Chat With A Bolgheri Winery Owner & Sipping Loire Muscadet Wines

Overview—

First, from the Antinori family in Italy, Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi tells in the below video about the bottle of wine that changed his life, and how Tenuta Biserno originated.

Second, pairing crisp, dry, white low alcohol Muscadet wines from the Atlantic coast with grilled feta cheese and vegetables.

Third, free downloadable recipe from my book The Winemakers' Cooking Companion and two free chapters from my book Vino Voices—Wine, Work, Travel, Life.

Finally, a 'Did You Know—Video' clip highlights the hills of Mamoiada, central Sardinia.

Interview With Niccolò Lenzi of Tenuta Biserno in Bolgheri, Tuscany—

Niccolò Lenzi is the CEO of Tenuta di Biserno in Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy.

He is a member of the extended Antinori family in Italy, which has been producing wine for 26 generations. His uncle Piero was prominent in the Marchesi Antinori company (think Tignanello and Solaia wine brands) while his uncle Lodovico Antinori founded Tenuta dell'Ornellaia in the 1980s. Both uncles worked with Niccoló to create the Biserno Project in 2001 in the Bibbona hills, just north of the Bolgheri DOC appellation in coastal Tuscany.

The wines of Biserno are Bordeaux blends, emphasizing Cabernet Franc as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

In this interview I had with Niccoló last weeks, he speaks about what drives a winemaker, about the bottle that transformed his interest in wine, about other wine regions such as Barolo, Bordeaux, Chianti and Burgundy, about sommeliers, about similarities between wine and sports, about how Project Biserno began and about how many youngsters today show intense interest in wines.

The Beautiful Ease of Sipping Muscadet—

On a hot weekday (92°F; 33°C) afternoon, I had lunch in the garden of Pain Benit (Blessed Bread) in Cabrespine, Minervois. The food was excellent, and the selected wine: a Muscadet from coastal Loire Valley.

I first tasted Muscadet some 14 years ago when I held a wine tasting at a French Club restaurant in Islamabad, Pakistan. I was launching my e-book Vino Voices.

I set up a table with glasses and wines, and while waiting for the others to arrive, the restaurant owners poured me a glass of mystery white wine. It was delicious! And so easy to drink. This was Muscadet, a low alcohol, relatively low priced white wine made for drinking with seafood off the Atlantic coast of western France near to where the Loire River enters the ocean.

Muscadet, not to be confused with Muscadelle (a white grape grown further south and often used as a component in Bordeaux white wines) is made from a grape named, confusingly, Melon de Bourgogne ('melon of Burgundy') which originated in Burgundy and is related to Pinot Blanc. But, apart from a scant 5 acres [2 hectares] now grown there, the grape is no longer grown in Burgundy.

There are also some amazing cru Muscadet wines produced in the Loire Valley. A decade ago, I wrote about that wine for Forbes, which is here.

Main Course.

Croustillant de fêta et miel, légumes grillés, salade de blé vert, yaourt à la grecque et crème poivrade [Crispy cooked feta cheese with honey, grilled vegetables, green wheat salad, Greek-style yogurt and pepper cream]

Dessert.

Crèmeux citron, abricots rôtis et tuile meringuée [Creamy lemon, roasted apricots and meringue tiles]

Wine.

Jo Landron. La Louvetrie. Muscadet Sevre et Main AOP. 2023. 91.5 points.

This 12.5% alcohol wine includes aromas of melon and grapefruit and in the mouth has an oily mouth feel with flavors of green apples, salinity and white pepper. Slightly wild and herbaceous in a chewy, attractive way. With lunch, the taut acidity sliced across the creamy cooked cheese.

Another Free Recipe from The Winemakers' Cooking Companion Cookbook—

The Winemakers' Cooking Companion cookbook has been published! It includes 108 recipes from 18 countries that were contributed by winemakers, winery chefs and winery owners. Units are both metric and American, and recipes include some marked as vegetarian or vegan.

A lively and fun book launch will take place later this summer in my village in southern France. I'll let you know when this takes place in case you decide to visit.

Recipe—

The free recipe below from The Winemakers' Cooking Companion, is a simple dessert from Château Mercier in Bourg, Bordeaux in France.

Foreward for the Book—

Twenty one wine professionals from eight countries have written testimonials about the cookbook—which are included on its back cover and initial pages.

Namratha Stanley was born in India, moved to Bordeaux, studied enology and now produces Solicantus (song of the sun) red and white wines, from the Right Bank and Entre-Deux-Mer, respectively. She also produces a wine from Pomerol. Years ago I interviewed her for a Forbes article.

Her book Vineyard Melody was released this spring.

Nam wrote the Foreward to my book The Winemakers' Cooking Companion:

"Some cookbooks teach you how to cook. Some tell stories.

"Every so often, one comes along that invites you into a way of life.

"The Winemaker’s Cooking Companion cookbook does all three. Tom Mullen has created something special here: a collection that reflects not just recipes, but relationships between food and wine, seasons and senses, winemakers and their kitchens. With recipes collected across America, Europe, Asia and Africa, this book is a global table set to be cherished all year long.

"Tom’s philosophy in the kitchen reminds us that great meals—like great wines—start with respect for what’s fresh, what’s local, and what’s ready. What I love most about this cookbook is how thoughtfully it’s organized. It begins with the season. Recipes are classified first by time of year, then by ease of preparation and then by style—non-vegetarian, vegetarian or vegan. Whether you’re planning a casual weeknight dinner, a weekend gathering or a special celebration, you can open to the season you’re in and immediately find dishes that feel right for the moment.

"As a respected wine critic on the world stage, Tom elevates this cookbook beyond a collection of dishes. His understanding of varietals, regions and flavor profiles brings each pairing to life—showing how the right wine can transform a meal into an experience. It’s this marriage of culinary creativity and deep wine expertise that sets this book apart, helping readers discover not just what to cook, but what to pour.

"Beyond its beautiful structure, this cookbook shines because of its people. Every recipe carries the voice of someone who lives close to the vineyards and understands hospitality at its deepest level.

"The Winemaker’s Cooking Companion cookbook is more than a collection of recipes—it’s a celebration of seasons, cultures and the joy of gathering around a table.

"So slow down, cook with love and savor both flavors and friendships."

—Namratha Stanley, author of Vineyard Melody, and brand owner of Solicantus wines, Bordeaux, France.

Free Chapters From The Book Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life—

I have serialized and am going to provide ALL chapters from my book Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life for free here during the coming months.

This book (originally written over a decade ago) has been revised and is available as an e-book. The hardback and paperback versions will be available later this summer.

Here are Chapters One and Two—about the impetus that drove family man Bill Wilson of Temecula, California, to become a winery owner (renowned for Almond Champagne) and my first ever 'professional' wine tasting some 18 years ago with winemaker Flavio Fennochio of Barolo di Marchesi in Piedmont, Italy (spoiler: by mid morning, we were both drinking rather than spitting glasses of wine from our vertical tasting).

Final Video—Did You Know?

The gorgeous region around the highland town of Mamoiada in the central part of Italy's Sardinia island is part of a 'Blue Zone' with residents having notable longevity. It also produces not only excellent Canonau (Grenache) wines from centuries old vines, but beautiful wines from the little known grape Granatza—very difficult to find because of its rarity (only 15 hectares/37 acres), limited production and popularity in international restaurants. Here is random brief video I took years ago that provides a quick view of the wild landscape.

What's Next In Vino Voices—

I'll soon feature:

• Tasting notes for Burgundian white and red wines from Louis Latour and Bordeaux Saint-Émilion wines from Moulin-Galhaud
• Recipe for Tarte Bugiste (Bugey is located about mid-way between the cities of Lyon and Geneva).
• Red tuna and local Carignan wine on the Sardinian island of San Pietro.

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