It’s my birthday; need I say more!
Day 3
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Tag Archives: piemonte
Day 2
First whole day in paradise!
The day started “slow” with a cappucino at Corte Gondina and some “sightseeing” in La Morra.
I ended up having lunch at Osteria Dei Vignaiolo in Santa Maria, one of my favorite restaurants. The Panna Cotta there is to die for. The sun was out and I sat outside enjoying a bottle of Cavallotto Pinner. Life could not be better.
After lunch I went to More e Macine and shared the rest of the bottle with the staff there. I love spending time there. Always someone to talk to, always a good time. After a quick stop there I went over to Revello for a tour and a tasting. It was my first time there, although not the first time drinking their wines.
Ended the day at Mangé with a bottle of Mauro Veglio dolcetto and some very good food. Excited for tomorrow, should be a hell of a birthday celebration!
Day 1
I’m back! And damn it feels good!
After I checked in at my aribnb I ran across the street to one of my favorite places, More e Macine. And as I suspected I was met with many friendly and familiar faces. I sat down at a table alone, but shortly thereafter Renato Corino and his wife asked me to join their table. I gladly accepted and a few hours later we got up to leave.
Old picture from More e Macine
It’s the best feeling. The people here are so welcoming, I don’t think I have ever truly been alone when I am in this area. No wonder I love it here so much.
It was so good to see Ito again, along with the staff at More e Macine. A few other familiar faces came and went, as is the atmosphere in La Morra.
Great start to the vacation! Stay tuned!
My upcoming trip to Barolo
With the trip fast approaching, many plans have fallen into place. This time I would like to try a few new things as well as revisiting my favorite spots and my favorite people. Here are some of my stops this trip.
This osteria has become a staple during my trips, usually with multiple visits. Lunch, dinner, aperitivo, coffee; whatever it may be, this place always welcomes you. It also happens to be where I am celebrating my birthday!
Manzone
I always try to do something new, visit someone new or try something different, and this time I am visiting Manzone. Manzone is located in Monforte and the family has been making wine since 1925. Today it is Mirella and Mauro along with their father Giovanni who are working at the winery. I’m excited to meet them!
Tucked away in Serralunga you find Ciccio at his wonderful restaurant Centro Storico. I already reserved a table and I can’t wait to sit down and watch him carve prosciutto at the counter.
Silvia Altare
I can’t wait to wrap my arms around my dear friend Silvia. It has been way to long since I saw her! And, they got a new puppy at the winery! The picture below is Silvia’s mother, Lucia, with their new puppy.
Osteria Veglio
Since the new owners have taken over, this is one of my favorite places to go. Sitting on that balcony overlooking the vineyards while eating one of the best panna cotta’s ever know to man is always on the list!
Countdown
Castiglione Falletto, Piemonte
Only 20 days until I’ll be back in Piemonte! Can’t wait to see this view everyday!
Oddero Winemaker dinner
Yet again I had the pleasure of joining a winemakers dinner, this time with Oddero. The tasting took place at Festningen in Oslo, a very good restaurant, and Pietro from Oddero was present. I only really know Isabella, Pietro’s cousin, so it was a pleasure to get to know him as well.
First of all, the food was incredible! The presentation, the combinations, the sauces: truly wonderful! And with the wine accompanying the food, all you had to do was lean back, relax and enjoy.
The wines we tasted were: Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo 2011, Barolo Villero 2011 and Moscato.
With the first course, halibut, we were served the dolcetto and the barbera. I personally love the dolcetto, as it is a bit lighter and easier to drink, whereas the barbera is a little bit heavier with more structure. Both were good, and a pretty good fit with the fish.
The second course was a pumpkin risotto, served alongside the langhe nebbiolo. I really like the Oddero langhe nebbiolo, it’s fresh and fairly light, but with structure. Pietro mentioned that they call it the baby barolo because all the same methods are used for the langhe nebbiolo and the barolo, it’s just the grapes that are different and of course the aging.
The main course was a delicious lamb culotte accompanied by the two barolos. The barolos, of course way to young, went well with the lamb and were fun to try. I prefer old barolos as the young ones are a bit to tannic for my taste, but I can’t wait to have the 2011 barolos in about 20 years!
All in all, a fantastic dinner! It is always a pleasure to drink Oddero wines and it was very nice to see Pietro again! I was seated by myself during the dinner, and the poor couple next to me were kind enough to keep me company for the evening! Thank you!
Azelia
I recently discovered, and befriended, the winemakers at Azelia. Located at the bottom of Castiglione, next to Paolo Scavino, you find the not so small winery of Azelia. It just so happens that Azelia, Cavallotto and Scavino are all related– welcome to Barolo!
At the Azelia winery, Lorenzo the son is now the 5th generation of winemakers. Lorenzo, named after his grandfather, works with his dad at the winery. When you go on the tour, you will pass by a corner with a bunch of wine stacked. This is wine from the vintage Lorenzo was born, and it will be saved until a wedding or a birthday. A very nice idea, I wish my parents had been into wine when I was born.
Azelia makes a fairly wide range of wines, red, from Dolcetto to Barolo Riserva. What is interesting about Azelia, is that a large portion of their vines are very old. The vines used to make the Barbera Punta is around 60 years old. So the Azelia barbera is rather different from a lot of other barbera’s from the Barolo region.
If you want to visit the winery, you can call ahead or send an email. Check out their website for more information.
#tbt
#tbt to the time I took a selfie with Mr. Philipponnat!
Vietti at Nedre Foss Gård
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.
Favorite Italian Whites part 2
Ca Brione, Nino Negri: I drank the Ca Brione for the first time in a tiny wine bar located in the beautiful town of Bellagio on Lago di Como. It was an instant favorite. Refreshing on a warm summer day, but really suits any season.
Langhe Chardonnay, Cavallotto: Again, Cavallotto is one of my favorite producers, and in addition to his Pinner, his Langhe Chardonnay is very good! I prefer chardonnay less sweet and oaky, so a langhe chardonnay from Piemonte is just perfect for me!
Roero Arneis, Vietti: Slighly biased since I worked with them and they are my good friends, but I think this is one of the best whites from the Barolo region. Very fresh, earthy and easy to drink.
PIEMONTEGIRL 