Travels and dining out

Discovering perfection »

January 17, 2012

I have always dreamed of Tuscany; every clichéd, romantic Hollywood image of it. Somewhere in my deepest desires, I have images of a sun kissed stone villa with lipstick coloured geraniums spilling out of terracotta pots. I dream of verdant vineyards spilling down straw coloured hills, and a tapestry landscape punctuated by dark green cypress, offering their salutations to the sun. I dream of a dim lit cantina permeated by the smell of fermenting grapes and sitting at a table in a bustling piazza; sipping a wine that imprints these images on your soul. These images of Tuscany epitomize my ultimate in gourmet travel and have lead to my love of Italian wines.

My friends know about my lust for all things Italian and also my blatant ignorance when it comes to the concept of risk. They have witnessed first hand, my crazy acquisitions, such as us buying a vacant old pub, desperately in need of restoration with no real assessment other than “I like it.” Thankfully that impulse purchase turned out OK; with a massive amount of life changing hard work. They say that humans forget pain and that is obviously the case or we would all be single child families. So it would have been no surprise to my friends, to see me in Tuscany, climbing through prickly brambles (in my new Italian sandals) to explore a derelict old farmhouse, whilst the Vineyard Manager (AKA my husband) looked on with a panicked expression on his face. Whenever I go on holidays I seem to be exploring the local real estate. I have visions of restoring old buildings that even Kevin McCloud would deem impossible. I can’t even sit in a pub without mentally renovating it, doing calculations on coasters and re-writing its menu. So here I was, crawling around, knee deep in nocuous bushes; my visions of ‘la dolce vita’ projecting their rose coloured filter across the facade of this decaying old building. I have never been certain what inspires this behaviour within me, but I think Tuscany finally made me understand.



We booked our Tuscan getaway at the villas at Podernouvo, Castel del Piano. Of the two villas, we chose Il Seccatoio. It was once a chestnut drying house. Owners, Umberto and Alvina, who are extremely generous hosts, lovingly rebuilt and restored the old stone buildings. The villas and small farm are everything that you imagine Tuscany to be. Upon arrival, I felt an instant calming; I am not sure if it was the spectacular views looking across to the Mediaeval hilltop village of Montegiovi or the aromatic oils of the garden lavender emanating in the warm Tuscan air. In the villa, we were greeted by a beautifully baked loaf of bread, fragrant red tomatoes, a vase full of sweet basil & other herbs, figs, fresh farm eggs and the farm’s own olive oil, wine and balsamic vinegar. The village provided us with any supplies that Alvina and Umberto’s burgeoning garden didn’t. We stocked up on some good sausages, prosciutto, salami, pecorino cheese and aqua minerale.



Tuscany’s most important wine zone is Chianti Classico - the heart of Chianti, between Florence and Siena, however the area of Montalcino, to the South of Siena is Tuscany’s shining star. The commune of Castel del Piano is on the slopes of Monte Amiata (Tuscany’s highest peak) and is a picturesque 30 minute drive south of Montalcino. They say that Monte Amiata helps shelter Montalcino making it one of the warmest, driest parts of the region and therefore Sangiovese ripens here better than anywhere else.

Sangiovese is believed to get its name from Sangue di Giove ‘the blood of Jove (Jupiter)’. Others believe the name came from San Giovanni (St John the patron Saint of grape growers). Either way, in this part of the world this black grape takes centre stage. Despite Montalcino’s long history, the wine that makes it famous, is relatively recent. In the 19th century a clone of sangiovese vine was isolated for its quality. This superior clone was named Brunello. It is a powerful concentrated expression of sangiovese, with incredible depth of flavour and structure, which allows it to age for decades.

Over half the Montalcino DOCG zone (Denominazione di origine controllata -controlled designation of origin) is planted to Brunello. Explaining the DOCG system is a complicated affair; Italy’s classification system being as ordered as it’s driving! It’s largely related to tipicita (typicity) and for this reason Brunello has been the subject of arguments between the traditionalists and the modern winemakers and even a scandal in 2008, which the Italian media named Brunellopoli. Many wineries were investigated for secretly putting other grapes into their Brunello. Brunello di Montalcino is a 100% single varietal, made to age for many years. It is has to be aged for four years before release (at least 2 years in oak). The avant-garde argue that 10-15% blending of other grapes can improve the sometimes-temperamental sangiovese. The contemporary winemaker uses French barriques instead of large oak botti (barrels), which help soften the prominent sangiovese tannins. While the change in oak regime is allowed under the DOCG, blending with other grapes is actually a criminal offence. To me it’s an appalling shame to want to mess with something so perfect and I consider myself on the side of the traditionalists; a blend may well be superior (or not) but it can be easily translated into another classification.



Montalcino, which was developed between the 13th and 17th centuries, is a fortified citadel, sitting on top of a hill. It is the perfect Tuscan town with unspoilt medieval architecture through the town centre. The fortezza stands guard as you walk past its imposing walls into the narrow streets of the town. There are plenty of tourists wandering around, but the town is not spoilt for it. We took a full day to explore Montalcino; three hours of which involved eating lunch. There are plenty of interesting sights and shops to explore, including the shoe shop where I purchased the above-mentioned bramble trampling sandals.



Umberto recommended that we have lunch at Enoteca Osteria Osticchio. We found the beautiful Enoteca with its pretty outdoor tables nestled along Via Matteotti (which runs from the Piazza del Popolo). We enquired about lunch and were told it was full. I mentioned to the apologetic waiter that friends, who live locally, recommended we dine there. “Ah yes! This is a problem” was the response and he offered us a table for 2.00pm. We gratefully accepted as we were not in a hurry and certainly weren’t starving, having already stuffed ourselves with Italian food for the past week.

Tuscan food is simple and rustic, however it demands quality ingredients. Produce needs to come fresh from the farm to the plate. Bread is the basis of meals. Bruschetta is popular served as antipasti; slices of toasted bread, drizzled with olive oil, rubbed with garlic and topped with juicy tomatoes, or with chicken liver, chopped veal, anchovies and capers. Panzanella is a popular Tuscan bread salad made with bread soaked in water and vinegar and then mixed with anchovies, onions, olives, tomato and basil. Tuscany is abundant in excellent salamis and prosciutto. I couldn’t get enough of the amazing fennel seed salami. Pecorino, which is a sheep’s milk cheese, is the prominent cheese of the region; the rind often tinted by the producer with tomato, walnut leaves or charcoal. Tuscany is of course famous for its Bistecca alla Fiorentina. This is a T-bone steak, obtained from the Chianina breed of cattle. It is usually about half a kilo in size, cooked on the grill with little seasoning and served rare.

If you manage to snag a table at the back of the Enoteca, you will be treated with breathtaking views of the region, over the terracotta planter boxes (geranium filled of course). We enjoyed an outdoor table on the street. We started our meal with Patè di fegatini di pollo con crostini Chicken liver pate on bread and Acciughe sottopesto con burro aromatizzato marinated anchovies in parsley pesto. We didn’t choose a wine, instead we allowed our very attentive waiter to choose for us across the four courses. The first was a Trebbiano, a white grape that the critics don’t particularly favour. It is often given tasting notes that refer to it as short, neutral, high in acidity and boring. As I savoured the simple and beautiful flavours of the anchovies, I had several thoughts. The dish was so far from “Haute Cuisine”, so far from the creations of the three hat or three star brigades and certainly on a completely different planet to molecular gastronomy, yet it was totally exquisite in its simplicity; and here was this supposedly characterless wine, which in that moment, at that table, tasted superb; it was a totally authentic experience.



We were poured a 1995 Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino. The wine was distinctly rural in its character, displaying savoury nuances in its flavour and texture, which so completely encapsured the countryside where it is grown. Like Tuscany, the wines appeal was its raw, rustic, authentic beauty. The first impression was the deep pervasive cherry nose. The aroma took me back to childhood, when my parents would give me the maraschino cherries, which use to garnish most drinks in those days. The palate was long and generous; intense with a morello cherry character (but no cocktail garnish sweetness); persuasive and powerful with an abundance of earthy tannins; there were hints of dried herbs; herbs such as sage and oregano used in Italian cooking. In the glass there was fresh baked bread, fragrant red tomatoes, figs, olive oil and a sun kissed stone villa surrounded by lavender, rosemary bushes and the damp rich earth of a farmyard. It was indeed a wine that spoke of deep connection with the land.

When it comes to Italian wines, I had always thought that the Barolos were my holy grail, but after visiting Montalcino I can confirm that my heart is now firmly captivated by Tuscany and the Brunellos.

Rosso di Montalcino is a DOC classification. It allows the winemakers to declassify grapes if they are unsuitable for a Brunello. The grapes are 100% sangiovese, but typically not aged as long; a baby brunello, which offers a fresher, less full-bodied style. They are more approachable in their youth. In 1996 the Sant’ Antimo DOC classification was also approved. This is a classification for a wide variety of red and white grapes produced in the area. The name comes from a beautiful abbey Abbazia di Sant’ Antimo. This is a Romanesque Abbey dating back to 781 and the time of Charlemagne. The alabaster and travertine façade is almost camouflaged against the colour of the surrounding sun parched fields; yet standing at the Abbey and looking back toward Castelnuovo dell’Abate is a landscape of quintessential Tuscan patchwork.



No matter where you stay in Tuscany, you need a car to get around. A navigation system is helpful, but don’t expect it to be up to date, particularly on the rural back roads. Our “never fail” GPS uttered the words “recalculate” on several occasions, so we went back to the old fashioned method of navigating; wife attempts to read the map, gets it wrong and husband and wife end up bickering over who got who lost. Whilst in Montalcino, I desperately wanted to visit Máté Wines. Ferenc Máté is the author of several books about Tuscany. “A vineyard in Tuscany” tells the story of Ferenc and his wife Candace setting up their life in Montalcino. Victims of our GPS, we couldn’t properly follow the instructions to their vineyard. We became unstuck on their road (probably right outside their door).



Castello Banfi is a ‘must visit’. The castle can be traced to the ancient Etruscans and is the tourism face of the 7,100 acre Banfi estate. There is a wine museum, with an interesting display of ancient grape and olive presses, Etruscan tools, bowls, bottles and vases. We enjoyed a stunning degustazione lunch (yes another five courses) in the Taverna. An excellent carpaccio was served with a 2010 Fontanelle chardonnay; home made fusilli with Chianino beef ragoût, with a 2006 Tavernelle (an IGT 100% Cabernet Sauvignon); grilled pork fillet with rosemary potatoes was the perfect foil for the lovely 2008 BelnerO (predominately sangiovese – Toscana IGT); a selection of Pecorino with Montalcino honey and pine nuts with the magnificent Castello Banfi 2006 Brunello di Montalcino and a fruit bavaroise with a cheeky light sparkling red named ‘rosa regale’ which is made from 100% Brachetto, from the south of Piedmont. The wines were perfectly matched to the courses. After lunch we wandered around and visited the impressive tasting room and the balsameria. Many of the IGT wines, such as the BelnerO are great value for money.



Montepulciano is another perfect Tuscan town. The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is mainly sangiovese (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local grapes. The historic cellars of Palazzo Contucci, just off the Piazza Grande are fascinating. The Contucci family has a long and prestigious association with Montepulciano dating back to the 11th century. The wines are very good and despite the tasting room being very busy, the staff were super friendly and informative.



An outdoor table on the terrace of Osteria del Borgo offered superb views across to the hills of Siena. The wine bar itself having barrel vaults dating back to the Etruscan era.

I think often about the exquisite food that we enjoyed in Tuscany; genuinely beautiful, uncomplicated food with its provenance bared on the plate. I think about the wines and the winemakers wanting to blend grapes with their sangiovese to ‘improve’ it, to tame it and take the raw edge off it. For the moment, I’ll leave the old crumbling farmhouse resting in the brambles, because Tuscany has led me to understand that sometimes it is the ‘imperfections’ in things that make them so perfect.

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Vermentino and anchovies »

November 15, 2011

The Piazza Garibaldi, in the old part of Monterosso al Mare, lies buried under metres of rubble and mud. Wrecked cars are strewn in with the mire. The once luminescent azure sea, which lapped gently against the idyllic beach, has turned melancholy; it now resembles a potter’s slurry as it ebbs and flows beside the terracotta tones of the town’s buildings. On October 25th 2011, flash floods, causing landslides, ripped through the villages of the Cinque Terre. Two of them, Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza were badly damaged. 12 people are dead or missing (which is a surprisingly small number, given the extent of the devastation) and excavation crews and emergency workers are trying to restore services. The gentle people of the Cinque Terre are still in shock and wondering how this could have happened to their utopian little part of the world.

Just one month before the devastation, on a balmy perfect evening, the vineyard manager (AKA my husband) and I sat in a bar at the side of the Piazza Garibaldi, sipping on Aperol spritzers (a mixture of Aperol and Prosecco) as our children played in the nearby park. Our children couldn’t speak Italian and the local children couldn’t speak English, but for a good hour they had a tremendous time together in the pretty little park in the perfect twilight.

The Cinque Terre (the five lands) is a part of the Ligurian coast (the Italian Riviera), between Levanto and La Spezia. The five villages of Cinque Terre; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore date back to the late middle ages. In each village, compact, colourful buildings are stacked in a maze of narrow winding streets. The beauty of the Cinque Terre has inspired many famous artists, writers, poets and musicians; Shelley, Lord Byron and German composer Richard Wagner are amongst them. It is one of the most scenic landscapes on the planet and is listed as a world heritage site. UNESCO’s justification for its inscription ironically describes it as “a cultural site of outstanding value, representing harmonious interaction between people and nature to produce a landscape of exceptional scenic quality that illustrates a traditional way of life that has existed for a thousand years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the life of the community.”


Monterosso al Mare from the train station

We arrived in Monterosso al Mare by train. This is the recommended way to visit the Cinque Terre. Driving in is difficult and cars have to be left outside the villages in expensive car parks (if there is space). We booked a room at the Hotel la Colonnina six months before our visit. Even with this time frame, we struggled to find accommodation, as there are only small family hotels and they book out very quickly.


narrow streets in the old village of Monterosso

The train station is in the new part of Monterosso and we wheeled our bags along the promenade down to the old part of the town. There was instant enchantment as we walked beside the incredibly blue Mediterranean and as we approached the old village it was a confirmed case of love at first sight! We meandered through the narrow streets until we found the shady garden courtyard at the entrance to the hotel. The delicate scent from the lemon trees was a further affirmation that we had already fallen in love with this magic part of the world.


Monterosso al Mare - old village

Dining on the Cinque Terre is of course focused on seafood. The jagged Ligurian coastline is very steep and there is not much land suitable for cultivation. Over the years, man has terraced it into an intensively farmed agricultural landscape. The vineyards are planted on these terraces and they spill all the way down to the sea. Fishing is the traditional activity and the sheltered little harbours of each village, are a bob with painted wooden fishing boats.


Vernazza

Ligurian cuisine makes use of every element from the sea and earth. There is very little meat as there is very little pasture to raise animals. Herbs are a central focus with sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram used in abundance; but the unchallenged king of Ligurian cuisine is fragrant basil. Pesto hails from Genoa and it’s taste is defined by the excellent local olive oil. The mild temperate climate produces olive oil with a sweet fruity flavour. Even the most intense oils are not bitter.

On our first night in Monterosso we dined at the excellent Ristorante Belvedere. We were seated at a table right on the beach; it was a front row seat to a memorable evening.


View from the Ristorante Belvedere

For an entree we selected the mixed cold and fried seafood fritto misto. It cost 14 euros per person and we were amazed at how much food appeared; a beautiful salad of mussels, squid and clams - just lightly marinated in lemon and parsley; a scallop in the shell with cream sauce; anchovies three different ways (marinated, stuffed and served with salt and lemon); smoked swordfish with fresh peach slices; smoked tuna with tomato salsa and some fried fish, calamari and prawns.

We had heard about the famed anchovies of Monterosso Acciughe di Monterosso and in particular the stuffed anchovies. When we tried them, we were not disappointed. The stuffing is made with a mixture of ricotta, bread, parsley, marjoram and garlic. I managed to pick up a local recipe book on my travels in the hope that I could reproduce the dish back at home. Sadly the amazing fresh anchovies are not available. I did some ringing around and spoke to several fish wholesalers to no avail. Peter from Peter’s seafood at the Sydney fish markets, said that they are not commercially available here although occasionally an odd fish turns up in another catch. A suggestion was to use some small butterflied sardines as a substitute but they would not be quite the same.

The Belvedere’s house specialty is seafood in the amphora (clay pot). This was a mixture of fresh seafood in a tomato based broth; fish, octopus, crayfish, prawns, mussels, clams and squid. It was a huge serving and great value at only 45 euros for two of us.

We had a local vermentino to accompany our entrée and we tried several vermentinos during our stay. The wines here are quite delicate and the vermentino has little aroma. There is the grape’s trademark lemon acidity and some herbaceous notes that I would describe as salt bush or seaweed. We also tried several of the Cinque Terres; the wine named after the region. It is a blend of bosco, albarola and vermentino grown on the terraces surrounding the villages. The DOC regulations state that 60% (or more) of the blend needs to be bosco. The wine is quite simple and by itself is really just a very neutral white. But enjoying it in situ, accompanied by the local seafood, it finds more of a personality; that of a deliciously fresh, delicate wine with flinty lemon citrus and a subtle salty taste of the sea; oyster shells and coastal shrubs. It was absolutely perfect with seafood. The best examples of the style were from Riomaggiore.

Schiacchetrà is the regions famed botrytis dessert style. Sciacaà means ‘crushed’ in the local dialect and the grapes are dried on special grids in the sun. Figs, honey and spice are abundant in this golden amber wine. It’s fantastic with the local anise biscuits, which are crunchy yet crumbly.

After dinner you can find a view of the ocean and enjoy a digestif – perhaps a small glass of the local Limoncello? It is made in abundance here. Lemons are grown in almost every spare pot.



There are several ways to move between the five villages; train, boat or the famous Cinque Terre walks. We decided to walk to Vernazza from Monterosso, which turned out to be a brilliant idea for about the first thirty steps! Before our travels, a friend described the walk as doing a gruelling step class at the gym for a couple of hours. As my past experience with gyms was making donations to them and not using their facilities, I didn’t quite understand exactly what this meant. Just a short time into the walk I was cursing the fact that I had spent the past ten days in Italy stuffing myself with food and wine. Once we were at the very top of the hill, which took about an hour and a half, the rest of the walk was a slow climb down. Once the captivating views of Vernazza appeared, the pain was forgotten; I even started to thoroughly enjoy myself and would recommend it as a ‘must do’ part of the Cinque Terre experience. Go early in the morning, before the heat of the day; take plenty of water with you and take your time.



As we approached Vernazza we came across an elderly gentleman sitting at the side of the path under a tumbling purple bougainvillea, playing ‘Volare’ on a saxophone. He had the tourist gig perfectly rehearsed and it was impossible not to be charmed by the total cliché of it.



A long lunch, seated at an al fresco table by the harbour, soothed away the aches of the morning’s walk. Incredibly sweet salty mussels were a highlight, with generous amounts of bread to soak up the tomato based soup. Vernazza is a true jewel of the Mediterranean; the turquoise sea sparkling in the sun, the colourful buildings, the food, the wine, the café owner in his white apron throwing treats to the waiting gulls, baskets of giant yellow lemons and gelati as we explored the village – a truly memorable experience.



The clean up in the Cinque Terre will continue for several months. The only small mercy in this horrible event is that its timing coincided somewhat with the end of the high tourist season. As it slips into the winter months, the Cinque Terre quietens down and many places close until the start of the new season. The old part of Monterosso and Vernazza have some time to try to restore their infrastructure. Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, and the new section of Monterosso are already running normally.

The family run businesses of this area need visitors to keep their economy afloat. If you have ever had any wanderlust for this part of the world then please go in 2012. They will be very pleased to see you and knowing the huge community spirit they will have their picture perfect villages back to normal ready to make you fall in love with this slice of the Mediterranean.

Aperol Spritz

Aperol is an aperitif that is bitter, citrusy and herbal. Its citrus blood orange tang makes it a great cocktail ingredient. The traditional way to drink it is the Aperol spritz and it is very refreshing

• 3 parts Prosecco (sparkling wine)
  
• 2 parts Aperol

  

Pour over ice, add a splash of soda and garnish with a slice of orange

The following recipes adapted from the recipe book “The Cuisine of the Cinque Terre and the Golfo dei Poeti”

Pesto

100 gr Basil leaves
1 Clove garlic
50 gr pine nuts
5 shelled walnuts
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
2 tbsp freshly grated pecorino
150 gr olive oil
Pinch sea salt

Place basil leaves in a mortor with salt and start grinding them. Add the garlic, pine nuts and walnuts as you pound the basil. Crush the ingredients against the walls of the mortor with the pestle. When ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, add the cheeses, a little at a time. Mix well and then slowly add the olive oil. Continue to stir until you have a soft sauce. If you don’t have a mortor, tou can process the ingredients separately in a food processor then combine them, add olive oil & salt – mixing in with a wooden spoon.

Stuffed Anchovies (substitute small sardines) – serves 4

600 gr fresh anchovies
200 gr ricotta
1 egg
1 bunch parsley (flat leaf)
2 sprigs marjoram
½ clove garlic
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
80 gr day old bread (without crusts)
100 mL milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180C. Soften the bread in a bowl with milk. Clean the fish and remove heads and innards. Cutting from the stomach side, open them up without separating the two halves. Remove the backbone, wash and gently pat dry. Finely dice the parsley, marjoram and garlic (you can process together in a food processor for ease). Drain the bread from the milk and squeeze out excess moisture. Crumble the bread into a bowl and add the ricotta, the herb mix and the egg. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Using an oiled baking dish, place half of the fish on their backs (with fillets open). Spread mixture evenly over them and then place the other half of the fish (fillet side down) on top. Bake in the oven for about 6 minutes and serve immediately.

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In caso di nebbia »

September 17, 2011

Our plane from Dublin to Milan was running late. Captain Paddy announced that he had to disembark from our aircraft to fly another one so that it wouldn’t be late. Go figure – does that make sense? I am not the world’s most patient person and besides, didn’t they know that I had been waiting to go to Italy for my entire life?

Late as we were, we descended into Milan with just enough daylight left to capture the panorama of huge mountains; spectacularly huge mountains, spreading toward the north. I was very excited. We were heading to the Langhe, a hilly area in the province of Cuneo in Piemonte. If you look at the boot, we were going to just below the knee on the left hand side. We picked up our rental car at the airport and at 9.30pm we called the hotel to tell them we were on the way. “OK it takes 2 hours”. Excellent! In two hours we would be in Barolo, the eponymous village of one of the world’s greatest wines. Or not…

We set the “never fail” navigation and headed off. The Vineyard Manager stalled the car several times in the first few metres (which was apparently my fault for booking a manual, with a left hand drive car). It was also apparently my fault because the more you laugh at someone stalling a car the more they do it. Now unbeknown to us, the “never fail” GPS had been set to avoid toll charges, so instead of a nice quick cruise down the Autostrada, we were taken on a maze of little back roads, firstly through the outer parts of Milan and onward to Barolo.

For the majority of the trip, the Vineyard Manager managed to stay on the correct side of the road. For the other times, I managed to embed my finger nails in the car seat. When we finally made our way out into more open country, the anxiety of driving on narrow roads, eased into confusion over the speed limit signs. We were certain the speed limit on the regional roads was 90km per hour, but every now and then this random 50km per hour sign would appear. It finally clicked that under the 50km signs was a disclaimer “in caso di nebbia”. Now my Italian is very limited, but this word nebbia was one I was very familiar with. It is Italian for “fog”. The sign was saying “in case of fog”. The name of the great grape nebbiolo was derived from this word as the Langhe is prone to thick blankets of fog during the autumn; fog that cools the air, causing a longer ripening season for these grapes to develop extraordinary complexity and flavour.

Thankfully there was no nebbia this night as our episodes on the wrong side of the road, gear crunching and swearing at the GPS were excitement enough. We finally made it to Barolo at 1.00am.

Having driven into Barolo in the dark, we awoke to the most breathtaking vista imaginable. Our room at the Hotel Barolo had sweeping views, of gently rolling hills of vines, as far as the eye could see. From the breakfast room and pool area the hotel looks across the vines to the Castello di Barolo. It was magnificent.




breakfast at the Hotel Barolo

The village of Barolo is the perfect base for wine pilgrims to drink in the seductive enchantment of the Langhe Hills. The village reeks of its rich wine history and we were lucky enough to be there during vintage la vendemmia. The smell of fermenting grapes was infused into the warm air of the cobblestone streets. In contrast to old stone buildings, the abundance of shiny new tractors, towing stainless steel grape bins suggested that this is a wine region getting some serious money for its vino.



The wine museum in the Castello di Barolo is a good starting point to understand the region. I could take or leave the museum display itself, however the enoteca is a temple for wine tourists. Here you can taste the wines and the helpful staff are happy to talk about the region. Barolo is grown on two distinct types of soil; sand and clay and some communities have a mixture. At the enoteca, we were shown the map, which defines the communes into the different soil profiles. We enjoyed a tasting of the wines to understand their differences. The wines grown on the sandy soil are more perfumed, more elegant in structure and have more of a velvety texture to their tannins. These babies of Barolo are ready to drink in about 8-10 years.



When we tasted the wines from the clay, both the vineyard manager and I smiled. That knowing smile! That wine moment when you have just tasted something quite extraordinary. These beasts of wines are hugely tannic, full bodied and powerful. They are big on everything, big on extract, big on alcohol and big on austerity. They need 12-15 years to be tamed.

Apart from the castle there are a few good enotecas in Barolo, where you can pick up some other great Piemonte wines. Barbera seems to be amazing value for money and we managed to score some incredibly good wines for as little as six euros per bottle.



We also managed to find some of the rare naschetta. This is an indigenous white grape that had almost died out but was preserved by the university of Turin. It is now produced in Novello in fairly small volumes (no one wants to give up too much valuable red vineyard space). Naschetta is an incredibly ballsy white. It is made with some skin contact and has good structure, fleshiness with weight and plenty of texture. My notes describe white peaches and melon balanced by lovely fresh acidity. It certainly has some longevity and there are herbaceous complexities in the more full bodied ones that we tried.



Of course you can get plenty of great wines by the glass in the restaurants and cafes in Barolo. Wandering around the village there are a few cute places to dine. Common white wine choices are arneis, chardonnay and favorita. The favorita is related to vermentino, however it has much more tree fruit character (specifically pears) than its Ligurian cousin.



At the Hotel Barolo, the Brezza family run their own restaurant. The outdoor terrace has views across to the Castle. Here we were able to dine on some authentic regional cuisine such as vitello tonnato, crumbed porcini mushrooms and a beautiful zucchini frittata (which was soufflé like) with fresh pesto. For secondi (main courses) there was a choice of ragù, rabbit, sausages, beef braised in barolo, boar and various other hearty affairs (and they need to be to stand up to the wine). The Brezza wines are fabulous and we enjoyed a 2004 Barolo from the Cannubi Vineyard. It starts out with tobacco, tar, mocha and dark chocolate which evolves to a long generous palate of cola, and sarsparilla with layers of herb and spice complexity; sage, oregano, almonds, violets and licorice. It finishes with roast tomatoes and some rich balsamic notes.



If you are wanting to explore the great wines of Barolo then this is a great location.


The view from our room as the moon rises

A note of caution though, these wines are not for the faint-hearted so take it easy, drink plenty of water and if you do have a few over indulgences then the next morning do as the locals do and shoot back a café macchiato with sugar stirred in for extra effect. It works a charm and clears the head - In caso di nebbia

Brasata di manza al Barolo (beef braised in Barolo)

• 1kg of boneless beef striploin
  
• 1 bottle of Barolo (or Nebbiolo)
  
• 25 grams of prosciutto (include fat) finely diced
  
• 1 onion cut in quarters
  
• 2 whole garlic cloves
  
• 1 carrot chopped
  
• 1 stick of celery chopped
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 10 peppercorns
  
• 1 sprig of rosemary
  
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  
• salt
  
• cornflour
  

1. Use a deep dish and place in it the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns. Place the meat on top and pour over the bottle of wine. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours. You will need to turn the meat in the marinade several times during this 24 hour time.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade and use a clean tea towel to dry it. Tie it with string to allow it to keep its shape.
3. Strain the marinade and put the liquid in a pot on the stove and bring to the boil. Reduce it by half.
4. In a large casserole pan melt the butter and add the prosciutto, garlic and rosemary and then the meat. Brown the meat on all sides and lower the heat. Once the marinade is ready, season the meat with some salt and then pour the marinade over the meat a little at a time.
5. Cover the dish and cook over medium heat until the meat is medium rare. Remove it from the pan, take off the string and let it rest.
6. Deglaze the pan juices and then thicken using a small amount of cornflour.
7. To serve slice the meat and pour over some of the sauce. To lighten things up, I like to serve with a crisp green leaf salad, seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic. I also love roast beetroot with this dish.

Enjoy with a glass of Barolo!
Recipe adapted from the book - "La Cucina - The Regional Cooking of Italy" (Accademia Italiana Della Cucina) The Italian Academy of Cuisine - translated by Jay Hyams

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