Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Wine & Food of the Giro 2015 Stage 10: Lusenti Malvasia “Bianca Regina” & Bolognese Sauce



Civitanova Marche - Forlì 195 KM

Civitanova Marche is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche. The tourist website tells me that "This appealing seaside resort also doubles as a colorful fishing port and centre for the footwear industry. And its long, deep gravel beach offers a bit more style than its nearby neighbours with no shortage of hotels to choose from down on the seafront." 

Forlì is a city in Emilia-Romagna and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. Encyclopedia Britannica tells me that "Known to the Romans as Forum Livii, it is said to have been founded by the consul Livius Salinator in the 2nd century bc. As a 12th-century commune, it was in league with Ravenna, and in the 13th century it was the seat of the imperial court of Romagna province. Ruled by the Ordelaffi family from 1315, Forlì was taken by Cesare Borgia, the cardinal and military leader, in 1500 and annexed to the Papal States in 1504. It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860." 
You can go on a culinary tour of the region with my friend Sean. Go! More info here.  

The stage:  A sprint stage after the rest day. Which means a likely to be doomed break that will be caught close to the finish. The expectation is of little action followed by a few minutes of excitement at the finish. But we shall see.

The breakaway riders: Boem, Busato, Gatto, Malaguti and Marangoni. A look at the current jersey wearers:  https://twitter.com/giroditalia/status/600644337454731264/photo/1

Indeed, a quiet day on the road and I was researching Tour de France wine options. With this year's route, there may be a lot of beer, cider and other alcohols for the first week of the race. Suggestions very welcome. 

Meanwhile, back on the road:   

An abandonment: Matteo Pelucchi. Thirty kilometers to go and the gap was still hovering around 2:30. With seventeen kilometers to go, the gap was just under two minutes with Lotto Soudal on the front. The peloton was cutting it close. A mechanical for Gatto. Cue angry cat jokes. Ten kilometers to go and the gap was still 1:30. The peloton may have gotten this one wrong. Six kilometers to go and it was still over one minute. Behind, a mechanical for Richie Porte. Time for a Sky team trial to catch up.

 

Ahead, attacking from the break Marangoni.  But it would be Boem with the stage win. But more importantly, forty seconds lost on the day for Richie Porte. 


Stage: Nicola Boem 

GC: 

And then things got even more interesting after the stage: 
More to come for sure. New gc: http://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2015/en/stage/10/standings/
Wine:  Lusenti Malvasia “Bianca Regina”

http://www.lusentivini.com/

From the producer:
Designation: Colli Piacentini DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin)
Wine style: Late harvest dry white
Grape variety: 100% Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
Production area: Ziano (PC) – near Pozzolo Piccolo – Southwestern exposure
Vinification, ageing and maturation: The grapes are selected and harvested in crates; after crushing-destemming, the must is left in contact with the skins for three or four days at low temperatures. After gentle pressing, the must is racked into small wooden casks, where it remains for 9 months. After blending and bottling, the wine matures in the cellar for at least 9 months.
Alcohol content: 14% vol.
Colour: Pale straw yellow
Food matching: Strong and slightly matured cheeses, ravioli with pumpkin filling, curried white meat, Vicenza-style dried cod.

 I say: Well aren't we fun. I guess it has been a while since I have had an orange wine. Golden copper. Rich apricot, lemon and orange peel with some nuttiness.
   
Food: Bolognese sauce
Really, I should have made piadina. The Punk Domestics culinary tour that I mentioned above can teach you that. Here is the write-up from a previous trip. 

 But the race is only in the region for a short time and I could not resist a Bolognese sauce. It will reappear tomorrow as a component in lasagne.

 Like many, I make my Bolognese based on the classic Marcella Hazan recipe, though I have been known to change it up slightly based on what I have on hand. In this case, it was two parts pork to one part beef. The real key for this recipe though is cooking low and slow. You repeatedly add liquid to your meat and vegetable base and cook at a very low temperature until it is almost dry. In my case, that meant six or so hours of cooking time, though most of it is hands off.
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