Thursday, May 27, 2021

Wine and Food of the Giro 2021 Stage 18: Rovereto to Stradella

Where are we? Heading to Lombardy

Rovereto: The local tourist site tells me that: Located among picturesque hills and vineyards, Rovereto is in the centre of Valle dell’Adige, along the main road that connects other two main cities, Trento and Verona. We recommend to explore the city by foot, getting lost the streets of the historical center and feeling part of a journey through different time periods:
  • the Middle Ages in the walls of Castelbarco
  • the influence of the Republic of Venice in the home of the Podestà
  • the Eighteenth Century palaces in Corso Bettini
  • the evidences of the First World War in the rooms of the castle

Walking through the city streets, you will meet the most important and prestigious Eighteenth century palaces such as the Accademia degli Agiati, Teatro Zandonai and the city library in Annona Palace. Many renowned guests have visited Rovereto in the past, perhaps the most famous is Mozart, who held his first concert in Italy in San Marco church.

Stradella: The Giro has this important fact for me: Stradella is one of the most important wine industries in Lombardy, as wine is grown on more than 4/5 of its lands.

Giro Specialities
Rovereto: In addition to refined wines, Vallagarina is also known for its quality products, which give an original and tasty touch to the table. Soft or seasoned malga cheeses, with a delicate or pungent taste, each with unique characteristics, the result of different techniques and flavors that have been handed down for a long time. The organic vegetables of Val di Gresta, among the first valleys in Italy to devote itself to organic, first of all: cabbage, carrot, celeriac and potato. Medicinal herbs such as mint, lemon balm, calendula, cornflower and mallow, used both in food and in cosmetics. The most valuable of the species present in the area is certainly the Baldo saffron, which is obtained from the flowers of the Crocus Sativus, characterized by an unmistakable yellow color, an intense aroma and a strong flavor. Cereals such as wheat and buckwheat, wheat, sorghum, rye, oats and barley. The meats and cured meats: many butchers and farms in the city and in the small villages continue in the tradition of producing, each with its own recipes, luganega (salami from the Trentino valleys) and other typical cured meats. Castione chestnuts, from which unique recipes and products are born, such as chestnut tagliolini, chestnut beer, and the famous Marroncino di Castione.

Stradella: Although wine is the city’s pride, historical recipes and local products are well-known, too.I n his “State Geographical-Historical-Statistical-Commercial Dictionary by H.R.H. the King of Sardinia” (first edition, Turin 1933), historian Goffredo Casalis mentions the cheese-making at the Badia Manor by the Count Arnaboldi and at the time managed by Depretis – “similar to the cheese made in Lodi”.
Likewise, the recipe of the chicken “alla Stradellina” (from Stradella) is described in the volume “Pavian Cousine” by P.M. Brunetti and G. Nicosia (Renato Giardini Editore, Pavia, 1965). On page 336: “Napoleon Bonaparte, first consul, while in Italy stopped at Stradella and asked his cook to prepare him chicken fricassee. Since he couldn’t find butter, he used oil instead. In a hurry and hungry, Napoleon found the chicken delicious and the dish appreciated since then. However, the modern version is likely different, as the recipe changed over time. The so-called chicken ‘alla Stradellina’ is cut into pieces and cooked with fine olive oil, salt, pepper, truffles and herbs. After cooking, a sauce is added, made of gelly and wine from Broni or Canneto, together with seared butter, onion springs and flour.”
Today, the local salame from Stradella (“Salame Nostrano di Stradella”) features in the Region Lombardy’s list of traditional agri-food products (PAT, in Italian), updated to April 2013. Since 2012, it was recognised to be food excellence by the Local Council, together with the miccone (a type of bread), the bacon with rind and the La Torre cake.

The stage: Late in the race sprint stage? Or maybe one for the break? It was time to find out. Also today, the longest stage of the race. Not starting the day: Evenpoel, Schultz and Ciccone, which brought the peloton down to 147 riders.
Another large break: It consisted of: Andrea Vendrame (AG2R Citroën), Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Fenix), Simon Pellaud, Andrii Ponomar, Natnael Tesfatsion (Androni-Sidermec), Samuele Battistella, Gorka Izagirre (Astana-PremierTech), Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Simone Consonni (Cofidis), Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Alberto Bettiol (EF-Nippo), Francesco Gavazzi, Samuele Rivi (EOLO-Kometa), Wesley Kreder (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Patrick Bevin (Israel Start-Up Nation), Stefano Oldani (Lotto Soudal), Dario Cataldo (Movistar), Nikias Arndt, Nico Denz, Nicolas Roche (Team DSM), Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo), Alessandro Covi, Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates). 
After yesterday, and with possible drama ahead on the weekend, it was kind of nice to have a relaxed stage.
Forty five kilometers to go and it was still over fourteen minutes.
At around 32 kilometers to go, there came the expected attacks from within the breakaway group.
Eventually, Cavagna was away solo and he was getting a real gap. With about sixteen kilometers to go, he had almost thirty seconds. Closing in on him though was Bettiol and eventually, Roche. Eight kilometers to go ad Cavgana had fifteen seconds. Just under seven kilometers to go and Bettiol had reached and flown past Cavagna, with Roche slightly behind. Poor Cavagna clearly was done on the day as Roche flew by as well.
Four kilometers to go and Bettiol had 17 seconds. It looked to be a done deal.
And he would hold on! It was then only to wait for the gc group, who were about fifteen kilometers behind.
Stage:
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Alberto Bettiol (Ita) EF Education-Nippo5:14:43
2Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis0:00:17
3Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team DSM
4Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM
5Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
6Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana-Premier Tech
7Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
8Natnael Tesfazion (Eri) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
9Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:00:24
10Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo0:01:12

Twenty three minutes later, the peloton arrived.



The wine: Nusserhof Blatterle Bianco 2018
I was going to head to Lombardy today, given the plug above, but could not resist this charmer.
From an importer: 100% Blatterle. This indigenous variety goes back centuries in the Alto Adige but has shrunk down to a mere 1.5 hectares in production today. Nusserhof is one of only 3 growers of this thin-skinned, golden-yellow rarity and is the largest of them. Like all of Nusserhof's vines, the bit of Blatterle is farmed organically and harvested by hand; there is only enough to yield about 40 hectoliters annually. The fruit is destemmed, fermented with native yeasts and gently pressed. The wine does go through malo and is aged in a mix of tank and botte (added for the first time in 2018 vintage). The name "B...te...e" is an abbreviation of sorts of the grape name: Blatterle is not recognized by Italian wine authorities and the wine is classified as a Vino Bianco, so the variety cannot appear on the label anyway. The same goes for the vintage, which is indicated in fine print as lot number.

The food: Canederli, from a local tourist site

A recipe of the Osteria del Pettirosso restaurant

The “canederli” was once considered as the poor dish of the peasant culinary tradition, a clever way to reuse kitchen leftovers. Today it is known as one of the most delicious Trentino recipes.

Ingredients for 4 people
  • 500 g of stale bread
  • 1/2 l of milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 50 g of Trentingrana
  • 100 g of speck
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 10 g of chives
Preparation
  1. Cut the stale bread into very small cubes
  1. Aside, heat the milk without boiling it and then pour it on the bread
  1. Mix the dough well so that the bread gets evenly wet and let it rest
  1. Then add the other ingredients starting with the eggs, the diced speck, salt, pepper and Trentingrana
  1. Prepare a test “canederli” to test its consistency. If it is too soft, add a little flour to the dough, if it is too hard, add a little milk instead
  1. Cook the “canederli” for about a quarter of an hour in boiling salted water or broth
  1. They can be served in a dry version with melted butter and chives or with their cooking broth and a sprinkling of Trentingrana.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)