Monday, May 13, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 3: Vinci to Orbetello


Where are we?
Vinci:  The Giro site tells me that: The town of Vinci, between the Valdelsa and Montalbano hills, boasts a well-preserved medieval center that is a delight to visit, known worldwide for being the birthplace of the greatest genius of the Italian Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci. The life of the town revolves around the eclectic Renaissance figure and Vinci itself has become a sort of diffused museum dedicated to the master.


Orbetello:Michelin tells me that: Built on the central causeway of the lagoon, Orbetello is situated at the end of the main access road to the limestone promontory of Monte Argentario. The fortifications are a reminder of the influence of the Sienese and, later, the Spanish, who made the small town the capital of a ""Presidio"" state of five strongholds. The town's cathedral was built in 1376 on the site of a former Etruscan-Roman temple.

Orbetello gastronomy: The excellent quality of the fish from the lagoon is well known for the tasty dishes that have been created. Smoked eels are famous here and the best place to try them is  the ‘ Cooperativa di Pescatore ‘at the gateway to Orbetello . There are also traditional dishes such as ‘tortelli maremmana ‘that are filled with spinach and ricotta and flavored with hare or wild boar sauce. You can also try‘pici’ a type of fresh pasta made from four and water, flavored with’ bottarga’ or a meat sauce. Wild boar is the symbol for maremma, you must try it stewed with red wine and herbs. Aquacotta is a typical simple dish the ingredients are vegetables, water and old bread, an egg can also be added. Last of all not to be forgotten are the local cheeses from the countryside. There are many local cheese factories. 

The stage: Why not a likely to be doomed solo break for our Monday morning? Lots of tv time for Hatsuyama, with a big lead that just seemed doomed to failure from the start. Brave ride indeed though.



Seventy kilometers to go and he was caught. Plenty of time for another break or would the sprint trains control things all the way? With no riders ahead, at the intermediate sprint point, the gc riders came to the front, perhaps hoping to gain a few seconds. Instead, Demare took them easily. 



And it would remain essentially gruppo compatto up until the sprint.  


But, then, a change and a relegation. To quote: Viviani's dramatic switch of lines in the final push raised red flags with the race jury, and they decided to give the win to Gaviria.


The wine: Montesecondo Trebbiano Anfora Tïn

From the importer: Trebbiano + small percentage of co-planted Malvasia. Silvio has  2 separate properties: both are in the San Casciano zone of Chianti Classico but are at opposite ends of it and quite different in nature. The original family-owned vineyard, generally referred to as "Montesecondo", is  the lower-altitude, warmer, more-clay-soiled one in the town of Cerbaia and has been farmed organically for decades. The second is a higher-altitude, cooler, limestone-rich long-term rental in Vignano at about 500 meters and converted fully to biodynamics from organics by Silvio. The old vines for the Tin come from a parcel in the original Montesecondo vineyard. The fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed and put directly into 250-to-350-liter, Spanish-made, unlined clay amphorae. The wine remains on its skins from 6-8 months before being racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered. 
Tïn" means "clay" in Arabic, in reference both to the amphorae ("tinaca" in Spanish) as well as to Silvio's upbringing in North Africa, where his father had vineyards in Tunisia and olive groves in Libya.

Orange! Excellent balance. 

The food:  Aquacotta from Visit Tuscany





Ingredients

Preparation

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