All people, on some level, yearn for connectedness. For more than 6000 years wine has a connected people to the past, to their family, to a culture, and to the land. Wine, in all its varieties, has the power to bind individuals to the earth and to a particular location. Wine consumption is a common foundation of friendships. An unforgettable encounter is created by the aromas, tastes, and textures. A great glass of wine is like a deep discussion where new concepts can be explored, or wonderful memories can be relived. Why then do so many people find wine and wine culture intimidating and what makes a great wine?
Wine is frequently perceived as being either completely mysterious or costly without much to offer. Some people find the wine industry to be scary, stuffy, and exclusive. The opposite is true in every way. There is a vast world to explore when one is willing to try novel wines.
One person who is helping usher in a new wave of wine lovers and helping answer those questions is the owner of Sioux Falls latest hit restaurant Maribella Ristorante, Riccardo Tarabelsi. Born in Florence, Italy and raised in Boston MA, Riccardo and wife Marybeth are both great wine lovers and wanted to share that passion with others.
“What inspired me to open Maribella was my wife (she’s my biggest supporter throughout the last 20 years of managing restaurants) and the yearning to share a real Italian restaurant experience with Sioux Falls and the Midwest. Creating the concept (as daunting as that sounds) was pretty easy. As we were making decisions on every detail, every piece just fit together beautifully and naturally, which made us feel like we were making the right decisions when it came to everything from the color of the booth fabric, to the weight of the silverware, to the positioning of lighting, etc.”
The Maribella Ristorante is a great location to begin your education about wine. The carefully curated wine selection only includes bottles that Riccardo personally selected. He has developed a unique experience in Sioux Falls thanks to his more than 20 years of experience in the wine and food industries.
“For people just starting out discovering wine, I would suggest attending as many tastings and wine dinners as possible. The more varieties of wine you try, the more you will start learning about your own palate. For me, it’s never about what wines I like or dislike; my mission is to lead our guests to a wine that they’re going to love.”
In Italy, the adage “wine is food” is very prevalent. When bread was more expensive, a village’s supply of wine was once affordable. It is just as essential to dinner as a fork or knife. The Santa Trinita Mediterranea, also known as the Mediterranean Holy Trinity, is made of bread, wine, and olive oil.
A special menu designed by the restaurant’s senior chef, Adam Schumacher, was made to complement Riccardo’s all-Italian wine list. There is a wine recommendation for each dish on the menu. While Adam credits his excellent culinary team and the staff’s expertise for the delicious pairings. Adam believes that a Zinfandel that goes well with a hearty steak is what makes a wonderful wine. He admits that he didn’t start out as a wine expert but under the tutelage of Riccardo he has developed his palate and gravitates to full bodied wines. When looking for suggestions to new comers Adam suggests:
“Ask your server 100%”
Maddie Wadman, a level one sommelier and server, is one of the exceptional staff members at Maribella, who can help you navigate the wine experience. A great bottle of wine, in her opinion, “demonstrates complexity, has worth, and is unique.” Although not the only qualities she searches for, “I want there to be layers in the different flavors,” she says of a wine pairing. I don’t want each drink to have the same flavor. She advises beginning with flavors you are accustomed to or that they are acquainted with before building from there. She is skilled at probing questions to find out why a visitor will prefer a particular wine over others and to help direct them to wines they will enjoy.
Food, wine and intellect are connected. Even though Riccardo, Maddie, and Adam are all very knowledgeable, they all have different opinions about what makes a great wine, which is what’s so wonderful about wine. Having conversations, sharing, and connecting. What connections do you have to wine? Leave a comment below.
