The Top 5 Grubs in Italia

Sorry for the delay in posts, but I've been abroad, soaking up Italia on a whirlwind romp that had me in six regions in six days...

If it seems I've been waxing on and on over Italy, I have. Every time I run across a new Italian find, I have a new favorite wine of the moment. I don't know why Italy is striking a chord with me at present, but my recent journey to Italia from top to bottom has only fed into my Jones. Let's leave wine to the side for the moment to focus on the five best Italian dishes EVER (or at least that I consumed while there)!

1 - Risotto at Trattoria Al Parco - Paolo Meroi is not only the owner of his eponymous winery in Friuli, but he and his wife have a phenomenal restaurant called Trattoria Al Parco in Buttrio. The only wines served are his, where apparently 80% of the wine is sold. His simple Risotto with a local herb was life changing. I have never had (nor probably ever will) another Risotto done with such skill. A testament to the simple approach and the perfection of cooking to the proper doneness. The best dish, bar none.

2 - Carne Cruda at Gillardi's Home - Giacolino Gillardi's mother made us a magnificent lunch capped off with the best version I ever had of Carne Cruda. Raw meat mixed with a few simple spices and drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Seems easy, right? This is one raw food movement that I can actually get behind. My God, unbelievable...


3 - Fried Stuffed Zuchini Flowers at Carpe Diem - In Piana di Monte Verda, serious back-water Campania, we had what I can only describe as an appetizer filled with cheese infused crack cocaine! Impossible to stop eating them and amazing with a particular white from Pellagrello Bianco by Alois called "Caiati". The chef has promised to come to Bernardsville and recreate the experience for our clients. If he doesn't, I will hunt him down!

4 - Pasta all'Amatriciana at Casale del Giglio - This is a classic, rustic Lazio dish that was a magnificent foil to their Satrico Bianco, but I might prefer it with a lighter red, even Nebbiolo perhaps. I got 5 things for you...Olive Oil, Short Rigatoni, Sausage, Guanciale (pig jowl) and Pecorino Romana. That's it! Amazingly simple and astoundingly good. Even I can do this one, if I can ever find Guanciale in NJ...


5 - Pasta alla Patate at Carpe Diem - (In a cheesy DJ voice) "Carpe Diem checking in with 2 dishes in our top five countdown, this is Enrico Battisti's favorite thing in the world to eat." He even went in the kitchen to help and he didn't screw it up. This is Mac-n-Cheese for adults, little bits of potato and layers of flavor. This chef rocks and I wish I could remember his name. But if you ever find yourself in Piana di Monte Verda, you must go to Carpe Diem. And then head for Rome pronto...

More on the wines to come, as they will be arriving soon. The first of which will hit next week as we'll uncover some gems of Friuli from Ronchi di Cialla, one of the most gorgeous estates I have ever seen, period.

JCB the 4th

The Best Down the Gullet This Week...

These were remarkable and consumed this week...

Didier Larue came to our store this week with the intention of showcasing his gorgeous wares from St. Aubin and Puligny. Indeed they were stunning; none moreso than the flashy 2006 and 1999 Murgers des Dents de Chiens 1er cru . It was a case study on young and older White Burgundy, showing the classic hallmarks of each wine in its respective evolutionary stage. Those prefering younger, more vibrant wine would gravitate to the 2006, as it was just so precocious and showy. The 1999 was boisterous aromatically but really showed what an aged St. Aubin is all about on the palate. Lots of glycerine, tangerine tones and plenty of terroir. $50 and $57 respectively make them a steal for 1er cru wines of their stature.

What can I say? I can't get enough of the 2008 Ameztoi "Rubentis" Getaraiko Txacolina . Unfortunately, this is one of those rare wines that is just $23...and allocated! Crazy, but they just don't make much of this deliciously crisp, minerally and vibrant Rose Txacoli. We've got about 3 cases of it left. Let's see if you can beat me to them as I'm out of the office the next couple days. You ready, set, GO!

Want a great way to encounter gastrono-oenologic bliss in NYC. Head over to Txikito in Chelsea on 9th Ave between 24th and 25th Sts, for a true Basque experience. The small plates are delectible with my favorite being the Piperrak (pictured), flash fried Basque peppers sprinkled with sea salt. Every once and while you'll get one that will set your mouth ablaze. A little rolling of the gastronomic dice, perhaps? You'll need a bottle of lovely Txacoli to wash it down. They pour the wine in the traditional method with the bartender holding the tumblers low and the bottle overhead. Great wine theatre! Who cares if his hair is reminiscent of A Flock of Seagulls circa 1983?

JCB the 4th

Vintage, Vintage, Vintage...I Want My Vintage!

Ok, I'm going to go out on a limb, here. Vintage ain't all its cracked up to be...

Now before you click off this blog, never to return again, let me expand upon the notion a bit. My opinion is that vintage is important, as the laws of terroir tell us that climate factors are crucial to grape development and the resulting wines. But I think that our American pysche of "only the best will do" can betray us at times. If one becomes consumed with only the best vintages, you will miss out on magnificence to the 10th degree in the form of an underdog. I can't tell you how many times I've tasted great (yes, great) wines from supposed "off-vintages". They just needed some time to come around, like those high school movies where the geeky girl becomes the bombshell.

Here's how it works in the world of wine...

Wine experts, in the form of the press, travel and taste, as well as talk to the producers to hear about the new vintage. These are all good things! Hell, I try to do as much of it as possible to understand what is in the bottle and why it tastes the way it does. But somewhere along the line, the word gets out on the greatness or not-so-greatness of a vintage, in general terms. A broad brush paints everyone's mind who hears about it and that's that. But wines change and evolve from barrel to bottle. And no one likes to go back and say that they might be wrong about a vintage characterization. So that pervasive notion remains...it's a shame.

But what is wrong with a wine that is not from a great vintage? If it is still pleasing to drink and enjoy, why not do just that? It would be a boring wine world if every vintage was great, even if every wine I drank was great. There is a profoundness in the differences that can tell the story of a family's passion. Maybe about the trials and tribulations associated with the challenges to make a good wine when nature threw curve balls in the dirt. I love that.

JCB the 4th