90 NAPLES ILLUSTRATED
TASTE
Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Valle started
as a server when D’Amico’s The Continental
opened in 2014. He took charge of the wine
program with the 2015-16 season. Recently
he became one of 650 people in the world
to pass the advanced level of the Court of
Master Sommeliers. The grueling three-day
exam, which focuses on tasting, theory, and
service, is a prelude to the Master Sommelier
examination itself. (damicoscontinental.com)
NI: How has The Continental’s wine list
changed since you took over?
Valle: We had about 350 selections in 2014
and more than 500 now. The growth is due to
the availability of great wines in Florida that
you couldn’t get 10 years ago. We’ve been
able to add producers such as Hervé Souhaut
from the northern Rhône Valley, who makes
fresh, pure Syrah. On the domestic side,
there’s Tatomer in Santa Barbara County,
who specializes in Riesling and Grüner
Veltliner, or Arnot-Roberts, making small-batch wine from some of California’s best
vineyards. With Arnot-Roberts, I had to email
them and persuade them to sell us some
wine, and we started with six bottles.
What are your personal preferences?
I love Pinot Noir for its elegance and
complexity. Syrah is the black sheep among
the most popular grape varieties, but it’s
truly magical when you taste a great one.
Nebbiolo is the legendary grape of Barolo
and Barbaresco: It has similar weight to
Pinot Noir, with a blend of tradition and
excitement. It’s important to start with the
Old World [because] once you understand
the classics and benchmarks, you can move
on to variations in other regions.
What’s the best way to understand
those benchmarks?
Try buying the same grape variety from
different regions, then taste them side by
side to appreciate the differences. If you
want to understand Pinot Noir, for example,compare bottles from California, Oregon,
and Burgundy. It’s also useful to compare
the same styles of wine from different price
points to get an understanding of why certain
wines are more expensive than others.
For you, what’s the most interesting
thing about wine?
The exciting thing is that it’s always
changing. There’s always a new region or
grape variety, and every vintage is different.
How can beginners learn more about
wine?
I spend a lot of time surfing Instagram;
almost every major winemaker and
wine personality has an account, and it’s
fascinating to see what they’re posting
and what they’re drinking. Of course, that
doesn’t mean you should only drink what
other people say you should drink. Don’t
rely on critics, ratings, or points—trust your
own palate, and you’ll discover what you
like and dislike.Q & A WITH HIGORVALLE
BRAZILIAN-BORN HIGOR VALLE, A SOMMELIER AT D’AMICO’S THE CONTINENTAL IN
NAPLES, HAS REACHED A MASSIVE MILESTONE IN HIS CAREER. HERE, HE CHATS WITH NI
ABOUT HIS LOVE OF WINE AND HOW NOVICES CAN WORK TO REFINE THEIR PALATES.«
Higor Valle worked as a DJ in his native Brazil
before coming to Naples and realizing his
passion for wine. “A good Burgundy is like a
symphony from Bach,” muses Valle.THE CONTINENTAL