Thursday, October 8, 2020

Wine and Food of the Giro 2020 Stage 6: Castrovillari to Matera

Where are we? Slowly heading north through Calabria to Basilicata.

Castrovillari:The Giro tells me that it is a: charming town located on a hollow at 360 meters above sea level, Castrovillari, with its approximately 22 thousand inhabitants, is the most important Center of the Pollino National Geopark.
Various archaeological finds testify first forms of organized life in the Hellenic and Bruzia eras, although other archaeological finds were found on the banks of the river Coscile (ancient “Sybaris”) dating back to the Paleolithic era.
The name “Castrovillari” probably derives from the late medieval Latin “castrum villarum” (literally “fortress of the villas”).

The specialties: (Another one that someone at the Giro was clearly excited about. as they have given us dishes and recipes!)
Baccalà e Patate Ingredients: cod’s slices, potatoes, ground pepper, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, (bay leaf, olives). Execution: peel and wash the potatoes and cut them into large pieces. Cut the cod into pieces. In a saucepan put oil and crushed garlic, start heating and immediately add water, pepper and salt; at the beginning of the boil add the potatoes; when the potatoes are almost cooked add the pieces of cod (to taste also bay leaf and olives). Simmer for 10 minutes, turning gently.
“Lampascioni” e uova Ingredients: lampascioni, eggs, powdered pepper, garlic, extra virgin oil, dry round pepper, salt. Execution: thoroughly clean the wild onions, wash, split in four and leave overnight in water. In a pan with oil, fry the lampascioni; when the cooking is almost completed, add the salt, garlic, ground pepper, chopped dry pepper and scrambled eggs; mix well and finish cooking. 
Fagioli in Pignatta Ingredients: dry white beans, extra virgin olive oil, powdered pepper, chilli pepper, salt, stale bread. Execution: cook the dried beans directly in the pot by the fireplace with water and a little salt. In a plate, put some stale bread and pour the beans over it with the boiling water, add oil, ground pepper and chilli pepper.
Broccoli e Salsiccia Ingredients: broccoli, round red peppers (dried or fresh), garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Execution: clean the broccoli, break them up and wash them well; put them in a saucepan and cover with water, start cooking and add the salt, when cooked drain them. In a pan put oil, some crushed garlic, pepper and the sausage sliced into small pieces. As soon as it starts to fry, add the broccoli, mix and season with salt.
Maccheroni ai ferretti Ingredients: flour, water and salt. Execution: put the flour on a pastry board, add water and salt. Knead well until a medium-hard paste is obtained. Make long sticks of pasta and then cut them into small pieces about 10 cm long, on each place the ‘Ferretto’ and work with the palm of your hands to stretch it as long as possible. Then put the macaroni lined up on top of a tablecloth awaiting cooking. Prepare a pot with plenty of boiling water and cook the macaroni for at least 5 minutes. They can be seasoned with tomato sauce with sopressata or sausage. The kid’s sauce is particularly appreciated.

Matera: Matera was the 2019 European Capital of Culture. The Giro tells me that: the timeless beauty of Matera’s unique townscape that made it a natural film setting, which has inspired many Italian and foreign film directors. Matera’s role in the filmmaking industry began with The Gospel according to St. Matthew (1964) by Pier Paolo Pasolini, who said that he had found in Matera those places and faces that went lost in Palestine. Other important film productions include: King David (1985) by Bruce Beresford, The Sun Also Shines at Night (1990) directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, The Star Maker (1995) by Giuseppe Tornatore, The Passion (2002) by Mel Gibson, and the most recent Ben-Hur (2014) by Timur Dekmambetov, The Young Messiah (2016) by Cyrus Nowrasteh ) and James Bond 007 “No Time to Die” (2020) directed by Kary Fukunaga.

Specialties: Matera is the ideal location to taste the delicious regional cuisine and wines, bearing the DOP and IGP quality marks. Among the local specialities, there is Matera bread, with its fragrant flavour and characteristic shape that reminds of the Murgia landscapes. The bread is baked in wood-fired ovens and made using durum wheat and natural yeast. Cheeses are also exceptional, as they are produced using Podolica cattle, which can be easily spotted grazing freely in the pastures of the Murgia. Mouth-watering specialities include the ‘Fave e Cicorie’ recipe, a fava bean puree with chicory, and the ‘Crapiata’, which is the traditional mixed legume soup of Matera. ‘Matera DOC’ wines, both white and red, are also exceptional.


The stage: Could be a breakaway, could be a reduced sprint? Stop me if you think you've heard this one before.
Our break of the day:
The best updates come with pretty pictures.
In a strange moment, when Almeida had stopped for a radio issue, McNulty would crash into him. Both would get up and off again.
Eventually Whelan would set out on his own. With 27 kilometers to go he had about 30 seconds over his former breakmates and 1:30 over the peloton. Twenty five to go and he had 31 seconds over the peloton. Fifteen kilometers to go and there came the catch. It was time for the sprint trains to form and drag them to the finish. Unless, of course, the last hill interfered.
Indeed, as they climbed riders were being shelled out the back. Once upon a time, this was a certain stage for Sagan. This year? More of a question.
Wow! Turned out to be an easy win for Demare, who we may not have seen on camera all day. Sagan had been perfectly positioned.    

The wine: Giuseppe Calabrese Pollino Rosso 2015
From Biondivino
From the importer: Giuseppe Calabrese tends four hectares of mostly bush-trained old vines, in the Pollino Mountains of northern Calabria, in the ancient town of Saracena. He works without peer in this remote area; to say he’s plowing the rough road is understatement. The winter’s here are bracing, summer’s are fresh, thanks to the nearby mountains and high altitude (400 meters). The soil is a mix of Neogene marine deposits and limestone, as seen by the many ancient limestone caves you find in the area.  Giuseppe’s wines are an echo of the local wildness, and the ancient Saracean civilization, which still imbues the area. The great Calabrian historian, Giovanni Fiore da Cropani described Saracena as an “Ancient land…built by the Oenotrians..500 years before the Trojan War.” The Oenotrians were no ordinary ancient people, these people from Greek Arcadia, their name itself means ‘people from the land of the vines.”
The red grape variety Magliocco Dolce [mah-l’yee-OHK-koh DAWL-che]* is intriguing and moody: smoky, savory, fresh black fruit, and grainy tannins. The limestone and 40+ year old bush vines make a difference. It is not sweet or dolce, as the name could mislead. . . Wood-fired dishes, such as roasted lamb or eggplant pair well, even with a bit of Calabrian hot pepper. Though complex and smoky, it’s not a big wine, so don’t be afraid to put this with many of the fresh made pasta dishes made in these mountains: macaroni al ragu with shaved goat cheese, for example.


The food: Dealer's choice from the Giro specialties from Castrovillari above. 
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