Querciabella Chianti Classico 2012, Tuscany, Italy
Sour cherries and cardamom, raisins and noble lavender, mouth compact but multifaceted in many streams and red fruits.
Tag Archives: Italy
The Story Behind Salumi
Cured meats or ‘Salumi’ in Italian was born out of the need to conserve meat for months after the ‘harvest’ of the animal. Cured meats are most often made of pork, beef, veal, goat, chamois, venison, wild boar or horse. Salting, smoking and air-drying are the three main processes by which fresh meat is transformed into a storable delicacy.
Salt, a conserving agent, is used in large quantities to ensure that the meat will keep for several months. Similarly, spices play a key role in conserving meat: black pepper, chili flakes, and ground red pepper are predominant.
Italian Salumi falls under two categories: those obtained from a whole cut of meat, such as a boneless thigh or shoulder. You may recognize Prosciutto, Pancetta, Coppa, Culatello in this case. Those made from minced, ground, or chopped meat that is stuffed into casings, known as insaccati in Italian and are more popularly known as salami and sausages.
Deposit your Cheese Here Please!
The Bank That Accepts Parmigiano Reggiano as loan collateral
For years, Italian bank Credito Emiliano (Credem) has accepted Parmigiano Reggiano as loan collateral offered to producers of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese. According to the Harvard Business School case study, if producers are unable to repay their loans, or if prices fall and the value of the collateral does not support the outstanding debt, Credem may sell the cheese it holds to cover any potential loss.
Parmigiano Reggiano sold in the EU must be produced in and using milk from a handful of areas – Parma, Reggio, Emilia, Modena and parts of Mantua and Bologna.The hard cheese, made using raw cow’s milk, must be matured for at least 12 months.
According to the Harvard case study, Credem is investigating whether its Parmigiano Reggiano model can be applied to other agricultural products.
Chef Alessandro Becchini at Maritime by San Lorenzo
Chef Alessandro Becchini, the man behind Maritime by San Lorenzo at Taj Land’s End, is an alumnus of ‘Istituto Professionale Alberghiero F.Martin’ in Tuscany. He started his career as Executive Chef / Catering Director in October 1989 with Sì! Italian Restaurant & Bar at Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A. Chef Becchini has a vast experience in the F&B sector having launched 2 restaurants and spearheading more than 5 kitchen across his career spanning 24 years. Chef Becchini has also has experience in teaching having worked with Istituto Professionale Alberghiero Statale, Montecatini Terme, Italy as a teacher providing young students the rudiments of pastry and ethnic cuisine. We aboslutely enjoyed our dinner at Maritime this weekend, it made us want to make a special mention of Chef Alessandro on our blog!
Sambuca
Sambuca is an anise-flavored liqueur, produced by the infusion of elderflowers and licorice, sweetened with sugar and enhanced with a secret combination of herbs and spices. White Sambuca is the traditional and generally the more popular variety, having a mellower licorice taste and lighter body than that of black sambuca.
The most popular brand of Sambuca, the one that almost stands as a synonym for the product itself, is certainly Sambuca Molinari. Sambuca Romana, however, is another popular choice in Italy. This strong, syrupy and aromatic liqueur is made with star anise and white elderflowers. It is served as a digestive or, with the addition of water, as a long (and refreshing) drink. If you order this in a restaurant, you will typically see 3 coffee beans floating in it, signifying health, happiness and prosperity!
Could We Be Running Out of Prosecco?
Prosecco experts claim that shortage is upon us and this lovely summer bubbly may not flow quite as freely this year. High demand and unexpected weather conditions have resulted in limited production of Italy’s most popular sparkling wine, a brand in itself.
Last year’s harvest was very poor, and down by up to 50% in some parts, so there is a very real possibility of a global shortage,” Robert Cremonese, export manager of Bisol, said in an interview with the trade publication The Drinks Business.
“We’ll find out how big the problem is in August when the brokers release their stock. At the moment we don’t know how much Prosecco they’re holding on to.” Cremonese added.
Another reason for this shortage is that global demand for Prosecco has risen sharply over the last several years while supply is still limited. In 2014, Prosecco DOC sales increased by 27%, according to the Italian news organization Italy24. Wine. Wine consumers over the world consider Prosecco as a less expensive, easier to drink alternative to Champagne. It has whizzed past its French rival as the best – selling sparkling in 2014.
Article by Nikhil Agarwal for Mumbai Touch Down
I like women and women like me but that’s definitely not enough when you reach the dating-and-beyond stage. After spending a large part of my life in the company of some fine women, I have learnt to understand the art of detail. The thing being, who has the goddamn time??
The mounting workload, the clocking of incessant air miles and the perpetual deadlines leave little room for romance. However, in my journey to find the best wines and cheese located in different pockets of the world I had an epiphany, one that allows you to mix business with pleasure.
Wooing your partner with some fine wine and carefully paired cheese is a heady mix of detail and planning, couple that with a perfect location and you have a sure shot at whatever you are aiming for. Putty in your hands, so to speak.
Wine and Cheese is like Laurel & Hardy, Guns & Roses, Bill & Hillary, and other combinations that are frequently better than either independently. But be careful, you need to do the pairing properly to ensure maximum please and any cheese with any wine will not work. Regions or vineyards that produce fantastic wine usually have very high culinary standards and cheese is an integral part of the whole experience.
You don’t have to know a Cabernet Sauvignon from a Chardonnay to appreciate these destinations – they offer as much peace and scenery as they do great wines. Here’s a look at some destinations that are a winner every time.
We will start off with our very own Nasik. I would recommend making a trip to Sula Vineyards which has done an excellent job in creating a wonderful wine experience. Their tasting room with its breath taking view is one of the most perfect places on the planet in the evenings especially in the colder months. You could head to York Winery which is further down the road for more excellent wine and cheese with an even more dramatic view and then bring the evening to a close less than a km further down the road at Sula’s 21 room only hotel Beyond.
In Akluj, ahead of Pune is the state of the art Fratelli Vineyards with impressive accommodations literally in the middle of nowhere. Get them to hook up a scrumptious sun downer and dinner in their lookout point over the vineyards which are a little away from the winery/rooms for you and your partner. You will have never seen anything like it.
All the above wineries serve generous portions of assorted cheese as accompaniments ensuring that your taste buds are in heaven.
Away from India, if you are heading to the west coast in the United States, I suggest you make a trip to Napa Valley and its surrounding areas which are littered with wineries producing excellent wine. The wineries have tasting rooms, a restaurant or two and rooms that are perfect for some alone time. They even have spa’s so you have an opportunity to go completely all out in pampering her.
Bordeaux in France is another of my favourites; the city is mesmerizing with unbelievable architecture. If you are into wine, this is your mecca and every street corner has cafés and restaurants dishing out incredible cuisine, glorious French cheese with a wine list to match. You can also hire a car and drive into the adjoining vineyard regions, visit some grand Chateaux and carry a picnic basket to make a stop wherever your heart desires. Make sure you make a trip to Saint Emillion, a medieval town on the right of the river Gironde that produces top wines and is simply drop dead gorgeous.
One cannot talk about wine and cheese and of course romance and not bring Italy into the picture. Head to Tuscany, rent a villa or park yourself in the middle of a vineyard and take in the fantastic wines and gastronomy. Maybe after a glass or two you can tell her how much you love her in Italian? Try Castello di Quercetto, a legendary wine producing house with over a 100 years of history. I highly recommend renting one of their apartments and spending some quality time there. Open a bottle of two of their Super Tuscans and she will not be able to resist you. Additionally, your only 25 kilometers away from the lovely city of Florence ! Need I say more? Veneto is another region within Italy that produces fine wine, and with Venice one of the worlds most romantic spots as its main city you cannot go wrong.
In the southern hemisphere if you are travelling to Australia, especially the Southeast of Australia make a trip to the wonderful wine growing regions of Barossa and Mclaren Vale. Try their full bodied reds from the Shiraz grape varietal paired with some local delicacies. I highly recommend visiting the Woodstock Estate in Mclaren Vale for some fabulous hospitality and a charming setting. New Zealand is full of stunning beauty, wineries producing top class wines and world class cheese. Take a trip to Marlborough and visit the legendary Cloudy Bay winery. Also visit the charming Clos Henri winery for an old world kind of wine experience.
There is of course a lot more countries and regions to visit but this should keep you busy for a while and in your partners good books. There are thousands of cheese and endless wines and I hope that you spend a lifetime time taking in their pleasures along with your partner.
Cheers to good loving!
Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier and Director at All Things Nice – www.allthingnice.in