Food Tour Wine List 2009

Our last event of the season is a Gastronomic Tour. We do only one of these a year during the local white truffle festival. You can find more information by going to http://www.tuscanepicure.com/. This year we spent the week with a delightful group of people, who loved to make and eat good food. Here is the list of wines that were included with the tour this year. The 1-3 glass awards are from the publication Vini d'Italia and the points are from Wine Spectator.

1 Ajello /Grillo-Catarratto/ 2008
2 Cusumano /Nero d'Avola / 2006 / 3 Glasses
3 Micelli / Moscato di Pantelleria /Tanit
4 San Giusto a Rentennano/Chianti Classico/2007 /2 Glasses
5 Boscarelli/ Vino Nobile di Montepulciano / 2006 /2 Glasses
6 Poggio Antico / Brunello di Montalcino / 2003
7 Poggiarellino / Brunello di Montalcino / 2004 / WS 91 pts
8 Ferrero / Rosso di Montalcino / 2007 / 2 Glasses
9 Col di Bacche / Morellino di Scansano / Rovente / 2006 / 2 Glasses
10 San Polino / Rosso di Montalcino / 2007
11 San Polino / Brunello di Montalcino / Helichrysum / 2004/ 2 Glasses
12 Collemattoni / Rosso Toscano/ 2007
13 Collemattoni / Rosso di Montalcino / 2007
14 Collemattoni / Brunello di Montalcino / 2004 /2 Glasses /WS 95 pts
15 Collemattoni / Rosso di Montalcino / from stainless steel tank /2009
16 Collemattoni / Brunello Di Montalcino / from tank / 2009
17 Casali di Bibbiano / Casalone / 2006
18 Poggiarello / Rosato / 2008
19 La Doga / Morellino di Scansano / 2006
20 La Canonica / Orcia DOC / Assoluta / 2007
21 Boscarelli / Rosso di Montepulciano/Prugnolo / 2007 / 2 Glasses
22 Colombaio /Rosso Di Montalcino / 2007
23 San Giorgio / Brunello di Montalcino / Ugolforte / 2004 / 3 Glasses
24 Campriano / Chianti Colli Senese / 2005
25 Campriano / Chianti Colli Senese / Reserva / 2001
26 Campriano / Vin Santo / 2003
27 Casanova di Neri / Brunello di Montalcino / 2000 / 3 Glasses
28 Verbena / Grappa di Brunello /
29 Wine Circus / Davide e Golia / 2007
30 Guicciardini /Massa di Mandorlaia / Morellino di Scansano / Reserva /2003
31 Giocciardini / Massa di Mandorlaia/ Morellino di Scansano / Reserva /2004
32 Tenute Nardi / Moscadello / 2006
33 Lungarotti / Aurente / 2007/ 2 Glasses
34 Avignonesi / Nobile di Montepulciano / 2006/ 2 Glasses

Huntington and Gathering

The importance of food in Italy is reflected by our increased time in hunting and gathering activities while we are here. Last Sunday was a good example of this Italian behavior because the hills near Siena were choked with cars parked along the country roads whose occupants were out gathering either mushrooms or the seasonal chestnuts. So it is to be expected that when we return to America we sometimes continue in our gastronomic pursuits. And what better place than Huntington, NY on Long Island. We were there for my brother-in-law's wedding, but managed to put a little time into other avenues.

Guided by my father-in-law, Dino, we arose early one morning to help ourselves to nature's bounty. We walked down to the private beach and proceeded to gently press our feet into the wet, rocky sands on the shore. A jet of spitting water signaled the point of attack. Here within six inches of the surface we found all the steamer clams we could hope to eat. Next we started to search for mussels, which was even easier to harvest as they had attached themselves to almost any surface around including the small pebbles that make up the bulk of the material of the land there.





Back at home, we made our feast. Delicious! The steamers were the freshest I have ever eaten. They were soft with a complex flavor of sea and shellfish without grit, dipped in the briny juice they made when cooked. There was also a small dish of melted butter to trawl them through before tasting. I did some butter trawling, but really I ate most of them butter free and when there were no more clams to eat, I drank the broth. Then I looked over at Maddine's plate, and ate some of the clam’s thick feet that she had declined.



Next were the mussels. Cooked with some garlic and fresh tomatoes salt and pepper along with some parsley and a little white wine served on a bed of al'dente spaghetti, they could not have been any better. These were simple clear flavors blending enough but not too much. Oh yeah!

One home gathered meal was not enough. We went to the same beach another day late in the afternoon to arrive with the evening tide. We carried a couple of light fishing poles and some frozen octopus. Dino said that the best fish to catch here were the small bluefish that eat along the grass near shore, but the fish that were biting that day were the porgy. It is also known as Scup and for the scientists here (Stenotomus chrysops). Having not fished in quite a while, I found it not only fun, but a good excuse to enjoy a beautiful afternoon outside. More than once while closely watching my red and white bobber my eyes would drift over the quiet scene and I would think that we could have still been in 19th century from the evidence right at hand. I wished I had more time and my paints with me. Back home with the fish, we wrapped them in foil with some oil and lemon and put them on the grill. On opening the foil we were seduced by the first wave of steam coming off the fish. Tender white meat with a very delicate flavor made a very satisfying meal and very complete day. Ok there are small bones in the porgy but that just made it more of a slow food type of thing.

Sale for Free

"Salt", the book, is an easy read with tons of anecdotes about the history of salt and everything connected with it. I read it myself about 2 years ago. This was before my salt restricted diet made the taste of salt a rare experience for me. However, Maddine loves salt and would prefer something salty to something sweet. For me the salt diet has impoverished my choices of food. Gone are all the cured meats, the prosciutto, the capacola, salami picante also gone are the capers and olives that we cure and the sausages we like to grill in our fireplace. Please do not worry though, I get plenty to eat.

On the web you can read the many opinions on sea salt. Some say it tastes better than the more processed mined salt and healthier because it has more minerals. Sea salts come in various colors like pink, blue and black. We like it because of the texture and it tastes great. This year our one and only trip to the beach at Argentario doubles as our sea salt collection expedition. There is a site on the far side of the Monte Argentario along that narrow road where if you arrive early you can park. Next you gather your things and step down a steep rain eroded track to the rock formed bay and small beach below. There on the outer rocks, the large waves break and spray them with the salty water. Some runs back to the sea and some pools in the small pockets across the hard surface where over time and with evaporation the crystals form out of super saturated solution and wait for either rain or wave for a re-dissolve or the occasional salt collector, Us.

It is a hot sweaty business, crawling around the boulders under that scorching (I'll not say it!) sun until you have gathered enough so you can swim back to the beach area and get under the umbrella again with my big hat. When it is time to leave for dinner that steep downward path is now a vertical and it is a hard third of a mile climb. I do like the exercise, it is a bonus for the day. By the top, I am in drenched in perspiration. Gripped by thirst I swallow way too much water until I feel like a cloud has descended over me and then the nausea hits. Uh Oh, this is the condition of heat exhaustion, not eating salt and sweating and drinking too much water lowers the amount of salt in the cells and creates this dangerous condition. Though sort of wobbly we arrive at our reserved table at Cavaliere a nice seafood restaurant in Orbitello Scalo. A day later I feel better and we have our hoard of salt! Did I say that I don't eat it?