November Wine Tasting

A favorite time of the month - the wine tasting at Amici Miei! This month, Nick Materese of Siema Wines featured Italian wines made of grapes that are native to Italy, rather than international varietals. What a treat!

We started the journey with a bonus wine from Hungary - a 2013 ∃VOLÚCIÓ made from the Hungarian native grape, Furmint, in the Tokaj region. It was light, refreshing, and it definitely put everyone in good spirits. Lots of pear and tropical fruit tastes, and a great white flowery scent. And then another bonus wine - a Brunetti Sangiovese from Azienda Agricola Elisabetta. A very nice wine, very typical of a Sangiovese with a slightly rusty color and sour cherry flavors. And thus giving all the participants a chance to arrive, get settled, and ready their palates for the wine journey to come.

2013 ∃VOLÚCIÓ from Hungary

The first wine was a dry Muscat from the Val d"Aosta region of Italy, a 2011 Chambave Muscat from La Crotta di Vegneron. These vineyards are on the Italian/Swiss border, and the winemakers store their wines in caves high in the mountains - some at 4000 meters! They had not made this wine for several years, as they wanted to ensure they had the best grapes available. 2011 brought weather that enabled the grapes to mature to perfection, so wine was produced. Great scents of flowers, herbs, and apricot. And the flavors to match - the wine makes its presence known, but it is refined with lots of the apricot and peach flavors, along with the herbs. Chef Davide paired the wine with a warm chickpea pureé and shrimp crostino. The flavors in the shrimp and the chickpea matched the fruit in the wine beautifully. Nick pointed out that this wine also goes great with cheese - which we will definitely have to try!

Next up was the 2012 Durin Ormeasco di Pornassio from the Liuguria region of Italy. Nick had a great story about the Ormeasco grape - back in the 1300's the Liguria region created a mandate to plant this grape, even though it was a grape from Piemonte (the Dolcetto grape). The benefit to Liguria is that the land is closer to the Mediterranean, so it stays warmer in the winter and a bit milder in the summer. A rivalry broke out between Liguria and Piemonte as to which region creates a better wine from the Dolcetto / Ormeasco. The Durin was delightful - ruby red and purple highlights that had a fabulous scent of berries and violets. The wine was medium-bodied with soft tannins. Chef paired the Ormeasco with a shell pasta filed with veal and beef ragout. The meat in the pasta made a great match for the violets in the wine. We were definitely on a roll!

Piemonte was the home of the next wine - a 2010 Grignolino di Monferrato Casalese grown in the San Bastiano vineyards  on the estate of Castello di Uviglie. Grignolino is native to the Piemonte region, and it makes lighter reds or rosé wines. It tends to be somewhat tannic, so the winemakers take care in pressing the wines to avoid excess tannins. (The tannins come from the skins, seeds, and pulp, and the skins also create the red color of the wine, so it's quite a balance to get the color and flavors but not allow the wine to be overly tannic.) This wine was beautifully earthy, not too tannic, and lots of spices in both the scents and the flavors. Chef Davide paired this wine with turkey meatballs - a perfect match since the turkey meat did not overpower the somewhat lighter red wine. And the earthy flavor of the wine complimented the sauce accompanying the meatball. Yum!

All the participants were having a great time, conversation was flowing, and everyone anticipated the next wine. We stayed in the Piemonte region, this time with a 2011 Maestrale Barbera d'Alba, made by Salvano. According to Nick, the Salvano vintners wanted an atypical Barbera, so they did some experimenting with this wine. The result is fabulous - and it took a silver medal in Italy. This is a medium-bodied, very dark and rich wine with lots of complexity. It has lovely dark fruits, beautiful tannins, cinnamon, pepper - wow. Chef Davide paired this with a roasted pork sausage accompanied by a salsa verde. The slightly spicy salsa verde on the sausage went absolutely perfectly with the wine! Very enjoyable!

For the final wine, we headed to the region of Abruzzo for the San Lorenzo 2009 Oinos  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Terramane. This is the winery's flagship wine - intensely red, aromas of fruit, chocolate, and coffee, wonderful dark fruit flavor with velvety tannins and so perfectly round. The pairing for this wine was a lamb stew with porcini mushroom sauce - how incredible a pairing is this?! The earthy mushrooms and the velvety wine - perfection. If the evening had to end, this was a great wine on which to end.

There are many nice things to enjoy about the wine tastings - the great stories that Nick tells about his travels, the vintners, and the wines; the incredible food pairings that Chef Davide creates; the camaraderie amongst the participants - we could go on and on. It is definitely a favorite event every month for Ernie and I. A big thank-you to Nick, and to Chef Davide, Roberto, Arturo, Ivan, and the great team at Amici Miei! We'll see you next month!

Nick Materese actually taking a moment to enjoy a sip of the Oinos wine.

A Weekend in NY (2)

We lucked out this time in New York, because the weather was fantastic. It was a bit chilly, just perfect for a sweater. But the gorgeous sunshine enabled us to walk, which is what one has to do in NYC.

After a lovely morning of shopping, we visited our "grand-dog" in Brooklyn, since he lives there now. Our son, Matt, had gone sailing with a group of friends. Rather than miss a chance to see Mr. Cooper, we trekked over to Brooklyn and then took a lovely walk through the Williamsburg area with the dog.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were pretty hungry. Fortunately, the Four Seasons came to the rescue again. On our last visit to the Four Seasons, the concierge had recommended a great place in the Bowery, Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria. They had scored us seats at the chef's table, and we had a wonderful time. So since we were going to meet Matt's girlfriend for the first time, we decided that this would be a great place to rendezvous. And fortunately, the Four Seasons' concierge was able to get us a table at a very reasonable time, even though there is a 3-month waiting list for the restaurant.

Il Buco is a great spot to have a dinner with super food but a more casual atmosphere. The front of the space is a store where they sell meats, cheeses, breads, and gelato. The back is the restaurant, which also has an upstairs. Long wooden tables enable people to sit family style, lots of great scents emanate from the kitchen, and wine flows.

Since Ernie and I arrived first, we got a table, and we ordered a tray of salumi along with a couple glasses of Saetti Lambrusco 2012. Our Italian friends always laugh at us, but we really like Lambrusco. Especially with mortadella, pancetta, finocchiona, and the like. The saltiness of the meats goes so well with the sparkling red wine. And no, good Lambrusco is NOT sicky-sweet. It is fairly dry with a great sparkling bite. On a warm day, it is fantastic. And it is a great ice-breaker when meeting someone.

Matt and his girlfriend, Chelsea, arrived. She is very nice, so we felt comfortable immediately. We snacked on the salumi (and added crispy artichokes) while they told us about their sailing trip up and down the Hudson River (where it was much more chilly than walking in the city!). Il Buco has a very nice wine list; we ordered a Marina Cvetic' Trebbiano d'Abruzzo "Masciarelli" 2009. This is a beautiful ruby-red wine - lots of fruit, lots of spice. It's a medium bodied wine, soft tannins. And this wine called for red meats or earthy pasta.

2009 Montepulciano d'Abrozzo in Il Buco

Matt and Chelsea each ordered a great pasta dish, Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, which is flavored with pecorino romano and, of course per the name, black pepper. Ernie and I enjoyed a great Roasted Short Ribs dish that is perfect for sharing. The ribs are fall-off-the-bone perfect, and they are seasoned beautifully to compliment the olives, walnuts, celery and horseradish that accompany the meat.  Both sets of dishes went great with the wine, bringing out the spiciness.

We had a great conversation, talking about family, living in NY, job aspirations, and that type of thing. Another party along the table ordered dessert - and of course, we followed suit. A sampler of various ice creams and sorbets - a perfect end to a lovely dinner.

A Weekend in New York (1)

Over the Veteran's Day weekend, we decided to take a trip up to New York - visit our son and our cousins and do some sightseeing (and shopping!) in the process. Oh, and try some new restaurants!

There is something about the New Jersey Turnpike that leaves much to be desired. We left work a bit early, made good time all the way into the lower part of NJ. But then, for no reason that one could possibly understand, we hit traffic completely at a dead stop. And sat. And crept, and then sat again. After an hour and a half, we finally crept to the clog - a piece of machinery sitting on the side of the road that had everyone in a quandary. And while the new lanes of the NJ Turnpike were completely done and empty of cars, we all sat and had to creep by a piece of machinery that wasn't in use. Hmm, on a holiday weekend. Go figure.

OK, so now that I've vented about my frustration with the NJ Turnpike (believe me, Ernie is VERY tired of hearing my venting - he'd rather drive with a rabid dog than with me venting), I'll return to fun stuff. We made it to the Four Seasons Hotel in NY (the best!), completely exhausted (Ernie, from listening to me vent) and hungry (me, from trying to single-handedly move the traffic along) after a 5 1/2 hour ride. So, Four Seasons' concierge to the rescue - they recommended Casa Lever, an Italian restaurant just down Park Avenue from where we were.

What a great recommendation! At 10 PM, the place was bustling with activity - beautifully dressed folks, both business and casual. Very modern in style. We got a somewhat secluded-feeling booth. GREAT wine list! Since I've been trying the Sicilian wines that were discussed in the recent Wine Spectator magazine, we decided to try the 2007 Mille e Una Notte Donnafugata.

Donnafugata's flagship wine - the Mille e Una Notte - it was perfect.

Mille e Una Notte is Donnafugata's flagship wine, and we could definitely see why. The wine is 90% Nero d'Avola, and it is beautifully complex and deep. Lovely balsamic scents along with floral (almost violets). The taste has dark fruit with tobacco notes in the finish. Wow, a perfect remedy to wipe out a long drive.

And then the food. The chef started us off with a small bite of salmon mousse on a crostini. Yum. And then I had the Melanzane Alla Parmigiana - a small plate of the traditional eggplant parmigiana made in the style of a mousse. Ernie had the Carciofi, which was thin-sliced artichokes with shaved parmesan and baby arugula. What a nice start.

Enjoying the wine - and truffles!

When we have visited NY during November in past years, the Italian restaurants take great pride in highlighting truffles. So as we have in the past, we splurged and split an order of tagliatelle with a gorgeous amount of shaved truffles on top. Oh my - the earthiness of the truffles on the pasta and the tobacco notes in the wine were absolutely fabulous together. Yes indeed, I love New York in November - we will definitely have to get to Italy for the truffle festival!

Shaved truffles over the tagliatelle - incredible.

And then the main courses. I had the Tagliata di Manzo, which had a ragu of wild mushrooms and roasted garlic "flowers". Absolutely fabulous. Ernie had the Colorado Rack of Lamb that also had wild mushrooms along with lemon and thyme. I think he liked it - the bones were left neatly in a stack on the plate!

The tagliate di manzo with the wild mushroom ragu and garlic flowers.

Colorado rack of lamb with mushrooms.

We had a great conversation, we planned for the coming days with the family, and we just enjoyed being in a great city. A wonderful start to the weekend - we looked forward to the following days.

Yeah! Cooking Classes are Back!

I am so excited! Even though school is back in session and it's getting cold (yuck), that means that Chef Davide has started his cooking classes again. And that is cause for joy - and trips down to Amici Miei to participate in the fun.

I was very disappointed that I was on travel in September and missed the first cooking class. Unfortunately, my "secret blogger" (aka Ernie) didn't take notes and didn't write about September's class, which focused on the food and wine of Veneto. Ergo, it is conspicuously missing from this blog. Note - we will eventually try the seafood risotto and everything else on the menu, because I am supremely jealous that I missed the adventure! And yes, I will write about it when we re-create that risotto!

But now, it's time for the Tuscan cooking adventure. Ernie and I volunteered to be the "helpful" cooks to partner with Chef Davide (much to his chagrin, I'm sure!). 

First on the preparation list - the wild boar (or cinghiale) as the basis for a stew with porcini mushrooms. Ernie was handed a knife and told to separate the boar meat from its leg bone - a daunting task, to be sure. (Note: Ernie has made it clear, probably with help from myself, that I am unable to handle a knife without blood being present. Therefore, he does all knife work in the kitchen to ensure that  hospital visits are kept to a minimum.) After he worked quite efficiently with the deboning knife (while everyone admired his skills), we blanched the meat (to remove any gaminess) quickly browned it, and then the stewing process was started. Done!

Browning the veggies and cinghiale in preparation for the stew

Next to be created was the duck ragu. Chef had marinated the duck for the previous 24 hours, so I pureed the veggies from the marinade while he ground up the duck meat. Everything went into a pot - a bit of browning, then a bit of extra liquid, and the ragu was set to simmer. I had never made pasta dough before this class, so this was a lot of fun. Squishing up eggs, oil, and the correct 00 flour for the pasta, and kneading it until it was smooth. Very relaxing, very rewarding, as fresh pasta is delicious!

Working the pasta dough

After that, we worked on the pecorino cheese flan. We reduced some Toscano Rosso (the lovely Sangiovese wine) along with butter, chicken stock, and flour for the sauce. The flan was a creation of Pecorino Toscano cheese along with cream, eggs, flour, and seasoning - definitely a low cal dish! After putting the mixture in individual cups, then went into the oven in a "bath" to cook.

I take a break to have a photo with Ivan, one of Chef Davide's assistant chefs

And finally, the dessert - the Vinsanto Bavarian with the cantucci sauce. We whipped up eggs and sugar, mixed in warm milk with gelatin, and then cooked that mixture. Then we folded in the whipped cream, and then distributed the whole thing among the individual cups. And off that went to the refrigerator to set. The cantucci sauce was a mixture of boiled milk with the Vinsanto wine combined with eggs, sugar, and corn starch. At the end, ground up cantucci cookies are added to the sauce to add a bit of texture.

Oh, lovely, whipping up the Bavarian

And then it was time to partake of the lovely dinner. As a bonus, Gene had bought everyone a glass of Prosecco to celebrate Cristina's and Andy's first marriage anniversary! That was a delightful addition. Then Ivan, our waiter, poured the first wine - a 2012 Masciarelli Montepulciano Abruzzo. The tannins and characteristic sour cherry flavors of the wine went beautifully with the Pecorino Flan, especially since the sauce had the Toscano Rosso as the base. A very nice way to start the meal, surrounded by friends and newcomers to the cooking class.

The Pecorino Toscano Flan is begging to be tasted...

...accompanied by the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Next was the Pappardelle with the Duck Ragu. Roberto had chosen a 2013 Terre Siciliane Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany the dish. This wine was more fruity, again with lovely silky tannins and deep berry taste. A wonderful accompaniment to the duck ragu. The cold, blustery day outside melted away, as we were all enjoying our food haven.

Delicious Pappardelle with Duck Ragu

The Cabernet Sauvignon that went so well with the pasta!

The main course arrived - the Cinghiale with Porcini stew. Wow, what a wonderful dish for the cold day. And with that, Roberto paired a 2009 Le Coste Rosso di Montalcino. That was a super combination! Again, the characteristic sour cherry and spicy flavors of the sangiovese, along with the wonderful tannins, combined with the cinghiale and porcinis to make just think about the friends and camaraderie of the dinner. Everyone scooped up the polenta, soaked in the cinghiale juices, to ensure that every drop was consumed - along with the wine.

A great way to warm up on a cold day - the Rosso di Montalcino and the Cinghiale and Porcini stew!

Finally, the Vinsanto Bavarian - just wow! The Bavarian was beautifully creamy, with the lovely sweetness of the Vinsanto. And the cantucci sauce provided a great contrast with the ground-up cookie texture. Jim and Mike bought a bottle of Vinsanto to share with everyone to drink along with the Bavarian, and what combination that was!

The final touch - the Vinsanto Bavarian with Cantucci sauce

And so the cooking class and eating extravaganza ended. We faced the cold outdoors, warmed quite well with the wonderful food and delicious wines. When we arrived home in Baltimore, I have to admit that the food coma finally won, and I took a little nap. No sugarplums were dancing in my head, but the wonderful memories of food, wine, and friends to share a blustery day. Thank you Chef and Roberto - we are definitely looking forward to next month's class!

A Tale of Two (Sicilian) Wines

As a celebration of both of our birthdays and our move to our new city of Baltimore, our friends and financial advisors Derek and Sid took Ernie and I out to dinner (sadly, Betsy was ill and not able to join the fun). One of our new neighborhood restaurants is Cinghiale, a Cindy Wolf restaurant in Baltimore. And a really dangerous fact about Cinghiale is that they have 1/2 price wine on Tuesday nights. Needless to say, Ernie and I plan accordingly.

So, Derek and Sid drove out to see our new place and then to take us to dinner. Since they are really good sports and also adventurous, they encouraged me to take advantage of 1/2 price wine night. So, I splurged for the benefit of the four of us! The recent Wine Spectator magazine had done a cover story on the wines of Sicily, so I decided to try one. I chose "La Vigna di Don Peppino", a 2011 Prephylloxera Etna Rosso from Tenuta dell Terre Nere.

A very unique wine...

My first taste was an adventure. The promise of a great wine was there; it was almost sparkling or tangy on the tongue. Our wonderful sommelier, Lindsay, agreed that the wine should be decanted. The scent of the wine was very deep and complex, hints of loamy soil along with flowers, spice and fruit. The initial taste, as I mentioned, was very "tight" (my description), with dark fruit and spices.

As we enjoyed the wine, we snacked on a lovely plate of Affetati Misti selected by Ernie - mortadella, prosciutto, salami, and also olives and cheeses. The wine began to open, the scent becoming more pronounced, and the flavor softening and becoming much more balanced and complex. Everyone agreed it was quite a winner.

Yum - Affetatti Misti

La Vigna di Don Peppino is a very unique wine. The grapes are native to Sicily - Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. Most importantly, the vines are over 130 years old, apparently a few of the only survivors of the phylloxera plague that wiped out most of the traditional European vines during the late 1800s. The original rootstock probably survived because they are more remote in the hills near Mount Etna. It is a credit to the vigneron who cared for these vines that they survive - Don Peppino, who still lives at the Sicilian estate.

Back to dinner - the first course arrived - Fairytale Pumpkin & Chestnut Cappuccino with Poached Apple for me, two different salads for the gentlemen. I must say, the pumpkin and chestnut went beautifully with the wine. Then on to pasta - and horror of horrors, we were out of wine! So Derek and Sid, being quite gallant (and apparently having a very good time), encouraged me to get another bottle. So rather than breaking their bank a second time, I went for another Sicilian wine that was a bit less pricy - a 2007 Maldafrica from Azienda Agricola COS. 

A lovely Bordeaux blend

Again, another winner, and completely different from the other! This wine is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Nero d'Avola. The scent was much more of blackberries and spices as well as mineral notes. And the taste matched the scent - a lovely minerality, with hints of spices like sage and rosemary along with the blackberry fruit. I had Agnolotti dal Plin filled with Duck along with baby turnips and parmigiano; Ernie, Sid, and Derek all had Casunsei, or pasta filled with sausage with parmigiano, butter and sage. The sage and the wine was absolutely fantastic together. The Agnolotti also went beautifully. Yet another treat.

And then, because we just couldn't stop eating, it was on to dessert. A Tiramisu Bonet with Amaretti crumbs and chocolate sauce, and also a Fall Fruit Strudel with Wildflower Honey and Mascarpone.

Fall Fruit Strudel with Wildflower Honey and Marcarpone

Tiramisu Bonet

Lots of stories, lots of laughter. Both gentlemen previously lived in Baltimore, so they shared their stories of restaurants, college, and places to shop. Ernie and I shared our stories about our recent move and also back to our wedding on a yacht in Baltimore Harbor. Outside a storm blew in - we just enjoyed our dinner and our wines and shared our stories. All in all, a great evening. Good food, great wine, and wonderful friends. What a way to spend a Tuesday evening!

Tasting Wines with the World’s Best Sommelier 2013

We had the great fortune to be able to attend a wine tasting with Mr. Luca Martini, who in 2013 was voted to be the World’s Best Sommelier and who is also the Wine Ambassador for Il Borro Wines. The event was held at Amici Miei, our favorite, go-to Italian restaurant. Accompanying Luca was our favorite wine distributor, Nick Materese, who often conducts wine tastings at Amici Miei. And, of course, Chef Davide prepared excellent bites to accompany each wine, and co-owner Roberto ensured that everything ran smoothly for the evening.

Luca Martini describing one of the wines.

Before talking about the wines, let me talk about a fantastic man and his very enjoyable presentation. Luca was extremely engaging, talking about wines in terms of their personalities, how he thought about them. He described these personalities in terms of color, music, and shapes, which is quite different from anything we have heard before. Throughout the evening, he interspersed the descriptions of the wines with information about himself, how he ended up being voted the World's Best at age 33. An interesting journey through his apprenticeships and his current role. He really got across his passion for wine and food, his excitement to share his knowledge with us.

This was a special event, as the Il Borro Wines presented were from vineyards owned by Salvatore Ferragamo (yes, known for fine Italian shoes). In 1989, Mr. Ferragamo bought 46 hectares of land in Tuscany, with the desire to create small amounts of truly excellent wine. To determine which grapes would best match the soil (or terroir, actually), five experts from Bordeaux were brought in to study the Tuscan soil. Each grape was matched to the particular soil, to include Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Chardonnay. The consensus from the people attending the tasting was that Mr. Ferragamo succeeded in producing excellent wine!

A really interesting feature that Luca used to describe the wine was in terms of color, since color helps to describe a personality. The first wine, the 2012 Lamelle Chardonnay, was associated with the color green, as the wine has a very crisp acidity and is very fresh. There are lovely tastes of pineapple and grapefruit, and also a minerality on the back of the palate. The minerality comes from the fact that the vineyard was created by blasting out rock. When the soil was examined, they found remnants of a lake, complete with scallop shells. Chef Davide paired this wine with a very nice crab meat and avocado roll. The crisp freshness of the wine went perfectly with the smooth crab and avocado mixture. Once again, a great start to the wine tasting.

A beautiful start - the Lamelle chardonnay.

Next up with a 2011 Pian di Nova made from a Syrah-Sangiovese blend. Luca’s description of this wine was wonderful - the wine was very sexy when it is dancing on the palate, soft and sexy like a tango. The color associated with the wine was red, due to the very mature grapes and the very red color of the wine - and because red is the color of sexy. The Sangiovese in the wine adds freshness and spice, and the wine overall is very round on the palate, with soft tannins. Chef Davide’s pairing was a porcini mushroom and ham roll. The earthy taste of the mushrooms and the soft spiciness of the wine were a perfect match.

A lovely Syrah-Sangiovese blend.

The third wine was the 2010 Polissena, which was made of 100% Sangiovese grapes. Luca’s description of this wine: “It’s a horse race.” The wine is not charming, it is nervous. Sangiovese is very difficult to grow, and it is also difficult to make a great wine. When one finds a great variety, one makes a great wine, much like a great horse running a wonderful horse race. The color that Luca associates with this wine is yellow, as it is the color of the Tuscan sun (which is so necessary for grapes) and also of gold. The grapes are grown in blue slate rock, which is a very difficult environment. This is a lovely, precious wine, great tannins, plus that characteristic sour cherry flavor. It makes a triangle on the palate - rough on the sides, and soft on the top.  If one were to compare the wine to music, it would be more grating, jumping around. The perfect pairing for the wine was the slow-roasted pork shoulder that Chef Davide presented. A very characteristic Tuscan dish to go along with the signature Tuscan grape.

100% Sangiovese in the Polissena.

And then the 2010 Il Borro Super Tuscan. This particular wine was 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 50% Merlot and Petit Verdot. The color that Luca associated with the Super Tuscan was blue, as this is a very classic color, and brings to mind the blue Tuscan sky, and deep blue ocean. The aroma of the wine was gorgeous violets, and taste made a square on the palate, which is the perfect figure. The wine was fruity and soft, with great acidity and tannins. It has a beautifully long finish that is very deep. Luca’s other comparison was that this wine brought to mind a classical music symphony, all the instruments working together to make a perfect score. The match for this wine was a grilled hanger steak with a bell pepper sauce. The characteristic taste of the bell pepper along with the beef worked very well with the deep fullness of the wine.

What a great Super Tuscan.

Finally, the signature wine of the evening, the 2011 Alessandro dal Borro, which is one of Il Borro’s higher-end wines. Luca asked us not to try this wine until he gave his description - and this one was in terms of how he had won his World's Best Sommelier. If you have seen the movie "Somm", this was how Luca described the wine, but it went so much further than what was shown in the movie. The age, the characteristic, the spices, the nose, and so on. Fascinating to hear, particularly when he allowed us to taste. But definitely less in terms of the personality, and more in terms of the technical characteristics!

This is an excellent full-bodied wine, quite dry, tastes of blackberry with pepper and also cardamum. The wine had great acidity and wonderful tannins to make a really long finish. The wine was still a bit early (this was one of the few presentations in the United States!), as it should stay in the bottle for a few more months. The wine had great balance and color, fruitiness matching with the acidity and tannins. And a wonderful way to contemplate the great evening as we nibbled on aged pecorino toscano cheese.

The Alessandro dal Borro - the highlight of the evening!

All in all, another great evening that we will remember. A hearty “Cin Cin!” to Luca and to Nick, and also to Roberto and Chef Davide. We look forward to drinking more Il Borro wines!

Host Roberto and Ernie enjoying the evening.

A Very Memorable Event

I have mentioned before that one of the things that I really enjoy about food and wine is that dining becomes part of the whole story of various life events. And that was the case a bit ago when we had a barbecue to celebrate nothing in particular. We invited our daughter and son-in-law over for the barbecue, which is always amusing since Joey only eats meat that is absolutely, thoroughly well-done, and we like our meat more on the medium-rare side. It becomes an interesting drill to ensure that the meat is “done” without completely overdoing ours or turning Joey’s into a charred mess. 

That particular day, we were having burgers and also Ernie’s famous (or infamous) slow-cooked ribs. He has a rub for the ribs that is just fantastic, and the ribs turn out deliciously moist and also wonderfully flavorful. And it makes the question of "done or not?" moot, since you grill the ribs until the meat is falling off the bones. To accompany the combination of the smoky ribs and the burgers, we opened a bottle of Grifalco Aglianico del Vulture wine, a fabulously bold red wine that is a specialty of the Basilicata region in southern Italy. What a great wine - lots of tannins, bold fruit flavor, a strong finish, and a perfect match for the meat.

While we were cooking, Krissy gave Ernie a gift in a small box. That was a surprise, as we were not expecting anything special for this barbecue. However, that nice little family dinner became extremely special, as in the box was an announcement:

Joey and Krissy's special gift

The memory of that barbecue is now imprinted in our minds, as it signified a new direction for Krissy and Joey and also for Ernie and I. They are parents-to-be; we are now going to be grandparents. And the Grifalco wine and the slow-cooked ribs and burgers have a different significance to us. We’ll always remember getting the little bib in the box to announce the impending arrival of a lovely bundle of joy.

Last Cooking Class of the Season - Grilled Duck!

I mentioned in previous posts how much we enjoy the monthly cooking classes at Amici Miei. We would attend these all year, if possible. However, we certainly understand that Roberto and Chef Davide are allowed to take vacations - we don’t mean to chain them to their restaurant! So the last cooking class for the 2013-2014 season was held last week, and we attended with great anticipation.

I had also mentioned in the previous cooking class post that Ernie had taken a grilling class from a local culinary school that conflicted with the Amici Miei cooking class. The primary attraction of that class was supposed to be the opportunity to learn how to grill duck. Unfortunately, the other cooking class had to make a last-minute substitution, so grilled duck came off the schedule. (BTW, Ernie has sworn off other cooking classes now, most especially on Amici Miei cooking class days!) In honor of Ernie’s desire to learn how to grill duck, Chef Davide added - you guessed it - grilled duck onto the menu!

May's Cooking Class menu - Grilled Duck, just for Ernie!

As usual, we cooked starting at the end of the meal and finished cooking somewhere in the middle! Since the mousse had to chill and set, that’s where Chef began, ably assisted by Ernie and one of the regular attendees, Jim. While Jim and Chef prepared the strawberry puree with the gelatin, Ernie whipped heavy cream with powdered sugar. After the strawberry mixture was complete, they folded the whipped cream into the strawberry puree, and then Ernie piped the mousse into the silicone forms. And aw, darn, there was some of the lovely mixture left over, so we all got a taste! The formed pan then went into the refrigerator to chill and set.

Jem helps Ernie fill the piping bag while Chef supervises.

Next was the duck preparation. Chef explained that duck is not the type of meat that can just be put onto a grill, as there is quite a bit of fat that goes along with the skin of the duck. When that fat drips into the grill, the grill will flare, thus burning the duck and making it less than desirable to eat. So the trick is to sear the skin-side of the duck first, rendering off a good deal of the fat! While the duck was being seared (only on the skin-side), Jim and Ernie prepared a marinade for the duck consisting of orange juice, thyme, and red wine. When the skin of the duck was seared, leaving a good amount of fat in the pan, it was put into the marinade. Note that the other side of the duck was still raw, ready for grilling later! Off the duck went to be marinated.

Add more wine! The duck is being seared on the left and will then be marinated (and happy) in its orange-wine bath.

And then came the lobsters. Chef had seven lively lobsters awaiting us - which did cause some distress for a couple of the attendees. So while the faint-of-heart went outside to enjoy the perfect spring weather, Chef showed everyone else how to prepare the lobster. I won’t repeat here - I’ll leave it to the reader to find a YouTube presentation, if you’re interested.

These lobsters are going to be course number two!

After the lobsters were split and declawed, Jim and Ernie sautéed the body halves in some olive oil. This allowed all the wonderful juice to collect in the pan, which would contribute to the flavor of the sauce. The claws were boiled since that shell is thicker, and they needed to be completely done.

Lobster halves sautéing on the stove.

While the lobsters were sautéing, Chef shelled fava beans, which look like giant green peas but have a much firmer texture when cooked. 

Fava beans coming out of their shells.

Lobsters done, Chef removed the meat from the tails, while Ernie and Jim took the meat out of the claws. The shells of the lobster bodies and all those wonderful juices were then added to a good amount of pureed tomatoes that was put on to simmer for a while.

The lobster halves simmer in the tomato puree to create the pasta sauce.

While the sauce was simmering, we went on to the sardines. After cleaning the sardines, Ernie and Chef created a breadcrumb mixture that is very typical of flavors in Sicilia - toasted breadcrumbs with olive oil, pine nuts, soaked raisins, parmesan cheese, and lots of other spices. The breadcrumb mixture was then rolled into each sardine as a stuffing; the sardines would be cooked right before serving. 

Prepping the sardines.

Toasting the breadcrumbs with olive oil and pine nuts.

Rolling the breadcrumb stuffing into the sardines.

And then back to the lobsters and fava beans. Chef sautéed the fava beans with some olive oil and the lobster, just to heat everything. Then he added some of the tomato-lobster sauce that had finished cooking and had been strained (getting rid of all those shells and whatnot). Finally, he tossed in the linguine - yes, literally tossing the entire mixture as only Chef can! (My wrists are just not strong enough, so I’d have a lobster-pasta mess all over my kitchen!) A sprinkle of fresh parsley, dash of crushed red pepper, and voila! Ready to be served.

Then we all sat down for the eating portion of the program.  One of the couples who attend regularly, Mike and Jennifer, were celebrating their anniversary that day. Being the wonderful folks that they are, they decided to spoil all of us (in addition to themselves) by bringing in their favorite Champagne, Vve Fourny & Fils Premier Cru Rosé. This is a mixture of 20% Pinor Noir and 80% Chardonney, and the result is a beautiful light-pink-and-gold creation with gorgeous tiny bubbles, lots of the traditional yeasty flavor, but also fresh fruitiness. Just a delightful - and very unexpected - way to start the lunch. We all enjoyed the champagne, to include Chef Davide, Roberto, and Ivan our waiter!

The bonus champagne, courtesy of celebrating couple, Mike and Jennifer.

The first course - stuffed sardines. The breadcrumb mixture of the sweet raisins, lemon zest and the pine nuts went perfectly with the slightly salty sardines. To accompany the dish, Roberto and Chef had chosen a 2012 Lovisolo Gavi, made from Cortese Grapes. The Gavi was beautifully dry with a great citrus-fruit flavor, and that was a perfect match with the mixture of the slightly sweet and salty dish. We were off to a great start!

Sardine dish with the Gavi wine.

Next up, the lobster linguine with the fava beans. Visually, the dish is gorgeous, with the bright green fava beans, the red sauce, and the linguine. And the taste was incredible. The tomato sauce had picked up the gorgeous richness of the lobster. The pieces of lobster were fabulously sweet. And the fava beans added just a snap of green - they were al dente with a bit of sweetness to match the lobster. Roberto and Chef paired this dish with a 2011 Kaltern Wadleith Chardonnay from Alto Adige. Italian Chardonnays are not as oaky as American Chardonnays, as Italian ones do not stay in the oak barrels as long. The wine had the buttery richness associated with a Chardonnay, and it was a super pairing with the lobster linguine. Hmm, I was starting to get full now.

Lobster, fava, and linguine with Italian Chardonnay.

Then the secondi - the grilled duck. To complete this dish, Chef had put the duck pieces on the grill on their uncooked sides, since the skin-side was already seared. This kept the fat from dripping down and causing any flare-ups. Meanwhile, he cooked the strained orange-wine marinade down until it was a lovely, rich sauce. The result was incredible - the smoky flavor of the duck from the grilling - with the meat at the perfect temperature to keep the duck moist - and the orange-thyme-wine sauce. This was paired with a Kaltern Pinot Nero Blauburgunder 12. (Note that the name translates to the name of the grape, Pinot Noir: Pinot Nero is Italian, and Blauburgunder is German.) The Pinot Nero was deliciously earthy to go along with the dark fruit of the wine, and it was a perfect match to the sauce and the smoky duck.

The grilled duck with Pinot Nero.

About this time, Jim and his wife, Karen, revealed that they had brought a gift for the anniversary couple. To celebrate, they had brought in bottles of Tattinger champagne to share with everyone. So we had the great fun of enjoying the absolutely classic Tattinger (yeasty, lovely tiny bubbles, lots of sparkles) with the strawberry mousse. To complete the mousse, Chef added fresh-cut strawberries, and then drizzled a small amount of the 12-year old balsamic vinegar from Modena over the mousse. Wow - the aged balsamic and the sweet mouse was incredible! And then the final surprise - Roberto and Chef Davide provided a bottle of an after-dinner liquor, Mirto. This is a classic Sardinian disgestif that is perfect for enjoying very slowly after long, filling dinners. The flavor is sweet myrtles (ergo the name), and the drink definitely settles the stomach. We sipped our drinks, nibbled on our mousse, and enjoyed the camaraderie that has sprung up among this group over the years. Lots of teasing back and forth, good natured fun, and supreme enjoyment of learning all these wonderful foods and cooking techniques.

Strawberry mousse - with the aged balsamic - along with the bonus Tattinger provided by Jim and Karen.

A happy “Cin! Cin!” to Mike and Jennifer, and a hearty thank-you to Chef Davide, Roberto, and Ivan, our waiter. We do hope they enjoy their summer vacations - we’ll eagerly anticipate the announcement of the first cooking class in the fall!

Tasting Wines of the Adriatic

There is something so delightful about leaving work and heading off to a wine tasting event in the middle of a work week. It is a combination of a sense of anticipation, enjoyment in seeing people who enjoy food and wine as much as we do, and just the thrill of feeling like you are having a bit of “weekend fun” when it’s a “school night”! (Of course, for anyone reading this who is retired, try to remember what it was like when you were working!)

We attended the “Wines of the Adriatic” tasting at Amici Miei, and once again Chef Davide and Siema Wines’ Nick did a great job of pairing wines with little bites. Per the title, all the wines were from the coast of Italy that is on the Adriatic (or east) side - with two surprise guest appearance.

A number of the usual attendees showed up, along with new people who had not been to one of the wine tasting events. It's always fun to meet the new folks, as well as catch up with the "regulars" that we haven't seen in a while.

The first (bonus!) wine was a 2010 Pallio di San Floriano Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore from Le Marche. This had a lovely golden appearance with a hint of green, which is very characteristic of the wine. The scent was grassy with a bit of apple fruit. The wine tasted rich in the mouth, carrying the grassiness but also a wonderful fruit flavor. This was definitely a great way to start the evening.

The Verdicchio wine.

Next was our first pairing - a 2012 Cantine Cipressi Falanghina Terre Degli Osci from the province of Molise, which is tucked below Le Marche and above Puglia (the heel of Italy). The small bite was sautéed shrimp. Just a delightful pairing - the sweet shrimp with its light seasonings and lovely sauce alongside the bright, mineral fruit of the wine. The Falanghina had a great floral aroma, and the apple and vanilla fruit of the taste had a pop of acidity. The Falanghina is the classic grape of the province of Campania, as the vines are grown in the tufo in the area that came from the old volcanoes. As I said, this wine is from Molise. Nick told us that two brothers started the winery, and they wanted to find just the right grapes to grow in their soil, which was tufo. So they brought the Falanghina vines over from Campania, and they have created a wonderful wine.

Falanghina, as the bottle says!

The next wine was a surprise entry, as the wine listed did not get shipped in time. And the surprise was that the wine was from Croatia, which is the country immediately to the east of Italy on the northeast border. This wine was called Adriatico, which is a Malvasia Bianco made by Bastianich. Yes, Bastianich of the fame of the cook on television - this is her son, Joe Bastianich, who wrote one of the definitive books on Italian wines. The Croatians are definitely making progress in their wines. This wine had a hint on oakiness as well as a honeysuckle scent, and that carried into the rich taste with some acidity and a hint of residual sugar. The wine was almost “juicy”, which is a great word to describe what we were tasting. That was paired with a trout mousse crostino with almonds.

A surprise entry from Croatia.

Now, around this time, the world is looking pretty good; problems from the day have faded, and everyone is definitely enjoying the banter with Nick and also the conversations with the other folks at the tasting. A pretty good way to spend a Wednesday evening!

Next up - frizzante Lambrusco!

And now we switched to reds, with a definite favorite of ours. We were presented with a Chiarli Lambrusco, which is the frizzante red wine from Emilia-Romagna. Lambruscos are native to Emilia-Romagna, and they come in very different styles, from fairly sweet (which many people do not like) to very dry. And all with the very classic frizzante sparkle. This particular wine is made for Siema wines with grapes coming from vines that are 30-70 years old. The wine is very clear violet, with a somewhat earthy and cranberry scent. The taste was slightly sweet, dried cranberries. And with the fizziness, it went absolutely perfectly with the small bite, a piece of mortadella with pistachios, which is also very characteristic of the Emilia-Romagna region around Bologna. In fact, we have a particularly fond memory of trying several different Lambruscos while we stayed in the town of Modena, and we had a very memorable lunch in Bologna served by a delightful waiter who brought us tons of food, once he realized we weren’t going to stick to the “American-Italian” menu. “Everything is O-K!” was his theme. And yes, mortadella and Lambrusco is most definitely ok!

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Thinking of Bologna - I had to put in a photo! This is the Fontana del Nettuno, or Fountain of Neptune, in the main piazza.

Next up was a completely new wine for us. This was a 2008 Cantine Cipressi Macchiarossa made from the Tintilia grape. Remember those two brothers from Molise?  They also decided that it was very important to try to save the native Italian vines, and the Tintilia is one of the most important grapes for the Molise area. The deeply dark, black grapes may have some type of Spanish heritage; however they were almost extinct. The two brothers have now saved them and created an amazing wine. This dark purple wine was very similar in style to a Tempranillo, with lots of tannins, dark fruit, spicy nutmeg, and an almost “beefy” taste. Chef Davide paired this with a lamb stew - an amazing combination! Our friend, Carol, expressed it exactly right: “Yummy!” 

Our favorite - the Tintilia. We definitely have to have more of this wine.

And then the last pairing. Once again, we had a surprise entry, since another wine didn’t make its flight. We had a 2012 Odoardi Savuto, which is a Calabrian wine (the toe of Italy, not on the Adriatic) made from native grapes such as Gaglioppo and Greco Nero. The pairing was a skirt steak roll that had pancetta and pecorino cheese, braised in tomato. The wine was similar to a Malbec, with a dark fruit flavor and leathery undertone. It went really well with the salty pancetta and pecorino cheese and the tomato sauce accompanying the meat. The wine was a particularly young vintage - it should be able to age quite well.

The Calabrian wine.

It is here that the group got into a lively discussion, as people started thinking about what to have for dinner after the tasting. Two sides were created - those who wanted the sautéed shrimp (note - NOT shrimp scampi!), and the lamb stew crowd (counting me among its members). Ernie, being the consummate diplomat, knew that he would have the eggplant parmesan and another glass of Lambrusco and let the opposing sides debate over the other dishes. In the end, everyone won, as full tummies were happy, and tastebuds tingling with joy. We all look forward to one more tasting before summer!

Quintarelli Wine

Recently we opened a bottle of Giuseppe Quintarelli’s 2012 Secco Ca’ del Merlo. Where and when we had this wine is incidental. This blog entry is about becoming familiar with a wine maker and his wines, and a having a feeling of returning home to a place welcoming you with open arms every time you enjoy a bottle.

The Ca’ del Merlo is a typical Veneto blend of Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Bianco, Chardonnay, and Saorin. The scent of the wine is white flowers and faint honeydew. The taste is beautifully rich with the entry of the Chardonnay, pears and other yellow fruit, and a lovely mineral finish with a bit of grassiness from the Sauvignon Bianco. A delightful mixture of the different grapes, and perfect with anything from pork to caramelized onions to seafood. A perfect accompaniment to the meal that we enjoyed that evening.

Every time we open a bottle of Quintarelli, we remember back to our first introduction to the wine. We had our first bottle of Quintarelli when we visited the Veneto region about eight years ago. I had read about the “Maestro del Veneto”, the great Italian winemaker who produced such phenomenal wines. We set out from our hotel in Verona to visit the Valpolicella area and potentially find this vintner.

We stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant and had a bottle of Quintarelli’s 1999 Valpolicella. We fell in love - what an amazing introduction to the Maestro’s wines. An incredible scent, luscious flavors, and such great complexity. We HAD to find the vineyard and purchase more!

Our very first bottle of Quintarelli. We kept the empty bottle!

Off we set in search of the town of Negrar, following the written directions from our hostess at the hotel. But the instructions got us only so far, and then we were lost in the tiny center of Negrar. Unlike most vineyards in the United States, smaller Italian vineyards did not put signs out to announce their presence. So there we were, so close, but yet so far. So Ernie gets a brilliant idea - ask for directions!

We stopped in what looked to be a small strip mall (or at least the Italian version of one - we were wrong!). Out of one of the buildings came a grizzled, hunchbacked, plaster-covered gentleman with one eye closed. Not seeing anyone else around, Ernie decided to ask him for directions. In his best high school Italian (Lord help us!), he asked, “Dove e casa di Quintarelli?” (No, this is not correct Italian for those of you who are translating.) Our elderly gentleman squinted both eyes, scratched his head (raising a cloud of plaster dust), and said “Quintarelli, Quintarelli…” And then he blurted, in lightning-fast Italian, “Sinestra, destre, destre, blah blah… grande bianco casa.” We said “Grazie”, sat back in the car, looked at each other, and scratched our own heads saying, “Well, that was helpful.” But then Ernie’s high school Italian teacher prevailed, as he remembered that “sinestra” means left, and “destre” means right! So, we ascertained the basic direction of the house (following what the hostess had written on our instructions). And then the final phrase - the “grande bianco casa.”  Hmm, could it be - out our windshield, across a large vineyard, up a hill, there was a large, white house. Could it be the Casa di Quintarelli?

Off we set going right, left, left again. And then we stopped in front of a stone pillared gate entering to a lovely long driveway lined with olive trees. No sign anywhere. So, Ernie being the daring person that he is, we turned into the driveway and started towards the house. (I, meanwhile, was having a heart attack that we were violating someone’s property and would be carted off to prison.) A young man was working in one of the olive trees, so Ernie stopped and asked (in broken Italian) if this was the Quintarelli house. The young man answered in perfect English that yes, we had found our destination! Go up to the house, and he would meet us there in a moment.

So, we parked the car, got out, and took several photos of the gorgeous surroundings. And laughed quite hard when we saw the “strip mall” where we had talked to the elderly man.

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Looking down at the village of Negrar. More Quintarelli vineyards are in the photo on my "About Me" page.

And to our great delight, Mr. Quintarelli came out of the house, along with a daughter and other clients. While we did not spend much time with him, we did get to meet him and shake his hand.

The "grande bianco casa" of Quintarelli.

The young man then escorted us to the cellar of the house, which was like entering an adult Disneyland for those who cherish wine. It turns out that he was one of Mr. Quintarelli’s grandsons, so he was very familiar with the entire winemaking process. Per his request, we cannot publish any photos of him, as he was concerned about his appearance in front of visitors since he had been working in the olive trees! He told us about the rows of 10,000 litre barrels, how “little workers” have to crawl into the barrels to scrape them to freshen the tannins for the next batch of wine. He told us how the winery was started by his great-grandfather, Giuseppe Quintarelli’s father. He told us how most of the workers were family members or long-time family friends. In fact, one of Mr. Quintarelli’s daughters hand-writes the labels, then they are mass-produced and glued on by the workers.

We tasted six different wines that delightful day (and my notes from the tasting):

• Bianco Secco 2006, an aperitif
• Primo Fiore 2004, a dinner wine
• Rosso del Bepi 1999, a wine made in the style of an Amarone; however the wine did not “pass the test” for an Amarone, so it was a “basic” red wine for late dinner or cheeses and “meditation”.
• Amarone del Valpolicella 1998, OMG! Wonderful, for meditation and cheeses.
• Alzero 1998, an amazing blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for after-dinner (the grandson suggested having with chocolate!)
• Recioto del Valpolicella 1995, a dessert wine, sweet but not too sweet. This is a more traditional wine in Veneto history.

And then came time to purchase - and the grandson informed us they took only cash! So, off Ernie set, faster than a speeding bullet, to the car and then down to the town to raid all available cash machines, each at a different banco. After all, the machines only allowed one to extract about 300 Euros per withdrawal, and we were going beyond that. Like Flash from the DC Comic books, Ernie got enough money from three different machines, then returned to the Quintarelli house. There he found me comfortably ensconced with the Quintarelli grandson, throughly enjoying the discussion and the wine, absolutely deciding that this was a seminal day.

We paid for the wine, all the while being chastised that we did not have an insulated wine carrier. After all, if it had been warmer, he would not have allowed us to carry the wine and potentially ruin it in the heat of the car. And for the remainder of our trip, I babied that wine, carrying it into the hotel before any other luggage to ensure that it stayed good.

And so now, every time we open a bottle of Quintarelli, we think back on that cherished memory and smile about the squinty-eyed gentleman who pointed us in the right direction and also the lovely winemaker and his delightful grandson who taught us so much. Ernie’s quote from then - “What a beautiful day!”

Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants import Quintarelli wine now - they have a great write-up about Mr. Quintarelli, who passed away a few years ago.  Chelsea Wine Vault in Manhattan carries a number of types.If you ever have a chance to splurge and partake of a bottle of any Quintarelli, do so. You will definitely be tasting the product of a genius - the Maestro.

Kicking off Memorial Day Weekend

We had to go up to Frederick, Maryland, on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend to do some personal business. We like Frederick - it has become a very cool town with excellent restaurants, refurbished buildings, and a great canal area that feels so refreshing on a hot day.

We finished our business, then decided to have lunch overlooking the canal at The Wine Kitchen. This is a great little restaurant - there is one in Leesburg, Virginia, that we tried out a few years ago and now the one in Frederick. They have a number of different flights of wine from which one can choose, or even more full glass selections. The wine flights range from $12-17, and they have some great combinations, to include a flight of wines from local vineyards.

On this particular day, I decided to try “Pinot Evil”, consisting of three types of Pinot Noir from three different areas. Since I decided to go with the Pinot, I ordered a carrot-ginger soup, and then a mushroom strudel with a side of mixed greens. My three wines were a 2012 Noble Vines, 667 from Monterey, California; a 2011 Louis Latour from Marsannay, France; and a 2010 David Hill Estate from Willamette Valley, Oregon. The differences between them were amazing - the California wine being very fruit-forward with notes of black cherry; the French wine being much more earthy with strong notes of eucalyptus and mushrooms; and the Oregon wine being somewhere in the middle of the other two with heavier notes of mushrooms, but definitely flavors of cranberries and cinnamon. All three went very well with the carrot-ginger soup. The mushroom strudel was made most definitely like a traditional sweet strudel but with the earthy mushrooms. On the edges of the strudel, however, there was a slight drizzle of sweetness to remind one of the origins of the dish, which went better with the California Pinot. Just yummy!

Ernie chose to go with the “Full Bloom”, which had a rosé from Provence, a Riesling, and a Valpolicella. To accompany his wine selection, he ordered a baby beet salad with arugula, apples, and a mascarpone mousse, and then a plate of six Rappahannock oysters. Ernie loved the rosé, which was a 2012 L’Opale de la Presqîle from Côte de Provence, France (made from Grenache, Cinsault, and Carignan) - it went perfectly with his salad. The Riesling was a 2011 Schloss Vollrads from Rheingau, Germany, which was a super accompaniment to the oysters. And then the 2011 Rafael Tommasi Valpollicella Classico Superiore from Veneto, Italy, which went with both dishes very well.

The really fun thing about The Wine Kitchen are the write-ups that accompany the wine flights. There is truly an accomplished writer who works for the restaurant - the descriptions matched our wines completely, and they are so much fun to read. For one of my Pinot Noirs, the description read “… Bright notes of raspberry and cranberry add a switch stick of acidity to accentuate the distinct notes of rhubarb and eucalyptus in the middle of this wine. A wine like this creates its own story through sheer personality, vigor, and panache…” A different write-up included this statement, “…The brooding nature coupled with the finesse of this wine reminds you of a bearded lady. So beautiful in its polished unusual ruggedness, you can’t seem to turn away.” We thought these were really clever, and the descriptions of the flavors were dead-on with what we were tasting. (Although Ernie had a slight thought about his third-grade teacher and hoped he wouldn’t dream about her that night…)

The day was just perfect - brilliant sunshine with only a few clouds, a light breeze to keep the temperature cool, and the lovely canal and lots of people and their children and dogs just enjoying the day. What a delightful way to start the Memorial Day weekend!

Mother's Day Feast

Mother’s Day is a really nice day since Ernie usually feels inspired to create a wonderful meal for us. This year was no exception.

The event began when I received a special invitation from L’Ambasciatore del Principato di Seborga to join him in festive events. Quite a lovely invitation, complete with the menu for the evening. And, of course, an expectation that I would select the wine to accompany the various dishes. (There was also the added option that we could also just go get pizza from a local pizzeria instead - I declined.)

Fortunately, the weather was spectacular that day. The first course was served al fresco in the garden, a Bibb and Red Leaf Salad with fruited goat cheese and toasted pecans, dressed with Aged Balsamic and Saba Vinegar. Ernie has recreated this salad from one we had several years ago down in southern Virginia. We cracked open a bottle of Lovisolo Vino Spumante Brut Rosé, made from Nebbiolo grapes in the Piemonte region of Italy. The Vino Spumante went beautifully with the tart dried cranberries and the sweet Saba in the salad.

Our next course consisted of selected appetizers of salami, olives, and cheeses. Wow, it is definitely a highlight to sit under a full-blooming wisteria in the arbor munching on porcini salami and Pecorino Romano drizzled with honey while sipping our delightful aperitif. I wonder if we can make Mother’s Day a monthly event…

Then the main course. I had mentioned in a previous blog that Ernie had been looking forward to taking a cooking class from a local culinary school, mainly because the topic was grilling (and he loves to grill). So for the Mother’s Day festivities, he took advantage of a couple of the recipes. One in particular was a butter-chive creation that also had a bit of paprika and chili pepper. Although the cooking class had used this on a vegetable, Ernie added that to lobster tails that he had cracked open and then put them on the  grill, ergo the Chili and Chive-Buttered Lobster. The lobster came out so beautifully sweet with the butter and the hint of spiciness from the paprika and pepper. I paired that with a delightful Chablis, a Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Sainte Claire 2012. Accompanying the lobster was an Orzo Medley served with Roasted Fresh Vegetables, or orzo with peas and corn, also with the same butter sauce mixed in. The Chablis was perfect with the lobster and with the orzo - the delightful limestone essence and buttery, rich flavor of the wine combined with the lobster was wonderful to savor. Oh my! (Hmm, maybe make Mother’s Day a weekly event…?)

And then when I didn’t think we could consume any more, Ernie pulled out another recipe for dessert, Grilled Dressed Fruit with Dipping Sauce. This time, he covered pear and pineapple slices with a butter-ginger and honey coating. He grilled these, and then served them with a yogurt sauce flavored with vanilla and sugar. Just a perfect match between the caramelized outside of the fruit with the vanilla-flavored yogurt.  At this point, it was getting dark, and we were able to light the candles in the sconces around the garden. What a perfect ending to a delightful meal and lovely day!

Sake - Japan's Alternative to Wine

Sake - that greatly misunderstood adult beverage that is wonderfully unique to Japan. My husband has memories of having sake in Japanese restaurants where the beverage was served hot in small cups and tasted pretty strong (and awful). However, as I have come to learn more about wine, that hot, terrible brew that Ernie remembers is not the lovely creation that is now served in some Japanese restaurants.

My friend, Inez, loves sake. So for her recent birthday, we took her up to Baltimore to PABU, which is in the Four Seasons Hotel. What a great restaurant! If you haven’t gone, you must. Delicious sushi, plus many traditional Japanese dishes. And wow, what a selection of sake! We have gone there three or four times, and we have an adventure each time.

The technique for creating sake is different than that of wine. Where the alcohol in wine is created by fermenting sugar that is present in grapes, sake is produced more like a beer-brewing process. Sake is traditionally made from rice, but it is different from the rice one uses for cooking. The best sakes are made from rice that contain only starch, so the rice is polished to remove the outside bran. And did you know - there are at least 80 different types of sake rice in Japan! The type of rice combined with the yeast to start the brewing process determines the particular flavors that will be in the sake. Wikipedia and other sources have a great description of the sake-creation process, if you’re interested. It is good to note that sake typically has an alcohol level of 18-20% by volume, as opposed to beer’s 3-9% and wine’s 9-16%.

So back to PABU. For Inez’s birthday celebration, she and I both decided to have the “Satori” Menu, which is a tasting of the various specialties of PABU. This allowed us to have a cross-section of different foods along with both Japanese beer and sake pairings.

We started with an order of edemame along with a delightful sake for Ernie (and we tasted) called “Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu” sake made by Narutotai. It had bold fruit flavors and a beautiful sweet aroma. It is noted for its great acidity and for its boldness, which went well with the roasted edemame that had paprika and a bit of chili pepper. Ernie drank that through the evening, and he said it went well also with the various types of sushi that he had for dinner, as well as chicken meatballs.

Edemame appetizer and Sake

Ernie's sushi assortment

Inez and I started course one, “Happy Spoon” and Izakaya Appetizers, which was an assortment of appetizers to include a petite wianno oyster with uni, some other Japanese spices, and a crème fraîche; a soy-poached lotus root (very interesting); seaweed salad with a soy-dashi vinegar and creamy sesame dressing; and something called “goma-ae” which was steamed spinach with sweet sesame dressing. This assortment was paired with a cocktail called “Super X” which had Lillet Blanc, Yuzu, and house-made falernum along with spices such as cardamom. This delightful drink was lemony and spicy - very refreshing with the appetizers, but I suspect it could knock you for a loop if you had too many!

Course number two was PABU wings “Nagoya Style” along with a Berkshire pork “Country” rib. The wings and the rib had Japanese pepper, Tokyo BBQ sauce, red chili glaze, and Kewpie mayo. Wow, delicious! These were supposed to be paired with the Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu. However, since we already had a bottle of that going, our delightful waiter (Mo) brought us an alternate sake pairing - the Jokigen Junmai Ginjo. This sake was less bold than the Nama Genshu - it had more of melon flavor with a hint of apple and melon rind. Really good to try - both Inez and I agreed that the original pairing of the Junmai was the more correct one for the wings and rib. But hey, fun to try!

PABU wings “Nagoya Style” along with a Berkshire pork “Country” rib

Next up was Robatayaki which was grilled over Japanese White Oak. What is that? This was an assortment of grilled meats, to include Tsukune (chicken meatballs), skirt steak with a black pepper-garlic soy, Negima (chicken thigh with scallions) and Eringi mushrooms with a sweet garlic and red miso. This was paired with a French Burgundy - the Thibault Liger Belair 2011. The wine was light-to-medium bodied with flavors of strawberries and cherries. The pairing was very good, as the smokiness of the meat matched the earthiness of the wine. A bit more aging on the Burgundy would have made an even better pairing - if anyone asked!

Course four was Michael’s Chicken Noodle Soup, made with Ramen noodles, chicken broth, and soy-poached chicken. The pairing for the soup was - wait for it - a Hitachino Nest White Ale, a type of Japanese beer. Let me say right now - I HATE BEER! This one, though, I was able to drink! It had a light flavor, not overwhelming with hops. Almost hints of citrus to go with the beer head. With the light soy flavors in the chicken soup, it was really good. I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to order beer, but this was one that I might be persuaded to have again.

Inez masters Chicken Soup with chopsticks!

Then we got to the Chef’s Sushi Selection, an assortment of nigiri, bigeye tuna, and a spicy tuna hand roll. This course was paired with an Aoki Junmai Ginjo sake, which was much lighter, almost reminiscent of a sauvignon blanc. The lighter sake and its acidity went very well with the various types of sushi.

And then dessert. The standard dessert is Sake Baba, which is best described as a Japanese version of an Italian pastry (Baba Rum). The pastry is soaked in the yuzu sake and served with banana (with a sake glaze) and whipped cream. In addition, since it was Inez’s birthday, she got a chocolate mousse to go with the Sake Baba. All this was paired with another sweeter sake called Ichishima “Karen Coy”. The light sweetness of the sake went beautifully with both the sake-soaked pastries and also with the chocolate.

Dessert! Note the assortment of glasses in the background...

All in all, we had a fabulous time. The Four Seasons always does things up right, from their extremely helpful and knowledgeable wait staff to the terrific food. Mo was a charm from beginning to end, and PABU also has both a sake sommelier and waiters who have studied up on all aspects of sake. Plus, the restaurant keeps track of those of us who really like sake and are able to remind us of past dinners and bottles that we particularly enjoyed, which was helpful. PABU is a place for all age groups, from young couples to families with grandparents and grandchildren. Bottom line is that everyone has a great time and a super meal. And we got Inez well-started into her next year! Happy Birthday, Inez!

Filling in for Trish - A Mystery Guest Blogger

Well, since Trish was on travel, I (Ernie) am the guest blogger for this event. (Hopefully this won’t happen too often - the pressure to produce a record of the event worthy of my wife’s knowledge is killing me! Oops, I let slip who the guest blogger is...)

Saturdays are for cooking class at Amici Miei, and as Trish and I can attest, they are always filled with great meals from Chef Davide and educational information on cooking techniques. You leave the restaurant with recipes in hand and a content stomach filled with the day’s efforts.  But that’s on Saturdays. 

About once a month, Amici Miei hosts a wine tasting with Nick from Siema Wines.  These events are held during the week, usually on a Wednesday after work, and they provide many of the “usual Amici Miei cooking class folk” along with 15 or so “new or casual attendees” a lovely night out in the middle of a standard hectic and fast-paced work week.  Chef Davide, Roberto, and Nick take each of the chosen wine’s origin and characteristics seriously during their selection and lovingly plan the food pairings for the wines.  The evening’s discussions and samplings usually run as follows:  the Amici Miei staff serve one wine at a time, you get to sip the sample, and then Nick regales you with a tale of the winemaker, the vineyard, Nick’s envious travels from when he’s gone to the winery, and then always a verbal image of the wine’s character. And typically, his stories enable you to remember an old memory or pull you into a new dream.  While Nick’s stories transport you to a faraway memory or place, the waiters are passing out the paired tasting sample.  It is then you recognize the beauty of wine, the ability of a liquid and a tidbit of food to awaken all your senses.  

At this tasting, Nick had one white wine (Frascati), two rosés (one from Umbria, and a Moscato), one sparkling, and two reds (Primitivo and Chianti Classico Riserva). The Volpetti Frascati was from the region of Lazio, and it was served with friselle (an Italian biscuit) flavored with either pepper or an olive oil and chili pepper combination. The sparkling wine was called Refrain from the Val D’Aosta region, and it is made from five grapes. It is created by one of the smallest producers in the region. Nick told a fantastic story about how the wine is aged at great heights in caves near the Matterhorn. The producer has another sparkling wine called “4478”, which is the height in meters of where the wine is stored, according to Nick. The Refrain was paired with creamy robiola cheese and asparagus crostini, which was a lovely combination.

The Macchiarello Rosé Barbi is from Umbria, and it was paired with puff pastry mini pizzas. The wine had a white cherry taste and was dry - very nice. Next was a Le Giuse Primitivo del Salento from Puglia, which was paired with a roasted eggplant roll stuffed with pork sausage. Primitivo is, of course, the Italian version of the U.S. Zinfandel. A nice big wine with somewhat jammy flavors, less fruit-forward than its California cousins.

Next up was the Chianti Classico Riserva from Tuscany, produced by Castello di Lucignano. This was paired with aged Pecorino Toscano cheese. A good, basic Chianti, very familiar to my tastebuds. Definitely brought back memories of being in Tuscany. And then the final wine, a Moscato Rosa from Trentino Alto Adige produced by Kaltern Caldaro. This was actually not a “dessert wine”, even though it was paired with white chocolate raspberry mousse. However, the rosé wine had enough sweetness to work very well with the mousse and not go bitter as a dry red wine might. Once again, great pairings from Chef Davide!

Nick many times polls the group to see which offerings are the favorites of the evening.  This time it was the Chianti Classico Riserva and the Primitivo.  But my favorite was the Frascati because Nick’s description of and reason for drinking the wine was spot-on with Trish’s and my first exposure to the lovely white.  Nick wove a story of how the character of the wine lulls you into drinking one glass after another, noshing on appetizers and discussing and talking for hours before you realize how much time had passed.  This is exactly our first experience with Frascati; we talked for hours and ate more than we had originally thought we were going to and stayed out far longer than intended just enjoying the wine and each other’s company.  

The bottom line for me is this: yes, wines have characters, personalities, preferred partners and other basic attributes that one should learn or at least be aware of. However, wine is as much a memory-maker as a memory-stimulator to remind you of previous times.  You don’t have to be a world renowned expert on wine to get an enormous amount of enjoyment out of this luscious grape nectar. You just have to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open to experience what life has to offer.

Farmers Markets and Local Vineyard

We enjoy going to Farmers Markets around the area because we get to try good food, select really fresh vegetables, and occasionally, run into a local winery. We recently encountered Thanksgiving Farm Vineyards and Winery at a local farmers market. 

Thanksgiving Farm is located near Harwood, Maryland (Anne Arundel County) about twenty miles east of DC.  The farm has it's origins back to 1892 when it was part of a larger estate. The current owners, Doug and Maureen Heimbach, began planting vineyards in 1998.

There were three wines showcased at the farmers market. Interestingly, the white wine, Franc Blanc, was made from Cabernet Franc. A very nice wine, great for seafood. The rosé was beautifully dry, with very nice grapefruit notes. Their red was a Meritage blend, which had fruity notes, nice tannins, and some peppery taste, and it would be good with burgers or steak.

There are lots of vineyards around the DC area. It is fun to take a day drive and try out some of the local vineyards - or take the opportunity to try them at farmers markets. Either way - bring more wine! 

April Cooking Class

I think I mentioned before that I love cooking class Saturdays at Amici Miei! It is such a pleasant experience to go and watch Chef Davide create wonderful foods, learning about the different styles of Italian cooking, and then enjoying the fruits of everyone's labor along with wonderfully paired wines. And all with a group of people who are definitely enthusiastic about the same things.

And so this month, we had a great menu, complete with Ligurian Easter pie, farrotto with asparagus (made in a style similar to risotto), Abruzzo-style lamb, and a dessert of strawberries with mascarpone. Chef Davide had two helpers in the kitchen, Jim and Mike, who are a lot of fun to watch and tease about their cooking styles! Ernie had headed off to a different cooking class - I had purchased a gift certificate to a cooking school for him and the class that he chose ended up conflicting with the Amici Miei cooking class.

This time, Chef Davide started with the Easter pie, since this dish is traditionally served at room temperature. He says that Italians make this pie ahead of time, then take pieces of it on picnics. Two layers of puff pastry are put into the bottom off a springform baking dish, then a mixture of sautéed swiss chard and onion, marjoram, parsley, and ricotta cheese are poured into the pan. Chef then put a number of indentations into the swiss chard/ricotta mixture, then put an egg into each of the indentations. Another two layers of puff pastry are laid over the top, and the pie is baked in the oven. After baking (and the cook must be sure that the eggs are completely cooked!), the pie is left to cool.

Layering in the puff pastry while Mike oversees.

Yum - ricotta mixed with swiss chard, onion, marjoram, and parsley.

Indents in the mixture.

Jim and Mike showing off their skills in filling indents with eggs!

Next, Chef made a serving of the farotto. This is actually made from wheat farro, which is a wheat grain. The farro is made in the style of risotto, where it is slowly cooked along with sautéed onion and carrot while adding in small amounts of either chicken or vegetable stock and stirring constantly (much to Jim's dismay, as he is not a fan of standing and stirring for twenty minutes - I actually love the stirring of risotto). At a certain point in the cooking process, pureed asparagus is added to the farro, which creates a green hue. When the farotto is done, it has a bit of an "al dente" consistency, but it is soft enough to chew. The dish is completed by adding a drizzle of reduced wine (typically Barbera wine) along with honey. This is actually a time-consuming process that Jim got to monitor - a bottle of wine is slow cooked along with honey, and the combination gradually reduces over time to create a thickened syrup. To complete the dish, a few asparagus heads are added, which makes it look beautiful and taste even better!

After the farotto, Chef made the lamb. This was an creation made the way Italians in the province of Abruzzo make lamb. Cubes of lamb are braised with vegetable stock and vegetables after the lamb is browned. Once the lamb is braised, a mixture of egg and pecorino cheese are added to the lamb. Then that is baked in the oven until the egg/cheese mixture is cooked. The salty pecorino and the egg mixed with the chunks of lamb is truly delightful.

This is real cooking - and controlled chaos. Jim is cutting strawberries, Chef is directing one of his staff about other dinner preparation,s and Mike is deterring what goes next into the mascarpone.

Finally Chef made the dessert, as this needs to be very fresh. He had Jim and Mike cut up strawberries into chunks, then they pureed some of strawberries along with the liqueur, Gran Gala, and some sugar. That mixture is put into the bottom of a martini or parfait glass, then the chunks of strawberries. The strawberries are topped with a wonderful concoction of mascarpone cheese mixed with zabaglione (made of cooked egg, liquour, and sugar). That is topped with more pieces of strawberries.

And so how did Chef Davide's creations go with Roberto's chosen wines? Wow, amazing as usual!

The farrotto dish was paired with a 2011 Santa Cristina Orvieto Classico wine, which was a superb match. The crisp, lemony flavor of the wine went well with the beautifully chewy farrotto and the asparagus. And the drizzle of syrupy wine and honey added just a touch of sweetness.

I love an Orvieto wine, and this was perfect with the farotto!

The Italian Easter pie was paired with a 2012 Zenato San Benedetto Lugano, which is made from Trebbiano grapes from the Lake Garda area. The wine was perfect with the pie - which tasted somewhat like a quiche but with the pieces of now hard-cooked egg. Yummy!

The Lugana wine made from Trebbiano grapes.

The completed Ligurian Easter pie.

The Abruzzo-style lamb with the pecorino and egg was paired with a 2011 Cecchi Chianti Classico (complete with the distinctive rooster emblem on the label). While the dish looks somewhat simple when plated, it was tender, tasty and delightful! It is definitely comfort food, with the chunks of lamb and the scrambled-egg-style mixture - but it is not a breakfast dish! The dry wine and the lamb with the pecorino flavor went so wonderfully together.

Yummy - an Abrozzo-style lamb with pecorino cheese and egg.

A lovely Chianti Classico to go with the lamb.

And just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, out comes the strawberries and mascarpone. Of course, one cannot skip that - what a delightful end to the meal!

A perfect ending to the meal - strawberries with mascarpone!

I think I mentioned that Ernie had gone off to a different cooking class. About half-way through the preparations, Ernie suddenly showed up at Amici Miei, coming in on his knees begging for forgiveness and admission! The other class had completed quite early - it was an "interesting" experience, and quite humorous when Ernie regaled us with the rather odd cooking styles. He was extremely happy that Chef Davide was able to accommodate him, as the food was tremendous - and much better prepared than then other class!

And thus ended the April class, as the group of us again waddled out to go home and enjoy our food coma! We are looking forward to next month, which unfortunately will be the last class ahead of summer vacations.

A Perfect Wine for Ernie's Grilling

Have I mentioned that Ernie loves to cook?  Hey, I'm no dummy - I found a great husband. Especially since I am not the best cook in the world. (I do love to bake, but I digress.)

Ernie loves to experiment with his cooking, and a few years ago, he started experimenting with spices for grilling rubs. He came up with several winners, to include his famous "Father's Day Rub". It is absolutely perfect on slow-grilled beef brisket and on spareribs. Several people have even asked if they could buy the concoction from him - so he has sold several boxes to friends and acquaintences.

And fortunately for us, we found a perfect wine (among so many!) to go with the special grilling recipe. At a wine dinner up in Towson several years ago, Cafe Troia featured wines from Le Marche. Our favorite was the Lacrima di Morro D'Alba 2009 wine, produced by Velenosi. This is a really unique wine, if you want to try something different. The Lacrima grape is found in a very small D.O.C. region near Morro d'Alba in Le Marche. The grape is very dark-skinned, but apparently it has a tendency to split open and leak quite easily - therefore the name Lacrima, meaning "teardrops".

The very unique thing about this wine is the fabulous scent and the almost smoky taste. The scent is extremely intense, heavy with lavender, violets and rosebuds, but mixed with fruity scents of strawberry and maraschino cherries. And the taste consists of blueberries with vanilla and cinnamon. When we first had this wine at Cafe Troia, the chef had paired the wine with a smoky meat appetizer. So when we fire up the grill to put on the spareribs or brisket with Ernie's grilling rub, we open a bottle of the Lacrima di Morro d'Alba!

This wine is not terribly easy to come by. We have purchased it up in Baltimore County and in Howard County, as we never have found it in Montgomery. It is not an expensive wine - about $15 per bottle. It is a very unique wine, and one that I encourage you to try. Enjoy!

Finding Warmth in Florida

Our cousins in Florida have been encouraging us to come and visit them. They have a beautiful house in Sanibel Island, and for whatever reason, we've never visited them there. So we finally managed to escape the cold and various busy schedules of DC and get down to Sanibel.

Wow, what on earth is wrong with us?? Sanibel Island is beautiful, and we had tremendous fun with Cousins Mike and Carmen. Bike riding, yoga, and boat rides during the day, lovely dinners and wine at night, topped off with dancing! What more could you ask for?

What were the highlights? Our first full evening, we drove over to Captiva Island to watch the sunset. Ahh, wine, cheese, and fruit on the beach, watching the sunset - what could be better? We had a Carnevale di Venezia Merlot, which is not an expensive wine, but perfect for plastic wine glasses on the beach.

Food and wine to watch the sunset...

And what a sunset it was!

The boat ride to Useppa Island - accompanied by dolphins! The ride was perfect in the beautiful Gulf sunshine, Useppa Island is lovely - very private. We had lunch at the inn (you can only stay there if you know someone who belongs to the Useppa Island Club!). What a gorgeous way to forget about work and the cold weather up north!

Our guide to Useppa Island.

Useppa Island Inn - a great place for lunch!

Another night, we had dinner at Traders, which was very nice. A Terres de Pierres Chablis 2011 was a perfect compliment to everyone's dinner - various types of fresh-caught seafood from the Gulf or Caribbean. Traders does a great job; we can see why Mike and Carmen like to go there.

Cin! Cin!

And finally, dancing both Friday and Saturday night at Traditions on the Beach. Traditions has a great restaurant, plus they have super entertainment. Joe McCormick plays the keyboard and sings, and Marvilla Marzan was definitely a highlight. What a tremendous voice! Great songs from the 40s through to current songs, all quite danceable - even "I Can't Get No Satisfaction!"

Taking a break from the dancing, enjoying the music at Traditions.

All in all, a great time, and a super visit with the cousins. Mike and Carmen are so much fun, extremely generous, and so gracious. Lots of memories of famiglia shared between Mike and Ernie. We will definitely not go another 40+ years before getting back to Sanibel!

Cantine del Notaio La Firma

I really like Italian wines that are big, bold, and full of flavors and complexities. We had a really good one recently - a 2001 Cantine del Notaio La Firma Aglianico del Vulture. This wine is from the southern Italian province of Basilicata, which is located in the arch of the boot. The aglianico grape is very unique to this area around southern Italy - there is an Aglianico Taurasi from the Campania area (towards Naples), and then there is the Aglianico del Vulture from the Mount Vulture region of Basilicata. 

After a hard day of moving (see other blog post!), my husband and I and our son and his friend met for dinner at Baci & Abbracci, which is a great little restaurant in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. They have a small but impressive wine list, to include this 2001 gem. 

The wine was exactly what we needed after a day of moving. It was big, bold, lovely tannins, lots of jammy fruit flavor, and a wonderful complexity from the aging. It went perfectly with the braised lamb shank that we had; our son said that the wine went well also with the chicken with rosemary and lemon, and his friend said the same about the wine and the cioppino. Unfortunately, Aglianico is no more magical in its powers than any other wine - it was still raining when we left the restaurant (see my other post)!

A nice celebration to toast our son's new venture - and adventure - in New York! Cin Cin!!

The Aglianico - photo courtesy of my photographer son!

Moving Day

Our son made a big move, following his dream to be based out of New York. So being the nice parents that we are, we helped him pack the rental truck and then drove with him to his new place in Brooklyn.

And Murphy being Murphy, we apparently cannot move our son without getting completely soaked. It is either pouring rain, or a stinking hot day where you are pouring sweat. Either way, an experience to remember (and wish you could forget!). This time, it was pouring buckets of rain - and cold rain at that.

We left DC in the morning, made absolutely great time, and then got caught in a horrible traffic tie-up in Staten Island, which apparently is par for the course. Anyway, after being delayed an hour and fifteen minutes at a dead stop, we made it to Brooklyn. And again, that Murphy - it was dry while we were viewing the Expressway in Staten Island, but then it was pouring when we hit Brooklyn. So unpack the truck, get the dog situated with his new doggie roommates (along with our son and HIS new roommates), get rid of the truck, and now - it's check-in time.

What a great place the Wythe Hotel is! Very updated in a lovely old structure, formerly a barrel factory! And because we had completely missed lunch (it was now after 4 PM!), we headed upstairs to the Ides Bar on the 6th floor of the Wythe.

View from the Ides Bar at the Wythe Hotel. Did I mention that it was cold and rainy? Manhattan is over there, complete with tall buildings!

Yes, this site is aptly named - "Bring More Wine!" After a cold, wet day of packing, driving and unpacking, we had to have a glass of wine to de-stress! We both had a lovely Rhone rosé, mainly because we really were hoping it would bring springtime! Unfortunately, rosé tastes magical, but it does not bring instant springtime. However, we had several extremely creative tapas that paired beautifully! The Wythe restaurants are known for their extremely fresh foods, obtained as much from local (aka upstate NY or CT or Long Island) producers as possible. A shrimp and crab "sausage" (really tasty), a cod mousse (yum!), and then marinated salami and parmigiano with marinated olives in a gorgeous fruity olive oil. What a great way to relax, enjoy the view that we were able to see out the windows in the Ides Bar, and do some people-watching in the process! 

One part of the Ides Bar - a very popular spot on a cold, wet day!