Wine & Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 2: A Sprint!

Olbia – Tortolì, 208 km

Where are we?
Still in Sardinia. Tortolì is Ogliastra’s bustling provincial capital.
Tortolì developed around the small Piazza Roma; its current appearance dates back to the 19C. The main church, Sant'Andrea, dedicated to the town's patron saint, has a looming tower. Built in 1100, it became a cathedral in 1824.

From the Giro site for Tortolì:
FOOD Pane pistoccu, culurgionis (fresh stuffed pasta).

WINE Cannonau, red and rosé (Riserva)


The stage:  Another day, another break.

⚡️ Fuga! / Break!
🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴 Owsian, Teklehaimanot, Koshevoy, Andreetta, Shalunov
⏱3'18"
📌 Orune
🏁 129 km #Giro100

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 6, 2017

Also another quiet stage. Nice of them to start out this year's race with a couple of slow stages. The Giro social media team is looking for distraction.

Pink rabbit man 😂 #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/EJ3juIYZ5S

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 6, 2017

Seventy five kilometers to go and the gap was still over two minutes. Seventy two kilometers and it was down to 1.5 minutes. Talk on the Podium Cafe livethread had turned to pierogi. Also, philosophy. Sixty kilometers to go and the gap was under one minute.

The gap is now around one minute. 60 km left.
La fuga adesso ha meno di un minuto. 60 km all'arrivo.#Giro100 pic.twitter.com/Xv4abpimCQ

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 6, 2017

Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was around forty seconds. Fine work by Daniel Teklehaimanot to get the blue King of the Mountains jersey.
Forty six kilometers to go and the bunch was back together. Mechanical for Zakarin and a feverish chase. Meanwhile, up ahead, the expected sprint and I am pretty delighted by the winner.

Andre Greipel is the new Maglia Rosa! / Andre Greipel è la nuova Maglia Rosa! #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/oSnFZivH3W

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 6, 2017

Wine: Vermentino di Gallura, "Canayli"  from Biondivino
From the importer: The Vermentino varietal can be found under fairly intensive cultivation in nearly all the Mediterranean coastal districts from Spain to Liguria and on the two major islands of Corsica and Sardinia. It is also grown in small areas on the island of Madeira and at some places in southern France. Vermentino is clearly Spanish in origin. It traveled from Spain to Corsica in the 14th century and from there went on to Liguria. Its appearance on Sardinia was fairly recent, the final decades of the last century, and it was first planted in the Gallura at the island’s northernmost tip. 

Tasting note:  Bright yellow. Fruity and floral with citrus and white peach. 

Food: As close to Pane pistoccu as I could find. Salty flatbread. It is thin and crisp, made by taking baked flat bread, then separating it into two sheets which are baked again.