Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Wines of the Giro Stage10 : Cordani Terzolo & Bouhanni is Having a Great Giro

Where are we: Still in Emilia Romagna, heading 173 kilometers from Modena to Salsomaggiore Terme. Modena is the home of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani, appropriate enough for what should be a sprint stage. It is also known for its balsamic vinegar. Google tells me that Salsomaggiore Terme is famous for its magnificent thermal baths.Also, on the route today: Parma.
The route: A flat route after our second rest day. This should be a day for the sprinters.Per Inrng: "98.5% flat and tactically unremarkable."

The race: Off they went. A two man break consisting of Marco Bandiera (Androni) and Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli - Yellow Fluo) had an early big gap, over eight minutes very early in the stage. Neither rider represents any threat to the jersey wearers, so they are likely to keep their gap throughout the day. With 114 kilometers to go, their break was at 5:38. 
At the intermediate sprint point, with 105 kilometers to go, Viviani took the  maximum points from the peloton. The points jersey competition will be an interesting one to watch throughout the rest of the Giro. 
Under 80 kilometers to go and the gap was hovering around six minutes. The stage had, thus far, been just about as dull as predicted. It had been one of those stages for the poor announcers to desperately beg for questions from Twitter to help fill the air time. Also, viewers got to hear a lot more about things like feed zones. 
64 kilometers to go and the gap was down to 4'48. At least the scenery was pretty. And then the peloton woke up a bit, and the gap started coming down rapidly. With 53 kilometers to go, it was already down to 3:20, as the teams of the sprinters led the chase. 50 kilometers to go and the gap was just about three minutes. Not wanting to catch the break too early and allow for an attack, the sprint teams seemed happy to back off slightly. 
Parma!









It was clearly time for the chasers to get serious. Sure enough, with twenty kilometers to go, the gap was under three minutes. A crash in the peloton with
Yannick Eijssen down and would not finish the stage. Sixteen kilometers to go and the gap was down to 1:39. Ten kilometers to go and it was down to a 30 second gap. Hey, Sky at the front. Lots of gaps were opening in the peloton. Nice riding by Cadel Evans to stay with this front group. Sure enough, a crash, with lots of riders on the road. Tyler Farrar looked to be one of the first down. 

Ahead, another great sprint by Nacer Bouhanni. Three now for him. There had been splits in the peloton, but the 3-kilometer rule will give all of the main group the same time. Great ride today by Cadel Evans to stay out of trouble.


Stage:Nacer Bouhanni
GC: Cadel Evans



 The wine: Cordani Terzolo 2011
from Biondivino

 From the producer:
Here at Montine (the name of our home) there were mostly woods, a few fields and just a couple vineyards. My grandparents lived 30 kilometers away at that time, so they’d come to this area on Monday and return to their house on Friday. They slept in a stable just two kilometers away during the week while they worked the vines. They were commuters ahead of their time!!!! 

Philosophies, Ideas & Practices: I started working in the vineyards when I was born and I still do it today. I was born here, and after awhile you begin to live in symbiosis with the plants; and your own timeframe becomes the same as your plant’s. I plant new vines and I see them growing and eventually they become part of you. 

Winemaking: In the cellar I work as my grandfather used to: without yeasts or strange alchemies. 
See the winery website at http://www.aziendacordani.it

 I say: Obscure grape alert. Some info on Ortrugo from the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna:
Ortrugo is probably one among the many grapes already grown in the Piacenza area in the pre-Christian era, and one among the few we still know. First the hard frost in the four Piacenza valleys and then the American diseases decimated many vine varieties: Ortrugo is one of the survivors. It is an early white grape, with long and compact greenish-yellow bunches. Particularly suited for semi-sparkling and sparkling wines, Ortugo today is also made in the still version, particularly appreciated abroad.
Frizzante! Looks like cider and there are indeed some apple notes. Refreshing but not simple.
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Sunday, May 18, 2014

Wines of the Giro Stage 9: Weening & Castelluccio Ronco dei Ciliegi

Where are we: Off the go, 172 kilometers from  in the Lugo to Sestola in Emilia Romagna. Sestola population 2600, is a ski station on the Apennine Ridge. 
Food wise, Emilia-Romagna is the home of Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma, tortellini, and much more. For a great look at the food of the region, look out for The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. "Ask an Italian where to take only one meal in Italy, and, after recommending his mother's house, he will more than likely send you to Emilia-Romagna,"writes Kasper.


 The route: 172 kilometers, the first 100 of so are relatively flat. After that, they will be climbing again, though the experts seem to agree that it should be an easier day than yesterday. Take a look at this excellent preview on Podium Cafe from a woman who rode the route yesterday.

The race: To watch this morning, a look behind the scenes on the Lotto bus with Adam Hansen. Not starting the race today: Francesco Chicchi. Eleven seasons as a pro, still no major tours completed.
Our morning break took a long time to get established today: Julien Berard (AG2R La Mondiale), Enrico Barbin (Bardiani CSF), Marco Bandiera (Androni Giocatolli), Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocatolli), David Tanner (Belkin), Oscar Gatto (Cannondale), Leonardo Duque (Colombia), Matteo Bono (Lampre-Merida), Jonathan Monsalve (Neri Sottoli), Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol), Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky), Eduard Vorganov (Katusha), Pieter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) and Davide Malacarne (Europcar). After 76 kilometres of racing the gap back to the peloton was 5:30. Not seen on video was an early crash that seems to have left former race leader Michael Matthews missing a large chunk of his shorts and some skin too.
The finish ahead:



 78 kilometers to go and the gap was 6'42". At the front of the peloton, BMC  so far seemed happy to let the break stay away, as none of the riders were a threat to his pink jersey. With 50 kilometers to go, the gap remained at around seven minutes and Garmin came to the front of the peloton. Having missed out on the break, they apparently decided to fight for the stage win. That however did not last long and with 45 kilometers remaining the gap was still over six minutes. 
Poor Michael Matthews is having a bad day:



 35 kilometers to go and the pace went up in the peloton. 


Another abandonment: Steven Kruijswijk, who had been been riding with a fractured shoulder. Back on the road, BMC was really pushing the pace on the descent. That pace caused splits on the road. A mechanical for Aru, but he had teammates to help him chase back on. 25 kilometers to go and the gap was just under four minutes. 20 kilometers to go and it had been cut to just over three minutes. Ahead, some attacks from within the breakaway group.


10 kilometers to go and the gap was 1:12 to the chase and almost four minutes to the peloton. It was looking good for the break. Crash in the peloton for Rubiano and Izagirre. Six kilometers to go and the gap was still over 3 minutes for the lead riders, Malacarne and Weening.  


And then an attack by Domenico Pozzovivo! Behind him, the gc leaders chased. How much time could he gain? He was unlikely to catch the leaders, but those seconds could be important later. Ahead, Weening won the sprint. A third stage win for Orica Green-Edge!
With the bonus points for finishing third, it looked like Pozzovivo's gain was about 29 seconds. 



 Stage: Pieter Weening
GC: 
The wine: Castelluccio Ronco dei Ciliegi 2007
A sample provided by Winebow.

From the importer: Owned by the renowned oenologist Vittorio Fiore, Castelluccio was originally founded in the 1970s. In the 1980s Vittorio Fiore became the consulting winemaker and in 1999 he purchased the majority of shares in the property.
Castelluccio is nestled in the Modigliana Hills, between the two towns of Faenza and Forlì, at an altitude range of 750 - 1500 feet above sea level. The territory is known as Emilia Romagna and was part of Tuscany until the 1930s. Castelluccio extends approximately 150 acres, with 36 acres of vineyards and 6 acres with olive trees. The soil is compact layered marl and limestone, the location is composed of micro-areas called “ronchi”, referring to the rock formations that protrude from the mountain side, and render a very high quality of grapes. Sangiovese di Romagna, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are the main grape varieties grown at Castelluccio. Sangiovese di Romagna is indigenous and expresses perfectly the character of the terroir and is a central grape to some of the world’s greatest wines.
The heart of Castelluccio’s philosophy is to respect and interpret the characteristics of “Romagna.” An ideal location near both the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains, it is recognized as a micro-zone for Sangiovese di Romagna as well as being the only DOC named after the ubiquitous grape. The notable uniqueness in terroir contributes greatly to the expression of the varietal. The elite members of the Castelluccio Estate team make every effort to produce wines that reflect its uniqueness. The outcome is wine that compares flawlessly to the Sangiovese grapes being grown in areas of Tuscany just on the other side of the Apennines Mountain.

 I say: Very dark in the glass. Plums, pepper, leather and spice, balanced by some clear acidity. Rounder with more fruit as it opens up a bit. If you have the time and patience, it is one to revisit on day two.
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Saturday, May 17, 2014

Wines of the Giro Stage 8: Diego Ulissi & Fontezoppa Falcotto




Where are we: Leaving Umbria and heading to the Marche. The Marche form the eastern seaboard of central Italy with the regions of Emilia-Romagna to the north and Abruzzo to the south. From the relatively narrow coastal plains the land rises sharply to the peaks of the Apennines which form a natural boundary with Umbria and Tuscany to the west.

 The Marche food: Google points to Brodetto, a fish stew, truffles and Ciauscolo, a spreadable sausage. Le-Marche.com reports that "Official statistics claim that marchigiani eat more meat than any other Italians." Also, from Understanding Italy.com "They seem to have an obsession with stuffing things here and everything has something else inside it, from tiny stuffed olives to large fish stuffed with vegetables"



The route:Our second medium mountain and this may be the first test for the gc riders. The Podium Cafe preview here, has more details. Also from Inrng:
This 179km stage runs across the spine of Italy with the Apennine mountains. An easy start on rolling roads with the feedzone at Acqualagna is followed by the scenic gorges. Onwards and the stage is dominated by the twin ascensions of Monte Carpegna.

 The race:Not starting today, Cameron Meyer. Our break of the day:
Julian Arredondo (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Marco Bandiera (Androni Giocattoli), Julien Bérard (AG2R-La Mondiale), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky), Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre-Merida), Mauro Finetto (Neri Sottoli), Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani CSF), Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar), Carlos Quintero (Colombia) and Eduard Vorganov (Katusha). EBH! The gap went out, but by 64 kilometers to go in the stage it was hovering around six minutes.
 
Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was just over four minutes. Not far ahead was the first category 1 climb of the day, the Cippo di Carpegna. It was full speed ahead and riders were already slipping off the back of the peloton, including the race leader Michael Matthews. Poor Matthews, he needs to find the grupetto (sprinters group on mountain stages). I find myself once again wishing that we could have a designated grupetto camera, with audio. Ahead the break had fallen apart with Pirazzi, Quemeneur and Arredondo in in the lead. 

The peloton too was quickly shrinking, with only 20 or so left. Still there though, all of the gc favorites.  Ahead Arredondo attacked in pursuit of the king of the mountain points. 37 kilometers remained with the gap to the small peloton about 1:30. Ahead, Arredondo crested the summit with 37 seconds over Pirazzi. The peloton was 2 minutes back. The descent ahead was technical and the organizers have put netting along the side of the road, in case riders make a mistake on a turn. In perhaps a not surprising move, Pierre Rolland attacked off the front of the peloton. This a stage where the narrow roads and wooded landscape make it impossible for there to be enough cameras to show us all of the groups on the road. Somewhere, unseen in EBH.

 Twenty kilometers to go and all of the favorites remained together, except Scarponi, who had dropped off earlier. Would we see an attack from one of them?  

With 16 kilometers to go, Boasson Hagen, Quintero and Quemeneur were all dropped by that chase group and it was Rolland and Pirazzi together about one minute behind Arredondo. There was still 2:30 between Arredondo and the peloton.



5 kilometers to go and Rolland was making progress, only 40 seconds down. 



 3 kilometers to go and Rolland had closed to within 10 seconds. The catch was clearly coming soon. The peloton behind was only 40 seconds back. 2 kilometers to go and it was only 30 seconds. As the peloton grew closer, Rolland dropped Arredondo. Wow, poor Rolland. It looked for a while there that he had it, but attacks from the peloton caught and passed him. In a sprint for the finish it was Diego Ulissi with his second win of this Giro. Evans into pink!



Stage: Diego Ulissi
GC: Cadel Evans

Wine: Fontezoppa Falcotto 2008
 $26 from Biondivino

From the producer: The concentration of loose soil, with stones and sandstone make this wine a full bodied dry wine with mineral and sulphur notes on the nose, and moderately tannin flavour. Hints of red mulberries, blackcurrants, wild cherries and smoky notes. Dry on the palate.

 DOC SERRAPETRONA
Year of Vintage 2008
Colour RED
Grapes VERNACCIA NERA 100%
Alcohol Content 13%
Soil SANDSTONE, LIMEY
Altitude 450
Age of Vineyards 10
Aspects SOUTH
Training System GUYOT
Number of Plants per Hectare 8900
Yield per Hectare in Quintals 40
Wine Making STEEL AND FRENCH OAK
Ageing in STEEL for 3 months, in CASKS for 12 months
Not filtered or fined

I say: Today's grape: Vernaccia Nera. Google tells me that "Vernaccia' comes from the Latin for vernacular. Farmers applied the name to random indigenous grapes of different regions, so now there are several well known Vernaccia that are completely unrelated. So, essentially: local grape.  

 Dry with minerals indeed. Lighter than I expected, as reviews tended to say full bodied. Cherry, possibly even sour cherry with hints of other red fruits. As it warmed up, a bit more weight, but still herb and acid.
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Friday, May 16, 2014

Wines of the Giro Stage 7: A Second Win for Bouhanni and Bea Santa Chiara


Where are we: Today's stage leaves Lazio and heads to Umbria, the “Green Heart of Italy. Umbrian food includes farro, lentils, cardoons, cured pork products from Norcia and black truffles. Foligno, our finishing town today is known for its cakes and sweets including the rocciata, a sort of Umbrian strudel.


 The route: Riding 211 kilometers from Frosinone to Foligno. Quite possibly a day for the sprinters today.



The race: First a happy thought: Taylor Phinney's performance in yesterday's stage of the Amgen Tour of California. To say that I was delighted would be an understatement. If you have not seen it, watch here. 
Then, the bad news: there are a bunch of riders not starting Stage 7 of the Giro today. Podium Cafe has an excellent thread on it here.  Out of the race: Joaquim Rodriguez, Katusha, Giampaolo Caruso, Katusha, Angel Vicioso, Katusha, Brett Lancaster, Orica, David Villella, Cannondale, Janez Brajkovic, Astana.J-Rod, by the way, apparently had started the Giro despite broken ribs. Flens, Kruijswijk, Amador, Tuft, Meyer and Roche all started today despite fractures, abrasions, cuts, bruises and fevers. Early in the stage another abandonment: Maxime Méderel.

The break of the day: Robinson Chalapud (Colombia), Jose Herrada (Movistar), Winner Anacona (Lampre-Merida), Bjorn Thurau (Europcar) and Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF). Herada then dropped back to the bunch and was replaced by Nathan Haas. Another abandonment: Ramón Carretero. 

106 kilometers to go and rain. With 85 kilometers to go, the gap was just below six minutes. 72 kilometers and it has dropped to 4:12, with Orica and Cannondale at the front of the peloton. 55 kilometers and 4:45 was the gap. It had been a relatively quite day, with a lot of riding wounded from yesterday. 
Willow & Violet

Perhaps there was hope for the break? 

 Meanwhile, Willow and Violet have taken to watching the race from a pink pillow. It is, after all, the Giro.

35 kilometers to go and the gap was still 4:18.  28 kilometers 3:40. It was getting very interesting. 13 kilometers, 1:40. 6.5 kilometers just about 30 seconds. BMC took to the front of the peloton, perhaps nervous about the run in to the finish. 3.9 kilometers and still a 15 second gap. 2.8 left and there was the catch. Behind, a crash by Ventoso. Several turns were taken at very high speed, but the peloton stayed upright. Another great sprint from Nacer Bouhanni to win his second Giro stage.

 Stage: Nacer Bouhanni
GC:
1 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica Greenedge 29:34:19  
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:21  
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:01:18  
4 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:25  
5 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team    
6 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Neri Sottoli - Yellow Fluo    
7 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica Greenedge 0:01:47  
8 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:01:51  
9 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol 0:01:52  
10 Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale 0:02:06  


 Wine: Bea Santa Chiara 2011  
from Biondivino 
 
From the producer: As a child, I learned this craft from my father. Our history and tradition is the source of our knowledge and inspiration.
Today, my family is here with me, all working together. Our roots in Montefalco trace back to the 1500's, as documents in the village archives attest to.
Through passion sustained and encouraged by my sons, Giuseppe and Giampiero, and also by the irreplaceable presence of Marina, my wife and mother of my children, our family has come to appreciate each other in more profound ways, each day relishing the fruits of our labor at our table.
With each passing year, I better understand our land, respecting and caring for it... and at the end of each year extract from it a wine which is totally unique, continually developing, improving, and sustaining our health.
With an ever growing conviction, we practice, discover, and appreciate natural winemaking methods that exclude the use of chemicals in the vineyard and artificial stabilizing techniques in the winery.
Each season is a new discovery, a chance to apply and evaluate knowledge we have gained in previous years.  

 From the importer:  A white wine produced from Grachetto, Malvasia , Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Garganega, in approximately equal proportions, planted in the “Pagliaro” vineyard, a site with alternating layers of gravel and clay at 1300 feet above sea level with both east and southwest facing parcels.  After crushing, the juice spends at least two weeks macerating on its lees; sulfur is never added.  Fermentation occurs in small stainless steel vats at low temperatures. Two rackings are done early in the fermentation process to remove the heavy deposits and a third is done after three weeks. This wine is then left on the fine lees in stainless steel for one year before being bottled.  Approximately 4500 bottles of wine are produced annually. 

 References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. This tiny estate is the classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption and working the land to produce olives, fruits and vegetables. To this day, the Bea family raises and produces much of what they consume on a daily basis. Paolo Bea, the senior member of the family, is the guiding force behind the production of this series of intense and idiosyncratic wines. He is assisted by his two sons, Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards, and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the winery.

The entire property encompasses 15 hectares: 5 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, 2 to olives, and the remainder to the fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown.  Sagrantino is the predominant grape, covering 60% of the vineyard surface. The remaining 40% is planted to Sangiovese and Montepulciano, with a small parcel planted to several white varieties. The vineyards are cultivated organically, all grapes are harvested manually and all wines are bottled without fining or filtration.  

 I say:  Amber in color. Savory. Orange peel, nuts, herbs and spices. Plenty of length and tannins. Even better on day two as it had opened up a bit. Hints of apple and almost cidery notes.
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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Wines of the Giro Stage 6: A Big Crash Leads to Big Time Gaps & Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso 'Gelsonero'





Where are we?: Riding from Sassano to Montecassino. Today's route takes us from Campania to Lazio.The stage is in homage to the Battle of Montecassino, one of the pivotal moments of WWII. The battle was a series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line held by Axis forces. You can read more on the battle here or here.

On a gastronomic note, Campania may be best known as the possible home of pizza (Naples). It is also the home of the San Marzano tomato, of sauce fame.
As for Lazio, the fascinating "Popes, Peasants, and Shepherds: Recipes and Lore from Rome and Lazio" by Oretta Zanini de Vita tells me that "the food of Rome and its region, Lazio, has always been redolent of herbs, olive oil, ricotta, lamb, and pork." Famous foods include Roman artichokes, spaghetti alla carbonara,and arrabbiata sauce.





The route:  They've added 10 kilometers today to avoid a landslide, leaving us with the longest stage of the race at 257 kilometers. Podium Cafe calls it a likely "long slog." (By the way, if you are a race fan, come join the live threads there.) Best guess is for a finish much like the one we saw yesterday.

 The race: The weather? Windy with a 50% chance of rain at the finish. Our doomed break of the day Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli), Marco Bandiera (Androni Giocattoli), Edoardo Zardini (Bardiani) and Rdolofo Andres Torres (Colombia). Note though that a break did stay away at the Tour of California yesterday, so it is always possible, if not likely. Their gap went out to a maximum of fourteen minutes, but with 100 kilometers to go, it had been brought down to a more manageable five minutes. Hey, Sky at the front of the peloton. Working for EBH again? Time would tell.
82 kilometers to go and on went the rain jackets.  At the sprint point, the gap to the break was 5'43". 
Nice palace:



 Ahead, news of a storm at the finish area, with strong winds and heavy rain.
Under 60 kilometers to go and the gap was back around six minutes. Long slog indeed. 45 kilometers to go and the gap was down to 3:50. 30 kilometers remaining and it was under three minutes. 20 kilometers left and it was just about one minute. 
Some fine dancing by a policeman on course to avoid a crash: 



12.2 and the break was caught. Right after that catch: crashes. Many off their bikes. Some scary pictures of riders on the ground, especially of Giampaolo Caruso. Dear tv camera-people, there are things we do not need to see. 
Ahead, eight men remained at the front, including Cadel Evans and Michael Matthews. Behind them, some regrouping, but there were many splits on the road. Ahead, Cadel and Mathews and their small group continued on, finishing with a sprint easily won by Matthews. 
 



 There will be a lot of talk , some of it likely to be rather angry, about this stage on twitter and elsewhere through the day. Plus, of course, injury reports.

Stage and Pink: Michael Matthews
GC:
2 [Australia] C. Evans BMC Racing +21
3 [Colombia] R. Urán O.Ph.-Q-Step +1:18
4 [Switzerland] S. Morabito BMC Racing +1:25
5 [Italy] M. Rabottini Neri Sottoli +1:25
6 [Italy] I. Santaromita Orica +1:47
7 [Italy] F. Aru Astana +1:51
8 [Belgium] T. Wellens Lotto +1:52
9 [Italy] I. Basso Cannondale +2:06
10 [Colombia] N. Quintana Movistar +2:08
Wine: Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso 'Gelsonero'
$25 at Biondivino:

From Biondivino: 80% Piedirosso and 20% Aglianico, organically grown: broad reddish-black color; smoky aroma with a hint of tar (notes I often find in red wines grown in volcanic soils); aroma and flavor of black fruit (blackberry, black cherry) and woody herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary); medium-weight but light on its feet. It is aged in puncheons for about a year. Drink now with red meats or cellar.

 From the importer: Volcanic soils make for interesting wines, and many of Campania's famous terroirs are of volcanic origin. Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano just east of Naples, and the organically farmed vineyards of Villa Dora are on the lower slopes of the volcano, inside the national park that surrounds it. The soil, ground-up pumice really, looks like black Grape-Nuts, and the wines are strikingly flavorful and distinctive. There is no known scientific reason why certain minerals in the soil would affect the flavors of the wines grown in that soil, but I have to think there's a connection. I hope you like these wines as much as I do.

 I say: Clearly, cat approved. Deep red. Full bodied and flavorful, but with enough acidity to keep it from feeling heavy. Black cherry and herbs.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Wines of the Giro Stage 5 :Ulissi & Bisceglia Terra di Vulcano




Where are we?: Heading from Taranto to Viggiano and leaving Puglia for the Basilicata. Google tells me that the Basilicata can be thought of as the "instep" of Italy. Basilicata covers an area of 9,995 square kilometres but has a population of only 600,000 making it one of the least populated areas of Italy. It is also apparently the most mountainous region in the south of Italy. 
As for food, the folks at Italia.it say that the "hot pepper (pepperoncino), (is) the real symbol of cuisine in Basilicata, locally known as diavolicchio (little devil)."


The route: 203 kilometers, our first medium mountain stage of the race. Translated, that means the first hills of the race, with the 8km Valico di Serra di San Chirico and then the climb to Viggiano. That climb is 5km long and is covered twice, with a twisting descent in between. Favorites for the day include the pink jersey wearer, Michael Matthews.

The race: Our break of the day is large and interesting: Elia Viviani (Cannondale), Ben Swift (Team Sky), Tyler Farrar and Fabian Wegmann (Garmin-Sharp), Miguel Angel Rubiano (Colombia), Tony Hurel and Bjorn Thurau (Europcar), Marco Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli), Yonathan Monsalve (Neri Sottoli), Kenny Dehaes and Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol). It looked like some of the sprinters were in search of points. Go Swift! Indeed, Swift took the intermediate sprint points and became the new virtual red jersey (leader on the road). 
Eighty kilometers to go and the gap was at four minutes. It bounced around between 3 and 4 minutes for many kilometers. At the King of the Mountain point with 65 kilometers to go, Rubiano took the win over Monsalve and Wegmann. 
Just about 50 kilometers to go and the gap had dropped to under 3 minutes with Sky leading the chase, in hopes of a stage win for Edvald Boasson Hagen (EBH).  A few kilometers on and it was all Orica on the front working for Matthews. The gap dropped dramatically and was hovering between one and two minutes. With 25 kilometers to go, many of the breakaway riders had been reabsorbed into the peloton and it was clear that the bunch could catch the others easily. 
Rain and the pace was picking up. Cue riders falling off the back of the pack. A slow motion crash in the bunch caused a split. Sure enough, as always in times of potential trouble, Evans and BMC were at the front.




Lots of stress in the peloton as they descended in the rain. Fingers crossed they make it down safely. Yikes. Several small spills, but all were soon back up and riding. Ahead, Brambilla took a lead after some aggressive riding. And then, the sunshine was back. Four kilometers to go and Brambilla had 32 seconds. He is currently the virtual race leader. Behind him, the peloton regrouped and was chasing hard. Three kilometers to go and it was down to 18 seconds. Two kilometers and down to nine seconds. 
And then things got interesting fast with some of the GC riders involved, including Cadel Evans. At the end, perfect timing for Diego Ulissi, with Evans finishing second on the stage. 


Stage: Diego Ulissi
Pink: Michael Matthews
2 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica Greenedge 0:00:14
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:15
4 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:00:19
5 Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:26
6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky 0:00:35
7 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:37
8 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:41
9 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky 0:00:49
10 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:52

The wine: Bisceglia Terra di Vulcano 2011
Compliments of Winebow 
The nearest store to me on Winesearcher has a price of $13.95.

 From the importer:
The Bisceglia estate is an important and dynamic winery offering a range of top-quality products. After many years in the corporate food industry, Mario Bisceglia returned to his land to begin this adventure and founded the estate in 2001. His goal is to continually produce world-class wines made with both indigenous and international varietals grown in the Basilicata region.

The Bisceglia estate is situated on the lower slopes of the extinct volcano, Mount Vulture, in the splendid district of Lavello. This old farming community is officially recognized as “Wine Town” in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. The winery itself was designed by internationally acclaimed architects Hikaru Mori and Domenico Santomauro, and has state-of-the-art winemaking facilities and aging cellars. The estate extends over pristine hillsides rich in flora and fauna, characterized by a Mediterranean mesoclimate. A natural balance of temperature shifts characterizes this terroir, conferring remarkable fertility to calcareous and clay loam soils.

I say: Aglianico is the main grape of Basilicata and this wine shows it off. Dark cherry and plum with spice and hints of smoke. Plenty of body, with both tannin and acidity. An easy to drink wine that paired nicely with a sausage pizza.
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Giro Stage 4: Bouhanni Wins on a Neutralized Day


Where are we: Back in Italy! To be exact, in Puglia heading from Giovinazzo to  Bari. Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto to the south. Its southernmost portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy.


The route: 112 flat kilometers. A very short stage that will end in eight laps of the city of Bari. The question of the day will be how do the riders react after the very long transfer from Dublin and the very early rest day. 

 The race: The big news coming out of the race day is the early departure of Marcel Kittel, due to a fever. He was dominating the early sprints and would have been the favorite for today's stage. My fantasy team is hoping for Ben Swift. 
Our morning started with a rider protest due to unsafe conditions. A neutralized stage? Rain and slick roads had the riders very concerned about the technical finish laps and they started the day as a leisurely ride. It is an interesting situation as the race clearly wanted them to race, but the riders decided as a group that it was not worth the risk of injury. Lucas Paolini seemed to be the chief negotiator on the road.



So it went. With the roads looking a bit more dry, the speed picked up, but would anyone attempt a break?







Some dissension became visible in the peloton as they ambled through Bari. Some riders clearly wanted to race, others disagreed. Hey, look, Bernie Eisel! He appeared annoyed. Word finally came down that there would be no bonifications (bonus seconds) at the finish of the stage, thus Matthews will remain in pink. 




 35 kilometers to go and suddenly, racing. An intermediate sprint, won by Viviani. It appeared that there would be no bonus seconds awarded, but that the points would still count towards the red points jersey. Maybe.



Around and around they went, giving the teams time to practice their sprint leadouts. A mechanical for Bouhanni. The most excitement of the day came as he struggled to get back to the peloton in time for the sprint. Bell lap and there went many of the riders. Sprint trains to the front. And then bedlam. Crash after crash after crash. At the end, a very impressive sprint from a very small group from Bouhanni.

Stage: Nacer Bouhanni
Pink: Michael Matthews




The wine: Leone de Castris Salice Salento 2010
This wine was a sample provided by Winebow. 

 From the importer: 
Founded in 1665 by the Spanish Duke Oronzo, Earl of Lemos, in the Italian region of Puglia, Leone de Castris has been exporting wine since the beginning of the 19th century.
Leone de Castris specializes in traditional Apulian wines. This exceptional wine commemorates the winery's 50th anniversary vintage, or "vendemmia," which has been featured on the label since 2004. This wine is made from hand-harvested, select grapes from the Salice Salentino DOC, a picturesque wine region dotted with ancient watchtowers and old farmhouses, just north of the village of Lecce. 
Tasting Notes: Intense ruby-red in color, concentrated aromas of black cherries and baked red fruits complement undertones of plums, spices, vanilla, and anise. On the palate, velvety tannins and a full body frame the long, delectable finish of stewed strawberries and vanilla beans. 
Food Pairing: Pair this wine with well-aged steaks, demi-glaces, barbecue, and farsumagru.

 I say:  Back in Italy and back to the wine. The Salento is a blend of Negroamaro, the most common grape in the region and and Malvasia Nera di Lecce. Very dark and purple in the glass. Sweet black cherries, some nutmeg, notes of roasted blackberries, not nearly as heavy as it looks. Very smooth. I had this bottle over the course of three nights and thought it held up beautifully. 
To stay regional with the suggested food pairings above, maybe orrecchietti with a strong meat sauce. I opted for a meat lasagne from Matarello.

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