What is complexity in wine? I always thought that was a pretty straightforward proposition until a recent conversation with Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast’s tasting director and my YodaVino.

We were tasting a Torres Mas la Plana ’97, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain. Joe admired it very much, while I had a “meh” reaction to it. We sparred for a few rounds, neither giving ground, until Joe got me to entertain this possibility: that what I took to be a relatively simple wine actually exhibited what he called integrated complexity.

A complex wine exhibits different facets in terms of aroma, flavor and mouthfeel. Some of these may even change as the aerates or warms, which can be vexing to the reviewer who wants to nail it down but a great pleasure to the private citizen who finds a new evolution every few minutes. Eventually, it will offer a character with different nuances of spice, wood or caramel-vanilla from the oak; the tannins and acidity will be present—not intrusive, but rather coaxing a galaxy of potential flavors from the fruit.

My assumption has always been that in a complex wine, those elements can be isolated and identified, pleasurably.

What Joe was suggesting is that in certain wines, many of those elements are present, but the wine itself is so well structured, so very much itself, that it’s hard to discern the component parts. And you wouldn’t necessarily want to, because what all such wines do is: they knock you out. You love them, and may not necessarily know why.

This relatively simple revelation had me rethinking some stellar wine experiences, where I was in so much thrall enjoying the wines that I was at a loss (or couldn’t be bothered) to analyze them. Heidi Barrett’s Amuse Bouche; Riccardo Cotarella’s Falesco Montiano; any wine from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy; a Columbia Winery Red Willow Syrah from the late David Lake.

It’s similar to the reaction you get to a work of art that moves you in a way that you can’t quite describe, moves you far beyond how you would evaluate its component parts.

Have you had a similar experience, and which wines moved the earth for you?

When I first started learning about wine while living in Sonoma, I was surprised at how often the stories of plucky and innovative daughters, wives and sisters popped up in relation to the founding and early days of iconic California wineries. Simi’s story was especially powerful: Founded in 1876 by two Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, the winery was taken over by Giuseppe Simi’s daughter, Isabelle, in 1904, and she continued to helm the brand throughout Prohibition, ensuring its survival. The pioneering continued in 1973, when Maryann Graf, the first woman to graduate from an American university with a degree in oenology, joined the winery. And Zelma Long, one of California’s most important winemakers, added to Simi girl power in 1979. All of these women, especially Isabel were anomalies in their own time.

Across the pond a century before in 1805, 27-year-old Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot gained control of late husband François Clicquot’s banking, wool trading, and Champagne production in a time when female business owners were essentially non-existent. Using funds from her father-in-law, “Veuve (widow) Clicquot” focused the company completely on Champagne production, developed an early Champagne technique called riddling and impacting the future of all Champagne styles and production. She also helped catapult the brand to success and it’s still one of the most important names in the wine world to date.

These are just a few of the stories that solidify women’s roles in the wine world—they were integral in paving the way for a new era in which women are prominent at all levels of wine business. Female sommeliers, wine directors, winemakers, buyers, owners—even wine editors like me—owe it to these great ladies for their bravery, skill and strength. Today, the trend continues, with stars like Helen Turley, Jancis Robinson, Karen McNeil and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild carrying the noble torch.

The next time you pop the cork on a great sip, don’t forget the women behind the wine. And let me know who I’ve missed!

I recently traveled to Greece and Cyprus on a wine tasting tour and besides being seduced by the beauty, food and culture of the countries, was fascinated by stories of the ancient Greek, Roman and Crusader-era history of the places. Both countries have been making wine for millennia, and many of the wine and food traditions we enjoy today were born in that part of the world.

Two highlights: the Assyrtiko bush vines at Domaine Sigalas on the island of Santorini, and the wine mosaics at Paphos in Cyprus. Assyrtiko vines on Santorini look like bushes or weeds—if you didn’t know what you were looking at you’d think they were just wild shrubs.  But lift up the “basket” and you’ll find Assytriko grapes growing, protected from the hot, windy, dry climate of the island. These vines are Phylloxera resistant and are ungrafted, making them an extremely rare and unique remnant of another age and producing very pure wine. Walking through the rustic vineyards, it’s easy to imagine the ancients cultivating the grapes. The setting is virtually unchanged, with unforgettable expanses of parched earth rolling down into an endless swath of brilliant blue.

At Paphos in Cyprus, the residential palace of the regional ancient Roman governor, called the House of Dionysus, is home to some of the most beautiful mosaics in existence (in my opinion). In addition to depicting various Roman gods and ancient myth, there’s a focus on Dionysus, winemaking, wine consumption and grapes. The mosaics were preserved after an earthquake buried the area, and the colors are still vibrant. The Romans loved brilliant, almost garish color—and you can still see that at Paphos.

Some other interesting vinophile facts I picked up on the trip and in my own research:

• Romans drank (and ate) while lying on their left sides to aid digestion. They did not use regular goblet-style wine glasses but drank out of a kind of shallow plate/bowl that they tipped into their mouths. The wine splashed around their lips, which they felt enhanced the senses. The Greeks also drank out of bowls, held by two small handles.
• The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates used wine as an antiseptic and a treatment for fevers. It was also used as a tonic, a diuretic and for digestive problems.
• Romans also enjoyed grand cru wines. The vintage of 121 BC was famed and named the Opimian vintage, named after the consul at the time—Lucius Opimius.
• Roman wine was often flavored with herbs such as lavender and thyme.
• Though the Cypriot dessert wine Commandaria is associated with the Crusaders who set up shop on the island (12th century-14th century), the wine was made by indigenous Cypriots for centuries before (back to 800 BC). The island was reputed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite and hosted festivals in her honor during the ancient Greek era; the wine was a star attraction.  It is made from sundried Mavro and Xinisteri grapes.

Wine is an integral part of Greek and Cypriot culture, and is deeply enmeshed in their rich history. Both are essential visits for anyone truly interested in wine.

I am saddened and shocked to learn of the premature death of Italian vintner Gianni Masciarelli. He died of a sudden stroke on July 31st at the young age of 53 while on a business trip to Munich. Italy has lost much more than a great winemaker. Masciarelli was a feisty and charismatic voice of truth and he served as a moral compass for Italian wine many years before scandalous reports of fraudulent wines were splashed across headlines.

I last spoke to Gianni just months ago when he invited me to the baptism of his youngest child, Riccardo, who is almost one year old now. In quintessential Masciarelli style, Gianni deftly moved the conversation from his infant son, to senator Obama and the US presidential elections, to Italian politics and to housing prices in Florida. His ideas were firm and unyielding yet he had the amazing ability to inspire and encourage a young wine writer like myself. He was a man of wide international vision and every word uttered was spoken with enthusiasm and passion. I honestly cannot think of another winemaker with the same caliber of conviction and purpose.

Gianni’s best qualities are reflected in his wines. Take Villa Gemma (a pure expression of Montepulciano). I gave the 2001 vintage 95 points and described it as “one of those ‘wow’ wines you encounter on fortunate but rare occasions that radically changes the way you think about a relatively unknown, workhorse grape like Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.” In fact, that wine earned a spot on our Top 50 Cellar Selections from around the world in 2007. It is a truly amazing and exceptional wine and I am proud to have a bottle in my cellar that I will cherish and hold in his memory.

Gianni Masciarelli was a guest speaker at a special seminar I gave at Vinitaly in April and he presented the 2001 Villa Gemma. I’ll never forget his intervention. He stood up in front of the crowd and said: “I am not here to talk about my wine, I am here to talk about Abruzzo.” He proceeded to describe his region, which is rustic and sometimes harsh, with the poetic tones one would reserve for a woman or a child. You could take Masciarelli out of Abruzzo but you could never take Abruzzo out of Masciarelli.

In my opinion, no winemaker did more for the region of Abruzzo and its wines than Masciarelli. He made it his mission to promote his territory and he has just finished a beautiful “conservation-restoration” project of an ancient abbey in which he tracked down original building materials with an enormous investment of passion, time and money.

Masciarelli was born in San Martino della Marrucina, near Chieti in Abruzzo and he started making wine in 1978. Since then, he has been credited with reviving Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and bringing it to the world stage. Masciarelli was also an importer of fine Italian wines to the United States and French wines to Italy. He launched Villa Gemma in 1984 and started a second line of wines, named after his wife Marina Cvetic, in 1991. His estate is about 370 acres and produces 1.1 million bottles per year.

I’d like to call out to all the Italian-Americans out there – especially those with ancestral roots in the Abruzzi – to try one of Masciarelli’s beautiful wines. There is no better way to “taste” the flavors of this special part of Italy and his wines are a direct link to your heritage.

My warmest sympathies go to Gianni’s wife Marina and his three children Miriam, Chiara and little Riccardo. Italy has lost an exceptional winemaker and Abruzzo has lost its guardian angel.

Monica Larner is Italian Editor with Wine Enthusiast. She is based in Rome and reviews wines from Italy for the magazine.