Monday, May 20, 2013

Woman Vs. Wine : Nebbiolo Prima

It was like being invited to take part in a heavyweight boxing match. My nerves were kicking Thursday night when I found out that Claudio had got me into a professional blind tasting in Alba for the exclusive and international wine event called Nebbiolo Prima. Lasting for four intense days, the attendees may drink taste up to 600 wines, especially the newly released Barolo vintage, in this case, 2009. Was I going to stick out like a sore thumb and get beaten up by both the wines and my peers?


Like the insecure underdog, I was one of the first to arrive, clueless about what adventure I was embarking on. I was escorted into a stark and "silenziosissimo" room and was given my own individual table, facing the others. I hesitantly got out my ipad to kill time, and luckily recognized an AIS who kindly told me that the first wine bottle which was wrapped in foil was to "vinare" the glasses, or rinse them with wine first. So I got through the pre-game prep work, looked down at the wine list of over 70 wines, and was pumped up for the first round of 5 wines.


Round 1. At first I felt a little bit like a poser, trying to not be clumsy or self conscious, sniffing and spitting and trying to pray for some answers! Little by little I blocked out the others around me, got in my own zone and regained my confidence, diving right in. First five 2009 Barolos done.

Round 2. Raised my hand for the next 5 bottles and done. On and on it went but I started losing my focus. I got through the first page and tried not to think about the other one and a half. All of a sudden I started looking at the time, one hour = one page tasted. I had to keep the pace to finish in 3 hours. Reminded of our high school basketball posters, Truckin' Along, I got through the Barbarescos and Roero Nebbiolos one by one.


Round 3. I was feeling quite beat up at this point. Although I was spitting red wine like it was no one's business, my mouth was being roughly beat up by Nebbiolo's tannins. I felt numb and could no longer concentrate and decided to take a much needed water and bathroom break. I had to get to the Barolo 2007 Reserves at the end of my list. It was a matter of pride.

Round 4. The big blows from Serralunga and Monforte. The bottles were covered so I couldn't make out their "faces" but I could taste their identities and couldn't wait to find out who they really were.


With 10 minutes remaining, and the last to leave, I finally made it through the match and succeeded in staying alive... with very red teeth I might add! I never thought that tasting wine could be such a challenge and so exhausting, but I guess most people wouldn't start their professional tasting like this with the very tough grape Nebbiolo. But if you are going to start somewhere why not start at the top! Now I must find the time to compare my notes to the revealing of the wineries and bottle numbers and see if there were any surprises! My top ten will be coming shortly so stay tuned!


Thankfully I found a EWBC blogger friend Ilkka who made this awesome video of the event where I am pointing at my red teeth! Check it out here.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

"American Wannabees" In Italy

The American dream is still alive in Italy and every day I chuckle at American influences here in the old world. On Sunday, Claudio sponsored a local "motorfest" in Bra, which meant lots of "Italian" harlisti as they call them here. Although I was surrounded by patriotic American gear, the Italianess still shone through no matter how hard they tried!

American flags everywhere!!!
A SFPD police Harley?! Where do they get these things!

How they totally can not avoid being Italian:

You must display the Ferraris, Fiats and Vespas in hot Italian red!
Italian medieval entertainment a must!
Italian To Go Street Food
No Matter how cool and tough you want to be with your pimped out ride, the Italian men will always love their mammas!!

So while Americans dream of Italy and vespas, Italians dream of coast to coast trips on Harleys. I guess I am lucky to take the best of both worlds and hope that Italians will never lose their individuality!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Mirto: The Sardinian Taste of Hospitality [Guest Post]


“Fancy a Mirto?” is the offer you cannot refuse. In any case.

When a Sardinian offers you a shot glass of Mirto (simply called “a mirto”, or dearly “mirtino”), there is a good chance that it is homemade: self-made, or prepared by mom, brother, friends…

The homemade procedure is not a standard one: there are lots of small differences in making Mirto, in order to have it more or less sweet, more or less sour, more or less aromatic. That’s why it is important to congratulate if you find it tasty.It belongs to the “digestive” category and it is usually drunk after lunch, but its true 
category is: “it is always time to drink a Mirto together!”. 

So, if you are in Sardinia and you are offered a Mirtino, accept it and be aware that you are
offered a symbol of Sardinian culture. It means that you are welcome, and when it 
happens you have the chance to benefit from the renowned regional reception, that 
passes through a shot-glass of ruby red liqueur into the depths of your soul.

Mom’s recipe


Ingredients:
Myrtle berries* 800gr
Alcohol 90°**
Sugar 400/600gr to taste
Water 1250 ml

*Harvest time: since mid-December to the end of January.
**A common variation is the use of eau de vie instead of the alcohol. 

Method:
Clean thoroughly, rinse and dry the berries. Soak the berries with alcohol and leave to 
infuse for about 20-30 days.
Prepare the syrup: mix the water with the sugar and bring to a boil. Let it cool. 
Strain the infusion without pressing it and add the cold syrup. Stir well and bottle it. You 
need to wait at least 2 weeks before drinking it. In order to savor the best, put the glass 
bottle in the freezer and serve chilled.

About the author: Giulia Garau
Passionate about cats, amazing coffee and dark chocolate. Enthusiastic when embarking 
on a new journey, eager to live and to discover unknown places. Giulia's home is Sardinia,
where she works as a Social Media Manager for CharmingItaly.com.
Photo Credits: Bertas, Peenjas

Monday, April 29, 2013

Vinum 2013 Alba

While my teacher colleagues were enjoying their long "ponte" holidays abroad and at sea, I was here in Piemonte working overtime at the winery. To uplift our spirits on Sunday afternoon, Claudio and I faced the cold rainy weather to blog about the annual wine event in Alba called Vinum. One of the perks of blogging and making contacts was getting free passes and glasses! Woohoo!

Vinum is a long weekend in April when the enotecas open up for Notte Bianca in the streets of Alba, you can choose from a huge selection of wines at the Grande Enoteca where they give you those cool wine glass holder necklaces, and tantalize you with street food, special exhibitions and presentations. 


While I was busy tweeting at the entrance and getting my bearings, we ended up running into all these people we knew like Enrico from Rizzi winery and some tourists who had come to the winery before. Each room had an incredible selection of winemakers all divided by type of wine which was served by sommeliers. We only had a limited amount of tickets so we had to choose wisely!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Barolo On A Tuesday At San Biagio

I have to admit I am one of those people who goes through short-lived obsessive phases, especially when it comes to food and wine. My latest one is a light fruity and peppery wine called Verduno Pelaverga like I talked about in my last post. So my friend Matteo suggested another producer who is actually based in La Morra, called San Biagio and interestingly owns a Pelaverga vineyard right on the border. A good excuse to stop by for a visit!

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the setting of this renovated farmhouse and new cellar set amongst the vineyards was magnificent. The daughter of the family, Tiziana greeted us and reiterated the importance of the terroir and work in the vineyards. I love when Italian winemakers use poetic and philosophical metaphors like,"a vine/vineyard is like a person, the more you exploit it, the less complexity and longevity it will have"


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