Sunday, May 12, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 2: Bologna to Fucecchio

Where are we? Fucecchio is in the province of Florence in Tuscany. Visit Tuscany tells me that: The origin and history of Fucecchio are tightly bound to those of the via Francigena, whose route at that particular segment is intersected by the River Arno. Around the 10th century, the Cadolingi, originally from Pistoia, moved their attention to this important junction and built Salamarzana Castle. After the Cadolingi rule, Fucecchio, now a free municipality, began to show signs of development in the 16th century with the recovery of agricultural activities from which originate some of the great farms that once belonged to the Medici family.
Also: The Fucecchio Marsh is the largest inland marsh in Italy (spanning 1,800 hectares of land), stretching through the provinces of Pistoia and Florence, from the Valdinievole to Montalbano.
The area is a real natural treasure and a paradise for birdwatchers. Here, you’ll find a large variety of plants, from royal ferns to sedges, frogbit and utricularia (a small carnivorous plant), not to mention over 200 bird species, including herons (who nest in this area, such as the delightful squacco heron), cranes and black storks.

Giro food suggestions: Here in Fucecchio, the famous Tuscan cuisine is well represented with many wild game dishes. Typical carnival sweets are made with rice and sugar, while the Tuscan “Schiacciata” is a sweet bread produced for Easter.


 The stage: Sprint stage or breakaway stage? This early in the race, the sprinters teams will be very eager, so that seems the likely call. Not the best day for a bike ride: mist, rain, and drizzle.



The winner of the first intermediate sprint of the race: Frapporti.
Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was just above two minutes.  
At the king of the mountain point, Ciccone consolidates his lead. Behind, the peloton picked up speed as they fought for position for the long descent ahead causing a bit of excitement and cutting the lead of the break. Meanwhile, words of wisdom on Eurosport, "Never forget Magnus, that geological time includes today." 
Thirty five kilometers to go and the gap was hovering around one minute.
Small crash in the peloton, Sutterlin down and not looking good. Ahead, Ciccone takes more KOM points.
Time for the peloton to wake up.


 
Puncture for Nizzolo with under 10 kilometers to go and the catch of the break imminent. Eight kilometers to go and the catch was made.
This could be messy. Indeed, a little messy and also a little bit of an unexpected winner. 



 

Stage:
1 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 04:44:43
2 Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-Quick Step
3 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto-Soudal
4 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates
5 Arnaud Démare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
6 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
7 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha-Alpecin
8 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto-Soudal
9 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
10 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe

 

The wine: Fabricca di San Martino Colline Lucchesi "Arcipressi"
From the importer:  Founded in 1735, Fabbrica di San Martino is located on the outskirts of Lucca, the Tuscan city famed for its medieval and Renaissance architecture. While technically within the city limits, the 20 h property is completely surrounded by woods, effectively creating a unique site rich in bio-diversity. Cattle, vegetables, fruits (particularly lemons), olives and vines co-exist together in harmony, all farmed biodynamically

I say: very deep color, but wine is light and easy drinking. Good fruit with bright acidity and some tart notes. Interesting field blend. Really like this wine. "soft and fruity" low alcohol.

Food: Schiacciata 
from Epicurious 
Originally cooked in the ashes of the hearth, schiacciata, which means "squashed," is usually about an inch thick. Variations of the bread are made throughout Italy; Tuscans simply brush it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt. Sometimes they add herbs or make a sweet version with grapes and sugar. Remember that bread doughs can have different consistencies depending on the climate: This one should be soft, but not too sticky. Add more flour if it feels too wet.


Yield: Makes 1 round loaf

Ingredients

    • 1 cup lukewarm water (90°F to 100°F) 
    • 2 1/4-ounce packages dry yeast or two 0.6-ounce packages fresh yeast, crumbled 
    • 2 1/2 cups (about) all purpose flour 
    • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Preparation

  1. Pour 1 cup lukewarm water into small bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes.
  2. Place 2 cups flour in large bowl. Make well in center of flour. Pour yeast mixture into well. Using fork, stir until dough comes together. Knead in bowl, adding enough flour 1/4 cup at a time to form slightly sticky dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Coat bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
  3. Brush 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom or baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured work surface and shape into 11-inch round. Transfer dough to prepared tart pan or baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic. Let rise until dough is almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Press fingertips into dough, creating indentations. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden, about 28 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.
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