WITH TONY LOVE
Certain wine varieties breed obsessives: in a good way, if that’s how you roll.
Nebbiolo is one of those, originating from the alpine foothills of Italy’s northwest Piedmonte region, the most renowned appellations being Barola and Barbaresco, whose big hitter producers head well north of $100, and for the best of them much more.
You can get an idea of what all the fuss is about by exploring better independent bottle shops, and include in your research a look at the immigration of nebbiolo to Australia’s similarly cooler or higher altitude regions from the Adelaide Hills to Victoria’s Heathcote, Beechworth and Alpine Valley districts.
The Australian producers to look for include Casa Freschi (Langhorne Creek), Henschke (Eden Valley), Longview Vineyard (Adelaide Hills), Solita (Adelaide Hills) and the best from Victoria include Fletcher Wines, Vinea Marson and Giaconda.
In southern Tasmania, Steve Lubiana has a small plot of nebbiolo that he’s found useful for a rose and even a sparkling, and he’s now looking to craft a more classic style of wine with newer plantings on higher and tougher ground.
It’s early days and the eventual character of the fruit will determine whether it has what Steve calls “the stuffing” to make a wine similar to those of Barola. Meanwhile the sparkling, available at cellar door, is a terrific aperitif, says Steve, with an impression of Italy’s famous light orange bitters Aperol.
This isn’t unusual for nebbiolo, its complexities in the glass typically a lighter brick-red colour that belies the power of the wine to follow. Its perfume is often delicate, but not obvious, sometimes dried cherries to dark rose petal, others autumn leaves and yes, often a dried orange-like note and even senses of cacao nibs and licorice lozenges. Typically its astounding chalky tannins are a defining factor, yet these will calm with ageing – and this is one variety that is best with several years under its belt. If you have a young one, pour it into a jug a few hours ahead of drinking for best results.
Try: Longview 2015 Riserva Nebbiolo ($50) from one of the pioneering nebbiolo vineyards in Australia. Made only in the best vintages, this is a beauty hiding amazing power behind its midconcentrated colours. Then comes its multidimensional bouquet and flavour spectrum: dark rose, dark cherry, dark chocolate, and orange licorice-root tea all driving a wonderful taste experience that finishes long and hardy with fine yet statement tannins. al bhat for breakfast, dal bhat for tea, dal bhat for lunchtime, to keep your bowels free … so goes a strange song that became the soundtrack to my mid-1990s mountain trekking adventure in Nepal. Tackling the arduous Langtang Valley and Helambu route with a group of three friends – one of whom devised the dal bhat ditty – we ate nothing but dal bhat and the occasional plate of fried potatoes for several weeks.
For the uninitiated, dal bhat is a soupy lentil dish usually served with rice and sometimes accompanied by a simple vegetable curry. A staple at tiny tea houses located alongside the craggy paths in Nepal, it sustained us on a journey that peaked at an altitude sicknessinducing 5000m over Ganja La pass.
While a badly timed blizzard obscured a promised view of Mt Everest, I emerged with thighs of steel and a fitness level that these days I can only fantasise about. Reminiscing about the adventure on a recent reunion with two of my fellow footsloggers, I feel the need to track down some Nepalese fare.
Named after the tiny Himalayan kingdom’s national bird, Danphe is a no-frills Nepalese and Indian eatery that opened its doors in the old Imperial Hotel building in Hobart’s CBD about a year ago.
Casual, compact and wallet-friendly, it offers a range of Nepalese and Indian classics including the ubiquitous dal bhat and delicious dumplings, known as momos, which are served steamed or fried.
When we visit early on a Wednesday evening, about half of the tables are occupied, with a few folk drifting in to pick up takeaway orders. The hungriest of our party inhales a few complimentary pappadums.
I set to work ordering entrees, opting for aaloo chops (plump potato patties spiked with peas and coated in a wafer-thin batter) and samosa chaat (crushed samosas served in a swirling sea of yoghurt, tamarind and mint sauces). My favourite starter by far is the chicken choyla – grilled chunks of chicken thigh flavoured with ginger, garlic and lemon juice that are lip-tinglingly spicy.
Moving on, I can’t resist the tandoori chicken. Slightly charred yet moist, it is still sizzling as it hits the table on a searingly hot plate. The juice from a cheek of lemon adds a delicious tang. In a nod to nostalgia, I also order the kalo dal (a soupy lentil dish) and a Nepalese-style goat curry slow-cooked on the bone in a rich tomato sauce spiced with garam masala.
All this is accompanied by two buttery naan breads and a golden serve of saffron rice, and washed down with a BYO bottle of Milton pinot gris.
A sucker for rice pudding, I try the kheer for dessert – a warm and creamy version with cinnamon and cardamom that’s not overly sweet. My no-longer-ravenous friend snacks on a vivid orange jalebi – a doily-like circle of deep fried sugary batter that tastes much better than it looks.
By the time our short but satisfying Nepalese journey ends, Danphe is almost full. A long table of family and friends has gathered to celebrate a baby girl’s first birthday, adding to the cheerful vibe.
Curiously, the dal was the one dish we didn’t manage to finish. Perhaps you can have too much of a good thing. Aaloo chops $5; samosa chaat $8; chicken choyla $10; kalo dal $14; tandoori chicken $15; Nepalesestyle goat curry $18; naan bread $3; saffron rice $4; desserts all $5.