Hello
Folks, I’ll tell ya what: I’m extremely excited it’s August. I don’t know about you, but the novelty of 'summer' wore off pretty quickly for me — probably sometime around when I was experiencing low-grade heatstroke on a daily basis.
If you hear me complain about how cold it is in the middle of January this year and feel like you want to bring it up? Don’t. Because trust me, I already know what you’re going to say, and YES, I know I’m the worst.
Without further ado, let’s get into this Q&A.
The Q&A
Aldo Zaninotto is the owner and wine director for both Osteria Langhe and Testaccio in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. If you couldn’t guess from the names above, Aldo and his restaurants are Italian — technically, Aldo is Belgian-Italian. The 58-year-old was born in Belgium and raised both there and in Italy, his family’s homeland.
Osteria Langhe (2014) focuses on food and wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, while Testaccio (2020), named after a neighborhood in Rome, serves Roman and Meditteranean eats and drinks.
Aldo has a wealth of experience in the vino and hospitality industries and is an Italian wine aficionado and enthusiast. All options listed on both restaurants’ menus are vetted by him, and they’re not short lists.
We split a *fantastically* tasty bottle of wine seated at a table in Testaccio after a tour of the space, including the lower level, which is set to house Soif Wine Lounge. The forthcoming subterranean space is being fashioned after the cozy, ambient and overall ~vibey~ Parisian wine bars that Aldo loves.
The bottle: Cavallotto’s Barolo Bricco Boschis 2016. More on this below.
While we spoke, Testaccio filled with the sounds of a restaurant preparing to open for service as usual. The wine was lovely, as is Aldo. I think you’ll enjoy this.
This interview took place on July 28, 2021, and has been edited and condensed for clarity.
SN: Aldo, who are you, and what do you do?
AZ: I am the owner of Osteria Langhe, in partnership with Cameron Grant, the restaurant’s executive chef. I also own Testaccio together with a partner who isn’t really involved with the concept, except financially.
I’m on the floor and I do the wine program for both restaurants, but I don’t do the bar program at all. I like to focus just on the wine. Oh, except for amaro and vermouth, I pick those. I’m not too good at making cocktails, though.
SN: And what are we drinking today?
AZ: I wanted to share this 2016 Barolo Bricco Boschis from Cavallotto because, to me, Barolo is about emotion and this bottle is an essential, a classic in Piedmont. Piedmont is amazing, and if you ever go you’ll discover it’s full of rolling hills and in the backdrop, you’ll see the Alps. On the south side, we have the sea.
So if you ask a producer, they’ll tell you what makes the wine so special is the soil. Barolo is essentially divided into three parts (Ed. Note: When Aldo says Barolo here, he doesn’t mean the one, small commune named Barolo. He’s referring to the Barolo DOCG, a designated area of 11 communes growing Nebbiolo grapes of high enough quality to be used in Barolo wines). In the west, there’s sandier soil, which makes the wine more floral, elegant, softer, lighter but still very complex.
If you go a bit more east, you go into a different type of soil called Tortonian soil. This is kind of a combination: It has clay, it has sand and some granite as well.
Keep going east and you come to Helvetian soil which is deeper, more intense. It’s kind of wild, and it makes the wine a bit more 'masculine.'
If a customer wants something big and bold, I send them east. If they like something closer to a Pinot Noir, I pick something from the west side. But I usually prefer Barolos from the central area, from the villages of Castiglione Falletto or La Morra. For me, those villages create the classic, complex style of Barolo.
SN: Well, it’s great. How did wine come into your life?
AZ: I did harvests through school, but I think I was too young to be understanding what wine was really all about. I couldn't identify a Bordeaux or anything like that. It was never part of what I did.
My parents would drink tap wine, and at my father’s restaurant, the menu would say, 'Brunello di Montalcino,' and I would ask, 'Well, which producer?'
He would say, 'I don’t know,' and I was like what do you mean, you don’t know? His friend would send him the wine by the case. I said, 'Okay, but you need to put the name.' He told me it was too much work. His restaurant was really good, but he just didn’t understand that aspect of wine.
For me, though, I started to learn about wine when I was in California managing a restaurant. I started tasting wines and meeting some sales reps, but I didn’t have the power of purchasing anything for the restaurant.
At L'Orangerie, which was a very famous place in Los Angeles, I sold the wines. Oh my god, I remember one night Elton John came in with like, 12 other people and all he would drink was 1947s, 1945s, I mean c’mon. I was shaking serving them, because can you imagine if I broke the cork or something? I didn’t, but it was crazy.
When I got to Chicago and worked at Carlucci, that’s when I really started to learn more and work directly with sales reps to bring in wine.
SN: That’s incredibly cool. Speaking of old, expensive bottles, I’m a bit shocked to see how affordable most of the wines on your menu are. What made you want to price them that way?
AZ: Number one, Italian wines can be very hard to understand. Anything we can do to provide a level of comfort is important. When you go to these regions, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend $20 on a bottle of wine. It could be $12, $14 or $15, but that’s just not known.
I want to translate this to the customer and encourage them to go ahead and try something new, but not make them feel like they’ve been robbed.
It drives me crazy when I go to a restaurant in California and the most inexpensive bottle on a menu is something you’ll find in a normal grocery store, but it’s on the list for $80 a bottle. It’s not a good thing.
We’re a neighborhood restaurant so it’s important for people to enjoy our food, of course. But when you go out to dinner, it’s about having fun. It’s not about having to feel like you need to watch how much you’re ordering. I love when people say, 'Oh my god, this is a good bottle of wine — let’s get another.'
I’m not trying to showcase this, or say to other restaurants, 'I can go lower than you,' no. I’m trying to expose people to the wine while making sure they feel comfortable with it.
SN: As a Very Broke Person™️, I love that. What’s your advice on ordering wine in restaurants, maybe for folks who aren’t 'super' educated on the subject?
AZ: I always say to be adventurous, but certainly ask questions as well. Typically, ask questions, tell the server or sommelier what you usually drink. I also think it’s helpful to do a bit of research before going to a restaurant.
It’s hard, right? People, when they go out, they usually don’t want to think too hard. You should be asking questions, but also trusting your server.
SN: I’m not very knowledgeable about Italian wines, but this Barolo is telling me I should start paying more attention. How should people like me start delving into Italian vino?
AZ: I think you should go from north to south, and identify the different profiles. You’ll find that generally, wines are more structured and intense in the north.
In the south, they’re of course more fruit-forward, and sometimes intense too, but in a different way.
From there, go region by region. Find out the differences between, say, Tuscany and Piedmont. But always, always, try the classics first.
SN: Obviously, it’s been a weird, hard year. For people not yet ready to travel, how should they be living, 'la dolce vita,' the famously Italian 'sweet life'?
AZ: Well, summer is the best time for la dolce vita. I always say look at recipes and what Italians are cooking. It’s all about simplicity and seasonal ingredients. While you’re doing that, get yourself a bottle of wine and pretend you’re in Italy.
Put some music on, I mean, it’s all about fun. Italians truly know how to live, and nothing stops them.
SN: Sounds like my weekend’s sorted, then. How would you describe what we’re drinking now, Cavallotto’s Barolo Bricco Boschis, to the layperson?
AZ: I always try to think of the popular types of wine that people might know when talking about something like this. For me, this bottle is less like a Cabernet Sauvignon and more like a Pinot Noir.
I don’t mean that in terms of taste, just that the wine is lean. In this bottle, there’s some acidity, but people can think of that as it’s 'bitey,’ so I would say it’s got nice tannins and some acidity, and it’s very expressive in terms of the grapes that this area produces. There are definitely some spices, some rose petals and it’s a bit fruit-forward, as well.
With food, it’s amazing.
SN: I can see that with food it would be amazing, but, honestly, I’m loving it on its own too. What would be your food pairing for the 'height of luxury'? Think, fancy, gourmet dining.
AZ: The first thing that jumps into my mind is a beautiful squab because the meat isn’t just 'meaty,' it also has a great flavor to it. To me, that’s such a classic. Maybe a roast squab with some sort of bitter greens, like swiss chard. And then of course the jus or a pan sauce.
I would avoid just going with steak or lamb. I love both of them, but they might overpower how complex this wine is.
SN: And how about a 'for the masses' pairing? Think a Tuesday takeout night, or your favorite junk foods.
AZ: It’s not junk food, but I think Mexican food would be great with this. Maybe a really good carne asada taco?
Also, just a burger would be awesome.
SN: What’s the ideal 'situational pairing' for this bottle? Where are you and what’s going on?
AZ: It could be so many things. Maybe just sitting down with a friend who’s visiting and saying, 'let’s just open a bottle of wine,' don’t be ridiculous. That’s actually the sort of idea I want to do with Soif: 'C’mon, let’s just open up a bottle of wine.'
To be honest, I don’t drink wine that much at home, so I would ideally be with some friends.
SN: Speaking of Soif, I know you said you can’t give an exact date, but is there a season you’re planning on opening? What can we expect from the space?
AZ: Definitely in the fall. With the return of indoor dining, we realized we were just too busy with our current restaurants to open Soif in the spring, as we had planned.
As for what to expect, I want people to feel like they’re being transported somewhere else. More than that, though, I want them to feel comfortable. It should be relaxing, there’s a really cool vibe.
It’s truly about the way I feel when I go to this place in Paris: It’s a speakeasy off a small sidestreet, you go to the door, knock on the window and the guy lets you in. Then you get a table, there are great cocktails and wine, it’s the best. It’s going to feel like such a different place than Testaccio, which is obviously just right upstairs.
SN: Very cool. What do you do for fun?
AZ: I spend time with my dog, he’s my world. We go to the beach, we take walks, he’s always around. You know, our business is very stressful and he really helps me keep my balance. We run together in the morning before heading to work.
SN: What have you been watching?
AZ: I like silly movies, documentaries but to be honest, I don’t watch a lot of movies. But sports, sports are different. My weekends are dedicated to sports in the morning. I watch the English Premier League, Serie A and then Formula One racing.
I do want to recommend a movie though: 'The Barolo Boys.' It’s such an interesting story.
SN: What have you been reading?
AZ: I love fiction, but I’m always going back to the books I have about history. I love to read about history, especially when I’m traveling somewhere. I’ll read about that place’s history while I’m on the plane.
SN: What have you been listening to?
AZ: My music taste is diverse. A few days ago, out of nowhere, I was listening to La Traviata. Then all of a sudden I’m listening to Daft Punk. It’s pretty random.
One of my favorite bands though is The National. Oh, and of course, French music. Serge Gainsbourg for sure.
SN: Favorite Chicago bar?
AZ: It has to be Weegee’s Lounge, but there are so many good bars here. That’s hard.
SN: If you’re not drinking wine, what are you drinking?
AZ: Beer and mezcal.
SN: Where can folks keep up with what you’re doing?
AZ: They can follow me on Instagram, @zazou02. They can also check out Osteria Langhe and Testaccio on Instagram. Soif also has an account, so keep your eyes out for news!
SN: Awesome, thanks for your time, Aldo!
The afters
Another week, another newsletter. Suddenly, after writing this up, I’m craving a large bowl of cacio e pepe and an entire bottle of Barolo. What a shock.
I think it’s safe to say that we should all take a bit of advice from Aldo: Cook something lovely and seasonal, throw on some music and grab a bottle of wine. It’s the weekend, folks.
Let’s talk recommendations.
Here are a few recommendations for this weekend and beyond. If a bottle isn’t available for shipping, see if your local shop has it. If they don’t, ask about getting it in stock! Of course, store owners rely heavily on their own tastes, but they’re interested in knowing what you want to see on the shelves as well.
A note: As with buying anything online, read the shipping fine print before you pay. Some sites may not ship to certain areas, or shipping may be unreasonably expensive.
Weingut Weninger Zweigelt im Fluss 2017
This is another wine from the vault. I haven’t been drinking a ton of wine on my own, I hope you’ll forgive me. However, you won’t forgive yourself if you see this bottle, or any other vintages of it, and don’t immediately buy the whole shelf. From Austria, this bottle was the first Zweigelt I ever had and I fell in love immediately. It’s fruity and delicate but still has some nice body to it. I would recommend pairing it with a dinner of some sort, although I’m almost positive I drank it on its own. Buy it here and locally. Or here, if you don’t mind ordering 12 bottles.
Tacos de Sesos
If you haven't had tacos de sesos before, I am here to urge — nay — command you to try them. These are brain tacos, and at the joint I had them, Sabas Vega, they were pork. The cooked brains are mixed with spices, tomatoes, onions and cilantro until they have a smooth, almost silky texture. Then, they’re spread onto a tortilla, pinned close with three toothpicks to avoid spillage, and fried to a golden crisp. The result is a deeply satisfying mix of textures and flavors that will make you wonder why you haven’t tried brains before. Pair accordingly (with a Jarritos soda).
Some things I read this week that you may be interested in:
The New York Times Style Magazine — The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture
The New York Times — Collapse: Inside Lebanon’s Worst Economic Meltdown in More Than a Century
Wine Enthusiast — Get the Scoop on Wine and Ice Cream Pairings, According to Wine Experts
The Intercept — Nancy Pelosi’s Surprise Flip on Student Debt Cancellation Came After Urging From Billionaire Power Couple
Some tunes to soundtrack your weekend:
Jelani Aryeh’s new album, I’ve Got Some Living To Do
Arlie’s newest summery single, poppin
Samia’s new EP, Scout
That just about does it. Take it easy. Or don’t, I guess.
-Sam
Very Broke Person trade marked😂 I’m loving these pieces Sam, they look like they take a ton of work (albeit pleasant) and you ask just the right questions. I’m wondering how you find the people you interview?, because I’ve really enjoyed your choices so far—-like, I want to drink with them, eat with them and hang out some👏