Daughter and world's worst dog (except when dog is with daughter); see item 1.

I must get post 14 written so my Thanksgiving Day isn’t doomed (see last post if you’re confused).  A list of things for which I’m thankful isn’t original – nice, but not unique.  However, my creativity is waning after a long morning shopping for Thanksgiving dinner items and a longer afternoon doing housework.  The best I can come up with is a thankful list with one additional twist – an accompanying “hopeful” for each “thankful”.  Here goes.

1 – Thankful for my two daughters (one human, one canine).  Hopeful that they stay as happy and healthy as they are now.

2 – Thankful for my husband.  Hopeful that we have a long life together.

3 – Thankful for my other family members.  Hopeful that we all see each other soon.

4 – Thankful for coffee.  Hopeful I can start to function on a few less cups each day.

5 – Thankful for our soldiers.  Hopeful that they all can come home as soon as possible.

6 – Thankful for customer service people who work far too many hours.  Hopeful that customers treat them well this holiday shopping season.

7 – Thankful for the glass of Chianti my husband just handed me.  Hopeful that we have plenty more.

8 – Thankful for my daughter’s patience when I give her a home haircut (because I can’t bear to take her to a hair salon yet).  Hopeful her latest bang trimming grows out VERY soon.  (Suffice it to say that this was not one of her better haircuts.)

9 – Thankful for Kraft macaroni and cheese.  Hopeful that I can someday make a homemade mac and cheese that I actually like better.

10 – Thankful for flannel sheets.  Hopeful that I can get out of bed with a little more energy tomorrow.

11 – Thankful for my daughter’s new-found drawing ability.  Hopeful that she’ll always find ways to express herself.

12 – Thankful for my daughter’s first words.  Hopeful that there will be many more to come.

13 – Thankful for online shopping.  Hopeful that I never have to face a crowded mall during the holidays ever again.

14 – Thankful for the chance to write my fourteenth post before Thanksgiving Day.  Hopeful that everyone has a lovely holiday weekend.  Cheers.

Dettagli. Cura maniacale dei dettagli. Certosinità (neologismo in licenza Creative Commons, utilizzate pure). Come rifare il letto alla perfezione, stirare i calzini, piegare il tovagliolo di carta a triangolo per la cenetta veloce del lunedì sera a casa. Roba italiana. Il mondo ce la invidia - dicono - ma forse perchè non ci convive ogni giorno. Vorrei vederlo, uno di quegli amanti della Toscana inglesi, uomo pacato, istruito, di una certa caratura, ripreso da un gruppo di scatenate mamme italiane: ‘Ma ti sei messo la maglia di lana?’, ‘Hai mangiato abbastanza?’, ‘Non è che così sudi?’, ecc… Tornerebbe nel Kent di filata, Chianti o non Chianti. Cura del dettaglio e attenzione, perizia e metodo sono senza dubbio buone cose, se dosate nella maniera giusta. Qui da noi spesso si esagera. Ecco alcuni consigli per una vita meno controllata e probabilmente più felice, di certo più spensierata. Se è vero che la verità sta sempre nel mezzo e che il buon senso esiste. Ve li elenco a vostro specifico benificio, perchè per me ormai è troppo tardi: la mia battaglia quotidiana contro il pragmatismo nordeuropeo incuneatosi in famiglia ha estremizzato le italianità, sia volontarie che istintive. Ora piego vestitini per bambole in continuazione e controllo la chiusura della porta 3/4 volte a sera, quando va bene. E non ridete. Potrebbe succedere anche a voi, un domani. Italiani che non siete altro.

-non siate così ordinati e precisi nelle file davanti a uno sportello, e così distanti dal bancone quando tocca a quello prima di voi.

Ah no, scusate. Ho preso la lista di consigli sbagliata, evidentemente… per un’altra nazionalità… Ecco sotto quella giusta:

-le equazioni sono uno strumento prettamente matematico, che non si può applicare tout court alle questioni legate al tempo atmosferico e relativo abbigliamento necessario. Cioè: canottiera + polo a  maniche lunghe + giubbotto imbottito non è detto che sia uguale a canottiera + maglioncino di frescolana + giacca di velluto. Ditelo a chi vi rimprovera la scelta del vestiario di oggi, sottolinendo che ieri (o stamattina) eravate più coperti. E in ogni caso questi tentativi di ‘equazione tessile’ non aiuta a evitare i malanni di stagione. Smettiamola di stabilire a priori, fino alla pazzia, che combinazioni di capi indossare per un tipo di microclima. Di preoccuparci se un orecchio rimane scoperto per 15 secondi netti. Il corpo umano è in grado di reggere situazioni di vario tipo, sopravvivere a qualche grado di troppo o in meno rispetto alla tabella della buona mamma italiana. Altrimenti come farebbero le rosse ventenni irlandesi ad andare in discoteca a Dublino in febbraio con vestiti sexy e senza collant, senza morire in coda davanti all’ingresso? Non voglio prenderle a modello (gli anglosassoni sono anglosassoni), ma forse si può essere un pò più rilassati nella scelta del vestiario qui da noi. Un pensiero in meno, un pizzico di avventura in più.

-si possono anche indossare occhiali da sole, o altri accessori, e parlare con telefoni cellulari che non siano il meglio in assoluto sul mercato e l’articolo più costoso del negozio. Funzionano lo stesso, se si perdono in spiaggia o si rompono calpestati da noi stessi non ci si rode il fegato per mesi come invece accade di norma, e inoltre ci si dà un tocco di elegante disinteresse materiale che in questi anni di Yoga, agricoltura biologica e fonti di energia rinnovabile funziona. Provateci. Cheap is the new posh. E vedrete che tra poco ci penserà un brand famoso a rifilarvi ’sto concetto, a prezzi appena più bassi, ovviamente.

-si è ciò che si mangia, siamo d’accordo. Bisogna mangiare bene, in modo bilanciato, senza esagerazioni, riducendo anzi certi tipi di cibo che fino a ieri – in verità – ci hanno quasi obbligato a mangiare con bombardamenti mediatici e sociali di ogni tipo, come la carne e le proteine e i grassi di origine animale. Ma il vento è cambiato, dicevamo, e un buon italiano sa TUTTO di cibi e cucina. Pure troppo. Solo che anche qui ci vuole misura e buon senso: così come la marijuana, poveretta, da sempre demonizzata e vietata, ha attirato, attira e attirerà milioni di… sorridenti e pacifici consumatori, anche l’hamburger o la schifezza confezionata rischiano di fare questa fine da martiri. E badate bene, non sto difendendo l’hamburger o la merendina. Bisogna educare, convincere. Ma vietare provoca di solito l’effetto contrario. Al massimo bisogna suggerire in modo robusto. Anche perchè noi stessi abbiamo speso pomeriggi interi della nostra personale era dei brufoli e della voce strana seduti in qualche Burghy, con acconciature improponibili e vestiti che per la verità adesso li trovi nelle vetrine a prezzi da non credere. Ad averlo saputo li avrei tenuti tutti… Quindi, corretta alimentazione, cura del dettaglio a tavola, tabelle nutrizionali, diete, apporti, quello che volete, ma senza superare il limite che determina la schiavitù.

E adesso scusatemi, ma devo rivedere il post una cinquantina di volte ancora prima di pubblicarlo: aggiustare bene le virgole, provare diversi font, capire come meglio spezzarlo in paragrafi… Chi l’ha detto che il blog è un medium diretto e spontaneo?

Last weekend the elegant premisses of the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone were swarming with wine lovers from all over the world.
A young banker from South Korea indulging in the 20th glass of Bordeaux was not a rarity and a curious wine junkie from the Czech Republic (me) could not miss this magnificent event annually organised by the UK wine magazine Decanter.

From over 600 wines I managed to taste 40 and even left with three bottles as a gift from the lovely representatives of Chateau Peyrabon in Bordeaux. I tasted their wines right at the beginning of my long journey through wine regions of the world. Particularly Chateau Peyrabon 2003 resembling Chianti with its black currant and mature taste for such a young age surprised me.

There were many other Bordeaux such as Chateau Beychevelle, Faugéres, Chauvin or the star Chateau Palmer which reshaped my conviction, that Bordeaux younger than 10 years is almost undrinkable. Their 2003 and even 2005 releases were more than pleasant!

Another revelation was Napa Valley’s Heitz Cellars with stunning Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 is perfect for your juicy steak. California really does not stay behind. You only need to search in the immense haystack of for me often boring wines and you discover such treasures like Seghesio’s Zinfandel from Home Ranch Alexander Valley which balanced body with light chocolate entangling your tongue was intriguing.

From the eight winemakers from South Africa I would elevate the Danie de Wet Cape Muscadet 2007 for its exotic li-chi and orange peel flavours are ideal to accompany a peach sorbet. The Decanter Gold medal winner Steytler Pinotage 2006 and Steytler Vision 2006 were fruity and quite sweet. Both are from the Kaapzicht Estate meaning “cap view” as it stems from the wonderful view over Cape Town and Table Mountain.

Finally a small revelation. Fashion designers have already made their steps into furniture, hotels, etc. But Roberto Cavalli triumphs over them all as he lets his brother Tommaso manage a vineyard on his Tuscan estate Tenuta degli Dei producing Igt wine since 2006. You could buy the classic bottle for £32 at the venue or get a special limited version bottle designed by Roberto himself.
This year’s Fine Wine Encounter was amusing and enriching for me as I have learned there a lot. Furthermore, I could not resist to the special subscription offer from the Decanter magazine and got one year for £29 with a gift in the form of an internationally praised wine guide the Wine Report 2009 by Tom Stevenson (£9.99 at www.dk.com ).

Throughout the event you could enter a draw and win a place at the WSET level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines & Spirits worth £355 from the largest global provider of qualifications in wines & spirits the Wine & Education Trust. What more to wish for Christmas as with their 40 years experience in the wine education your knowledge of wines can move to higher spheres. And this is not all! You could win cases of award-winning wines from Decanter and even a two-night luxury break at one of 17 historic country houses from Handpicked Hotels.

To grasp all the great producers at the Landmark Hotel is impossible just here, therefore I recommend you visiting the upcoming Decanter events in 2010. The hotel will host The Great Bordeaux Fine Wine Encounter on 20 February and Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter on 15 May. For bookings call +44(0)20 31484513 or go to www. decanter.com/events

(full report pending)

The wines we tasted were:

2006 Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, Amarone della Valpolicella (Sainsbury’s, £14.69)

2004 Massimo Romeo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £15.70)

2006 Querciabella, Chianti Classico (Waitrose, £16.99)

2004 Argiano, Brunello di Montalcino (Negozio Classica, £38.99)

2004 Rocca di Montegrossi ‘Geremia’, Toscana IGT (Handford Wines, £31.95)

2006 Cantina del Pino, Barbaresco (Waitrose, £24.99)

2005 Paolo Conterno, Barolo (Negozio Classica, £39.99)

Si moltiplicano le piccole rassegne enologiche, i corsi e le degustazioni sul territorio.

San Gimignano (SI)

Gli ultimi fine settimana sono stati intensi per il mondo del vino a Torino, tra la quinta edizione dell’interessante piccola rassegna Tastuma tut (in dialetto “assaggiamo tutto”) e il rinnovato Salone del vino, ribattezzato “Wine Show“. Già a partire dalla scelta del nome si nota una certa diversità nell’approccio…

Ma in tutta Italia si moltiplicano iniziative di avvicinamento al vino e ai vini: corsi, piccole degustazioni, rassegne per appassionati enogastronauti, come Terroir Vino, Villa Favorita, Vinòforum e Aglianico & Aglianico. Sul bel web magazine “Intravino” c’è chi si chiede, con ironia, se gli appuntamenti non siano troppi, visto che bisogna anche considerare gli “imperdibili” eventi “istituzionali”, primo fra tutti il Vinitaly.

Noi pensiamo che tutte le rassegne e gli incontri che creano una loro dimensione siano intelligenti, se sono in grado di trovare un pubblico interessato, magari solo locale oppure solo composto di turisti: ad esempio le degustazioni estive realizzate a San Gimignano dal museo del vino. Abbiamo partecipato in agosto al “pomeriggio dei produttori”, una degustazione di chianti classico e vernaccia, apprezzando le grandi differenze fra i diversi prodotti presentati. Ma soprattutto godendo del meraviglioso panorama… tutto sommato anche il luogo fa la sua parte, e non a caso molte delle piccole rassegne di cui abbiamo parlato sono organizzate in parchi ed edifici belli e affascinanti.

San Gimignano (SI)

English version

Local events fascinate wine enthusiasts

All around Italy different initiatives for approaching wine world born and grow: wine courses, small tastings, events for wine enthusiasts; for exemple Turin Wine Show, Tastuma Tut (in local dialect means “we taste everything”…), Terroir Vino, Villa Favorita, Vinoforum (in Rome) and  Aglianico & Aglianico.

We think that all meetings which are enable to interest a public are useful and intelligent. Participants could be local people but also (why not) wine tourists, like during the summer tasting organised in San Gimignano by local wine museum.

Wines of Italy

When you look up Italian Wine in the dictionary there is a picture of this squat little bottle of Chianti in a basket-like holder. Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it is unfortunately how many of us think about Italian wines. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with Chianti. On the contrary, many of my favorite Italian wines are Chianti Classico Riserva. My point is that many Americans equate Italian wine with Chianti, and not very good Chianti at that

Italy is among the world’s largest wine producing countries with more than a million vineyards, more than any other country. Most of the common grape varieties grown in the United States are also grown in Italy, but most Italian wines are produced from grape varieties distinctive to that part of the world. These unfamiliar grape varieties make dealing with Italian wines more challenging for Americans. That’s unfortunate because Italian wines are very food friendly.

There are hundreds of varieties of grapes unique to Italy, but fortunately only a few responsible for the wines you and I are going to see on the shelf. The most prevalent of these are Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Corvina and Barbera for red wines, and Trebbiano and Pinot Grigio for white. These grape varieties are responsible for the commonly seen Italian red wines Chianti Classico, Barolo, Barbaresco, Montepulciano, Barbera, Valpolicella, Amarone and the white Italian wines Trebbiano, Soave, and Pinot Grigio.

Sangiovese (san-joh-VAY-zeh) is Italy’s most famous red-wine grape variety, but you may not be familiar with the name. Sangiovese is the predominant grape variety of Chianti Classico (Key-AHN-tee Class-e ko), probably the most well known Italian wine. Sangiovese is also produced as a varietal wine. If you like Chianti Classico you may want to try one of the many Sangiovese varietal wines, some produced in California. Sangiovese can also be blended with other varieties to produce non-traditional blends called Super Tuscans.

The Nebbiolo (Nay-BYOH-low) grape is used to produce Barolo (Ba-ROE-loe) and Barbaresco (Bar-ba-RES-coe) wines. Wines produced from Nebbiolo are known for their elegance and bouquet of wild mushroom, truffle and roses.

Montepulciano (Mon-tuh-pul-CHEE-an-no) is one of the most widely grown grapes in the coastal area of Abruzzo. Montepulciano produces wines that develop silky plum-like fruit, food-friendly acidity, and light tannins.

Barbera (Bar-ber-AH) is the most widely grown red grape variety of Piedmont and Southern Lombardy. The wine has bright cherry fruit, a very dark color, and a food-friendly acidity.

Corvina (Cor-vee-nah) is the principal grape variety of Valpolicella (Val-pole-e-CHEL-la) and Amarone wines. Valpolicella wine has dark cherry fruit and spice. Amarone (Ah-ma-ROH-nay) wines, because of different production techniques, are elegant, dark, and full of fruit.

Trebbiano (Treb-YAH-no) is the most widely planted white varietal in Italy. Trebbiano wines are typically pale, easy drinking wines. Soave (SWAH-vay) is one of the top selling wines in Italy made from Trebbiano. It is a straw-yellow color, delicate and light, with a hint of almonds and flowers.

Pinot Grigio (PEE-no-GREE-jee-oh) is probably the best known white-wine grape of Italy. Pinot Grigio (a.k.a. Pinot Gri) is a crisp white wine, usually delicate and mild although in the right hands it can be full-bodied and complex.

Italy produces modern wines, based on an ancient tradition, with flavors and aromas that cannot be experienced in wines from anywhere else. Italian wines are very easy to drink, reasonably priced and common on restaurant wine lists and by-the-glass lists. So why not try a Chianti Classico, Barolo, Barbaresco, Montepulciano, Barbera, Valpolicella, Amarone, Trebbiano, Soave or Pinot Grigio. I think you’ll become a fan as I have.

Cellar Notes

I had the pleasure of visiting Simposio Ristorante one evening last week for their first annual Fall Wine Tasting and Food Pairing featuring food and wine from Tuscany, Sicily, Piemonte and Friuli-Venezia Giula. Simposio has been in Houston for many years, but in their new location at 8401 Westheimer between Fondren and Hillcroft for only two. The new restaurant provides a beautiful and sophisticated backdrop to some truly outstanding northern Italian cuisine.

We sampled more than a dozen menu items paired with an equal number of Italian wines. My favorites were the Funghi del Bosco (wild mushrooms on crisp, grilled polenta) and Agnolotti di Coniglio (ravioli stuffed with rabbit). This innovative use of traditional ingredients by executive chef Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio created a memorable tasting experience. In the spirit of full disclosure I need to say that I was a guest of the restaurant on this evening. However, my wife and I already have plans to return as paying customers.

Here are two of the wines we sampled that evening, a Sangiovese and Barbera, that I liked and that you might want to try when you visit the restaurant. Since I’m not sure these wines are available at retail, I’ve also included a reasonable priced Chianti Classico Riserva that you will find at some grocery wine departments as well as at Specs (but not at Simposio).

Name: Tenuta La Braccesca Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano
  Grape: Sangiovese
  Producer: Aninori Tenuta (estate) La Braccesca
  Appellation: Nobilie di Montepulciano – Tuscany
  Flavors of black olive and black cherry. Savory, rich and full bodied.

Name: Pio Cesare Fides Barbera d’Alba 2005
  Grape: Barbera
  Producer: Pio Ceasare
  Appellation: Barolo – Piedmont
  Flavors of cherry, chocolate and ripe fruit.

Name: Riserva Ducale Oro (gold)
  Grape: Sangiovese
  Producer: Ruffino
  Appellation: Chianti Classico
  Spec’s $30 – $35
  Flavors of plum, blueberry, black cherry, blackberry and vanilla.

E’ giunta la sera, calata la notte.
I pensieri ormai vagano spersi
nell’ombra viscosa del tempo.

Senza colore. Solo nel grigio,
nel bruno del sangue,

Montalcino, Tenuta La Fuga. La bottaia nel sottoscala della Villa padronale.

Tor Calvano, La Forra, Cabreo il Borgo: anime e corpo in evidenza.

Sangiovese prima dell’invaiatura a Villa Nozzole, Greve in Chianti

Tenimenti Folonari, tenuta di Cabreo a Greve in Chianti.

Desde o início da viagem, tô pertubando a galera pra gente alugar bicicletas. Mas a Luana não curte muito essa “vibe” esportiva. Então, consegui convencer o Uirá, que achou o passeio caro, a ir comigo conhecer uma parte da Toscana conhecida como Chianti.

O lugar é incrível. Paisagem de catálogo, mas com temperatura, cheiro e movimento. Sofremos um pouco com as subidas, pois o lugar é cheio de colinas, mas nos surpreendíamos a todo momento. E como me lembrava das aulas da Aline… o quanto treinei para esse momento. Hehehe. Pedalar de verdade. Subir fazendo força e descer em velocidade. Demais! Me senti no Giro d’Italia!

O nosso guia, um americano figuraça com seu cachorro mais figuraça ainda deram um tom muito descontraído ao passeio. Jack, o cãozinho Russel Terrier, começou a pedalada sobre quatro patas e cheirando tudo.

No alto da primeira colina, Bill colocou o bichano na cestinha. Ele reclamou muito, rosnou. Mas não teve jeito, aceitou o fardo de ser rebocado. O mais engraçado é que Bill fala italiano com o cachorro. “Basta, basta”, ele gritava.

Definitivamente, ele não gosta dessa cesta.

Fomos até uma olivicultura, eles estavam colhendo as azeitonas. Entrei debaixo de uma das oliveiras, e fiquei fascinada, pensando muito na Rosa e em quantas horas passei na internet procurando fotos daquilo que estava bem na minha frente agora, uma colheita de azeitonas.

As azeitonas colhidas, Lecino e Maraiolo.

Piu bello!

Depois, fomos até a vila, ou sede principal, de uma das maiores vinícolas da Itália. As terras cultivadas vão daqui de Florença até Roma, praticamente. Vimos onde são produzidos e estocados os vinhos, do mais simples, ao mais elaborado, que fica estocado no tonel de carvalho novo durante 18 meses.

Eles também produzem azeite.

PAUSA PARA UM MINUTO DE SILÊNCIO em homenagem a câmera do Uirá que simplesmente sofreu um “ataque” e faleceu hoje, parando de funcionar bem na hora que eu falei: “Amor, você TEM QUE FOTOGRAFAR ISSO para eu usar no powerpoint da Rosa”. Estávamos no meio da produção DE AZEITE. Olá.

A única foto que conseguimos é do azeite no jarro de Terracota. Uma pena.

Resolvi não me estressar e tentei gravar na memória para sempre o cheiro forte e gostoso da azeitona moída dentro do frantoio. Inesquecível.

No caminho, passamos pela Pizzaria da Daniele, claro que ela não podia ter escolhido lugar melhor para abrir a dela. Beijo, mana.

Gente, o passeio vale muito a pena. Quando vier a Florença, procure a Florencetown: www.florencetown.com!

Two weeks ago saw us laying low and the weather was turning cold and wet.  It was also the night before Halloween (Hallows Eve’s).  We love when the kids come around the house and we get the chance to hand out candy.  This week after shabbos was over, we handed out Halloween pencils and it was a ton of fun.  It was even more enjoyable because last year was a train wreck.  You see Halloween fell on Friday Night last year, and since we cannot hand out food or anything else on shabbos, we were not able to share stuff with the families that came by.  So given the situation, we went with Spaghetti Bolognese (san fromage), which we have had a few times in the past.  A quick aside, we almost exactly copied the past attempt, without even trying – which is cool!  Anyway, to pair with this dinner, I chose a bottle of wine that I have been looking forward to trying, because I love Chianti and it is Mevushal, and further, it is a Chianti Riserva.  You see Italy defines its regions and regulations through an older and somewhat maligned group called the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and the more reputable Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG).  The DOCG was created after many in Italy’s food industry started to raise serious concerns over the DOC’s “loosey-goosey” denomination that it seemed to give to anything that was not moving.

In many ways this is all quite ironic and sad, because the very accusations that were levied on the DOC are now bearing down on the DOCG, like a freight train down the Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Incline Railway (sorry I got caught up with Tennessee – watching the CMAs).  For the better part of three years the DOCG’s reputation has been under fire because of an allegation against some of the top red wine producers in all of Italy, the famed wines of Brunello di Montalcino.  These wines were given the coveted DOCG recognition in 1980, and quickly became one of the best red wines in all of Italy.  But in September 2007, the wine world was shell shocked by acquisitions that one or more percent of the Brunello wineries and some major ones as well, were substituting grape varietals for the requisite Brunello Sangiovese grape!  The very same accusations that were leveled on the DOC were being brought down on the DOCG in late 2007.  But the story only gets better!  A month or so after the accusations were leveled, the consortium of Brunello producers voted to keep Brunello 100% Sangiovese.  To put perspective on this, say U.S. orange juice producers (who placed a label of 100% orange juice on their containers) were to be accused of not using oranges for their juice, and so the USDA started pulling the orange juice containers from the store shelves.  So what contrived answer would they come up with?  Why that is obvious of course, we will just change what 100% orange juice means!  AHH!!!  Are you kidding me!  What a joke!  Well, thankfully, they all voted to keep things status quo, but to me, just the vote alone shows the corruption and ineptitude that riddles the DOCG and the DOC.  Well, if you thought that is where it ended, just you wait!  Man we need to make a movie out of this stuff!  If there were not enough bureaucracies (DOC, DOCG, Siena public prosecutor, etc.), involved in this mess, the USA had to way in!  Yep – we always need to stick our noses where it does not belong.  Under the guise of consumer protection the TTB has demanded that all Brunello bottles have a label reassuring consumers that the Brunello bottles sold here in the USA are 100% Sangiovese.  Well, after two plus years of investigating, the Italian authorities have come back, and have stated that they have magically closed the case.  So, you would think it would be riddled with accusations, charges, fines, etc. – NOPE!  No real data at all.  So in a game of chicken, the TTB has come out saying that they will not play these games, and require a real answer and continued labeling until they have more answers, and as of this pointing it is still the case.  Even if the consumer is not the real story, we have to be happy to see the TTB strut their stuff, and try to get to the bottom of this mess.

So where does all this leave us?  I saw a wonderful posting by Tom Maresca, and it does have its points.  Still, I have serious issues with what lies below the surface.  We as a nation and a country are slowly becoming more and more desensitized to wrong doers.  We are also willing to let things go when they are actually not such a light subject.  You see, the real issue here my friends is that if the DOCG and the Brunello producers were serious about their jobs, and prideful about their history and artistry, they should either fess up to what they really are (or are not) or just admit that they are not doing their job.  The DOCG should maybe rethink their name FDOCG (Forse Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) or DOCG?  Come on, The DOCG cannot guarantee anything it is not scientifically or conceptually enforceable.  It is the classic story of trying to sell yourself as more than you are.  The DOCG should not be selling themselves as more than what they are – an organization that defines the rules, but not one that can or should be attempting to enforce them.  If there is a closing line to this whole thing – I would go with a small Brunello producer, who under a veil of anonymity, spoke with Jeremy Parzen, and came up with an awesome line and story.

As a small producer, we have been treated like we had nothing to say. We felt absolutely NOT represented by the Consortium, neither protected. DOCG means that our Appellation of Origin is Controlled and Guaranteed. This was the only supposed role of the Consortium. None of these things was provided by them: obviously NOT the controls, NOT the guarantee and, sometimes, NOT even the origin. So I am asking myself what is the reason of the Consortium to be. Right now, the Consortium is just a cost for a small producer, and it’s giving no advantages at all. Many people will soon leave, I am sure.

I could not have said it better myself!  I hope I have brought a different angle to this madness and I hope you have enjoyed it.  The wine notes for the Chianti follows below:

2006 Borgo Reale Chianti Riserva – Score: B – B+
The nose on this dark ruby to garnet colored wine is initially hot but blows off soon, rich cherry, raspberry, roasted herbs, and heavy vanilla. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is soft and mouth filling without it being mouth coating, the tannins are integrated nicely, and give the wine a slight lift, along with cherry, raspberry, and plum. The mid palate is brightly acidic, along with coffee and vanilla. The finish is medium long with bright red fruit that lingers long on the palate after the wine is gone. The wine need to be drunk ASAP, it is throwing sediment, and does not last long after the bottle is opened. I opened the bottle Friday night and by Saturday day it was astringent and most of the fruit is gone.

I have recently returned from a once-a-year committee meeting. This year’s meeting was in St. Louis, Missouri.

Our chair, Kurt, and fellow committee members Katie, Janis, Jeff, Nicole and I all went to dinner together at “Charlie Gitto’s Downtown” restaurant. We chose  the Chianti Gabbiano (of which we ordered and consumed three bottles).  The wine was light and pasta-friendly with a nose of berries and tobacco.  The six of us had a lovely evening. . .processing and discussing the day’s meeting together, sharing bits of our personal lives (e.g., children, nieces and nephews choosing colleges, dogs, student loans, meeting our mates) and enjoying delicious Italian food and wine. It was a great way to wrap up a long day. The wine was reasonably priced at $29 (or was it $24?) a bottle.

To my fellow “NCAA Research Committee” members, until next year. . .cheers! 

(italiatv.it)  Sara’ un autunno internazionale quello che si apprestano a vivere le tre importanti Docg toscane, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico e Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Queste prestigiose denominazioni uniscono infatti le forze in vista del loro primo impegno comune nell’ambito del progetto “The Three Tuscan Masters”. Il prossimo 16 novembre i tre grandi vini saranno protagonisti a Zurigo, presso il ristorante Lake Side, dove si svolgera’ una giornata di degustazione aperta agli operatori svizzeri.   Obiettivo dell’evento e’ proprio quello di rafforzare e sottolineare l’identita’ di tre vini che godono di un elevatissima considerazione sul mercato europeo e internazionale, dando rilievo alle peculiarita’ di ciascuna Docg e, contemporaneamente, al valore che le accomuna: l’elevata qualita’ del prodotto. Oltre 100 produttori in rappresentanza delle tre denominazioni toscane saranno al centro della degustazione aperta agli operatori del settore, alla stampa specializzata e al pubblico. I partecipanti avranno l’opportunita’ di assaggiare le ultime annate in commercio di Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico e Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Il programma dell’evento prevede inoltre dei seminari (uno per la stampa, uno per gli operatori e un terzo per i consumatori finali) guidati dal giornalista elvetico Christian Eder, nota firma della stampa internazionale di settore, durante i quali sara’ degustata e commentata una selezione di vini delle tre denominazioni. Eder illustrera’ le peculiarita’ e le differenze proprie di ciascun vino insieme alle caratteristiche delle tre zone toscane a vocazione vitivinicola e delle diverse annate in commercio. Sara’ questa una grande occasione anche per far aumentare la conoscenza dei tre vini nel mercato elvetico che ha da sempre rappresentato una piazza eccellente, soprattutto per la posizione strategica che la Svizzera ha nei confronti degli altri paesi dell’Europa continentale, Germania in testa. Nel 2008 proprio la Svizzera ha rappresentato una buona fetta dell’export di vino toscano. Le esportazioni restano un elemento di forza per le tre denominazioni che negli ultimi anni, nonostante la crisi che ha investito i diversi comparti dell’economia del nostro paese, hanno assistito ad un incremento delle vendite all’estero in particolare verso i paesi mitteleuropei, gli Stati Uniti e i “mercati emergenti” asiatici.agi

Date/time: 23 November, Monday, 7.45pm

Piemonte e Toscana – Nobili Vini d’Italia Leonardo da Vinci once wrote that “the discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star”. Hailing from Tuscany, he would surely know a thing or two about good wine. If Burgundy is one of the historic centres of white wine production, then Italy surely has a strong claim to being the home of old-world red wine. Indeed, wines from Tuscany and Piedmont in particular are some of the most sought-after in the world, matching even the historic châteaux of Bordeaux in quality (and of course, price). In November, we will be focusing exclusively on these two regions and learning why they are so globally popular. A hint: it has a lot to do with Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.

Cost: £10 per person

RSVP: glass (dot) half (dot) fulham (at) googlemail (dot) com by 13 November, Friday. Numbers are limited to 15 and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Paloma, la ragazzina intelligentissima protagonista de “l’eleganza del riccio” che si dimostra giudice tagliente e cinica osservatrice dell’ambiente familiare e condominiale dove vive lo chiamava “Il diario dei movimenti del mondo”…

Ecco un mio personale “diario dei movimenti del mondo” che ho potuto osservare presso la splendida Tenuta Castello d’Albola nei pressi di Radda in Chianti, in occasione di una settimana di vacanza nella magnifica terra di Toscana.

mercoledì 23 settembre 09 ore 16:40

Sono seduto in compagnia di Manuela su di una panchina nel cortile interno della Tenuta Castello d’Albola, finalmente un momento di pace dopo una mattinata trascorsa in esplorazione della zona del Chianti, tra borghi medievali, vigneti, gente ospitale e scorci indimenticabili.

Un attimo di tregua, un momento di tranquillità dalla calura estiva che, pur essendo settembre inoltrato, si fa comunque sentire. Una leggera brezza ci accarezza in volto e porta con se l’odore dei vigneti e degli ulivi della tenuta.

Davanti a noi l’ingresso dell’Enoteca, ricca di cimeli storici, vini da degustare, vini di diverse annate e un tavolo in pietra, molto probabilmente ricavato da una macina per le olive e un bel tronco d’ulivo come base.

Intorno, iniziano ad arrivare alcuni turisti stranieri, alcuni entrano nell’enoteca, altri restano fuori con noi a godere quell’angolo di paradiso.

Siamo tutti in attesa della visita guidata prevista per le 17:00…

Ad un tratto due coppie di turisti americani escono dall’enoteca con una bottiglia di Acciaiolo 2004 Toscana IGT e 4 calici, si siedono al tavolo di pietra e stappano la bottiglia.

Adoro il gradevole suono di una bottiglia stappata, l’amabile tintinnio dei calici di fine cristallo che poggiano sulla pietra o il vivace gorgoglio del nettare divino versato.

I visitatori, una volta esaminato il color rubino, fresco, brillante, al delizioso controluce di settembre e il profumo di viola, marasca e frutti di bosco, dopo aver roteato il bicchiere, cominciano a riempire i calici anche alle rispettive mogli.

Primo sorso.  Quello più breve e d’impatto.

“mmm… Good!”

Secondo sorso.

“oooooh yeah, really good”

Quello che inizia a trasportarti con l’anima.

Calici vuoti…

Suono del vino versato…

Calici nuovamente pieni.

Terzo sorso.

“This is the Red wine”

E’ pura estasi.

Quarto sorso.

“Soooo tasty”

Ormai sono stati catturati dalla morbida essenza armonica dell’Acciaiolo.

Calici vuoti…

Suono del vino versato…

Calici nuovamente pieni.

Le mogli cominciano a preoccuparsi del “degustare questo nettare così prezioso a digiuno”.

Calici vuoti…

Suono del vino versato…

Calici nuovamente pieni.

Cosa avrà di così speciale questa ambrosia creata ad un’altitudine di circa mezzo chilometro?

Quali frutti avrà mai potuto generare il suo terreno argilloso-ghiaioso esposto al respiro di Ostro, Libeccio e Scirocco?

Quale contributo potrà mai aver donato il Dio Horus che trasmette ogni giorno la forza per resistere alle intemperie?

Ad un tratto una voce soave mi riporta alla realtà, la nostra guida Lisa è appena uscita dall’enoteca spiegando in inglese che la visita sta per avere inizio.

Tenuta Castello d’Albola – Radda in Chianti

Wine is Love – Il blog di Francesco Zonin

Enoteca Tenuta Castello d'Albola - Radda in Chianti

Alberti/Bellariva appartamento al 1° piano di mq.105 netti in palazzina d’epoca, altezza m.3,80, composto da ingresso, sala doppia, cucina, 2 matrimoniali, studio/cameretta, bagno, balcone e cantina.

]]> http://luxemburgues.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/macarrones-jazz-y-vino/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:57:19 +0000 José Andrés Pizarro Gascón http://luxemburgues.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/macarrones-jazz-y-vino/

No me gusta la dieta alemana. Se basa casi exclusivamente en derivados del cerdo y de la patata : Codillo, spätzles, y salchichas. De vez en cuando como estas cosas, pero procuro no abusar, y mis arterias lo agradecen.

Pero cuando los fines de semana estoy en casa, hay un plato que nunca falla. No es que sea ni mucho menos nouvelle cuisine, pero como los yogures Bio, me renuevan por dentro y eso se nota por fuera. No es ni más ni menos que unos macarrones con chorizo de mi pueblo, concretamente hechos por mi tía. Suena un poco zafio decir que hacer macarrones es mi especialidad, pero a Rafa le había contado lo bien que me saben, y les tenía ganas. Así que, esta vez, y junto con Enrique y Carlos, organizamos una macarronada en casa de Rafa. Yo ponía lo ingredientes, Enrique el vino, y los demás comían y bebían felizmente…

Así que a eso de la 13:15 me fuí a Trier-Süd a recoger a Carlos y Enrique. Pensé que este traería un par de botellas de vino, pero apareció con una mochila petada. Solo me dijo que traía vino Mosel, que es el vino de aquí, y Chianti, para acompañar la pasta. Lo demás era simplemente una sorpresa…

Y a eso de la 13:30, y tal y como habíamos hablado con Rafa, nos plantamos en su casa con todos los materiales de cocina. Nos abrimos una cerveza, hablamos un ratillo, y a eso de las 2 llegaba la hora de remangarse y ponerse manos a la obra…

Cociendo la pasta!

El proceso de preparar los macarrones no tiene más misterio. Pones una olla con agua, saly y aceite, la pones a hervir, y cuando rompa el ague echas la pasta. Esperas 10-15 minutos, sacas la pasta y la sacudes un poco. Luego pones los macarrones a freir, cuando suelta la grasilla, echas la pasta y el tomate, remueves todo y poco más. A mí lo único especial que me gusta echarle es pimienta blanca molida. A Marián también, y al ir a añadirle un poco más, me pasé y le eché un huevo. Así que cuando lo probaron dejaron caer que picaba un poco … pero en el fondo a mi me gustaba

Guten apetit!

Mientras tanto ya nos habíamos pimplado la botella de Mosel y de Chianti, y Enrique ya había sacado la primera de las sorpresas: Un vino sudafricano hecho con uva pinotage qu estaba muy bueno, pero que yo solo cataba, porque de cara a volver con el coche tenía que controlar un rato. La sobremesa duró algo así como 3 horas, en la que nos dedicamos a hablar del curro, de la crisis, de la música Jazz que pinchaba Rafa, de los vídeos de Les Luthiers, … en fin, estuvimos un buen rato entretenidos… y mientras cayó otra botellita de vino, esta vez una botella de vino de Valdepeñas Gran Reserva que también estaba buenísimo! Eso sí, resulta gracioso ver el vino español con el etiquetado alemán

Valdepeñen

Así que el Domingo pasado, que por norma general suele ser un auténtico coñazo, y más desde que el Atleti no hace más que perder, estuvo la mar de bien, y estoy pensando una nueva fecha en la que repetir. Quizá la próxima sea con tortilla, o con el arroz con tacos de bonito, que también me queda muy currao… pero lo importante es la compañía!

Surprises abound in life, and this one was a good one!

I was driving on Chianti Road, on my way from Florence to Panzano, to visit my friends Kim and Dario, and I got hungry. Although it was after 2 o’clock which in Italy is late for lunch, I was hoping to find something. I was not looking for a full meal, just a light one and a glass of wine.

In any case, I saw a turn of the road to the left and decided to follow the narrow winding road.

After a couple of kilometers I arrived at a beautiful spot on top of a hill.

I parked the car and went to explore the building.

It was an old residence, and had the name “Castello Vicchiomaggio”.

It even had a chapel inside.

I went to the dining area, where a few people where finishing their meal.

The kind waiter informed me that the kitchen was closed but they could get me a salad and some antipasti. Perfect!

The last guests left, and I had this huge area for myself.

A wonderful fresh salad, was accompanied by prosciuto, salumi and pecorino.

The wine was produced by the owner of the castello, John Matta, and it was fantastic for lunch.

The waiter finished his work and came to play the piano in the dining area. He started with some light tunes I did not know, We started talking and the discussion came to opera. All of a sudden, he played “Nessun Dorma”, the famous aria of Puccini’s Turandot. He smiled and thanked me for listening.

On my way out I checked the front side of the castello, and saw the pool and the magnificent view!

What a surprise!

P.S. I later checked on the internet and saw that John Matta is one of the best winemakers in the area.

In an effort to take my mind off of the fact that I quit smoking, I started running back in February. It also helped me lose some of the weight I had gained. Running has become my hobby and I run every day without fail, most days 3-4 miles and on exceptional days 6+ miles. The problem with this is that I am hungry all the time. And I enjoy being skinny again so I try to keep our breakfast, lunch, and dinners at moderate to low calorie and fat consumption.

Yesterday evening was an exceptional running day and I ran 6.2 miles (a 10K) and walked another quarter mile. I was starved, but feeling good. I had taken out chicken that morning but had no plan for it. I had a contained of chopped pancetta from Trader Joe’s that needed to be used too. And pasta seemed about the only thing that could stop the hunger. So here is what I came up with:

Chicken with Pancetta, Mushrooms, and Onions in Marsala Cream Sauce

3-4 trimmed chicken breasts

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 cup pancetta (chopped if possible, if getting from the deli get it sliced thick and get maybe a half pound?)

1 can portabella mushrooms, drained

1/3 cup onion

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup marsala wine (the store brand cooking variety is fine)

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 package of any kind of pasta (I used Angel Hair as it was handy)

1. Spray a saute pan with cooking spray and get it hot.

2. Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper

3. Sear chicken about 5 -6 minutes on each side, set aside and keep warm

4. Add onion and pancetta, saute about 2-3 minutes

The smell of the pancetta was amazing.

5.  Add mushrooms and saute about 1-2 minutes

6. Add chicken broth and scrape up loosened browned bits

7. Add marsala, simmer about 2-3 minutes

8. Add half and half

9. Add back chicken breasts, allow to cook in sauce over low to medium heat until cooked through

Just before we dished it up.

10. Serve with pasta, and if you can get it, this was delicious with it:

Il Valore Chianti, $5.99 from Trader Joe's

So it’s not a terribly hard meal to make, nor was it terribly fattening. I’ve started using Ronzoni Smart Pasta, which I know isn’t authentic, but at 180 calories a serving vs. 240+, it’s a safer choice.

Now, I’m not a great baker. Part of this is that I’m not great at exact measurements, but I also have an oven that we refer to as the “Easy Bake”. It’s SUPER small and SUPER old, and it doesn’t heat evenly. This is a problem when trying to bake from scratch. Fortunately Trader Joe’s makes life easy for people like me and make chocolate chip cookies that are frozen individually, so you just take out what you want eat, bake it for 12 minutes, and eat. So simple. And they are so good that I may just pass them off as my own at Christmas time.

Here’s that Palladino goal I mentioned the other night, lovely stuff.

I’m not having a very good day, I’ve wasted most of it trying to sort out a hostel for Venice. It’s pretty much impossible on my phone so I had to pay for proper access. Unless you want to pay through the nose though, there’s very little on offer. So much so that I was actually thinking about just leaving going to Venice altogether but this would have meant loads more fresh planning to figure out a different route and schedule and I just couldn’t face it.

So I’ve had to book a hostel that is pricey and has rubbish reviews, I can’t say I’m looking forward to it much!

It’s a good thing that I had a lot of cheap days in The Balkans as Italy is proving to be very expensive in general.

San Marino is off my trip list (damn, that’d have been a whole new country scalp) as to get three I’d have to go via Bologna and I haven’t the time or again, the inclination to make more route changes.

I was going to go to Sienna today but there just isn’t time now so I’m going to San Gimignano. I have to change buses but I couldn’t hear the bloke on the other side of the glass so I had to try and decipher the pamflet he gave me, I figured it out just in time to watch the bus I needed going past me and I was only metres from the right platform. Very frustrating as I’ve got to wait an hour now and then I’ll be on the bus for an hour before another half hour wait and finally another half hour bus ride. With my late start to the day by the time I get there it’s going to be a waste of time, grrrr.

Can you tell I’m tired and grumpy? I’ll stop moaning now.

When/if I get to San Gimignano I think I will neck a bottle of chianti, th th th th th th. That’s my Hannibal Lecter impression.

I only stayed in the small and pretty walled town for about an hour and a half but I enjoyed that time. The surrounding Tuscan countryside is beautiful, if I was a millionaire I think I’d get a 2nd home there, I’d probably get a 1st home in Manchester while I was at it too.

I managed to grab a glass of chianti at the wine museum overlooking a sweeping landscape. I’m a bit of a philistine and clueless on such matters but this is what I paid for, ‘Colli Senesi Docg Selezione/Riserva’.

The joyous melodies of Devendra Banhart were a good choice to go with the Tuscany scenery, first up was his latest offering ‘What we will be’. It’s got more if a soul and funk vibe to his previous work, but it’s still has all the voice warbling and acoustic guitar trickery that is his trademark. There’s a bit too much filler for it to make my purchase list but I will be listening to it again.

‘Rejoicing in the Hands’ is an album from much earlier in his career and it doesn’t really do it for me, far too much filler. I can forgive him though as his next album was ‘Niño Rojo’ which is stunningly brilliant.

Before I left the town I treated myself to some world class ice-cream, literally. Pluripremiata Gelateria has twice won the World Championships in recent years and after tasting their gear I can see why. Yum.

I’m not feeling too well, this seems to happen every 3 or 4 weeks when I’m travelling. The lack of sleep catches up with me, I get run dow , I get a cold and then feel rotten. It passes pretty quickly though and I’m going to go out with Jukka anyway, I’ll be home soon enough and can rest up then.

He was kind enough to make me some sphaghetti at his gaff then we went to a few bars and ultimately back to Foco where we were the other night. It’s a really cool place but they need to sort out the tunes, some woeful stuff was coming out. Still, a good night was had.

If you are looking to buy a home, vineyard, or investment property in Tuscany and especially in the Chianti region, than Casa In Toscana is the first place you should visit. Located in Castellina, they have many exclusive listings in the area and all the expertise you will need for buying property in Italy. Visit their website for more information.