This summer, I went to visit my brother in Zurich. But, instead of staying in Zurich, we rented a car and drove to Italy.
#tbt Spontaneous trip to La Morra
Reply
Author Archives: Piemontegirl
Wine Stores Boston
Are you living in Boston? Looking for a place to buy wine? Here are some of my favorite wine stores in Boston:
Central Bottle: One of my favorites. Located in Cambridge, right by MIT, this wine store is a gem. They always have Vietti wines, which you know is one of my favorite. The staff is wonderful, and very helpful. And you can find good cheese and cold cuts, to go with your wine. Check out their website: http://www.centralbottle.com/
Federal Wines and Spirits: A quirky little store, with a very messy basement where you can find Altare and Burlotto. Take a look at their website: http://www.federalwine.com/
Brix Wine Shop: I have never been here, but I have met the wonderful people who run it, and hopefully I’ll make it there soon! Brix offers multiple tastings a week, you can read more about them on their website: http://www.brixwineshop.com/
Gordon’s Fine Wine: Hidden all the way in Waltham, this store which neighbors my favorite restaurant Il Capricio. This store has a great selection, you just have to look.
#tbt
With Siliva in New York, I had to arrange to meet up. We ended up brunching at Little Park at the Smyth Hotel. The food was excellent. I had spelt pancakes with apple syrup and some kind of delicious butter. Amazing! But as always, the company is what’s important. It was lovely seeing her again!!
Friday Pizza
Friday Pizza is served @Cantina Granveien.
We try to serve Pizza every Friday, always home made, with fresh mozarella and prosciutto. With the wine, we usually serve a Dolcetto or Barbera– a strange combination maybe, Pizza and Wine, but PizzaWine has become a well know term in Cantina Granveien and it’s guests.
(For those of you who don’t know, Cantina Granveien is our house)
Today’s Pizza Wine: Bartolo Mascarello’s Dolcetto. Divine. Superb. Wonderful.
Favorite Wine Stores in NYC
Astor Wines
Astor wines has a large selection, and you can find both Cavallotto and Vietti. What I like about Astor Wines is they don’t just have the Barolo’s, they have Barbera and Dolcetto, and also inexpensive white wine. Check out their website here.
Moore Brother’s Wine Company
Discovered completely by accident, this wonderful wine store is located right next to La Pizza Fresca. To my delight, I found Ettore Germano’s wines there! Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo and his Langhe Chardonnay! I did not see his Herzu, which is my favorite, but I am still impressed! Learn about their impressive efforts to bring great wine to the US here.
Flatiron Wines
This store is small, yet has a great selection. Their burgundy sections is great, along with their Piemonte section. The staff is helpful and friendly, and the prices are pretty good. Definitely a go to when in New York. Check out their website.
Chamber Street
Although I have never actually been here myself, I know this is one for the books. At Chamber Street you can find old gems at a decent price, and from what I hear, the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. It’s on my “Bucket list” for sure! You can find more information on their website.
DIY: Cork Key Chain
When visiting someone, I try to bring something. This time, I brought Key Chains for everybody. Easy and simple, yet a nice gesture. You can see how to make them here.
Mangialonga 2013
Almost a year ago, I had the pleasure of participating in the Mangialonga.
For those of you who don’t know, Mangialonga is basically a “walkathon” where you walk about 2km, while eating and drinking. Drinking a lot!
EVERYONE is welcome (you have to buy a ticket of course), but last year dogs, and kids, and adults, and cripples and whatever else came through the Start line and the crossed the finish line a few drops of alcohol later.
At the end, there is a party, with Moscato (as much as you may desire).
Ettore ‘Sergio’ Germano
Ettore ‘Sergio’ Germano produces wine in Serralunga D’Alba in Piemonte, Italy. At a tasting this summer, I had the pleasure of tasting both his reds and his whites. My personal favorite was the Herzu riesling, a refreshing white wine that is a recurring one in Cantina Granveien, also know as my home. I don’t have much experience with his reds, but from what I can remember, they were quite good. I met Sergio for the first time this summer, and will be sure to return again soon.
Sergio Germano, current producer of Ettore Germano
Vadio
Last semester my friend Julia and I popped open a bottle of Vadio Sparkling Wine. We also had Vadio red, 2009. Vadio is produced by her sister, Eduarda Dias. Vadio is from Bairrada, Portugal, and they produce white, red and sparkling.
What’s interesting about this wine is that it is made with Baga, a grape that is found primarily in Bairrada. However, it’s “related” to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo.
I have not had a lot of Portuguese wine, so I don’t have a lot to compare it to, but I thought it was very good. And it’s fun when you drink wine where you know the producers!
You can read more about their wines here: http://www.vadio.pt/
The Beginning
Summer 2011, I went to Cinque Terre, Italy, with my family. There I met Elio Altare, the winemaker behind Altare wines, and it was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Signor Altare showed me the love he has for his wine, and it sparked something in me. Interest, curiosity, passion, love; call it what you want, but this initial meeting has started me on a sort of journey, a journey that evolved the next summer.
Summer, 2012, I had the pleasure of experiencing a wine tasting for the first time, in Piemonte, Italiy. My Dad has long been interested in wine, and finally I had the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. Because to me, wine was just wine. Alcohol. Some tasted good, some tasted not so good. But in the end, to me, it was just a bottle with alcoholic content. After last summer, I no longer see it that way. And I will tell you why.
I am not sure where to begin. But I soon figured out that the bottle sitting in front of me had more to it than first meets the eye. The people I met, the farmer who produce the wine, they are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. Their passion for what they do is contagious. They tell their story, using their whole bodies, explaining and elaborating on the long process behind the bottle sitting in your home. These people care for their grapes, they care for their wine, and they treat the whole process with lots and lots of love. They light up when talking about their wines, and it is clear they really love what they do.
After meeting some of the winemakers in person, it makes all the difference, at least to me. When I open a Vietti wine, not only do I enjoy the taste, but I recall all those incredible moments I had with Elena, one of makers of Vietti wine. And I think maybe that for me, that is the point. I’m not that interested in all the details of the actual process of making wine. I am interested in the people, the story, and the passion.
Rejoice.
PIEMONTEGIRL 