Luscious Pairings

With this lovely weather I’m even more into white wines than I was before. I almost only cook light dishes and fish and this wine is the perfect pairing for them. This Perticaia Trebbiano is a wonderful expression of Trebbiano Spoletino.

Perticaia  is the name of the producer behind this wonderful Trebbiano. It was founded by Guido Guardigli in 2000 with the intention of making traditional Umbrian wines with the most respect for both quality of the wines and Umbrian environment.

Perticaia indeed is the word with which, in Umbria’s archaic language, is called the plow

Full-bodied wine, with an enjoyable freshness and solidity due to maturation is stainless steel.  Tropical fruit fragrances, yellow flowers, creamy peach and citrus aromas rush from the glass.

This Trebbiano Spoletino is nonetheless an extremely satisfying wine.

I have never been too much fond of red wines. It’s hard to say, I know, especially for a Sommelier, but when I drink red it has to be a great one…and this is it!

This comes from the area where I was born in Piemonte in the north of Italy. To be more than precise from Vercelli province.

There is always been a big rivality between the small towns of Gattinara and Ghemme in the nearby Novara province.

As with many “small” places, there is intense pride from winemaker to winemaker, both between these two towns, but also between winemakers from one town or the other. Both Ghemme and Gattinara wines are made primarily from the Nebbiolo grape (their local name for Nebbiolo is Spanna). Many people are familiar with the Nebbiolo grape when it takes the form of Barolo or Barbaresco, which are produced in the area around Alba.

Torraccia del Piantavigna winery is in Ghemme and produces both of these wines using their vineyards located around these two towns. Torraccia del Piantavigna winery is owned and managed by a family group headed by Alessandro Francoli, who started the winery in 1977 and separately operates the Luigi Francoli grappa distillery.

Torraccia’s 2004 Gattinara is 100% Nebbiolo. The wine is aged for three years and, although not required by the DOCG rule, most producers (including Torraccia) age the wine in the bottle at least another six months before releasing it.

Great wine, perfect with gnocchi al ragu’ or meat!

Elena Walch is one of the most innovative winemakers in Italy.

The company was founded in 1985 and is one of the youngest in the region of Alto Adige. Elena Walch, being an architect, first became involved in winemaking after meeting with her husband Werner Walch, who is a representative of one of the oldest wine dynasties.

However, in contrast to the spouse, she has a more modern approach to winemaking and sees his task in the creation of high-quality, modern wines – strong, deep and complex.

The winery has been awarded the “Tre Bicchiere” many times now and has come to be looked upon as a quality leader in the region. Elena is very active in “Le Donne del Vino”, an organization of women in the wine business in Italy.

A really fine wine, fresh and pronounced this Beyond the Clouds, bright yellow, announces an aroma and a fruity scent, but also a hint of vanilla and a hint of wood.

It is a special cuvée blend,  primarily from Chardonnay grapes, but a dominating spiciness comes through, most likely from Gewürtztraminer.

The various grape varieties get picked as soon as the Chardonnay reaches optimum maturity. All varieties get crushed and pressed together after which they also ferment together in new French oak barriques.

Love this one…I paired it with a nice Pasqualina, the traditional Easter italian cake but it’s perfect  with meat or fish.

Valle d’Aosta is one of my favorite region in Italy.

Mountains with lots of snow in the winter and fresh valleys to run to in summer when the heat and humidity of the flat area where I used to live become unbearable. Great wines and fantastic cheese.

The characteristic that I love the most about the wines of Aosta is that they all express a purity and freshness that I haven’t experienced  in many other wine region. On top of that, Aosta intrigues me because of its grape diversity. So many varieties thrive in such a small, steep, majestic, and enchanting geographical area.

I found out about Didier Gerbelle from the sommelier of  “La Clusaz”, one of my favorite restaurant in Valle d’Aosta. I loved to dine here on my way to Alsace or everytime I drove to the valley.

Didier is a young wine maker who studied in Alba and started his own winery in 2006, although his family has been involved in viticulture for four generations. Currently from his three hectares of vineyards, he produces two whites (Pinot Grigio e Gewurztraminer), four reds (Petit Rouge, Cornalin, Fumin e Premetta), and one passito

The work of Didier is based on the rediscovery of ancient values: native vines and respect for the grapes coming into the cellar, aging in wood with caution.

Torrette superieur is a wine to listen to, understand and wait, sometimes difficult.
One might say that it is like the mountains it comes from.

Its hardness is now anticipated to nose with acid scents of roots, vegetables, dark and smokey.

Complex and rich (70% Petit Rouge then Cornalin and Furmin) but well balanced and long finish at the end.

A surprise you have to try!

After a long Easter weekend where I enjoyed some wines bought during my Finger Lakes getaway I decided to return to my first love bollicine.

This time I tried this gorgeous Animante. This comes from the organic and biodynamic Barone Pizzini and has a lovely weight of fruit and some of the creamy, brioche notes that come with ageing in bottle. It develops some toast and peach in the mouth, but never loses sight of its acidity, keeping it dry, fresh and delightful.

Barone Pizzini is one of the oldest wineries in Franciacorta having recently celebrated its 140th anniversary. It was also the first winery in Franciacorta to adopt organic farming methods.

This elegant northern Italian wine is made of a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Bianco used for sparkling wines in various regions around the world, but predominantly in Franciacorta (Italy) and Alsace (France). This trio is just one variation on the globally popular Chardonnay/Pinot combination that has been internationally accepted as the best blend for sparkling wine production.

Perfect with raw fish or culatello as aperitivo.

Last week it was cold. Oh yes it was, but stunning, and a tour in the wineries a must do.

New York’s Finger Lakes region takes its name from 11 freshwater lakes placed like a handprint between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania border.

The Finger Lakes are probably best known for the award winning wines from this region particularly for the world renowned Rieslings crafted in this region of New York.

I’ve tried  Fox Run wines a couple of times so far and had a wonderful visit this time. This is definitely one of the higher quality wineries on the Seneca Lake wine trail, consistently churning out good quality Finger Lakes Rieslings, Chardonnaies and Gewurtztraminers. Tastings are interesting and there is a good balance beetween quality and price.

On the way back I stopped at Heron Hill Winery and taste some of their wines. I didn’t particularly liked their reds but Riesling and some other whites were good. Perfect wines to drink for an aperitivo in a sunny day.

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I just came back from a weekend spent in Canada!

Completely lost into the icewine world! I took a drive north along Ontario’s scenic Niagara Parkway to some Wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This area is known for its Icewine, which is made from grapes that are left to freeze on the vine over the winter. Once temperatures drop to -8 degrees Celsius (about 18 degrees Fahrenheit), the grapes are then collected and allowed to thaw, a process that helps intensify their flavor.

My visit started with Jackson Triggs, an amazing producers in Niagara Peninsula.

Jackson Triggs is Canada’s most awarded winery and have been named “Best Canadian Winery” an unprecedented number of times in international and domestic competitions. You can feel proud when serving Jackson-Triggs White and Icewines in knowing that, no matter the varietal, vintage, or region, you’ll be pouring a premium wine.

They create great wines but of course what I was there for were their outstanding icewines and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved them.

After a good lunch where I enjoyed food and wine pairings I moved to the next winemaker Inniskillin.

Jackson Triggs’s business sister is almost even better. As the first winery licensed in Ontario, Canada since prohibition, Inniskillin winery represents a a singular commitment to quality and innovation. I enjoyed an icewine flight with taste of pure joy. Starting with Sparkling Vidal I move on to 1994 Vidal, 1998 Oak Aged Vidal and 2001 Cabernet Franc. WOW!

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Spring has finally arrived but only on the calendar…this weather is still in a quadary.

It’s the perfect time to indulge ourselves with some yummy mushrooms. Fresh and juicy perfect to enjoy with some pasta!

As Italian I can’t really live without it! I’m quite addicted to.

I wanted to give an exotic twist to my tradional dinner with this lovely fresh wine from Galilee. The Galilee (or Galil) is the most northern, and generally considered the best, appellation in Israel. The highest quality area within the appellation is the Golan Heights (or simply the Golan), the coldest region in Israel.

Yarden Sauvignon Blanc was produced from Sauvignon Blanc grapes with a small portion of Semillon, both grown entirely in the Golan Heights where the cool climate, rocky volcanic soil, and high altitude are ideal conditions for growing classic wine grape varieties.

Fragrant fruity/grassy aroma, pale golden straw color, medium bodied and nice round melon and kiwi flavors.

It’s been a week clearly balanced with working and nesting. I am heading out of town next week end to visit Icewine producers in Niagara on the Lake, Canada and have been spending a good portion of my free time baking, cooking, etc.. I clearly manifested an intense homemaking phase which I believe to be only normal since I am incessantly on the go this spring.

I like to believe a sweet treat once in a while makes the distance a little more bearable. Love to bake and prepare some nice “merenda” that you can enjoy in the middle of a soon-hope so-to be real spring time.

Muffins and cokies may be the most simple things to bake but there is value in the essentials, the basics.

And with a glass of warm milk or a cup of tea are delicious!

I went to the wine shop the other day. I had some nice fava beans that I wanted to cook and I found this nice Verdicchio that perfectly matches. So why don’t we try it?

The Colle Stefano is killin it once again in 2013

Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica is a white wine gem from the Marche region of central Italy. This Verdicchio has been consistent in quality, winning at least two glasses from Gambero Rosso since the 2001 vintage (twice winning three glasses.)

Pale green. Knockout aromas of  apricot, white peach and white flowers are complicated by lemony minerality on the vibrant, captivating nose. Rich and broad on entry, then explosive in the middle palate, saturating the mouth with bright, lively floral and fresh citrus flavors that are intensified by penetrating acidity. Finishes extremely long and creamy-rich, expanding to coat the palate and teeth with lingering white peach and floral flavors.