Sunday, May 22, 2016

Wine and Food of the Giro 2016 Stage 15: Ansitz Rynnhof Vernatsch & Apple Strudel

Where are we?  Watching an uphill, 10.8 kilometer time trial in the Dolomites from Castelrotto/Kastelruth to Alpe di Siusi/Seiseralm.Why two names? This area was once part of Austria, so it is a multi-lingual area. 

The Giro site says: A mediaeval town and the major centre of the Seiser Alm (the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe), Kastelruth, where the native languages are German, Italian and Ladin, stretches with its towers and belfries in the wonderful setting of the Dolomites, part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Mount Schlern, with its unmistakable rocky profile, is the signature landmark of this territory.
Major activities include hiking and skiing, respectively in the summer- and wintertime.
COOKING: Legumes soups, knödel, strudel, krapfen, Christmas sweet treats
WINE: Schiava and Lagrein (red), Pinot gris and Pinot blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay (white); Metodo classico (spumante)


The stage: Up they will go. The time trial today is short and steep. The early finishers were coming in close to 30 minutes, with Boswell in the hotseat at 30:04. 28:39 for Foliforov. Wow. Apparently it is the best time ever on this climb. 
Nice place for a time trial:



With the top GC contenders on the road, Foliforov's time was holding. Zakarin though, was looking very fast. Our penultimate rider of the day:


And our race leader:


And wow, was he fast. Looking very good at the first time check with the fastest time of 9:07. 
Nice day for Valverde, coming in at 29:02. Bike change for Nibali. That won't help. Chaves in at 29:19. Nibali, angry on the road, pushing spectators away as he rides. Nibali in at 30:49. Ouch. 

 Stage:



 GC:
Wine: Ansitz Rynnhof vernatsch
From the producer: The history of the Rynnhof can be traced back to the Middle Ages. In 1438 the indication of origin "an der Rynnen" appeared for the first time in a document. The property probably takes its name from an open water channel that once ran by. In 1479 the Prince-Bishop of Trento made the estate over as a fiefdom, with its wine-growing lands being mentioned even at that time. Winemaking therefore has a long tradition at the Rynnhof. 

In 1516 the noble von Greiffensee family came into possession of the wine estate and held it for over 100 years. Four more aristocratic families followed them up until the middle of the 19th century. It is likely that not all of them resided permanently in Tramin, but that they simply stayed there during the wine harvest with the intention of enjoying the fresh grapes and the new wine produced from them.In 1862 the Tramin hospital fund inherited half of the house, with the remainder purchased shortly thereafter. A private chapel was built at the estate entrance. The property subsequently served for a time as a hospital. In 1928 Oswald Bellutti finally acquired the Rynnhof and established himself there with its family.

I say: Speaking of grapes that I love, it is time for vernatsch, also known as schiava or even Trollinger. Strawberries and violets. 

Food: Apple Strudel We used the recipe on Food52 here. From the link: "You may not think of strudel as a classic Italian dish: The name strudel isn't even Italian, but rather German. This is what makes regional Italian cuisine so interesting. The country's geography –- its borders, its landscape –- factors into the character and traditions of each region.
Apple Strudel -- a dessert of apples, pine nuts, and raisins or currants rolled up in paper-thin pastry -- is the defining dish of Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige region. This autonomous province borders Austria to the north and is squeezed between the Veneto and Lombardy regions to the south. Knowing this -- and that the region was part of Austria until after the first World War -- helps explain why this Austrian favorite is also beloved in Italy. Strudel's history goes back even further, though: It was brought to Austria by the Turks (there's an undeniable similarity between strudel and the more ancient baklava).
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Saturday, May 21, 2016

Wine and Food of the Giro 2016 Stage 14: Nusserhoff Lagrein & Rose of the Dolomites

Where are we?
The Giro site says: Alpago is a wonderful “terrace” surrounded by the Dolomites, a circle of mountains reflecting off the blue-green waters of Lake Santa Croce. A perfect place to lie on the beach or to go sailing, kitesurfing and windsurfing, thanks to the breeze that blows from Sella Fadalto every day, and taking advantage of a ban to motorboat
The trees of the Cansiglio forest provide the perfect setting for summer hikes and winter sports. The plateau, with its rich history, is home to a Cimbrian enclave, to which a museum has been dedicated.
COOKING: Agnello dell’Alpago (local lamb, Slow Food presidium), mame (typical local beans), sciosele (small mountain snails), traditional cold cuts and cheeses, lavaret dishes (lake fish)
WINE: Prosecco (white)

Lying in a sunny valley at the foot of Mount Sassongher, Corvara has a long tradition as a holiday resort. Alta Badia offers tourists coming from all over the world more than 400 km of hiking trails, 500 km of ski slopes, mountaineering opportunities and, especially, breath-taking views of the most beautiful peaks of the Dolomites.
The native language of the majority of the locals is Ladin; their culture is deeply rooted and has been preserved over the centuries by the mountains.
A famous long-distance road bicycle race (granfondo) called “the Dolomites Marathon” takes place in the valley every year.
COOKING: Barley soup, turtres (savoury spinach- or sauerkraut-stuffed pancakes), ravioli with a spinach stuffing, furtaies (fried funnel cakes)
WINE: Schiava and Lagrein (red), Pinot gris and Pinot blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay (white); Metodo classico (spumante)
The stage: First, video from Twitter last night:


Today, mountains:


With 100 kilometers to go, a break group had over eight minutes. Ruben Plaza was out front, with a small gap over the rest of that group. 


Out of the race, Ryder Hesjedal, suffering from stomach issues.  55 kilometers to go and Plaza had almost two minutes over the chasers. Back in the main peloton, Movistar continued to control the pace. A convenient update from the Giro social media team:


With 51 kilometers to go the situation on the road was Plaza with two minutes over the chasing De La Cruz, Lopez, Atapuma, Moser, Siutsou, Zeits, Busato, Kochetkov, Roche, Preidler, Monfort, and Denifl, with the pink jersey group at 8:45. That gap to Plaza was dropping quickly though (or had been mis-reported earlier), as at 50 kilometers to go it was only 34 seconds. Behind, Astana to the front of the peloton. Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of a trip to the Dolomites.


Immediately after that tweet, Plaza would be caught and dropped. The gap to the very small pink jersey group was just over five minutes with Scarponi once again pushing the pace at the front. At the back of the group, Amador looked like he night be struggling and was soon dropped. 


Wow. On the descent Amador made it back. Could he hold on?   


And Valverde struggling. Time for Amador to turn back into a domestique. Nibali could be riding himself into pink.  
Twenty five kilometers to go and Atapuma had two minutes over the Nibali group. Valverde perhaps 30 seconds further behind. Lots of attacks from the small groups on the road. Chaos is fun to watch but hard to write about. Nibali in trouble as well as Chazes accelerates with Kruijswijk. 


Twenty kilometers to go and the gap to Atapuma was under one minute. Nibali reached the top 30 seconds behind Chazes and Kruijswijk who had joined Preidler and Siutsou. Surprisingly, Nibali seemed to be losing more time on the descent. Ten kilometers to go and Atapuma was holding around a thirty second gap. Nibali was an additional thirty seconds back.
Coming soon, the Muro del Gatto, a short, but tough climb: 1300 meters and a 19% maximum gradient. Five kilometers to go and around twenty seconds. Two kilometers to go and they would catch him. And it would come down to Chaves, Preidler and Kruijswijk for the stage win. 



 That was a brilliant stage. The clear loser on the day: Alejandro Valverde. 

  Stage: Esteban Chaves


 
GC: Steven Kruijswijk  
 
 


Wine: Nusserhoff Lagrein 
Eric Asimov in the New York Times has things to say: "FEW things are simple in northeastern Italy, least of all lagrein, a red grape that can produce fresh, aromatic, highly seductive wines. Why, just last week, I asked a linguistically minded friend who is fluent in Italian for the proper pronunciation of lagrein. Here is his response, or part of it:
“Lagrein is a tough one,” he said, “in part because it’s pronounced using a Germanic, as opposed to an Italianate vowel system.” He went on to offer his preference, lah-GRAH’EEN, but allowed that lah-GRINE and lah-GREYE’NE (where greye rhymes with eye) were also acceptable. Well, linguists are nothing if not perfectionists. But even allowing for such hairsplitting, lagrein comes with ample grounds for confusion. It is grown primarily in Alto Adige, a region so far to the north in Alpine Italy that it practically touches Austria and Switzerland. There, the culture is more Tyrolean than Italian, and the first language is often German. Many wines from the region are labeled in both Italian and in German. Even the name of the region, Alto Adige, does not speak for itself; it is generally rendered bilingually with its German counterpart, Südtirol (South Tyrol, using the Germanic vowel system, of course)."
 I say: A very happy wine for me. Lagrein with some age on it. Fuller and earthier than some some lagrein, but with enough acid to balance it out. Black cherry. Hint of an aged balsamic. Still vibrant on day three. 


Food: Loacker “Rose of the Dolomites”  
How could I resist? I went with the dark chocolate version. Alfons Loacker started in his little patisserie in Bozen in 1925. All products are produced and processed in Auna di Sotto/Unterinn (South Tyrol/Italy) and Heinfels (East Tyrol/Austria), according to traditional family recipes.

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Friday, May 20, 2016

Wine and Food of the Giro 2016 Stage 13: Rodaro Refosco & Proscuitto di San Daniele


Where are we? Friuli! Riding 170 kilometers from Palmanova to Cividale del Friul. 

From the Giro site:  Palmanova is an excellent, unique example of a city in the shape of a nine-pointed star, which has survived to the present day. It is one of the most important models of military architecture of the modern age, featuring three circles of fortifications, and a radial city plan. Three monumental gates – Aquileia, Udine and Cividale – allow access to the city. The Most Serene Republic of Venice laid the first stone on 7 October 1593, while the last circle was built in the Napoleonic era, to ultimately make the city a major hub in World War I.
COOKING: Musetto con la brovada (cotechino with sour turnips), risotto with sclopit (silene vulgaris, a springtime herb) or urticions (hop sprouts), frico (fried cheese) with polenta; tiramisù
WINE: Doc Friuli-Aquileia (red and white), Doc Grave (red and white), Prosecco (white)
Cividale del Friuli, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has very ancient origins. Its history marked that of the whole region, which was named “Friuli” after the Roman name of the city, “Forum Iulii”.
The first Lombard Duchy of Italy, and seat of the Patriarchs of Aquileia, Cividale retained its prestigious role throughout the rule of the Republic of Venice as well.
The city welcomes visitors by offering relics of its thousand-year old history, and proudly displaying its most valuable gems, such as the mysterious atmosphere of the Celtic underground graves, the cathedral, the splendid view of the Natisone river as seen from the Devil’s Bridge (Ponte del Diavolo), and, especially, the famous Lombard Temple.
COOKING: Frico (fried cheese, both soft and crunchy), musetto con la brovada (cotechino with sour turnips), stakanje (puréed potatoes, green beans and courgettes); gubana (traditional Friulan cake), strucchi (fried sweet dumplings)
WINE: Historical grape varieties: Picolit, Ramandolo; Doc Colli Orientali del Friuli (both white and red)

The stage:
And off they go into the mountains.


The fans had their pink on:


35 kilometers to go, they were on the penultimate climb and the favorites group had gotten a lot smaller. Ahead in the lead Nieve and Dombrowski. A few kilometers later and Nieve would be solo out front. With 31 kilometers to go he had a bit over two minutes on the favorite's group, with some riders in between. Thirty kilometers to go and Astana with three men at the front was pacing the main pack. 


As they descend, Amador leads the way followed by Nibali. Only 15 or so riders left in the group. And so they went, with Jungels struggling hard to stay with the group. Eventually though he would drop, setting the stage for Amador to take pink at the end of the day. Ahead, Nieve held on for the stage win. A fun first day in the mountains.

 Stage: 



 GC:


 Wine: Rodaro Refosco 12

From the importer: The winemaker says: "Located in northeast Italy, bordering Austria, Slovenia and the Veneto, Friuli extends all the way from the snow capped Alps down to the golden shores of the Adriatic Sea. A treasured land that has been blessed with both outstanding environmental beauty and an ancient, fascinating history. It really is a wonderful place to discover. While our family history dates back centuries, it is a notary deed from 1846 that marks the beginning of the winery’s modern history."

I say: Dry and full, with dark fruit , herbs and acid.  


Food: Proscuitto di San Daniele
Produced only in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in the hilly area around the town of San Daniele in the province of Udine, in the extreme north-eastern part of Italy. 

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Thursday, May 19, 2016

Wine and Food of the Giro 2016 Stage 12: Greipel, Garganega & Asparagus

 Where are we? Taking a very flat route in the Veneto from Noale to Bibione. 

 From the Giro site:  For centuries, Noale was under the rule of the Tempesta family, which built the famous 12-century fortress (Rocca) that still stands as one of the major symbols of the town. The historic centre grows around the mediaeval castle, with age-old frescoed houses tangled in its moats, and the clock and bell towers (Torre dell’Orologio and Torre delle Campane) standing out against the cityscap
Major events include the Palio, the traditional “Infiorata” (flower carpets) celebrating the Corpus Christi Feast and the “Noale in fiore” exhibition market.
COOKING: Radicchio and all related recipes
WINE: Prosecco Doc, Doc Riviera del Brenta (white, red and spumante)

Bibione was born out of the sea, to which it owes its very fortune. Formerly a fishermen’s village, the territory revived following major land reclamation work in the lagoon since the 20th century. The swamp thus made way for the dunes, the pine forests and the fine sand of one of Italy’s most beautiful beaches.
Bibione thus became a major tourist resort, renowned for its crystal sea, its spa centres and its rich, pristine landscape.
COOKING: Asparagus, lagoon prawns, fish specialties
WINE: Prosecco, Docg Lison (white wines)
The stage: The word of the day is flat. As in, one last stage for the remaining sprinters before they head off to rest before the Tour. I'm looking at you, Andre Greipel. Another word is rain. On the road with 76 kilometers to go, the gap for Oss and Maestri  was 2:24. Fifty kilometers to go and it was down to just about one minute. 


News that the finish may be neutralized, with GC times taken on the penultimate pass of the line. It also means that there will be no bonus points on the line. Clear road for the sprinters! 
And in the end, it was another stage win for Greipel.



Stage:


 
GC:


 



Wine:  Angiolino Maule Masieri Garganega 2014  
From the importer:  A man of true conviction in viticulture and viniculture, Angiolino actually started his working life as a pizzaiolo, or pizza maker, of some renown in Italy. But the earth and the vines were calling him all the while. Through his hard work and sterling reputation, Angiolino was able to save enough money to start his winery. He chose Gambellara and, principally, the Garganega grape to make his magical music in a glass.
Gambellara is ostensibly the extension of the Soave foothills in Veneto into the adjoining province of Vicenza where the wine changes its name, but not its general composition. The principal white grape is Garganega backed up with small amounts of Trebbiano. These hills are volcanic in origin, and have rich, dark mineral soils with good amounts of fine clay. They are south facing slopes that are protected from the blasts of Alpine northern winds by the southern Dolomites.  



Food: Asparagus Another one of the Giro picks. In this case, I roasted it simply with olive oil (Italian of course), salt and pepper.
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