|
Join The WineKnitter in exploring the world of Wine, Spirits, Food, Travel and much more! |
 It was a great weekend, even though it was incredibly hot outside. We cooled off in the nearest body of water as often as possible and stayed hydrated with water during the day. However, we treated ourselves to aperitifs and wine with dinner at night. By the way, the strawberry was scrumptiously infused with the Lillet and heavenly to eat! I reviewed this wine a few days ago. http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2016/07/day-489.html  The other evening I opened a bottle of 2011 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini Black Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. I have written about this wine on more than one occasion on my blog. My last review of it was this past November. “Made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this bold wine was the color of deep purple. Aromas of dark berries, spice and cocoa were present. A quick sip and swirl upon opening, told me this was going to be a treat. The wine had a rich mouthfeel with concentrated berries, dark cherry, plum, licorice and dark chocolate on the palate. As the wine opened over the course of the evening the flavors became more intense. The tannins were soft and the finish was long with cherry and pepper lingering.” This vintage is very consistent, having had a few bottles of the 2011 over the course of 2 years. You can read more about their White and Red Label on previous posts: Day 347 9/22/15 and Day 230 3/19/15. http://www.ibalzini.it  It’s time to head outdoors and enjoy a swim!
Enjoy your Sunday! Cheers! Penina
0 Comments
 Yesterday was structured around taking a much-needed swim in the late afternoon. As luck would have it, clouds made their entrance and the rain poured down. I made the best of it and instead lined up all the wines I have yet to review! As you might (or might not) recall from previous posts, I am not a big fan of Pinot Grigio. However, the other evening we opened a 2014 Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio, Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT. Located in the Italian Alps, this winery is surrounded by the Adige River and has been crafting estate grown wines since 1904. This Pinot Grigio was a delightful surprise that had more body and texture than I anticipated. Aromas of floral, citrus and pear carried through to the palate. Mid-palate offered tart apple with light mineral notes. This is a fresh and clean wine that I would not hesitate to drink again! Alcohol: 12.5% http://www.mezzacorona.it   It seems that Tropical Storm Colin is wreaking havoc in the Southeast and will be causing more rain for us today. I guess I’ll have to put off swimming for yet another day! In the meantime…
Happy Wine Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  On Monday I went to the Vias Imports Grand Portfolio Tasting held at the IAC building in NYC. It was a beautiful venue to hold a wine tasting. Vias Imports has one of the most comprehensive portfolios of Italian wine in the US. In addition to Italy, their portfolio includes wines from Argentina, Austria, France, Lebanon, Spain, and the United States. With over 200 indigenous varietals that express Italy’s unique and diverse regions, there were many wines to taste, including several other countries. It was an afternoon of learning a little history and tasting a few varietals for the first time. One of the varietals that were new for me was the Barbarossa grape. I learned that some of the oldest Barbarossa vines in Italy are located in the Emilia-Romagna region. Fattoria Paradiso owns a hundred-year-old vineyard and produces this grape. I tasted the 2010 Il Dosso Barbarossa Forli, IGT made with 100% Barbarossa. It was fresh with cherry and hints of mint and chocolate. Another grape that was new to me was Dolcetto, found in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy. I tasted a 2014 Vilot Dolcetto D’Alba from Ca Viola Vineyards. Made with 100% Dolcetto, it had lots of blackberry, licorice and a hint of almonds on the finish.  Matteo Menicacci I met with Matteo Menicacci, winemaker and producer at Castello Di Meleto in Tuscany. He encouraged me to try the 2014 Vigna Casi Chianti Classico Riserva, DOCG. Made with 100% Sangiovese grape, it was smooth and elegant with floral and berries dancing on the palate. The vineyard is rich in history and it is worth visiting their website. http://www.castellomeleto.it I will revisit and share some of the many varietals that I tasted in future posts. But before I sign off, I must tell you about a heavenly wine from Le Salette, located in the Classica Valpolicella region. The 2012 La Marega Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG was exquisite. This Valpolicella blend was packed with spices, strawberry, herbs, chocolate and plum with a velvety finish. I would drink this for dessert!
Have a great Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  This week was tossed into a shaker and what poured out was nothing like I had originally planned! I was all set to attend the Consorzio Valpolicella Tasting & Seminars in NYC yesterday. Unfortunately, a client pre-empted my plans and the day took a different direction.  I have been to several Italian wine tastings that have included the Veneto Region. Valpolicella comes from the Veneto region of northeastern Italy and is the most famous wine district in that region. Valpolicella is a blended wine. The Corvina grape makes up most of the blend (usually up to 75%) with Rondinella and Molinara rounding out the mix. Sangiovese, Negrara or Barbera are other grapes that are used as well. Corvina is the grape of choice for higher quality Valpolicella.  Since I didn’t make it to the event, a sweet friend found a bottle of 2013 Folonari Valpolicella for me to taste. This red blend is a mix of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes. The aromas were subtle with fresh fruit and pine. The palate offered cherry, cranberry, pepper and herbs. It was light and smooth with soft tannins and a hint of vanilla bean on the finish. Very easy to drink. Founded in 1825 by Francesco Folonari, the winery is located in the heart of the Veneto region http://folonariwines.com The sun is shining and I’m going to try and reconstruct the rest of this week!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina This past Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the Culinary Institute of America, nestled on a majestic setting overlooking the Hudson River in Hyde Park, New York. The CIA also has campuses in California, Texas and Singapore.  Frances Roth and Katharine Angell founded the CIA in 1946. It is a private, not-for-profit culinary college and is one of the foremost culinary schools in the world. The CIA offers an array of Associate and Bachelor’s degrees in professional culinary arts and baking to majors in management, culinary science and applied food studies, just to name a few options. The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and food/wine fanciers. It is a bustling 170-acre campus with over 2,900 students hailing from every state and 30 foreign countries as well! As I drove into this impressive community, students in their chef jackets were scurrying from one building to another creating an air of excitement and enthusiasm. In addition to dorms, library and administrative buildings, the CIA has five diverse restaurants on campus that serve as hands-on teaching kitchens and classrooms for the students.  The American Bounty Restaurant focuses on the seasons and local products, offering traditional regional dishes. The Bocuse Restaurant is named after the famous French chef, Paul Bocuse. It serves classic French cuisine using “ultra-modern cooking techniques”. Pangea offers an eclectic, global menu of “plant-forward” dishes with the idea of protecting food resources. Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici is authentic Tuscan style dining. And last, but certainly not least, the very popular Apple Pie Bakery Café shows off the talents of the CIA’s students and faculty baking & pastry artistry. It also offers simple café cuisine.  With so many interesting food options, I finally decided on Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici. The restaurant is located in the Colavita Center for Italian Food & Wine. It is an impressive Tuscan-style building that is also equipped with teaching kitchens and classrooms dedicated to the study of Italian food, wine and culture. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with Venetian glass chandeliers and imported tapestry-upholstered chairs. From the moment we were seated to the time that we left, the students were gracious, attentive and very professional!  Students at CIA Our main server explained to us that the students do a rotation of time spent in “back of house” (the kitchen) and then “front of house” to get the full experience of working in a restaurant. She said that after being in the kitchen and creating the food it was also very exciting to watch the reactions of the diners consuming it. And as for our dining experience… We enjoyed a myriad of dishes that delighted our palate. The presentation was pleasing to the eye as well! We started our dining experience with Torta di Cipolle, an onion tart with balsamic vinegar and Ribollita alla Toscana, a Tuscan bean, bread and vegetable soup. The fish entrees were limited, so we both opted for the Salmone alla Griglia, grilled salmon prepared with green lentils, fennel and garlic croutons. It was a nice fusion of flavors.  I opted for a glass of Banfi Centine Rosé Toscana 2014 to have with my meal. It was dry and refreshing with lovely berry notes that led to a crisp and long finish. It complemented all the dishes, including dessert. We hardly had any room left in our tummies for dessert, but we ordered Tiramisu and a warm chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato.  The CIA is impressive with much to offer and the students’ passion for the culinary arts is contagious! I just might look into taking one of their weekend Food Enthusiast Courses! Check out their website! http://enthusiasts.ciachef.edu Have a great Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  The other evening we celebrated the onset of spring, despite the snowflakes falling. And what better way to toast the season then to drink a nice dry rosé! A bottle of 2013 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Colline Novares il Mimo was chilling in the refrigerator and just begging to be opened. This 100% Nebbiolo grape (locally known as Spanna) had an intense salmon color with aromas of strawberry, roses, citrus and hints of spice. The palate offered layers of strawberry, cherry, tart apple and a hint of pepper on the finish. This is a lovely medium bodied rosé that I plan on drinking throughout the summer. The Cantalupo Winery is situated in Ghemme, Northern Piedmont, Italy and is owned by the Arlunno family. http://www.cantalupo.net   My love, thoughts and prayers go out to Brussels. Stay strong. Have a peaceful Tuesday.
Cheers! Penina  I was hoping that the weather would stay warm for this weekend. Although it won’t hit the 70s, I’ll take what Mother Nature is offering, even if it means slipping on warmer shoes while my sandals patiently wait to be worn again. To start the weekend off, I met with a friend on Friday evening for dinner and conversation. We dined at an Italian restaurant with an emphasis on cuisine from central Italy. My friend preferred to drink vodka, so I opted for a glass of wine instead of ordering a bottle for the table. The selection of wines by the glass was limited, but good.  I picked Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Umani Ronchi Podere 2010. I made sure that the waiter opened a new bottle for the pour. The color was deep red bordering on purple. Pleasant aromas of cherry, dark berries and spices were followed by subtle flavors of sour cherry, plum, herbs, pepper and a hint of cocoa. Medium-bodied with soft tannins made this an easy wine to drink. Umani Ronchi produces an impressive 3 million bottles of twenty different wines every year! Click on the website for their fascinating story. http://www.umanironchi.com  Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead tonight before you go to bed!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  It’s such a beautiful day. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as possible outdoors. After a long power walk, I’m finally sitting down (outside) to write this short post.  I was expecting a friend over for dinner last night. The Rosé was chilling and the salmon and veggies were ready for the grill. At the last minute, he asked me to come over to his home instead. So, I grabbed everything and off I went. When I arrived, I handed him the food to grill and I opened the wine.  We drank 2013 Belguardo Rosé Toscana, Mazzei. The Belguardo estate is located in the Maremma region of Tuscany that the Mazzei family purchased in the 1990s. The wine is an unusual blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Syrah. The color was pale red with floral aromas and the palate offered red fruit flavors which were soft and succulent. It was medium bodied with a lasting impression of berries and flowers. The average price is $18.00. The dinner was delicious with the wine complementing every bite. http://www.mazzei.it/eng Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina Sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch are the fundamental senses that allow us to experience and express our perception of the world around us. We rely on our sight, taste and smell to communicate impressions of wine and food. Donnafugata, a family owned winery situated in western Sicily, has taken the “sensorial experience” to a whole new level! On Wednesday, I had lunch with the delightful Josè Rallo, one of the family members of Donnafugata. I tasted elegant wines and learned all about this magical family and winery, as we dined on local, artisanal food in a private room at Black Barn Restaurant in NYC.   The Rallo family began their trek into the world of wine in 1851. In 1983, Josè’s parents, Giacomo and Gabriella created Donnafugata. The name means “woman in flight” and refers to a story from a piece of literature called “Il Gattopardo”. Most of the Donnafugata labels and names of wines, which are very whimsical, pay homage to various works of art and literature. In 1990, their children, Josè and Antonio joined them with Josè as head of management control & communication and Antonio as a dedicated agronomist, wine maker and head of the Consorzio Sicilia DOC. Together, the Rallo family has dedicated themselves to eco-sustainable management, biodiversity and paying special attention to their carbon footprint.  Credit: Fabio Gambina copyright of Donnafugata and the name of the photographer mentioned. Contessa Entellina, Donnafugata’s wine estate, is comprised of 667 acres and seven vineyards. They cultivate 17 varieties of grape, both indigenous varieties and Italian and international vine varieties. The Donnafugata vineyards are spread throughout 10 districts, each having uniqueness in soil, altitude, exposure and micro-climatic conditions. In addition, Donnafugata has a winery and vineyard on Pantelleria, a volcanic island situated between Africa and Sicily. Zibibbo (Moscato d’Alessandria) is the wine variety grown on their 168-acre vineyards, located in 12 different areas of the island. Some of the plants are more than 100 years old! The vines are cultivated by hand, planted in a basin and trained to grow low and horizontally. This system of planting allows the vines to withstand the wind on the island. The winery is located in the Khamma district of the island. Wines produced at Contessa Entellina and Pantelleria are brought to the Marsala Aging Winery, Donnafugata’s production facility, for refinement and bottling. And now, back to my lunch with Josè!  As we nibbled on appetizers, Josè introduced us to SurSur 2014, a 100% Grillo grape, that is an ancient indigenous variety from Sicily. The color was pale straw with lovely aromas of green apple, peach and grapefruit. The palate offered a perfect balance of citrus and floral. At an average price of $19.00, this is a great wine to keep stocked in the refrigerator, especially with the warmer months on the way. We continued to drink the SurSur as we ate a delicious Kale Salad. Josè, who is also an accomplished singer with a beautiful voice, sang us a song that she felt paired the wine with the music, giving us the ultimate “multi-sensory” experience! In fact, she sang a song with every wine poured, sending us on an incredible sensory journey each time.  Josè serenading us!  Before the main course arrived, a bottle of 2011 Tancredi Sicilia and 2010 Mille e Una Notte Sicilia were opened. The Tancredi is made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d’Avola. The aromas of dark fruit, light oak, spices and herbs gave way to earthy flavors, rich berries, licorice, spice and soft tannins. The average price of this wine is about $36.00. The Mille e Una Notte is made with Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah and other grapes. Deep red in color, the aromas were heady and intense with dark fruit and spices. The palate was layered with plum, cherry, pepper and a hint of cocoa. Soft tannins accompanied a long finish. This is one of Donnafugata's more expensive wines, with a price tag averaging around $60.00 a bottle, but well worth it!  As we got ready for dessert, a bottle of 2013 Ben Ryé was opened. It was exquisite! This naturally sweet wine is made with 100% Zibibbo grown on the island of Pantelleria. The color was brilliant amber with intoxicating aromas of apricot and floral that segued onto the palate and lingered. The wine was concentrated and intense, but beautifully balanced. Although I would have been quite happy drinking this as my “dessert”, it complemented the Chocolate Cremeux passion fruit gelee, nougaline. I found the average price to be around $45.00 a bottle.  Delicious wines! Donnafugata wine is distributed in 60 countries and can be found in most wine shops, online and in many restaurants. To learn more about this innovative winery, visit their website at: http://www.donnafugata.it/pagine/Homepage.aspx
Josè’s exuberance and passion for her wines, music and life was the sweet pearl that I took with me when I left. It was a very enjoyable afternoon! Cheers! Penina  Oh my…it’s Friday and I’m finally sitting down to write a post. The days are going by so quickly and I can’t seem to get caught up with everything. However, an unexpected little snowstorm is keeping me inside this morning, so let me begin.  I met with a few friends midweek for tapas and a glass of Albariño wine. This green-skinned grape is grown in Galicia, located in northwest Spain. Albariño is the Galician name for this grape whereas in Portugal it is referred to as Alvarinho. Albariño wine is noted for its floral and soft fruity bouquet extending to the palate with common notes of peach and citrus. I found it to be light and quite complementary to the variety of tapas dishes. It is a lovely wine to keep in mind for the warmer months and also makes for a great aperitif.  Last night I opened a bottle of 2009 D’Isanto & D’Isanto I Balzini Red Label to serve with a hearty homemade vegetable and bean soup. I reviewed this Tuscan wine about a year ago. Most of what I experienced back then, remained consistent. Made with Cabernet, Merlot and Sangiovese, the aromas were rich in dark fruit and spice. The palate offered black cherry, plum and earth as it did before. However, this time the finish was stronger, with spice and anise lingering for a longer finish. The wine opened up much faster as well. My guest will attest that it was good to the last drop! http://www.ibalzini.it/index.php/en The snow is beginning to taper off and I’m getting ready for the weekend and Super Bowl!
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina |
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed