Let the Holiday Begin!
March 10, 2012 § Leave a Comment
23E may be the very center of the Boeing 777. That’s where I’m sitting, and it might as well be first class. I wouldn’t know the difference right now with how excited I’m am, about to depart Miami on my first leg to Rome, via London, for a two week holiday touring mostly the northern regions of my favorite country in the world. I’ll be logging what I can via iPad here, as I make my way through Rome, Florence, Valle d’Aosta, Milan, Stresa and the lakes region of Lombardy, Bergamo, Orvieto and more. Buon viaggio!
vini e cibi Piemontesi
March 15, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Yesterday afternoon, my friends Jeffrey and Christie Wolfe (and little rascals Jacob and Aiden,) were kind enough to let me crash their Saturday wine tasting at Wolfe’s on Dixie with Three Tomato Crostini and Wonton Wrapper Ravioli with Peas, Ricotta and Farm Herbs. The 18 wines from the Piemonte region of Italy were a rare treat, and the feedback on my homemade hors d’oeuvres to pair, equally as satisfying… Wines structured around the Nebbiolo grape, grown in the cool north (a climate fit for livestock,) work well with hearty dishes based on animal products like meat, eggs and butter, (as opposed to the south, where you’ll find a plant-based diet where olive oil reigns.) I tried to mitigate our balmy Miami weather by also throwing lighter ingredients like fresh chive, spring peas and tomatoes into the mix. You can find the recipes below, along with details on the Barolos, Barberas, Dolcettos and more that were tasted. To inquire about the wines and how/where to purchase, email jeffrey@wolfeswines.com.
Ci vediamio la prossima volta!
Many people asked if the ravioli could be served warm, as a main dish… Definitely! Just place a few in a bowl, drizzle a tiny bit more brown butter (or olive oil if you like it a little lighter,) grate some fresh parm and you’re good to go.
From Giacomo Grimaldi:
Dolcetto d’Alba 2007, Barbera d’Alba “Pistin” 2007, Nebbiolo d’Alba 2006,
Barolo “Sotto Castello di Novello” 2003, 2004 and 2005
From Paolo Scavino:
Rosso da Tavola 2006 and 2007, Barolo 2005, Carobric Barolo 2005 and Barolo Bric del Fiasc 2005
Also from the Degrazia Portfolio:
Gini Soave Classico 2007
Fontaleoni Vernaccia de San Gimignano 2007
Palazzone Orvieto Classico Terre Vineate 2007
Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo 2006
Seghesio Barbera d’ Alba 2004
Clerico Dolcetto “Visadi” 2006
Podere Il Palazzino Chianti Classico “Argenina” 2004
“get thee to a nunnery…”
March 13, 2009 § 1 Comment
When Hamlet utters these words to Ophelia in the eponymous Shakespearean tragedy, it is interpreted as an expression of his conflicted state, an inner turmoil over a father slain, a revenge plotted and a love uncertain. (Nunneries were once known to operate as both convents and brothels, believe it or not! How’s that for dramatic irony?)
Please rest assured, the intent of my allusion is neither to baffle nor to signal impending doom. There are a few reasons why evoking Shakespeare works to preface this post. Most literally, we’re going to be talking about nuns. And figuratively, like most brilliant works of classical art, this English Master’s plays have stood the test of time, only to grow stronger with age. Especially their power to transport us to the romantic old world of the past in which they are set. Of lords and serfs. Nobles and peasants. Where castles aren’t just relics of a forgotten time to which your travel agent coordinates a visit. It’s where the history of religious orders and their tradition of winemaking first began. And when the vines were first planted. It is in this mindset that I’d like to share what I learned about the Monastero Suore Cistercensi della Carita.
Relatively new to the game, considering the Catholic religion dates back nearly 2,000 years, the Monastero was founded in Vitorchiano just north of Rome in 1709, 93 years after Shakespeare’s death, during the period immediately following the Italian Renaissance, or Rinascimiento. Translated from the convent’s website - yes, they have a website, which put my waning Italian to the test - ”Mother Claudia De Angelis saw the human and spiritual poverty in her city and thought to create a ‘pious place of charity,’ founding the basis for an extraordinary spiritual adventure that lasts until today, with new means and new possibilities, but with a substantial and resolute faith to the past.”
It figures that for Importer Rosenthal Wine Merchant, it has also always been about preserving the time-honored traditions of their suppliers. I spoke on the phone Thursday with Blake Johnson, who has been with Company Founder Neal Rosenthal for 15 years, about the sisters’ wine and how it came to be marketed state side with the help of Area Vintner Giampiero Bea. He also touched on the Importer’s philosophy, of which you can read more in Rosenthal’s new book, Reflections of a Wine Merchant (Amazon, $16.32 when I last checked.) Having read the reviews, I think it would be an excellent read, especially while traveling to the terroir itself – or just dreaming of it while enjoying a glass of one of the nuns’ new releases, now available locally at Sunset Corners.
Click here to listen to how the nuns began bottling their wine
On respecting the land and the product
On the style of the nuns’ wine
2007 Monastero Suore Cistercensi Coenobium ($29.99 a bottle at Sunset Corners)
Grapes: Verdicchio, Grecchetto, Malvasia and Trebbiano
Characteristics: Bright with crisp acidity; dry wine and driven by its minerality; light in color with a pale yellow tint; sturdy and full-bodied, with hints of chamomile and lime blossom.
2007 Monastero Suoro Cistercensi Rusticum 2007 ($39.99 a bottle at Sunset Corners)
Grapes: Blend of 55% Trebbiano, 20% Malvasia, 15% Verdicchio, and 10% Grecchetto
Characteristics: Powerful with lots of character; deep golden color, carries 13.5% alcohol; haunting combination of honey and walnut flavors.
Helpful descriptions courtesy of Michael Bittel of Sunset Corners. Email Michael at mbittel@sunsetcorners.com for more information on the wines and what foods to pair with them, and he will be happy to help you.
