I love weeks that take me to so many different places via the wine glass.
Being a big fan of Soave and Amarone, I was very excited for this lecture ... and tasting ... Veneto!
What surprised me, however, was the Pinot Gris from Alsace - full-bodied, rich, and elegant - definitely not like the lighter, mass-produced Pinot Grigio I'd only been exposed to in the past. Noted. And must try more of these wines from Alsace!
Then there was the lecture on Loire Valley, where I made friends with Sancerre, which I'd only tried one other time (and LOVED) and Muscadet. I admit that I had to get past flashbacks of wines I tasted in North Carolina from native Southeastern US grapes, that should NEVER (ever/EVER) be confused with this fresh, minerally, Muscadet (made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape). While we say refer to the saltiness in wines as "tasty" ("salty" is considered negative) - this Muscadet had that going for it, and all I could think about was a plate of grilled fish or steamed oysters after trying it. Again, noted. Drink more homework, Val! Taste, taste taste!
We spent Friday in Umbria at Castello di Magione in Perugia. While I had tasted their Grechetto and Pinot Noir before, I was particularly thrilled by the tour given in Italian, and being able to understand it! Woot! It helped that Fabrizio (the Agronomo or "agriculturist") talked slowly, and drew pictures.
NOTE: I may have to revisit the lesson, but where was "agronomo" the other night, Ms. Stone, as I struggled with PeekUPpa?! Boh?!
We also toured a plant that makes labels for wine bottles, the bottling and chemical analysis section for Castello di Magione, the Castle itself (which is the summer home of the Prince and Grand Master of Sovereign Military Order of Malta), cellars, fermentation facilities.
I AM the girl who was excited over a process that cools down the grapes from their harvest temperature to kill the bad yeasts before they are even pressed using a contraption that looks like this (although this one is from a different winery):
Fabrizio now thinks I'm crazy...
And speaking of crazy ...
Burrata is neither a place, nor a beverage, but a Pugliese dish, which in Italian translates to the word "buttered." At Pizzaiuolo the other night, a guy at our table let me have a bite (maybe so I'd quit staring at his dinner with my mouth open) of what appeared to be a massive ball of mozzarella. When cut open, however, Burrata oozes the creamiest "where have you been all my life?!" goodness of fresh cream and more (are you FREAKING kidding me???) mozzarella. I tried to eat my vegetarian pizza with artichokes and eggplant and focus on my beer without staring at this dude's Burrata, but damn.
Maybe if I hadn't eaten THIS the night before ...
[four cheeses with mix-and-match honey (green apple, bosco, millefiore, and arancia) and pear-mint conserves (seriously - WHO thinks up this stuff? And YUM!)]
...I'd have had the palle (balls, plural - yay Rosetta Stone!) to order my own Burrata. Instead, I asked for a to-go box for the 1/2 of my pizza, ironically named, "Pazza" on the menu, that I couldn't finish.
Pazza translates to "crazy," by the way.
I had to giggle as I walked home in the rain carrying my box of crazy. That sounds about right ... but what a crazy semester it's been. I can't believe we're embarking on the last week before mid-terms already!
Being a big fan of Soave and Amarone, I was very excited for this lecture ... and tasting ... Veneto!
What surprised me, however, was the Pinot Gris from Alsace - full-bodied, rich, and elegant - definitely not like the lighter, mass-produced Pinot Grigio I'd only been exposed to in the past. Noted. And must try more of these wines from Alsace!
Then there was the lecture on Loire Valley, where I made friends with Sancerre, which I'd only tried one other time (and LOVED) and Muscadet. I admit that I had to get past flashbacks of wines I tasted in North Carolina from native Southeastern US grapes, that should NEVER (ever/EVER) be confused with this fresh, minerally, Muscadet (made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape). While we say refer to the saltiness in wines as "tasty" ("salty" is considered negative) - this Muscadet had that going for it, and all I could think about was a plate of grilled fish or steamed oysters after trying it. Again, noted. Drink more homework, Val! Taste, taste taste!We spent Friday in Umbria at Castello di Magione in Perugia. While I had tasted their Grechetto and Pinot Noir before, I was particularly thrilled by the tour given in Italian, and being able to understand it! Woot! It helped that Fabrizio (the Agronomo or "agriculturist") talked slowly, and drew pictures.
NOTE: I may have to revisit the lesson, but where was "agronomo" the other night, Ms. Stone, as I struggled with PeekUPpa?! Boh?!
These are Fabrizio's notes on why Guyot (for Grechetto and Pinot Nero) and Cordon Spur (Merlot, Cabs, Sangiovese, Trebbiano) vine training systems are used for different varietals.
We then toured the vineyards, and while we did not see any pick-up trucks, we did get to look more closely at vines in their Guyot and Cordon Spur (respectively) formations.
I AM the girl who was excited over a process that cools down the grapes from their harvest temperature to kill the bad yeasts before they are even pressed using a contraption that looks like this (although this one is from a different winery):
Fabrizio now thinks I'm crazy...
And speaking of crazy ...
Burrata is neither a place, nor a beverage, but a Pugliese dish, which in Italian translates to the word "buttered." At Pizzaiuolo the other night, a guy at our table let me have a bite (maybe so I'd quit staring at his dinner with my mouth open) of what appeared to be a massive ball of mozzarella. When cut open, however, Burrata oozes the creamiest "where have you been all my life?!" goodness of fresh cream and more (are you FREAKING kidding me???) mozzarella. I tried to eat my vegetarian pizza with artichokes and eggplant and focus on my beer without staring at this dude's Burrata, but damn.
[four cheeses with mix-and-match honey (green apple, bosco, millefiore, and arancia) and pear-mint conserves (seriously - WHO thinks up this stuff? And YUM!)]
...I'd have had the palle (balls, plural - yay Rosetta Stone!) to order my own Burrata. Instead, I asked for a to-go box for the 1/2 of my pizza, ironically named, "Pazza" on the menu, that I couldn't finish.
Pazza translates to "crazy," by the way.
I had to giggle as I walked home in the rain carrying my box of crazy. That sounds about right ... but what a crazy semester it's been. I can't believe we're embarking on the last week before mid-terms already!
Val,
ReplyDeleteYou should consider culling all of this into a book...your experiences coupled with a talent for writing would make for interesting reading.
Cheeers,
Shecky
Thanks, Shecky - For reading, and your kind words. Maybe someday ... if I can keep the glass away from my lips and the fork out of my mouth long enough... This is too much fun!
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