Sunday, May 22, 2022

Wine and Food of the Giro 2022 Stage 15: Rivarolo Canavese to Cogne

JJ
Where are we? Piedmont and Aosta

Rivarolo Canavese: The Giro says: Rivarolo Canavese is in the plain, at the end of the Piedmontese valleys of the National Park of Gran Paradiso. It is 304 meters above sea level, and it is the most important and crowded centre of the Western Canavese, with its about 12,500 inhabitants. 
The local tourism board has a castle for us to visit: The imposing outline of the Castle of Malgrà has been marking the outline of the town of Rivarolo since 1333, the year in which the Counts of San Martino began its construction.
Built as a military presidium, it then became a welcoming noble mansion thanks to a series of important structural and decorative interventions, made possible by the peacetime which began in the 14th century.
The building originally included two separate parts and a tall defence tower, it was extended by adding a floor to the west wing and embellished by frescoes over the main entrance and under the small porch in the inner courtyard. At the beginning of the 17th century, ownership was transferred to the Gria family and subsequently to the Cortina of Favria family.
Large salons with ceilings decorated with flowers, now temporary exhibition rooms, were obtained in the north wing during the 17th century. Architect Boggio di San Giorgio designed the elegant staircase leading to the first-floor corridor, marked by round-arched windows overlooking the Canavese countryside.

The food: At the end of June, in Mastri, a cute hamlet of Rivarolo, there is “TOMINO” festival. Tomino is a kind of fresh or aged cheese produced in this area.
Thanks to a great developed cattle-breeding in the country all round our town, we have meat and products of the best quality. The local farmers are really interested in the biological agriculture and breeding, so you can find some holiday farms involved in environmental sustainability and in the km0 production.
The famous “SALAMPATATA”, a DE.CO product ( Common Designation),is a fresh salami with potatoes inside that you can eat in the cold season uncooked – the best way- or cooked in the oven.
“PAN DOUSS ‘D MALGRA’” is a typical dessert. It was the dessert of the Lord of San Martino’s banquets at Malgrà Castle in Rivarolo. People tell he loved so much this dessert, that he took some pieces of it , when he was compelled to flee from the besieged castle, dressed as a beggar. In our pastry shops there are the delicious PANETTONI in Christmas time, and the FOCACCIA DELLA BEFANA a little bit later. It is a very simple but good sweet!
Last but not least, the sublime little pastries of Piedmont, as BIGNOLE, and the cookies with TORCETTI, and the BACI DI RIVAROLO, it’s difficult to explain: try them!

Cogne: The local tourist site tells me that Cogne is situated at 1.534 metres, at the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park, of which it is considered the “capital“. It boasts a rich historical, cultural and traditional heritage as well as the beautiful meadows.  Also that it is home to more than 1000 mountain-dwelling species including Ibex, wild goat, marmots, royal eagles, the Paradisia botanical garden inside the oldest National Park in Italy is also worth a visit. There’s also a rock exhibition, a collection of lichen, and a butterfly garden.

The food: In addition to the Fontina DOP, produced throughout the territory of Aosta Valley, you can also taste other cheeses made from cow’s and goat’s milk as well as other milk derivatives, such as locally produced butter and yogurt.
As for the cuisine, among the typical dishes of Cogne that must absolutely be tried is the mécoulin, a sort of typical local “panettone” sweetened with raisins and flavored with lemon rind and rum, the Cogne cream, a delicious dessert based on cream, sugar, dark chocolate and a drop of rum, and the tasty seupetta of Cogne, a soup made with rice and Fontina DOP.
The “seupetta” of Cogne is a dish of ancient tradition, one of the many commonplace dishes of high mountain gastronomy, prepared with the few ingredients usually available to peasant families. The presence of rice stands out, which is not a typical production of Cogne but which was one of the goods traded for products of the mountain pastures, as it is a long-life food and therefore particularly suitable for building up food reserves for the long and isolated winter at the foot of the Gran Paradiso mountain.
Typical of the Aymavilles area, located at the entrance to Cogne valley, is Favò, a delicious traditional dish based on broad beans, Fontina DOP cheese, black bread toasted in butter, sausages, bacon and pasta, which goes well with a fragrant red wine like the Torrette DOC. 
In summer, the Favò festival takes place in the rural village of Ozein, in the municipality of Aymavilles, set on a panoramic natural terrace from which you can enjoy an enchanting view. Still on the subject of traditional events, linked to the flavors of the territory and rural life, the “Veillà” is an absolute must-do, a re-enactment of ancient crafts, during which it is possible to taste some traditional local dishes, and it takes place in summer in the hamlets of Cogne.
Always in Cogne, at the end of September, the return of the herds from the summer pastures is celebrated with a spectacular parade of animals and with a market of traditional and handcrafted products, and on the occasion of the “Devétéya” various restaurants in Cogne offer themed menus.


The stage: Another day with an extended fight to get into the break. By extended, I mean about 80 kilometers. Why does that happen? Well, often there are concerns in the bunch about specific riders being off the front or there are teams without a rider in a group that decide to chase. Eventually though, a group of 28 was allowed to go. 
They were: Mikaël Cherel, Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R Citroën), Mathieu Van der Poel, Dries De Bondt (Alpecin-Fenix), David De La Cruz, Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Luca Covili (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Rémy Rochas (Cofidis), Natnael Tesfazion (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli), Hugh Carthy, Merhawi Kudus, Julius Van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost), Erik Fetter (Eolo-Kometa), Koen Bouwman, Gijs Leemreize, Sam Oomen (Jumbo-Visma), Antonio Pedrero, Ivan Sosa, JJ Rojas (Movistar), Lawson Craddock (BikeExchange-Jayco), Thymen Arensman, Nico Denz, Martijn Tusveld (Team DSM), Giulio Ciccone, Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), and Rui Costa, Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates). 
As they climbed, Bouwman launched off the front, likely in search of king of the mountain points. Seventy four kilometers to go and he had 39 seconds. Indeed at the top of the climb he gained 40 points and the virtual lead in the KOM competition. 
Sixty kilometers to go and he was caught by Van der Poel  and Tusveld. There was probably a joke to be made about three dutchmen out front. Fifty five kilometers to go and they had over a minute over the rest of the break and five minutes to the bunch. Behind them, the break was falling apart.
Ahead, Bouwman was dropped from the lead group. Indeed, the chasing group soon caught and passed the then duo. The new leading group was Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Antonio Pedrero (Movistar), Martijn Tusveld (Team DSM), with Costa chasing. Dropped from that group, Tusveld.
Ciccone was very much pushing on and quite possibly annoying the rest of the group. As they climbed, joining Costa in the chase, Carthy.
Joining the trio at the front, Carthy. Costa was 15 seconds back at the top of the climb. Joining Costa, Tusveld and they would catch the front four. Eventually, Carthy, Ciccone, and Buitrago would surge to the front. Eventually, it would be Ciccone alone. His gap would grow rapidly.
This final climb seemed endless to watch. I can only imagine how it felt on the bike. But Ciccone was clearly going to take the stage, with plenty of time to celebrate. Lovely to hear the crowd chanting his name.
Stage:
1CICCONE GiulioTrek - Segafredo4:37:41
2BUITRAGO SantiagoBahrain - Victorious1:31
3PEDRERO AntonioMovistar Team2:19
4CARTHY HughEF Education-EasyPost3:09
5TUSVELD MartijnTeam DSM4:36
6COVILI LucaBardiani-CSF-Faizanè5:08
7TESFATSION NatnaelDrone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli5:27
8MOLLEMA BaukeTrek - Segafredo5:27
9LEEMREIZE GijsJumbo-Visma5:27
10MARTIN GuillaumeCofidis6:06


The wine: Grosjean Torrette 2020
Grosjean’s Torrette, a traditional local blend anchored by the indigenous Petit Rouge cultivar, is charming and delicious in its youth but takes on more weight and gravitas with some bottle age. Buoyed by high acidity and snappy red fruit, the wine is balanced by notes of crushed rocks and earth that make it a perfect pairing for the traditional charcuterie and soups of the Val d’Aoste.


The Food: Val D'aosta Fontina
Cheese.com tells me that: Fontina Val D’Aosta DOP (Fontina) is a classic Italian cheese made in the Aosta Valley since the 12th century. There are many Fontina kinds of cheese made with alternative names such as "Fontinella", "Fontal", and "Fontella" but the Italian Fontina, Fontina Val d'Aosta, identified by a Consorzio (Consortium) stamp is the original and most famous. The other versions are much milder than the original Fontina. There is also a Danish version which can be recognized by the red wax rind. Italian Fontina has a natural rind that turns tan to orange-brown with ageing.
Fontina Val d'Aosta is traditionally made from the unpasteurised cow's milk. The texture and flavour of the cheese depends on how long it has been aged. The texture can vary from semi-soft to firm and the flavours from mild and rich to more robust and overpowering. Usually, fontina is aged for 90 days.
The interior of fontina is pale cream in colour and riddled with holes known as "eyes". With a fat content of 45%, the cheese is very rich and creamy which gets nuttier with ageing. This versatile cheese can be used to make fondues and similar Italian dishes. Nebbiolo, red wine with wild cherry and truffles is a match for Fontina.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)