Thursday, May 16, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019: Stage 6

Where are we?
Cassino: The Giro site says: Cassino is a town in the province of Frosinone, central Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio, the last City of the Latin Valley. Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri rivers. The city is best known as the site of the Abbey of Montecassino and the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II, which resulted in huge Allied and German casualties as well as the near total destruction of the town itself. It is also home to the University of Cassino.

San Giovanni Rotondo: is located on the slopes of Calvo Mountain, the highest summit in the promontory, in a valley in the centre of Gargano, at an altitude of 600 metres, 20 km away from Monte Sant’Angelo and 30 km away from Foggia. The small village, in the heart of Gargano National Park, is an important destination for international religious tourism, thanks to the priest Padre Pio from Pietrelcina, who lived and worked here. The most important place of devotion is the crypt of the Convent Santa Maria delle Grazie, which contains his relics and it is a pilgrims’ destination, nowadays kept inside the new complex planned by Renzo Piano.


The stage: This may be our first day for the break. Time will tell. But first, ouch.



 



 
35 kilometers to go and the 13 breakaway riders had about 5 minutes with a hill ahead.




 As they climbed, Masnada and Conti gained separation. 25 kilometers to go and they had about 30 seconds. If things stay as they are, Roglic will not be in pink tomorrow. Dog on the road! Luckily an accident was avoided, but it was close.



And hold on they would, taking two big prizes at the end of the day.




Stage:
1Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec5:45:01 
2Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates0:00:05 
3José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team0:00:38 
4Ruben Plaza (Spa) Israel Cycling Academy  
5Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:00:43 
6Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:00:54 
7Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ  
8Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:00:57 
9Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team  
10Amaro Antunes (Por) CCC Team  

GC:



The wine: Cosimo Taurino 2010 Notarpanaro Negroamaro
The Wine Enthusiast says: This well-priced, aged wine offers aromas of brandied cherries, spiced game and herbs on the nose. Its round feel and soft tannins make it entirely approachable to drink on its own, while its savory palate and graphite finish make it a perfect accompaniment to braised lamb or duck. 
A confession, I had this with pizza and other items at Fiorella in San Francisco. 

The food:  Pigna, from Delicious Italy:
Pigna is an oven baked Easter cake or traditional panettone containing dried fruits and is typical of the town of Arpino in the province of Frosinone, south Lazio. 
It is a very rich cake made from 12 eggs for every kilo of flour, potatoes, lemon rind gratings, sugar and aniseed liqueur or 'anice', among other things. 
It requires two processes to allow the cake to rise correctly. One is to cut a cross into the mixture. This also acts as an appropriate symbol.
The cooked cake is covered in colored confetti.
Be warned a true pigna can take up to 4 days to make as the secret is in the kneading of the dough.

ingredients

Phase One: 70gr flour, 50ml water, 1 egg, 1 spoon sugar, 1/2 cube of beer yeast.
Phase Two: 100ml milk, 100ml olive oil, 70ml vermouth or sweet white wine, 2 eggs, 150gr sugar, 1 small glass of sweet liqueur such as sambuca, 1 grated lemon rind, aniseeds, candied fruit, 700gr flour (50% type '00')

making it

Prepare the first phase of the cake mixture by combining the flour, water, egg, sugar and yeast.
Leave to rise overnight in a large container or bowl.
The following morning add the ingredients of the second phase: milk, olive oil, vermouth, sugar, liqueur, lemon rind, aniseed, candied fruits and flour.
Knead well with a wooden spoon inside the container. 
The mixture is very sticky, so don't try to do this on a flat surface as with traditional bread.
Cover with a tea towel and place in an oven heated to 30° for a few minutes.
Ensure the oven is always at this temperature and leave the mixture to rise for another four hours.
Reheat the oven and cook traditionally for around 40 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven.
While still warm, decorate the top of the Pigna with a classic mixture of egg yolk, caster sugar and coloured confetti
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Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 5 Frascati to Terracina

Where are we? Terracina: Michelin tells me that: This pleasant seaside resort, at the foot of a limestone cliff on an attractive bay, was a popular coastal retreat during Roman times, when it was known as Anxur. This tradition is still perpetuated in the town today. 
If you need more reasons to go, Fodors has five (including the food!).


The stage:  Well, Dumoulin did start. He also DNFed (did not finish) very quickly. Which was probably very much the right call.
It is not a beautiful day in Italy.



The theme of the day: rain gear, from the perennial why no numbers on rain coats to the many shots of riders changing jackets throughout the day.
As they continue on, Eurosport suggests that Nibali and others may be in conversation with the officials about altering the end of the stage for rider safety. Indeed, it was announced that for the gc riders, the time and gaps would be taken at the first crossing of the finish line. The sprinters however, would still be able to contest the sprint.



Meanwhile, on the road, a solo rider ahead:




 Just over thirty kilometers to go and a puncture for Ewan. He should make it back in, but may use some energy better spent during the sprint. 
After yesterday's drama, today was much more as expected with the gc riders in safe, followed by the reduced field sprint. 

The wine: Monastero Suore Cistercensi The Coenobium
Time for a revisit.  From the importer:  Fate can have lovely consequences. Our fortuitous encounter with the Bea family of Umbria of course led to the unearthing of one of the great domaines of Italy. But, we have been additionally blessed as we marched together with Giampiero Bea as he made the acquaintance of the Sisters of the Cistercian order living and working at their monastery in Vitorchiano, ninety minutes or so north of Rome in the Lazio district. Here at this quiet religious outpost eighty women of this religious order work vineyards and orchards and gardens organically. Under the guidance of Bea, they produce two wines as honest and sympathetic and gracious as they are.
The vineyards are planted to a series of four essentially local white grape varieties: Malvasia, Verdicchio, Grechetto and Trebbiano.


The Food: Sweet Ravioli with Ricotta from Academia Barilla.

A tempting dessert with ricotta and a pinch of cinnamon.


Ingredients: Per 4 servings



  • ¾ lb ricotta cheese
  • 6 oz sugar
  • ⅛ oz cinnamon
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 ½ tablespoons Rum

  • ¾ lb all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ¾ oz butter
  • 3 oz milk
  • 1 ½ oz sugar
  • 1 pinch salt

Preparation:


Prepare the dough with the flour, a whole egg plus a yolk, a knob of butter, one or two teaspoons of sugar, a pinch of salt and as much milk as the flour will absorb. Roll the dough out into sheets and cut some 6 inches wide strips from it. Meanwhile, prepare a filling with the Ricotta, the sugar, half a packet of cinnamon, the grated rind of a lemon and 1 or 2 small glasses of rum.
Mix everything well and then with a tablespoon, deposit some dollops 4.8 inches apart along the strips of dough which are then folded in on themselves edge to edge.
Cut the Ravioli in the shape of a half-moon with a suitable circular pastry cutter, pressing the edges together well and pricking them with the prongs of a fork.
Put them to fry in a large pan containing boiling oil.
When they are cooked leave them to drain on straw or absorbent paper and dust with a generous helping of powdered sugar.
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Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 4 Orbetello to Frascati

Where are we?
Frascati: The Giro tells me that: Frascati is one of the Castelli Romani, historic hill towns founded by the Latins before Rome existed, 21 km to the South East of Rome. Originally called Tusculum and situated slightly further up the ‘hill’, is world famous for its white wine. It was considered an ideal summer retreat by the Ancient Romans, later by the nobility of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. In 1943 Frascati was heavily bombed by the Americans. Around half of its buildings were destroyed by a total of 1300 bombs. 

Giro Gastronomy: Wine and typical products can be tasted in the famous “fraschettas”

The stage:The word of the day is long or endless or "really, we have more to ride?". 235 kilometers of a day that many expect to end up in another sprint.
Today, a three man breakaway, which with 90 kilometers to go had a 9 minute lead.


Most exciting moment of the day so far: a missing saddle. 



Quiet days often lead towards chaos at the end and today was no exception. A large crash caused splits in the peloton, with gc repercussions. 
 The winner: 



The loser:  


New GC

Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma18:19:20
 2 Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott0:00:35
 3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:00:39
 4 Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team0:00:44 
5 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates  
6 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:49 
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo0:00:55 
8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:00:56 
9 Bob Jungels (Lux) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:01:02 
10 Davide Formolo (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe0:01:06 

The wine: Le Coste Bianco 2015 
From Biondivino: Le Coste is a project that "started from zero" in 2004 by Gianmarco Antonuzzi and Clementine Bouveron. 
Around 14 hectares of land are managed within a contained "ecosystem", of vineyards, olive groves, chestnut trees, shrubs and oaks. Vineyards sit in close proximity to Lake Bolsena near Gianmarco’s childhood town of Gradoli in the Lazio region. This is amongst the richest, nutrient rich soils you can find in the area. 
Le Coste bianco is mostly Procanico with smaller portions of Vermentino, Greco antico, Malvasia di Candia and other region varietals.  This wine is a powerhouse of flavor. Golden in color, savory and reminiscent of chestnuts, herbs and almonds. A wine to be matched with roasted meats, pasta or roasted vegetables. 

 The Food: From the Del Posto Cookbook on Eater

Brutti Ma Buoni Cookies

Makes about 28 cookies ½ pound (226 grams) blanched hazelnuts (see note)
3½ large egg whites (105 grams)
1¼ cups (250 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
¼ teaspoon (scant ¾ gram) cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) pure vanilla extract
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: parchment paper or 2 silicone baking liners (such as Silpat)
• Heat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC) with racks in the middle and upper third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking liners.
• Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven on the middle rack, stirring twice, until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the nuts cool completely.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF (149ºC).
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cooled nuts to a fine powder (make sure the nuts are completely dry and do not overmix; otherwise, the nuts will become pasty). Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until they are frothy and begin to increase in volume, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add the sugar, then continue beating for 5 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture becomes thicker and shiny, about 10 minutes. Fold in the powdered hazelnuts, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
• Drop about 2-tablespoon (20-gram) spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart. Bake, rotating the pans once halfway through, until the cookies are lightly golden and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely. The cookies keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks.
NOTE: If you can’t find blanched hazelnuts, you can use the skin-on type: Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 325ºF (163ºC) until they are lightly golden and the skins blister, 15 to 20 minutes. Wrap the warm toasted nuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub to remove the loose skins. Don’t worry about skin that does not come off. Let cool completely, then transfer the nuts to the food processor and proceed with the recipe.
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Monday, May 13, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 3: Vinci to Orbetello


Where are we?
Vinci:  The Giro site tells me that: The town of Vinci, between the Valdelsa and Montalbano hills, boasts a well-preserved medieval center that is a delight to visit, known worldwide for being the birthplace of the greatest genius of the Italian Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci. The life of the town revolves around the eclectic Renaissance figure and Vinci itself has become a sort of diffused museum dedicated to the master.
Orbetello:Michelin tells me that: Built on the central causeway of the lagoon, Orbetello is situated at the end of the main access road to the limestone promontory of Monte Argentario. The fortifications are a reminder of the influence of the Sienese and, later, the Spanish, who made the small town the capital of a ""Presidio"" state of five strongholds. The town's cathedral was built in 1376 on the site of a former Etruscan-Roman temple.

 Orbetello gastronomy: The excellent quality of the fish from the lagoon is well known for the tasty dishes that have been created. Smoked eels are famous here and the best place to try them is  the ‘ Cooperativa di Pescatore ‘at the gateway to Orbetello . There are also traditional dishes such as ‘tortelli maremmana ‘that are filled with spinach and ricotta and flavored with hare or wild boar sauce. You can also try‘pici’ a type of fresh pasta made from four and water, flavored with’ bottarga’ or a meat sauce. Wild boar is the symbol for maremma, you must try it stewed with red wine and herbs. Aquacotta is a typical simple dish the ingredients are vegetables, water and old bread, an egg can also be added. Last of all not to be forgotten are the local cheeses from the countryside. There are many local cheese factories. 

The stage: Why not a likely to be doomed solo break for our Monday morning? Lots of tv time for Hatsuyama, with a big lead that just seemed doomed to failure from the start. Brave ride indeed though.



Seventy kilometers to go and he was caught. Plenty of time for another break or would the sprint trains control things all the way? With no riders ahead, at the intermediate sprint point, the gc riders came to the front, perhaps hoping to gain a few seconds. Instead, Demare took them easily. 



And it would remain essentially gruppo compatto up until the sprint.  


But, then, a change and a relegation. To quote: Viviani's dramatic switch of lines in the final push raised red flags with the race jury, and they decided to give the win to Gaviria.
The wine: Montesecondo Trebbiano Anfora Tïn

From the importer: Trebbiano + small percentage of co-planted Malvasia. Silvio has  2 separate properties: both are in the San Casciano zone of Chianti Classico but are at opposite ends of it and quite different in nature. The original family-owned vineyard, generally referred to as "Montesecondo", is  the lower-altitude, warmer, more-clay-soiled one in the town of Cerbaia and has been farmed organically for decades. The second is a higher-altitude, cooler, limestone-rich long-term rental in Vignano at about 500 meters and converted fully to biodynamics from organics by Silvio. The old vines for the Tin come from a parcel in the original Montesecondo vineyard. The fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed and put directly into 250-to-350-liter, Spanish-made, unlined clay amphorae. The wine remains on its skins from 6-8 months before being racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered. 
Tïn" means "clay" in Arabic, in reference both to the amphorae ("tinaca" in Spanish) as well as to Silvio's upbringing in North Africa, where his father had vineyards in Tunisia and olive groves in Libya.

Orange! Excellent balance. 

The food:  Aquacotta from Visit Tuscany





Ingredients
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 2 white onions
  • 400 g. canned Tomatoes
  • 20 g. Dried Porcini Mushrooms
  • 500 g. spinach
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 4 eggs
  • Tuscan Bread slices
  • Pecorino cheese

Preparation
  • Place the finely sliced celery stalks and onion in a pot with olive oil and slowly saute. Add the tomatoes draining any excess liquid and continue to cook over a low flame for 15 minutes.
  • In the meantime place the dried porcini mushrooms in a cup with warm water. Drain them and add them to the pot to saute.
  • At this point add the spinach, that you will have washed and dried well, add salt and pepper and cover with a lid.
  • The spinach will release water and after 30 minutes it will have turned into a soup.
  • At this point poach gently add your eggs into the bubbling soup and cook for another three minutes.
  • Prepare a toasted slice of bread for every bowl and again very gently place the poached egg and soup over the bread and all around.
  • Top with a generous amount of pecorino cheese.
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Sunday, May 12, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 2: Bologna to Fucecchio

Where are we? Fucecchio is in the province of Florence in Tuscany. Visit Tuscany tells me that: The origin and history of Fucecchio are tightly bound to those of the via Francigena, whose route at that particular segment is intersected by the River Arno. Around the 10th century, the Cadolingi, originally from Pistoia, moved their attention to this important junction and built Salamarzana Castle. After the Cadolingi rule, Fucecchio, now a free municipality, began to show signs of development in the 16th century with the recovery of agricultural activities from which originate some of the great farms that once belonged to the Medici family.
Also: The Fucecchio Marsh is the largest inland marsh in Italy (spanning 1,800 hectares of land), stretching through the provinces of Pistoia and Florence, from the Valdinievole to Montalbano.
The area is a real natural treasure and a paradise for birdwatchers. Here, you’ll find a large variety of plants, from royal ferns to sedges, frogbit and utricularia (a small carnivorous plant), not to mention over 200 bird species, including herons (who nest in this area, such as the delightful squacco heron), cranes and black storks.

Giro food suggestions: Here in Fucecchio, the famous Tuscan cuisine is well represented with many wild game dishes. Typical carnival sweets are made with rice and sugar, while the Tuscan “Schiacciata” is a sweet bread produced for Easter.


 The stage: Sprint stage or breakaway stage? This early in the race, the sprinters teams will be very eager, so that seems the likely call. Not the best day for a bike ride: mist, rain, and drizzle.



The winner of the first intermediate sprint of the race: Frapporti.
Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was just above two minutes.  
At the king of the mountain point, Ciccone consolidates his lead. Behind, the peloton picked up speed as they fought for position for the long descent ahead causing a bit of excitement and cutting the lead of the break. Meanwhile, words of wisdom on Eurosport, "Never forget Magnus, that geological time includes today." 
Thirty five kilometers to go and the gap was hovering around one minute.
Small crash in the peloton, Sutterlin down and not looking good. Ahead, Ciccone takes more KOM points.
Time for the peloton to wake up.


 
Puncture for Nizzolo with under 10 kilometers to go and the catch of the break imminent. Eight kilometers to go and the catch was made.
This could be messy. Indeed, a little messy and also a little bit of an unexpected winner. 



 

Stage:
1 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 04:44:43
2 Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-Quick Step
3 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto-Soudal
4 Fernando Gaviria (Col) UAE Team Emirates
5 Arnaud Démare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
6 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
7 Viacheslav Kuznetsov (Rus) Team Katusha-Alpecin
8 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto-Soudal
9 Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Israel Cycling Academy
10 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe

 

The wine: Fabricca di San Martino Colline Lucchesi "Arcipressi"
From the importer:  Founded in 1735, Fabbrica di San Martino is located on the outskirts of Lucca, the Tuscan city famed for its medieval and Renaissance architecture. While technically within the city limits, the 20 h property is completely surrounded by woods, effectively creating a unique site rich in bio-diversity. Cattle, vegetables, fruits (particularly lemons), olives and vines co-exist together in harmony, all farmed biodynamically

I say: very deep color, but wine is light and easy drinking. Good fruit with bright acidity and some tart notes. Interesting field blend. Really like this wine. "soft and fruity" low alcohol.

Food: Schiacciata 
from Epicurious 
Originally cooked in the ashes of the hearth, schiacciata, which means "squashed," is usually about an inch thick. Variations of the bread are made throughout Italy; Tuscans simply brush it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt. Sometimes they add herbs or make a sweet version with grapes and sugar. Remember that bread doughs can have different consistencies depending on the climate: This one should be soft, but not too sticky. Add more flour if it feels too wet.


Yield: Makes 1 round loaf

Ingredients

    • 1 cup lukewarm water (90°F to 100°F) 
    • 2 1/4-ounce packages dry yeast or two 0.6-ounce packages fresh yeast, crumbled 
    • 2 1/2 cups (about) all purpose flour 
    • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Preparation

  1. Pour 1 cup lukewarm water into small bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes.
  2. Place 2 cups flour in large bowl. Make well in center of flour. Pour yeast mixture into well. Using fork, stir until dough comes together. Knead in bowl, adding enough flour 1/4 cup at a time to form slightly sticky dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Coat bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Add dough; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
  3. Brush 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom or baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured work surface and shape into 11-inch round. Transfer dough to prepared tart pan or baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic. Let rise until dough is almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Press fingertips into dough, creating indentations. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden, about 28 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.
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Saturday, May 11, 2019

Wine and Food of the Giro 2019 Stage 1: Bologna

Where are we? Bologna, the capital and largest city of Emilia-Romagna and home of one of the oldest universities in Europe. The local tourist site has a few suggestions to get started: Take the time to visit and discover  the city, wandering and 'getting lost' through arcades, squares and market stalls, where human relationships and urban charm are inseparable. Starting from Piazza Maggiore, enclosed by the beautiful ancient palaces of Accursio, Re Enzo, Podestà and  Notai and by the majesty of Basilica di San Petronio, you will then continue your visit discovering the many towers in Bologna, and not only the “two sisters” Garisenda and Asinelli. From the top of the Asinelli tower you can admire the red roofs and the hills around the city. Once back on the ground, you will be embraced by kilometers of arcades, the longest in the world, animated by the voices of many Italian and foreign students who attend the  oldest university in Europe. When visiting the museums you will appreciate all the history of Bologna from the Etruscan and Roman origins to its modern and contemporary artists' paintings and writings. 

Giro food suggestions: Bologna is the capital of good food par excellence: its fame started in Medieval university colleges and grew through trade in the modern age. Nowadays, strolling around the city’s alleyways, we breathe in the same cheerful atmosphere of the taverns of the past that safeguard the city’s culinary secrets. Markets and festivals also pass on traditional recipes because the culture of eating well has always been a distinctive trait of Bologna and its friendly inhabitants who love the pleasures of the table. Here are a few typical dishes: tagliatelle with Bolognaise ragù, tortellini, lasagne, mixed fried platter Bologna-style, breaded cutlet Bologna-style, rice tart.

 The stage: Why not start with a time trial? Short, with a bike change even.
Due to some weather concerns, almost all of the big names are riding early in that day, except for Simon Yates. This is unusual, because normally in an opening day time, you would send your protected riders out at the end, taking advantage of feedback from teammates.
The early leader, to the surprise of very few, Roglic. 
The early standings:



 Ouch. On the road, Nishimura came in at 17:30: more than 30% slower than our current leader, which means that unless there is an exemption made by the race jury, he is out of the race.
Quite stage means that the Giro social media team has time for some history.


 
To take nothing away from all of the riders in between, but the theme of the day has certainly revolved around the wait for Yates. 
On the course, he looked good, flying by poor Gaviria on the climb. 
Second on the day. That bodes well for the next few weeks.

Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team Jumbo-Visma0:12:54 
2Simon Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott0:00:19 
3Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:00:23 
4Miguel Angel Lopez (Col) Astana Pro Team0:00:28 
5Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb  
6Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:33 
7Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos0:00:35 
8Laurens De Plus (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma  
9Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo0:00:39 
10Damiano Caruso (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:00:40

The wine:  Vigneto Saetti Lambrusco
Vigneto Saetti Lambrusco Frizzante Salamino di Santa Croce - See more at: http://domainela.com/shop/sparkling-wines/2013-vigneto-saetti-lambrusco-frizzante-salamino-di-santa-croce#sthash.H83zlmld.dpuf
2013 Vigneto Saetti Lambrusco Frizzante Salamino di Santa Croce - See more at: http://domainela.com/shop/sparkling-wines/2013-vigneto-saetti-lambrusco-frizzante-salamino-di-santa-croce#sthash.H83zlmld.dpuf
2013 Vigneto Saetti Lambrusco Frizzante Salamino di Santa Croce - See more at: http://domainela.com/shop/sparkling-wines/2013-vigneto-saetti-lambrusco-frizzante-salamino-di-santa-croce#sthash.H83zlmld.dpuf
From the importer: Luciano Saetti lives in Modena and makes an incredible DOC Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce from the very local strain of Salamino. He works completely organically in the vineyards, with nothing added in the cellar, including sulfur. We are thrilled to be working with Luciano, a humble dedicated winemaker.
Look here for some thoughts on Lambrusco from Eric Asimov.  

I say: Sparkling ruby red. Very dry with sour cherries and flowers.  Really came alive when paired with the Bolognese.

The food:  A confession, new job, busier schedule means there may be a few changes in this year's Giro postings. But, a food to start:

Lasagne Bolognese
A friend wanted lasagne, so lasagne I did make.  
In this case, in a style of Emilia-Romagna. What that means is instead of mozzarella or ricotta or tomato sauce, the layers consisted of noodles, Bolognese sauce, a bechamel and grated parmesan. 

This recipe from Giuliano Hazan was my guide. The top ends up brown and slightly crispy, which may be a surprise to those used to a cheesier or more tomato heavy version.
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