Pairing Wine With My Life's Adventure

REINVENTION: Quit my job in IT, sold my house and moved from Cal to NYC for sommelier classes. GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY: Moved to Napa and worked in a vineyard making wine. TRAVEL: Through France and Italy on a wine scavenger hunt. Sto cambiando la mia vita e desidero imparare circa vino. Je change ma vie et je veux me renseigner sur le vin. TRY TO GET SERIOUS: Living in New York for 4 years and working as a Sommelier. NEW GOALS: Do my own thing, find love, speak Spanish, live wine.

Friday, April 21, 2006

R&R with B&B

Ravioli & Risotto with Borolo & Barbaresco
(quick stop at internet cafe in Vernazza, Cinque Terre. More details to follow, sorry for my spelling).

Gastroturismo: I have been touring each of the villages that make Borolo wine from the nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco (along with the communes of Nieve and Treiso sp?) also make wine with nebbiolo, but it's called Barbaresco. Wine from the barbera and dolcetto grapes also come from B&B. The hills of the general area are Langhe, Monferrato and Roero. Arneis, white wine comes from Roero. La Gibigianna enoteca in Barbaresco, nice owner who gave me samples of the local sheep and goat cheese and then tomatoes with a green sauce (parsley and anchovi base) that was from his mother's recipe. After went to dinner for risotto (see pics for the image of the place). Met Octavio, visiting his family and helping out for the Easter holiday. He shared a glass of his family's barbaresco then I went to midnight mass.

Easter Sunday 4/16
I spent the day resting and relaxing, soaking up the sun like one of the lizzards on the red tile roofop. Awesome coffee int he morning, then drove up the hill from my place to La Morra, found the raviolis and much more (restaurants and a wine store), came back and sat in the sun, ipod.

Monday 4/17
Morning, after coffee (I need to be more civilized about my coffee in the US) drove to Asti, then Castiglioni Falleto for wine on a balcony at the top of the hill. Almost got car stuck in between 2 buildings... Was invited to a local's home for dinner after I made my way around most of the Borolo communes for a taste at each.

Tuesday 4/18
Love all of the cool cars here in Italy, especially the Alpha Romeos. How do I describe the perfect scene? red checked table cloths, mom and pop inviting me to dinner in a classic Italian scene. how much have they seen in their lives? the beautiful thing is that we get along without the shared language. Ended up, as in France trying to discuss George W. Upon leaving momma broke out some of the Borolo for me. Special. Risotto with beans, spinach and a fried egg. bread, cookies, cheese and fruit salad. At one point, one morning, I was eating the cheese but it was butter! I got very special tour, with Roberta Ceretto, of her winery please see my pics, www.ceretto.com. Lunch in Barbaresco, fresh made pasta.

Wednesday made it to Milan. Relieved to get rid of my rental car, that was about as much responsibilty as I can handle. Met up with Piper who flew in from NYC, and met at the hotel within 10 minutes of each other. After a cocktail and a chat with a local, we got a recommendation for dinner, at La Bottega. Quaisimoto woke us up at 7:45am, as our room was next to the bells of the church across the alley. What did I think of Milan? Little girl took me for a euro in the metro station.

Thursday on train to the sea 4/20. We have reached paradise here in Vernazza... Pigato, fish and pesto. I'm very lucky.

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