Sunday, May 20, 2018

Wine and Food of the Giro 2018 Stage 15: Tolmezzo to Sappada

Where are we? 
Tolmezzo: the regional tourist site tells me that "is the historical capital of Carnia, strategically located at the mouth of the Canale di S. Pietro in the middle valley of the Tagliamento River.
The city was initially under the control of the Patriarchs of Aquileia; it then forged an alliance with Venetian dominion until it finally became an Italian city in 1866. In the XVIII century it became an industrial centre, earning fame overseas for its weaving activity.
Significant pieces of the town's ancient walls can still be found in Borgàt, the old town centre, with buildings and porticoed streets. The St. Martin's Cathedral is not to be missed nor is the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of Carnia, home to the vast heritage of ethnographic pieces collected by Michele Gortani. Only a few traces, however, can be found of the ancient mountain castle."

Interesting article on the origin of tiramisu, which may or not have been in Tolmezzo.

 Giro regional specialties: Cjarsons (sweet or savoury filled pasta), Frico with polenta, Salame al musèt, Brovada (sour turnips), apples, Pastorut (blue cheese), fruit preserves.

Sappada:The local tourist site tells me that: Surrounded by the Dolomites, Sappada (Plodn in the local dialect) is a well-known winter and summer tourist destination. Its origin is from the early medieval period and is attributed to the Patriarch of Aquileia who is supposed to have invited  a group of families from Bavaria to live in this area, then uninhabited. An ancient German dialect is spoken in Sappada even to this day.
Apart from its landscape beauty, Sappada also boasts a particular rural architecture of wooden houses built using the ancient blockbau technique. The best-known of all the old traditions is the Plodar Vosenòcht, the carnival of Sappada, in which people from the entire countryside are involved for three Sundays, and where the typical mask of Rollate plays the leading role.

 Giro regional specialties: Knödel, Gepicta Kropfen (ravioli with a lesser-calamint filling), wild game dishes (served with radicchio, polenta or mushrooms), Mogn Kropfn (Carnival fritters). 

The stage:


 
 Ah the Dolomites. Every year when the Giro traverses the Dolomites, I say that I will visit. Maybe this year?
The break of the day is large.


Happy birthday Chris Froome. He is 33 today. After his performance yesterday, it will be interesting to see if he has another go today.
Eighty kilometers to go and the gap was around 2:09. 


 
Education First at the front of the peloton was clearly determined to chase down the the break. They were working very hard, but not really making progress. With seventy kilometers to go, the gap was around 1:30 and the break was splintering. Sixty nine kilometers to go and Woods attacked, which was the reason for all of the work from the team. 


 
Excitement for me as Bernie Esisel is back in the commentary box. He questions the EF tactics on the day. Dear Eurosport, if he does not heal enough to ride the Tour, perhaps you could bring him on for more commentary?
Eventually, Woods and his group would sit up, as it became clear they were not going to get across the gap.
Despite the wet weather, it was still so gorgeous.



 Up ahead at the front of the race Quintana, Denz and Cherel with a first chase group of Ciccone and Visconti. Those groups would come together around with under forty kilometers to go and a gap of 2:18. Dayer would yo-yo from that small group. Speaking of yo-yo-ing. Aru in trouble again in the main group. Perhaps he is ill?


Ciccone is having a great Giro. Thirty kilometers and that gap was down to thirty seconds. The pink jersey group was down to around twenty two riders.


And just after that update, trouble for Froome. Yates! Wow. Following him Lopez, with Dumoulin in a small group not far behind. Those groups would come together, distancing Froome behind. Yates again! Jumping from that group with just over seventeen kilometers to go. I'd say too early, but he looks quite fresh. One could even say "dancing on the pedals."


Putting in some major time on Froome behind.


Eight kilometers to go and Yates had about thirty seconds on that chasing group. Nice riding by Pinot in that group, but they were not working well together with only Dumoulin and Pinot working.



 Yikes. Dumoulin dropped from that chase group as Carapaz pushed the pace.
Meanwhile, no one would come close to Yates. This is how one wins a Giro.
Nice work behind from Dumoulin to catch the four ahead. They would have an ugly sprint for second. 



The wine: Keber Collio 
From the importer:  Edi Keber, viticulturalist of Zegla in the area of Collio, a few meters from Brda, Slovenia, is one of the mavericks of this territory. The excellent quality of his wines runs parallel with the volcanic character of this farmer, dedicated to forging new ideas for the development and valorisation of his land. In the vineyard, Keber has continued the work of his parents and his uncles, with the same passion, fervor and love for the simple life in close harmony with nature. The farm covers ten hectares of vineyards, all in Zegla, that thrive on the cold north bora winds and the breeze from the Adriatic Sea, all the while benefitting from ideal southern exposure.
The year 2008 marked a momentous milestone for Keber as the azienda decided to commit to the production of a single white grape ine, the Collio, a blend of three varieties: Friulano for structure, Malvasia Istriana for its aromatic qualities, and Ribolla Gialla for acidity. The varietals express themselves to their greatest potential in this area cormonese, cultivated on “Ponka”, a soil composed of
marl and sandstone that naturally stresses the vines, lending to the production of a wine with remarkable weight, body and a distinctive minerality typical of the region. Today the wines of the Keber estate, run by Edi with the help of his son Kristian, are intense, long-lived, and synonymous with the great terroir that is Collio.


The food:  Brovada
From the regional wesbite: When the wine has been made, the pomace which remains can be used to produce grappa, or an ancient procedure can also be used which uses field turnips (Brassica rapa).

Although there are many descriptions, the one that stands out the most is the one by Giuseppe Ferdinando del Torre, a pharmacist in the Austrian Friuli who wrote the “Il Contadinel” (1856-1895), where he described a method for preserving the turnips. “Stratify them in a container with the pomace and add the given amount of water. When they are arranged in this way, they become completely acidified and are then called bruàda or sbrùada. They are then cooked and seasoned and can either be eaten like this or mixed with sauterkraut in a bean soap, and this is called "jota".

This is the brovada, which is eaten with musetto, an undisputed treasure of Friulian cuisine. It is also prepared by the Slovenians in the Karst Plateau under the name repa. It is a healthy product which is low in calories, high in fibre and calcium, and has prompted some producers to join the Association in order to protect and promote this traditional recipe.

Since 2011, brovada has been protected by the DOP mark which guarantees both the quality and the origin of the product.
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