Hello all, and Happy Monday! Hope we all enjoyed the weekend as best you could. It was wet and rainy in Casale Monferrato, the 1st real rain I have experienced since coming to Italy some 3 plus weeks ago. It truly is fall in the hills of Piemonte, and the weather is turning colder by the day. I will be interested in talking to some local folks who know about the wine game and finding out how this vintage is shaping up. I would imagine this late into the season much of the fruit has been harvested, but what about my beloved Nebbiolo? I will have to do some research and get back to you on the one.
Anyway let’s talk wine and food pairing. I know I have kept all in suspense for a few days now, but I will keep you waiting no longer. I have been staying and volunteering at a Multicultural Center here is Casale Monferrato, and last Thursday we had a dinner to help raise money for expenses. The dinner was put largely into my hands and the theme was to focus on Wine and Food Pairings and for me to work my magic both in the kitchen as well as tableside. The dinner was 17 Euro (about $23 U.S.) and consisted of 3 courses, talk about a great deal right. Including myself and other volunteers at the center the group totaled 11 guests.
First Course: A fresh fruit plate of Cantaloupe Melon, Yellow Peach, and Green Apple (Melone, Pesca Gialla, e Mela Verde). To pair I selected a white wine blended from two local indigenous grapes, Timorasso and Busanello. Timorasso lends bright acids and high levels of aromatics, Bussanello adds body and heavier fruit flavors. It was a good combo between the food and the wine, each assisting to enhance the flavor spectrum. Light golden in color with a medium concentration, the wine is dry with yellow apple and golden raisin flavors backed by some clean floral notes and a touch of sweet honey on a medium finish. I would have liked to add some almonds to the mix to stretch the flavor profile, but it was a good kick off regardless.
Main Course: Empanada di Napolitana. Chilean style Empanadas made by Diego, our Chilean/Italian volunteer, filled with tomato (pomodoro), black olives ( olivos nero), garlic (aglio), and peppers (peperocini). To pair I selected the 2008 Torelli Dolcetto d’Asti. Dolcetto (‘the little sweet one’) is a dry wine and one of the big three red varietals in the Piemonte area, so you can definitely find examples of it stateside. It is mellow in both tannins and acids, usually fairly dark in color and concentration, and wrapped in black berry fruits and violets. The Torelli also had hints of leather and licorice on the finish. The pairing was a great success around the table, everyone enjoyed how the food wasn’t overpowered by the wine and the spice in the food worked in balance with the fruitiness of the wine.
Dessert Course: Eggplant with Ricotta and Balsamic Vinegar (Melanzane con Ricotta e Aceto Balsamico). A savory dessert was my plan all along, and this was the first eggplant dish I had ever had that I truly enjoyed some 4 plus years ago in Santa Cruz at In Vino Veritas, my 1st Wine Directing position. I paired another rare indigenous varietal, Ruche, with this dish. I have never seen this stuff state-side, so sorry to say it but good luck finding some. I thinly sliced the eggplant on a mandolin then rolled the ricotta and sautéed red bell peppers inside of it. Baked off in the oven for 11 minutes to be exact, make sure to drizzle the eggplant with a touch of olive oil before it goes in. The sauce is the balsamic reduced down in a pan for about 5 minutes, taken off the heat, and then add some butter or manufacturing cream to thicken it up and cut the sweetness of the resulting reduction. The taste should be almost of rich chocolate, hence a good idea for a savory dessert. There is a method to my madness! Ruche is only grown in the hills of Monferrato, Castagnole Monferrato D.O.C. (1987). It is a medium plus bodied wine which is intensely aromatic with dark colored roses and violets. The fruits are also on the dark side, with a lingering sweet earth component. I wanted to feature this wine, the 1st of the varietal I had ever tried, because I was impressed right away by its qualities. It was a good way to finish the dinner and a perfect transition into the rest of the evening. Salute!
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