I am back in Norway, for good this time, but some things never change. I had the pleasure of attending the Vietti Winemaker dinner at Nedre Foss Gård in Oslo Norway, and it was absolutely fantastic. It was so good to see Elena again, and the wines of course were amazing as always.
One the menu was the Arneis, the Perbacco, Barolo Castiglione and La Crena. The La Crena was incredible! We tasted one new and one old, and although they are both very good, I loved the 1998.
If you are in the Barolo area June 20th, you should check out La Morra’s special event: Dinner under the stars! Producers from La Morra will provide their wine, and you will dine under the stars with a glass of barolo in your hand!
If you are interested, you can check it out here: http://cantinalamorra.com/2071/special-dinner-under-the-stars/?lang=en
Meet Larigi, my new baby! She is a French Bulldog, although she looks like a Boston Terrier at the moment.
She will come with me to Italy this summer and meet her namesake winemaker!
Dough: Flour, 1 tsp yeast, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar, water (body temperature)
Mix the yeast with body temperature water (however much you want), add the salt and sugar. Then add flour until the dough is perfect to work with.
Sauce: tomato paste, basil, oil, pepper
Mix the ingredients together. The amount depends on how much you want to make, play it by ear.
Last nights Friday Pizza with Vietti Perbacco!
This summer, I went to visit my brother in Zurich. But, instead of staying in Zurich, we rented a car and drove to Italy.
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.
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.
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.
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 