I drink a lot of wine. Am I making sense now? And coincidentally, two recent wines I really liked both featured chickens on the label. One was from Italy, and the other from the state of Washington; two of my favorite places for fantastic wine. And all that chicken labeling made me think about chicken jugs; one of my favorite ceramic pieces from Italy.
I know….it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but thankfully I’m not talking about wine made from chickens. (That would just be gross.) I am talking about chickens on the label and chicken jugs. Okay, maybe I’m not making sense yet. Let me start over. I drink a lot of wine. Am I making sense now? And coincidentally, two recent wines I really liked both featured chickens on the label. One was from Italy, and the other from the state of Washington; two of my favorite places for fantastic wine. And all that chicken labeling made me think about chicken jugs; one of my favorite ceramic pieces from Italy. Let’s start with the wine. The first one was a primitivo from Puglia, Italy. It comes from Primaterra Wines. I consider this a real bargain find; one of those wines I call a “case buy”. No, I haven’t bought a case though I probably should have, as we’ve gone through several bottles already, and I must admit to having a couple more waiting in my wine rack. It was about $10 and for that price, it really delivers. It’s nicely balanced making it an easy sipper. It goes well with food, but doesn’t Need food for it to taste good. I taste the bold and dark berry flavors I love; but it’s not too fruity. It has an alcohol content of 14.5%, so watch out, but really, it’s just delicious and at this price point, it could be my “house” wine. The second wine with a chicken (well, on second glance, it’s actually a rooster) on the label was a syrah from Jones of Washington http://www.jonesofwashington.com. It was one of the wines I poured at The Bite event in Portland last month and was featured by The Pacific Northwest Wine Club http://www.pnwc.com. It’s a nice bold wine with lots of dark berry, oaky, and leathery flavors. It too has a 14.5% alcohol level. (I seem to lean toward these for some reason.) Its winery won the 2012 Winery of the Year award for Washington State. I love this wine for its complex flavor and lingering taste. Now as I said, these “chicken wines” made me think about my Italian chicken jug. Italy, widely known for its ceramics is home to the chicken wine jug. Supposedly the chicken wine jug came about way back in the mid 1400’s when the Medici family was the ruling family of Florence. One of the members of an opposing family wanted to murder one of the members of the Medici family. When the assassins made their approach in the dark of night through a small village where the Medici family member had been attending a festival, the local chickens were awakened. They caused such a ruckus that the assassins were captured and received the fate originally intended for the Medici family member. The end result is that the ruling family member was so pleased with the chickens that he ordered ceramic chicken jugs made to commemorate the event. Since then, chicken jugs have been traditional gifts of good fortune and safekeeping……or so the story goes. Do you enjoy Italian wines? Do you love Italian ceramics? Me too! Join me on a tour of Italy featuring food, wine…….and even chicken jugs if you’d like. Booking now for Spring/Fall 2014. Drop me a line and let’s talk about your trip: irene@bellagiornatatours.com
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Ah, summertime….time for fun in the sun, time to head to the beach. If you are in Italy, watch out! You might get run over trying to get there. Life on an Italian beach is distinctly different from beach time in the U.S. in many ways: For one thing, Italians tend to head to the beach in droves during the summer. Sun worshipers all seem to get vacation at the same time, and peak summer months mean peak crowds at popular beach destinations. When I lived there, I enjoyed quiet beach time by going in late May through the first week of July and again in early September; times when the weather was still fantastic, but the crowds significantly thinner. When the rest of Italy headed to the beach for the bulk of July and August, I would head to the hill towns of Umbria for cool breezes and cool evenings. Another difference is that many Italian families stay at the beach for long periods of time….as in the whole summer. As long as the kids are on break from school, many Italian moms rent summer apartments along the beaches for extended stays. Dad comes and joins the family on weekends and for the couple of weeks he can get off for vacation. One of the joys of beach life in Italy is not only can you rent a beach apartment; you can actually rent part of the beach! Families reserve and pay in advance for the requested number of chaise lounge chairs and beach umbrellas in a specific “row” of sand. The beach is sectioned off into parcels, each managed by different (usually family) businesses. Each beach manager has different colored umbrellas and offers an array of services. When you pay for your chaise lounger and umbrella, you also get to use that particular beach parcel’s restroom, changing room, outdoor shower and have access to their restaurant/bar. When you reserve a beach spot, it’s yours for the day. If you want to go to a nearby restaurant for lunch, or go back to your apartment and cool off for a while, no problem. You can leave your towels and other non-valuables, as the beach manager knows this spot is reserved for you, and will not allow anyone else to take it. I have been to beaches which appear nearly empty, but there are no spaces available. It’s because maybe its lunch time, and everyone has gone off to eat, but the beach spots still belong to them. In fact, some families rent these beach spaces for the whole summer, ensuring they will always have a spot even if there are days they don’t go to the beach at all. Beach shopping. Who knew there was such a thing? But yes, in Italy the shopping comes to you…..on the beach! What can you buy? All manner of items and services. For starters, you can get a nice back or leg massage. Soon, someone pushing a cart with an incredible array of beach toys will come ambling along. Before long, someone else will stop by, selling beach towels and various swimsuit cover-ups in case you've forgotten yours or just want a new look. Then of course someone wants you to buy sunglasses. Or how about some pretty jewelry? And we are talking about Italy, so there is food for sale as well. Really refreshing things like watermelon slices or freshly cracked coconut meat. If you see a man carrying a bucket and yelling “cocomero!” grab some coins and run after him! And speaking of food……as I mentioned earlier, each parcel of beach has its own bar/restaurant. I have had some incredible meals at these places. There’s one in particular I love on the Amalfi Coast. When the sun has become too much to bear, dart over the hot sand, rinse your feet in the outdoor shower, and have a seat in the open-air restaurant. There’s always amazing melon with prosciutto which is so refreshing. If you’re lucky, mama’s in the back today pulling her delicious eggplant parmesan out of the oven. It. Is. So. Good. Or maybe you’d like some incredibly fresh fish, or a seafood salad. Everything is served on beautiful ceramic plates….on the beach! The house wine is delicious (and comes in an equally charming ceramic carafe) and the people are so, so nice.
As I said, these are mostly family affairs. Dad’s over in the corner playing cards with his buddies. Mama’s in the kitchen. Two brothers are serving food and drink. One of their sons is putting umbrellas up and down and setting chairs out on the sand. And every one of them has a smile on their face. They love their jobs. Please. We’re on the Amalfi Coast. The sun is shining. The water is sparkling. Tan bodies flip like fish in a frying pan. Smell ripe melons, salt air and sunscreen. There is fabulous food and wine on the table. And all around you happy people are speaking Italian. What’s not to love? Travel with me and Bella Giornata Tours. Let’s experience a sparkling day on the beach somewhere along the Amalfi Coast. Join me in 2014. You set the dates. Early summer and early fall are best. Let's go alla spiaggia!
Meet Fabrizio Antano
Bevagna is a charming little town. Unlike many of the hill towns I love in Umbria, it is not quite as high. As a result, one has to look a little harder for the panoramic views of the expansive countryside that I see from other Umbrian hill towns. But, it does have something else making it worth a visit….great wine, great food and great people. There is one person in particular who I would love to introduce you to. Please meet Fabrizio Antano. Fabrizio and his family produce wonderful wines from their near 30 acres of grapes. Production began in 1975 by his father, and continues today under the guidance of Fabrizio’s brother Francesco. Fabrizio’s charge is the charming little shop in Bevagna where one can go to taste all these wine gems. After I’d lived in Rome for about a year and half, I discovered Fabrizio’s little wine shop on one of our numerous forays into Umbria. Oh, woe is me! I so wish I had found him sooner. You enter Bevagna from one of two ways; either through a lovely old stone arch, which leads into the town’s main piazza which is ringed with great restaurants, or via a bridge over a charming little river. The shop is very easy to reach from either direction. While living in Rome, I was able to purchase 5 liter jugs of red table wine which became our personal “house wine”. It was so reliably delicious and inexpensive. We would lug those jugs home on the subway, and it was so worth the effort. If airlines would get over that silly little 100ml of fluids rule, I’d be packing some serious wine in the overhead bins. Now I have to get my fix of Fattoria Di Milziade Antano wine in one of two ways: I pack too many bottles of it into my check-in luggage when I am on an Italy trip, or I have to order through his New York importer (www.tedwardwines.com). Yes, all those things Fabrizio is carrying.....are my purchases. But now that I have to pay premium money for it, it is no longer the everyday table wine I’m after. The Antano family produces a Montefalco Rosso Riserva that is beyond delicious. It is so flavorful from start to finish; complex, and smooth. It has a silky mouth feel that makes me sigh when I take my first sip. But there’s more….they also make a phenomenal Sagrantino di Montefalco. Sagrantino is that wine that gave me such a rush when I first moved to Italy. It will always hold a special place in my heart alongside Amarone from the Veneto area. But I have to say, it’s not just the wine from Fattoria di Milziade Antano that I love. It’s the whole wine shopping experience that Fabrizio provides. Fabrizio gives very generous pours (so different than the wine “tastes” I’ve had in the U.S.), and when one is sipping such generous pours, a little food is necessary. He always has wonderful olives, yummy little cookies, bread drizzled with the family olive oil….. He’s eager to share his knowledge of wine in general, and the wonderful attributes of the family’s wine. He is very generous not only his wine and food, but also with his time. You are never made to feel rushed or compelled to buy. But I dare you to walk in there and not come out with your hands full...................I can’t. Dear Diary, We start our Saturday with a dose of culture, but as usual seem to end in a haze of food and wine. (I don’t hear anyone complaining.) Our driver, Federico, takes us to the beautiful church, Santa Maria degli Angeli where we learn a little about St. Francis and admire the unbelievably unique and beautiful interior. I have visited a lot of different churches in my life, and this ranks as one of my favorites. (Unfortunately, no picture-taking is allowed inside.) Next up, we head to Torgiano where we stroll through a wine museum. There we see a giant old hand press which takes up the entire lower floor of the museum and used to be used to press wine back in the day when slaves were used to turn the cranks. We also view all kinds of ancient ceramic, glass, terra cotta and wooden vessels which were used to hold wine over the centuries. In addition, there is a large amount of beautiful artwork depicting ancient scenes of wine debauchery and viniculture. This is followed by a short walk over to the nearby olive oil museum where among other things, we view photographs of how olives were harvested in the past and see a beautiful collection of old oil lamps and artwork. We have worked hard all morning and deserve a glass of wine for our efforts, and so we raise a glass at the osteria which belongs to the museum. And now that we’ve had just a taste of wine on our lips, we crave a little more. So we head to nearby Bevagna for a visit with Fabrizio Antano, the owner of a delicious little winery. He has agreed to meet us in his shop in town for a wine tasting, and we find his many generous pours oh, so delicious. His “samples” seriously rival some of the actual pours I have paid for in New York City! Who knows whether it’s the flavor of the wine, the generosity of the pours, or the friendliness of Fabrizio (or maybe all three?); we purchase a fair amount between us. As we gather our bags and boxes and head out the door, Fabrizio holds me back and hands me a giant magnum of my favorite Sagrantino. “It’s a gift”, he says (in Italian). “I want everyone to share it together at their next meal.” We are overwhelmed by his generosity and when I tell everyone what he has done, they all go back for hugs and kisses. We end our day together with a lovely lunch back in Spello at La Cantina. We call the restaurant ahead to make sure it’s okay for us to roll in our giant bottle of wine, and they readily assent. We have a delicious lunch featuring rabbit served in a lemon caper sauce, and beautiful, fresh vegetables that have been baked with a breadcrumb topping. And….a wonderfully lush bottle of Sagrantino! Thank you Frabrizio! It’s been a good day. We’ve seen a lot, done a lot, eaten a lot (okay, we drank a lot too), and we still have the bulk of the afternoon ahead of us. Everyone has time to be on their own, choosing to either stroll, relax, explore, or shop. Spello……ahhhhh!
A domani, Irene Eating out in Italy is just so different than eating out in the U.S. To me, the first and foremost main difference is that in Italy, they are happy if you take your time and enjoy their food. For heaven’s sake, that’s why you came! There have been too many times in the States, where I’ve barely put my fork down, and my plate is whisked away….the dessert menu shows up, and if you decline, the bill comes before you can take a breath. “But I wanted an espresso, please!” “Oh, okay, I’ll just take your bill back and adjust it.” I may have sat down at 7:30, but they’re hoping I’ll be leaving soon so someone else can take over my table. Not so in Italy! When you book that table, it’s yours for the night. You’ve got a lot of eating, enjoying and socializing to do. That’s why you came; so do it. When you are seated, you will usually get a basket of bread and the first questions you will need to answer are: Water; still or sparkling? Wine; house or from the wine list? Okay, this is my second favorite thing about Italian restaurants: house wine. It’s almost always good, incredibly inexpensive and can usually be ordered by the quarter, half or full liter. How convenient is that? The menu may at first seem quite long, but when you figure out it is simply divided into courses, it becomes less daunting. I have watched many an Italian work their way through all the courses…..an amazing feat to me. I usually order a primi or a secondi, but not both. Sometimes my husband will order the primi and I’ll order the secondi and we’ll share. But, we were living there, trying not to gain too much weight eating pasta nearly every day. You, on the other hand will be on vacation. So EAT! Now that the waiter has gone off to get your drinks, you have time to peruse the menu. First, what would you like for aperitivi or antipasti (appetizers)? Bruschetta (broo-ske-tah) is always a good choice, and very common; a lovely grilled slice of bread that can have a variety of toppings on it depending on the season, or simply drizzled with good olive oil and salt. It’s nice to get a mixed assortment to try. Just dive in and pick a couple of different things. The primi list is “first course”, which is usually a list of pastas. The secondi list is “second course”, which is usually a list of meat dishes, and often there is a second list of seafood second courses. You don’t have to order pasta and a meat/seafood, but you certainly can if you’d like. They are certainly hoping you will. But know they will not arrive together. First you will get your pasta, and when you are done, out will come your meat dish. The exception is, if one of you orders pasta, and the other meat, then they will realize you both want to eat at the same time, and bring them out to the two of you together. The primi and secondi do not come with side dishes such as potatoes and vegetables as they do in the U.S. These items fall under the list of “contorni” or side dishes and will need to be ordered separately. This is the third great thing about Italian restaurants. If you are someone like me, who never really grew up and would still like to eat your food on a child’s divided plate so everything doesn’t touch each other, Italy is for you! Your side dish is going to arrive on a separate plate. Yay! Now, here is the fourth great thing about Italian restaurants: They serve what’s in season. So, even though the contorni menu may offer artichokes or asparagus don’t be surprised when you ask for them in the off-season, and are told they are unavailable today. (Why would they serve them to you when they’re not that great right now?) Here’s the fifth great thing about Italian restaurants: Ask them what they do have fresh today, and they may have a bunch of stuff to talk about that’s not even on the menu! “Wait, what?! You have agretti today? That’s not on the menu!” (If anyone ever says they have agretti today, just order it. Trust me.) So now, you’ve worked your way through appetizers, your first and second course and your side dishes. Maybe you even ordered a zuppa (soup) or an insalata (salad). Maybe by now, you had to move on to your second liter of house wine. Whatever. Finally it’s time for the dolci (sweets-dessert). Do you have room for dessert? Of course you do because here’s the sixth great thing about Italian restaurants: You’ve already been there for 2 hours at least, and things have had time to settle while you laughed and chit-chatted about your day. Besides, who could pass up tiramisu, or panna cotta or gelato? Or maybe you went to a Sicilian restaurant, and they have cassata or cannoli (yum). So order dessert. But wait! It’s not over yet. The seventh great thing about Italian restaurants is good things still happen after dessert! Now you get to have a lovely espresso to cut through all that sweetness you just experienced. And nowadays, most restaurants offer decaf. That certainly didn’t used to be the case. AND, you can have a tiny portion of dessert wine too! Many restaurants offer their made-in-house limoncello or a grappa to help you digest your meal. Don’t be offended if they don’t bring you the check and it’s hard for you to get their attention. Because this all goes back to the first great thing about Italian restaurants. They are not ignoring you. They are just assuming you’re still sitting around yakking about your day, enjoying each other’s company and having a good old time. Most restaurants will simply not bring you the bill until you manage to flag them down and ask for it, which is the eighth great thing about Italian restaurants. And to make this an even ten; let’s just say the ninth and tenth great things are the food itself, because though I have no idea what you’re going to order, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fabulous and you’re going to love it. Buon Appetito! My first real Italian cappuccino The first time I tried to order a coffee in Italy, I almost ended up with a glass of milk. The day I arrived, I walked into the nearest bar and ordered a "latte". The bar man looked at me oddly and asked me a question. Not speaking a word of Italian at the time, I'm sure a pretty blank look appeared on my face. He walked over to the refrigerator and pointed to a bottle of milk. I said, "No, no....coffee please!" He smiled and responded, "Un caffe latte." Yes, the word latte simply means milk in Italian. You need to add that extra coffee word or you're not going to get your morning caffeine fix. Coming from Oregon where coffee and urban coffee culture reigns supreme, I found Italian coffee culture to be quite different. The first thing to learn is where a good bar is. In the U.S. we go to bars for alcohol. In Italy, the bar is where you go for coffee, oh and also for alcohol......even combined sometimes. Bars range from tiny local dives to Gran Caffes with gleaming wood bars, brass rails and suited waiters. In Oregon, we order giant size coffees and lounge around on couches while chatting or surfing the web on laptops using a coffee shop's wifi. In Italy, you belly up to the bar, knock back your coffee and go on your merry way.....several times a day. In Oregon I always hear people making the craziest coffee orders......grande half-caf mocha no whip, tall soy latte with 1 pump hazelnut syrup, venti skinny latte no foam. ( Yech! I'm a purist myself.....give me all the caffeine, whole milk and nothing else.) In Italy, there are no sizes. Very rarely is there a choice of skim milk vs. whole. There are no flavorings to add. Don't ask them to hold the foam.....that's what it's all about! That and just plain old good coffee. The best part of all is that it ALWAYS come in a real cup and saucer. You're not expected to get it to go. Why would you when you're just going to quickly gulp it down, head back out and return in a few hours for another one? Usually, you order at the cash register, get a receipt, find a spot at the bar, give the receipt to the barista and tell him what you want. He tears your receipt nearly in half and places it on the bar as a reminder that he's already taken your order. He slaps a saucer on the bar in front of you, places a tiny spoon on it and moments later, he returns with a luscious cup of joy; whether it be espresso, cappuccino or a caffe latte. Nearby there will be big bowls of sugar packets for you to choose from. Slurp it down, leave a €0.10 or €0.20 coin as tip next to your empty cup, head out the door, and start looking for the next bar. In a local bar you can expect to get your coffee drink for as little as €0.80, the equivalant of just over a dollar IF you take it at the bar. At bigger, more touristy locations it will be more like 1 euro. If you decide to rest your weary feet and sit at a table for a while, then a waiter will serve you. You can then expect to pay at least twice, if not four times as much. I have gotten away in some places with ordering from the bar, carrying my coffee to a table myself, and returning my empty cup to the bar in a timely manner. You should never pick up your coffee from the bar, use a table, and leave your empty dishes there after paying bar price. Better to rest your weary feet over a nice long lunch. As I mentioned earlier, the bar is also where alcohol is served. Usually, mid morning, you can find shopkeepers and other local workers stopping in for a caffe corretto, something I personally could never get used to. It's a shot of espresso with a shot of grappa.....something to reinvigorate those who have been up since the crack of dawn. Most Italians don't drink cappuccino after about 11am, but they will certainly make one for you if you order it. If espresso is not to your liking, try a caffe macchiato. It means "stained" and it's a shot of espresso with just a dab of milk to tame it down a little. Or you could order a caffe americano which is generally an espresso topped up with hot water, making it more like our version of drip coffee. Regardless of your coffee tastes, if you go to Italy, get thyself to a bar right away and as often as possible. Scout out which ones have the best cornetti, the sweet croissants that are perfect for breakfast with your coffee. I love walking the streets of Rome listening for that telltale clink of coffee cups on saucers. Really. You can hear it from the streets and know that a bar is nearby.....sustenance is just over there. |
Italophile......
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