used in Italy to describe the effervescence of the wine (mousse being the French alternative), comparing the bubbles to small pearls.
In the end, the result of a four-month-long process of care and control is a fresh straw yellow wine—perfect as an aperitif, for cocktails, and with white meats and fresh fish.
FA: “And what about the Amarone?”
FB: “There’s actually an interesting story behind that one.”
Originally discovered by accident when an Italian winemaker left the sweet Recioto wine to ferment for too long, the Amarone Della Valpolicella is an intensely flavoured red wine made from grapes that are grown on terraces made of dry stone, locally called ‘marogne’. The process requires a lot of care and gentleness. The grapes are dried on straw mats after picking to help concentrate the tartness and aroma. The Katkoot Amarone, in particular, is a complex on the nose wine with a blend of different aromas, from blueberries to spices and cocoa to tobacco. Francesco then addresses a common question most wine drinkers have—do all wines improve with age?. Well, it is definitely not necessary for all kinds of wine to offer more with age. However, the Katkoot Amarone is a wine prepared for a long ageing process during which it continues to improve and provide a smoother and richer flavour even after opening.
And so, the conversation goes on, exchanging knowledge and anecdotes and laughing the weariness of the day away, just as you would find in the living room of any traditional Italian family.
Spirits
As the evening sets in, Francesco and Federico Armani sit down together for some fine wine and conversation. The conversation seems to take on the predominant theme of the art that is winemaking. Francesco begins by explaining the brand’s signature concept of duality, and asks Federico Armani more about creating the wines.
Talking about the careful process behind the creation of prosecco, a sparkling wine that is a true symbol of the Italian wine culture, -wine fam- narrates how they grew up running around, playing among the vines with the tart smell of fermenting grapes in the air. Prosecco Asolo Superiore, one of the two varieties of wine offered by Katkoot, is produced in the hillside town of Asolo in Northern Italy, where their vineyards are situated. The grapes are selected manually following an ancient rigour of excellence. All the bunches are selected in a natural way, without using any type of machinery, preserving their deepest nature. In fact, the hills of Asolo with their gentle slopes make this manual and heroic viticulture, a mix between territory, perseverance and creativity.
FR: “The steps are quite different from those of producing white wine. The traditional Martinotti method of double fermentation in the tank is used, and the wine that comes out offers fruity aromas and a frothy bouquet.”
Francesco then mentions how there is a distinctive difference between aromas and bouquet in wine terms. Where aromas are the initial scents of grapes that a wine gives off, bouquet consists of the more complex flavours a wine develops with age. The perlage of this prosecco is gentle but consistent which brings the palate alive.
WF: “What exactly is perlage?”
asks Federico Armani, taking a sip and realising how truly sophisticated the flavours are. Francesco explains that perlage is a term used in Italy to describe the effervescence of the wine (mousse being the French alternative), comparing the bubbles to small pearls.
In the end, the result of a four-month-long process of care and control is a fresh straw yellow wine—perfect as an aperitif, for cocktails, and with white meats and fresh fish.
WF: “And what about the Amarone?”
FR: “There’s actually an interesting story behind that one.”
Originally discovered by accident when an Italian winemaker left the sweet Recioto wine to ferment for too long, the Amarone Della Valpolicella is an intensely flavoured red wine made from grapes that are grown on terraces made of dry stone, locally called ‘marogne’. The process requires a lot of care and gentleness. The grapes are dried on straw mats after picking to help concentrate the tartness and aroma. The Katkoot Amarone, in particular, is a complex on the nose wine with a blend of different aromas, from blueberries to spices and cocoa to tobacco. Francesco then addresses a common question most wine drinkers have—do all wines improve with age?. Well, it is definitely not necessary for all kinds of wine to offer more with age. However, the Katkoot Amarone is a wine prepared for a long ageing process during which it continues to improve and provide a smoother and richer flavour even after opening.
And so, the conversation goes on, exchanging knowledge and anecdotes and laughing the weariness of the day away, just as you would find in the living room of any traditional Italian family.
