Friday, May 12, 2017

Wine & Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 7

Castrovillari – Alberobello, 220 km

 Where are we?
Castrovillari is on the slopes of the Pollino. It is divided into two parts: the old town with its elegant monuments called Civita is situated at the end of a rocky spur, while the new part with its modern districts is located in a vast basin at the foot of Monte Pollino.
From the Giro site:
FOOD Maccarruni ccu firr alla paisana: fresh pastawith tomato sauce, olives, pecorino cheese and capocollo, Castruviddara kid goat: spicy kid goat with tomatoes, potatoes, Pan-fried chicory, Pitta ccu ‘i nuci: sweet pizza with  nuts, Vecchiarelle: donut cakes

 WINE The original vine variety is the Magliocco. Then we suggest the following wines: White and Red Verbicaro, White Savuto Terra di Ginestra, Superior Red Savuto, Portapiana, Timpamara.

 Recognised in 1996 as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, Alberobello is universally renowned for its trulli: buildings that are unique in the world and represent an extraordinary example of how apparently simple structures turn out to be the most ingenious. Over time this town in the heart of the valley of Itria has experienced an extraordinary transformation from farming centre to world tourist attraction.
FOOD Taralli, extra-virgin olive oil, orecchiette, almond sweets, mozzarella and dairy.
WINE Aleatico, Primitivo, Aglianico (red), Trebbiano and Bombino (white).

The stage:
Another day, another sprint stage as they head north. The word of the day is probably: transitional as in, time to head north.



The break of the day: Dmitriy Kozontchuk, Giuseppe Fonzi.



Fourteen kilometers to go and it was gruppo compatto.Yikes. That was a near accident with a marshal in the road. As they get closer, it looks like they are setting up for the expected sprint finish. Solo attack by Koren, but he would be caught quickly.  A sprint indeed and a fun one to watch. By inches, Caleb Ewan!
Wine: Guttarolo Anfora Primitivo dell Colle 2014

 From an importer: Cantine Cristiano Guttarolo is located outside the charming town of Gioia del Colle (Jewel of the Colle) in the former stables of an old farmhouse (masseria) constructed entirely of local stone. Situated on the Murge plateau in Puglia, about 400 meters above sea level, the winery was founded in 2004, and is certified organic by Ecocert. Natural principles are followed throughout the entire winemaking process, including the use of vegetable fertilizers in the vineyards. Primary fermentation occurs spontaneously through the use of indigenous yeasts. The wines are macerated on the skins from 14-18 days and, with the exception of the amphora wine, malolactic fermentation for the wines occurs spontaneously in the spring. Malolactic begins for the Amphora wine while the wine is still in contact with the skins. These are wines that stand in stark contrast to the ripe and often clunky examples of Primitivo di Manduria bottled on the plains to the north. These are elegant examples of Primitivo that are authentic representations each specific vintage.
Food: Taralli! An official Giro food even.
What are they? Fancy, bagel or doughnut shaped crackers. A warning: this is one of those, open the package at your own risk as you may eat them all.
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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Wine & Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 6: Back to the Mainland

Reggio Calabria – Terme Luigiane, 207 km

 Where are we?  Back to the mainland.
Reggio Calabria, the town of the Fata Morgana, has a very modern appearance, with an ordered city layout, buildings of limited height and wide straight streets laid out on a grid. All this is due to the reconstruction after the disastrous earthquake that raised the town to the ground in 1908. It is famous for its seafront promenade called “Italo Falcomatà”, in summer full of beach clubs and bars. Running parallel to the promenade, to the north, runs the elegant Corso Garibaldi, with early 20th century art nouveau buildings, a pedestrian area with big stores, famous brand boutiques and squares with monuments, in particular the elegantly beautiful Piazza Italia, a true agora.
From the Giro site: FOOD Pork “frittole”, ficatu alla riggitana (liver with onion and fries, deglazed with vinegar).
WINE IGT Arghillà, Palizzi and Pellaro (red), Scilla (white); DOC Bivongi (white and red), Greco di Bianco (white).

TERME LUIGIANE Acquappesa is one of the most characteristic villages of the Riviera dei Cedri, very much a tourist resort, with its beaches and natural caves. The conformation of the land, made up of sea, hills, peaks and torrents, creates breathtaking views for walkers, painters and sport lovers. Known as the town of “the hundred fountains” and famous for its special stone hairpin bends that lead up from the old town to Intavolata and Marina. One of the symbols of Acquappesa is the Rock of the Regina, one of the four “places of interest” of the Riviera dei Cedri.

FOOD Maccaruni di ziti, pasta with prickly pears, Foglie, patane e pipi (a kind of ratatouille), anchovy timbale, crushed olives wild fennel; turdilli and crucette (Christmas sweets) and cannelieri (Easter sweets).

WINE Pollino (red, rosé and cherry-red), Gaglioppo and Greco Nero.

The stage:  The break of the day:


Along they went. Thirty five kilometers to go and the gap was still over four minutes. Ten kilometers along, it was under four. Would the break stay away? The peloton seemed to have come alive behind. Twenty kilometers and it was under three minutes.And it would be close. But at the end of the day, Dillier, from the break:


Stage:

1Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team4:58:01 
2Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo  
3Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:12 
4Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:00:26 
5Michael Woods (Can) Cannondale-Drapac0:00:39 
6Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott  
7Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Sunweb  
8Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors  
9Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo  
10Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky  

GC:

1Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors28:20:47 
2Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky0:00:06 
3Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott0:00:10 
4Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida  
5Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale  
6Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team  
7Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb  
8Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo  
9Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team  
10Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team

 

Wine: Casa Comerci Calabria Bianco 'Rèfulu  from Biondivino.

From the importer: This family estate is located in the tip of the toe of Calabria in Italy’s deep south. Domenico Silipo and his sons carry on the work of Rosina Comerci, matriarch of the family in the first half of the 1900s.  The family works exclusively with the native Calabrian varieties Magliocco Canino and Greco Bianco, which they farm organically on their 15 hectares (with another dozen hectares devoted to olive trees).Francesco De Franco from A’ Vita, Calabria’s most important natural wine producer, is an active part of the project. All wines ferment with indigenous yeasts, and all fermentation and aging is in stainless steel. Total annual production is 45,000 bottles.

Tasting notes: Another unusual grape, Greco Bianco. Tropical and easy drinking. 

Food: Tutto Calabria crushed hot chili peppers
A little about Calbrian peppers from Specialtyproduce.com: Calabrian chile peppers are round, with a bulbous shape, approximately the size of a large cherry. They mature to a bright, glossy red and have a short, squat stem.  They are considered a medium spicy chile pepper, ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 Scoville units.
The small pepper is often referred to as the Hot Calabrian chile pepper, small red cherry, and “Devil’s Kiss,” or as the pepper is known in Italy: Peperone Piccante Calabrese, which translates to ‘spicy pepper of Calabria’.




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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Wine and Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 5: To Messina

Pedara – Messina, 157 km

 Where are we?
Pedara: Lying on the southern slopes of Etna, The most representative symbol however remains the Basilica’s impressive bell tower, rising up over the Gulf of Catania, like a beacon for her majesty Etna.
From the Giro site:
FOOD Pasta with masculini (fresh anchovies sautéed with onion, peas and wild fennel), scacciata (bread dough stuffed with cheese and sardines).
WINE: Etna red and rosé (Nerello cappuccio, Nerello mascalese), white (Carricante, Cataratto, Minnella, Bianco, Trebbiano, Grillo).

Messina: Messina was founded by the Greeks who gave it the name “Zancle”, meaning scythe, after the shape of its port. It was conquered by the Romans, the Byzantines and then the Arabs. In the end the Normans arrived. Messina reached its utmost splendour when, under the rule of the Swabians, the Anjou and the Aragons, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily and, most importantly, one of the most thriving Mediterranean towns, especially due to its port and trading skills. Nowadays the town extends all along the coast and is almost all modern, largely because of the violent earthquakes that have hit it and the bombings it suffered during the Second World War.

FOOD Focaccia messinese, pasta ‘ncaciata, pidone (stuffed and fried calzone), braciola alla messinese (traditional meat rolls), fish and seafood dishes, pignolata glassata (fried dough balls with chocolate and lemon icing).
WINE Doc Faro (red, mainly from Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio grape varieties), Mamertino (red and white) and Malvasia delle Lipari.

The stage: Headed to the hometown of Vincenzo Nibali today, with another sprint stage expected.


Things I wonder about during slow points in sprint stages: why exactly does Sean Kelly get such long coffee breaks? Good agent?
Meanwhile, on the road, no action at all. Fifty five kilometers to go and the gap to the break was still over three minutes.



 Thirty kilometers and under two minutes. Twenty kilometers to go and just about one minute. Fifteen kilometers to go and the break was swallowed up.
And, no, the first time across the line is not the end of the stage. Oops. Around again they go.


And in the real sprint: Gaviria! Nice work there.

Wine: Cos 2014 Pithos Rosso  
from Dig Wines
A  blend of 60% Nero d'Avola and 40% Frappato, aged in clay amphora.

From the importer: Azienda Agricola COS was founded by Giambattista (Titta) Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino (Rino) Strano, three friends who wanted to recreate the work of their ancestors. The acronym (Cilia-Occhipinti-Strano) not only represents the company’s name, but also the beginning of a remarkable partnership. In 1980, the trio became the youngest winemakers in Italy when they bought Joseph Cilia’s old family winery. Located in the historic town of Bastonaca, the vineyard measured just over a mere three hectares.  Fascinated by ancient cellar practices, COS decided to work with amphoras, clay jars that were used by the ancient Greeks. The first shipment came from Spain in September 2000, and thus, Pithos was born and a new COS identity was created. 

Tasting notes: Cherry and earth. Vibrant and elegant, this is one to seek out.  
Food: Gangi Dante Organic Dried Oregano
Why? Because the internet told me that it was great. This incredibly pungent oregano comes from Petralia Sottana on the island of Sicily. Left on the branch to dry, the oregano is intense and wonderfully woodsy. If you've tried the world's other oreganos, from Greek to Mexican, you will surely enjoy the flavor of this authentic, organic Sicilian oregano. Not as musty as Mexican and less acrid than Greek oregano, in the words of the producer, Gangi Dante, it's "aromas will perfume you of the Mediterranean."

 
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Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Wine and Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 4: Etna!

Cefalù – Etna, 180 km

Where are we? Sicily!
Cefalù is situated on the north coast of Sicily. In the 4th century BC the ancient Greeks founded the polis of Kephaloidion, where the present old city centre now lies. In 254 BC the town was conquered by the Romans who called it Cephaloedium. In 858 the town was conquered by the Arabs and then in 1063 by the Normans. In 1131 King Roger had a cathedral with the characteristics of a fort built.
From the Giro site:
FOOD  Meat-stuffed arancine (rice balls), carne murata, aubergine caponata, swordfish rolls.
WINE  Contea di Sclafani (white, red, rosé), Fontanarossa di Cerda (white, red, rosé), Catarratto (white), Nero d’Avola (red). 

Etna: The history of Nicolosi is connected to that of the early 12th century Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò  around which the original village was built and which was many times destroyed by lava flows. The greatest and most destructive of these in 1669 devastated the Etna villages all the way to Catania. Nicolosi represents historically “the gate to Etna” because of its central position between the sea and the mountain. Great video here of a recent eruption on Etna.
WINE: Etna red and rosé (Nerello cappuccio, Nerello mascalese), white (Carricante, Cataratto, Minnella, Bianco, Trebbiano, Grillo). 

The stage:  First summit finish and a volcano!
The break of the day:




 Our first abandonment of the race, Rohan Dennis, due to a crash on stage three. On they went with the break maintaining a significant gap. Sixty kilometers to go and it was still at six minutes. Under twenty five kilometers to go and the remaining break riders had just about five minutes. Just under twenty kilometers to go and some sort of confusion over the right route and a crash. 




Up ahead, Polanc solo now, leading by four minutes with 16.4 kilometers to go.
As the peloton hits the final climb, the pink jersey drops. Great ride by him today. Hey, Rolland. Mikel Landa with a mechanical and a very slow wheel change. 



Five kilometers to go and Rolland was reeled in. Polanc was still two minutes up the road. All of the favorites still together. Would there be an attack? Three kilometers to go and 1:30 to Polanc. Attack by Jesper Hansen. Nibali! But he would be brought back almost immediately. Finally under one minute. Could he hold on as the attacks come behind? 
Polanc! Wow. That was fun to see.
Wine: Girolamo Russo 2015 Rosato
  from Dig Wine
From the producer: The Girolamo Russo estate was founded in 2005 by Giuseppe Russo, in memory of his late father. The family are native of Passopisciaro, one of the key villages at the heart of the rebirth of Etna’s most important grape variety, Nerello Mascalese.
This is the north face of Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna, in the north-eastern corner of Sicily.
The Russos have 26 hectares of land in and around Passopisciaro, with 15 hectares of vineyards surrounded by olive and hazelnut groves. The vineyards are high up, between 650 and 780 metres above sea level, inland from the beautiful town of Taormina. Many of the free-standing bush vines are over 80 years old, surviving in harmony with Etna’s black, mineral-rich volcanic soil.
 
Tasting notes: Made from Nerello Mascalese , this is one of those "Wow, it went quickly bottles." Very pale, with strong notes of cherry and pomegranate balanced by the zing of acid. 

Food:  Pistachio crema
I admit it, I went off the Giro food list because I love this pistachio crema so much. The first time I bought it I planned on using it in-between cake layers. Turns out, I needed to buy a second jar for that, simply because I could not going back for another taste. Kind of like a pistachio Nutella.
 
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Sunday, May 7, 2017

Wine & Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 3: Wind!

Tortolì – Cagliari, 148 km

 Where are we?
The local tourist site tells me that:
Cagliari protects the history and the memory of the ancient cultures that succeeded in the city. During the centuries the numerous and different people that inhabited Cagliari, infused a homely character toward the visitors. The testimony of the different cultures is evident through its streets: the Punic in the ruins of the Necropoli of Tuvixeddu, the Roman Karales in the magnificent amphitheatre, the Byzantine in the Basilica of San Saturnino, the Pisan with the tall towers and the Piedmontese one with the Royal Palace. Prints and millenary traces to discover along the narrow lanes where only carts and carriages passed by. A few steps suffice, among ancient and new buildings, to all of a sudden enjoy the enchantment of fascinating monuments that tell the history of the city.

From the Giro site:
FOOD Fregula cun cociula (traditional clam and pasta soup), burrida a sa casteddaia (walnut marinated dogfish), sea urchin spaghetti (spaghittus cun arrizzonis), Cagliari-style lobster (aligusta a sa casteddaia).
WINE Cannonau, Monica, Girò, Carignano del Sulcis (red), Vermentino, Nasco, Malvasia, Semidano, Nuragus, Moscato (white).

The stage:  Sprint stage alert. The word of the day is flat. Our early break of the day: Tratnik, Rovny, Sbaragli, Zhupa. Eighty five kilometers to go and the gap was under two minutes. So far, another quiet day, though there is talk about cross winds ahead. One can always dream of echelons. 
Little action, but some speed today. With forty five kilometers to go, the average speed has been 45.25 km/h.
Windy.



Thirty five kilometers to go and the gap to break was just over a minute.



Twenty five kilometers to go and the break was caught. The story of the day so far: punctures. As in many and many flat tires. Some nerves in the peloton now with the wind and short stage.Under ten kilometers and splits were opening. Impressive riding by Quick Step to break the race apart. Three kilometers to go and Greipel and others were twenty seconds back. Would he lose pink? On the front Siutsou, Selig, Jungels, Gaviria, Keisse, Martinelli, Richeze, Haas, and Janse Van Rensburg. With the win: Gaviria! He gets the stage and pink.


 

Wine: Cardedu 'Caladu' Cannonau di Sardegna  from Biondivino

 From the importer: CANNONAU is an indigenous grape variety from Sardegna (possibly with Spanish origins). The vineyards of Cardedu (car-DAY-do) are in the area of Ogliastra, the most mountainous and least populous province on the island. 
Here on the southeast coast of Sardegna the Loi family grows and makes wines from the native varieties Vermentino, Cannonau, and Monica. Cardedu is one of the island’s better known traditional producers. The Loi family doesn’t think of itself as a natural wine producer, yet all wines are fermented with native yeasts, and there’s dry farming without use of herbicides or pesticides.


Food: Olearia Fratelli Pinna was founded in 1997 by three brothers whose father had been in the olive oil business for more than 50 years. The Pinna brothers were raised with a deep respect for the regional traditions in Cagliari and continue to refer to them in their production today.

Their Sardinian artichoke cream contains DOP-protected artichokes grown in Ittiri that have been finely chopped and soaked in "Denocciolato di Bosana" extra virgin olive oil. 
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Saturday, May 6, 2017

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.



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.


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.


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.




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.


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Friday, May 5, 2017

Wine & Food of the Giro 2017 Stage 1: A Sardinian Surprise!

Stage 1
ALGHERO - OLBIA 203 km 

Where are we? The island of Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. 
Alghero is a medieval city and  the main resort in the northwest. Alghero was conquered by the Crown of Aragon in 1353, remaining under its influence for several centuries and signs are sometimes written in both Catalan and Italian.
From the official Giro site
Food: Capunara (seafood appetizer), bottarga (grey mullet eggs), favata (broad bean soup), sea urchin spaghetti, Alghero-style aubergines, peuxtus (lamb feet with spicy sauce), Catalan-style lobster, papassinos (raisin cookies)
Wine: DOC Alghero (white, red, rosé), Vermentino (white), Cannonau (red)

Olbia is known for the medieval San Simplicio basilica, and for cafes dotting central squares like Piazza Matteotti.
Giro food: Ortziadas (battered and fried sea anemones), mussels from the Gulf (eaten in soups, with pasta and green sauces, or as stuffing for warm fritters).
Zuppa gallurese (bread, cheese, broth), mazza frissa (fried semolina), sea urchins, botargo, mussels from the Olbia Gulf, the burrida (boiled gattuccio and flavoured with fish liver sauce), sea bass and oratas, crustaceans come sea cicadas, lobsters and sea goats, ortiadas (sea anemones or actinias breaded with semolina and fried in rosemary’s oil). As for dessert the seadas, formaggelle (casgiatine) or the tiliccas.
Wine: Vermentino di Gallura docg (white wine) of vineyards near Olbia and Monti, Tempio and Berchidda.

And here we are with the first grand tour of the season. The 100th Giro! Our first break of the race:



Happily, for those of us who have to build into our Giro form, today should be a sprint stage, so one would expect little drama early. While you have some time, I recommend Will's mountain stages preview on Podium Cafe. I learned a lot.
Seventy five kilometers to go and the gap was still over three minutes. 
Pretty day:



Really, this has been a nice tourist film for Sardinia today.




 Nearing the finish, the breakaway dangled for a very long time as the sprint trains set up behind. Some issues before three kilometers to go and there would be time gaps on the day. And at the end of the day, a surprise! Lukas Postelberger with a late attack managed to hold off the not quite organized sprint teams behind. I admit it, I had hoped for Greipel at the start of the day, but that was super fun to watch. Apparently I am not the only one needing a warm up stage.    



 
Wine: 2011 Tenute Dettori Ottomarzo from Biondivino

New grape alert! Pascale. 
Tenute Dettori is an artisanal winery intrinsically tied to its territory, Badde Nigosolu, an amphitheater of 80 acres at 750ft of elevation facing northwest to the Golfo dell’Asinara in Sardinia.  
From the producer: Our wines are the fruit of a historical patrimony passed down to us by those who preceded us. They are made only from grapes that we grow in our historical and traditional vineyards. All of our wines are true “cru wines”: each vineyard yields its own particular wine, they are are monovarietals: 100% cannonau, 100% monica, 100% pascale, 100% vermentino, 100% moscato. From each individual vineyard we produce a specific wine. Dettori Bianco from vermentino; three separate cannonaus, Tuderi, Tenores, and Dettori; Chimbanta from monica; Ottomarzo from pascale; and Moscadeddu from moscato. Our annual production ranges from 20,000 to 45,000 bottles. In 2008, we made only 2,000 bottles, due to an attack by downy mildew; although we watched all of our fruit disappearing on the vines, we stayed faithful to our tradition: we use no poisons. It is better to lose a season’s grapes than to pollute our earth.

Tasting notes: Rich and round, but with some peppers and spice to balance it out. Really opened up over time: initially tasted thin, but after time, the fruit came out.

Food: Wine vinegar, because I could not resist the Alghero right there on the label. Wine vinegar from Canonau, one of the main grapes of the island. 

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