Dinner in a Garden

Living as I do in a NYC apartment, it is nice to spend a few days in the “country” even if it is less than 45 minutes away. As I sat beside the pool at our friend’s house in New Jersey, I could watch various birds in the waterfall.  

This bright red Cardinal  really  enjoyed  his  bath.

The Table was set for dinner.

We started with Champagne

Larmandier-Bernier “Latitude” Extra Brut Blanc De Blancs NV. Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes which come from the same Latitude in the southern part of Vertus. There is 40% reserve wine in the blend and the dosage is 4g/l. The wine has hints of peach, white flowers, toast and a touch of almonds.

The first course was anchovies  on  burrata  cheese  on  homemade  toasts.

Champagne Marguet Grand Cru “Shaman 15” Dosage 0 g/liter. Bottled May 2015 made from 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. The soil is chalk. The wine is fermented spontaneously. Fermentation and aging in new oak. The wine is unfined, no added sulphites and no temperature control. The wine is filtered. The winery is Organic/Biodynamic. Horses plough the soil. This is a full-bodied, complex Champagne with hints of yellow fruit and brioche.

Sancerre 2014 Clos de Beaujeu Gérard Boulay made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The vines are over 45 years old and the soil is Kimmeridgian Clay terre blanche similar to the soils of Chablis. The soil is worked manually, grapes are picked by hand and organic farming methods are used. Fermentation is in the barrel with natural yeasts. The wine is aged on the lees in a combination of barrel and tank then bottled unfiltered in July.  The wine has citrus aromas and flavors with a hints of grapefruit, herbs and nice minerality. There is a touch of sweetness on the palate.

Salad

 

Spicy shrimp in a Cajun butter sauce was prepared by a friend of our host.

The shrimp were served with baguette slices to soak up the sauce.

A spectacular Neapolitan style Rum Baba with fresh berries from a favorite local bakery was the dessert.

Marc De Bourgogne De Chambolle Musigny is fantastic!  A glass of this marc brought a perfect day to an end for me.

 

 

 

 

 

I-Trulli — A Perfect Restaurant for Outdoor Dining

Michele and I have been staying home, with a few exceptions, every day since we returned from Italy on March 6. That is 114 days! So we were very happy to hear that New York City was permitting restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining. We decided to celebrate by dining at a favorite, I Trulli, where I used to be the wine director.  We always enjoy the food and wine there and the  restaurant  has  two  spacious  garden  rooms  where  we  could  have  our  meal. 

Nicola Marzovilla, the owner, greeted us warmly. He wore a mask, as did everyone else on the staff, and escorted us to a table. All of the tables had been carefully placed 6 feet apart and guests were asked to keep their masks on until they were seated.

 

Nicola had taken every precaution. The menus were printed on a single page and the staff had been kept to a minimum. Nicola took all of the orders.

To start, we had octopus salad with potatoes, beans and arugula. The octopus was tender and the salad was lightly dressed with good olive oil from the owner’s Tuscan farm, and fresh lemon juice.

We also ordered Fritto Misto, shrimp, calamari and artichoke hearts fried in a crisp batter. Michele said she had had a craving for it since leaving Italy.

Our pasta was Cavatelli with Broccoli Rabe and Almonds. The restaurant is famous for its fresh pasta dishes, all handmade by Nicola’s mom, Dora. It is a specialty of the Puglia region of Southern Italy where the family is from.

We drank the Montefili Bianco IGT Toscana 20019 made from 50% Chardonnay and 50 % Sauvigon Blanc from vines planted in 1985. The terrain is hilly at 500 meters. The soil is galestro and alberese, the training system is guyot.  Vinification in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged is steel tanks and then in bottle for 3 months. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, a hint of herbs a touch of white flowers and good acidity. Nicola is one of the owners of the winery.

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Finally, I had the restaurant’s version of Torta alla Nonna, lemon cream in a buttery tartlet shell topped with pine nuts.

It was an enjoyable evening from start to finish and we plan to go back again very soon. It lifted our spirits to be out and about and among people like back in the good old days – only 115 days ago!

I-Trulli  124 East 27th street NYC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosè for Summer Under $20

Summer and Rose’ are a perfect match.  Here are twelve good value wines to try.

Maison Belle Claire Rosé 2016 Cotes de Provence made from 35% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 30% Cinsault. The soil is clay and limestone. The grapes are destemmed and there is temperature controlled pneumatic pressing without maceration. The wine has a light salmon color very typical of the Rose’ from the Cotes de Provence. It has intense red fruit with hints of strawberries and raspberries, good acidity and a very pleasing finish and aftertaste $18

Château La Tour de l’Evêque Rosé 20014 Cuvée Pétale de Rose AOC Côtes de Provence.  France.  Made from 42% Cinsault, 38% Grenache, 9% Syrah, 4% Ugni-blanc, 3% Mourvèdre, 2% Sèmillon, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Rolle. The hand harvest took place between August 16 and September 16. This is a wine with red berry aromas and flavors that is very easy to drink with a nice finish and aftertaste. $18

Domaine de Bila-Haut ”Les Vignes” Pays d”Oc Rose’ 2018 made from 55% Grenache and 35% Syrah. Michel Chapoutier. Located in Cõtes du Roussillon, Languedoc, France.  In the hills of the Agly Valley the 40-year-old vines are carefully attended. The juice is fermented and aged in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. After a short maceration on the skins, a delicate pink hue is attained and the wine is racked and vinified. The wine is then carefully blended for bottling. It has hints of citrus and a touch of raspberry. $15

Cötes-du –Rhone Rosè “Samorens” 2017 Ferraton Pere & Fils made from 75% Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. The vineyards are situated on the right bank of the Rhöne. Alluvial soils: limestone, sand, pebbles and clay. Fermentation takes place for 15 days at a controlled temperature of 15C and 19C. The wine matures in vats. The wine is fresh and lively with hints of strawberries and raspberries with good minerality. $15

Les Vignes Rosé Bila- Haut 2017 Pays D’Oc Michel Chapoutier  this is a blend of Cinsault and Grenache. Mr. Chapoutier went outside the Roussillon area to find a Cinsault from the Gard district that, when blended with Grenache, would produce a delicate and elegant rosé. The grapes are vinified at low even temperatures. The juice is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and aged in those tanks. After a short maceration on the skins, the pink hue is attained and the wine is racked and vinified. The wine is then blended prior to bottling. The wine has hints of citrus and red fruit with a floral aroma. $15

Rodon Bardolino Chiaretto La Fraghe made from Corvina and Rondinella from the Comuni di Affi and Cavaion Veronese. The training system is guyot and there are 5,000 vines per hectare. The exposure is south and the vineyard is at 190 meters. Corvina and Rondinella are vinified separately. They are given a cool temperature 6 to 8 hour maceration on the skins, which extracts just enough color to give a lovely, medium bodied hue to the juice. The must then ferments at a cool 17 degrees C. The finished wine matures on the lees in 50HL stainless steel tanks until the following spring when it is bottled. The wine has a elegant bouquet of strawberries and red currents while on the palate the wine is full bodied and balanced with a long finish the evokes the bouquet. $17

Irpinia Rosato DOC 2018 “Vela Vento Vulcano” made from 100% Aglianico Tenuta Cavalier Pepe. The estate vineyards are in the hills of Luogosano and Sant’Angelo all’Esca at 350 meters. The soil is claylike and chalky. The grapes are hand picked and destemmed and undergo an initial cold maceration. After a few hours of skin contact, the grapes are pressed and the must ferments at a low temperature. The wine matures in bottle until release. This is an easy drinking fruity wine with hints of cherries, strawberries and a touch of raspberries. I visited the winery in February and was very impressed with all of the wines.$18

11 Minutes Rosé Trevenezie IGT Pasqua. Italy. Made mostly from Corvina with Trebbiano Lugana, Syrah and Camenere. The wine is in contact with the skin for 11 minutes which gives the wine its name. Once the must is obtained, it is cooled and transferred to a steel tank where it remains for about 11 hours, the necessary time for the more solid parts to decant. The must is inculcated with select yeasts. During fermentation there is daily monitoring of the wine. Then the wine remains in contact with the lees for about 3 or 4 months. The wine is filtered and bottled in January. The wine has hints of raspberry and strawberry, with floral notes and a touch of spice. $16

Rosè Massoferrato 2018 Azienda Agricola Massoferrato made from 100% Sangiovese, picked early from vineyards located in Impruneta, on a south facing slope just south of Florence. The grapes are picked and are in contact with the skins for a few hours. The wine remains in stainless steel for a few months before release.  This is a fruity wine with good acidity, hints of cherry and a touch of spice.The Marzovilla Family owns the winery. Nicola Marzovilla is the owner of i-Trulli restaurant in NYC.$19

Barone Sergio Sicilia Nero d’Avola Rosato “Luigia” 2018 made from100% Nero d’ Avola the vines are 10 years old and are at 70 meters. Fermentation takes place without the skins. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine matures in steel for 6 to 7 months and in bottle for 2 months before release. The wine has hints of strawberry and cherry with a touch of raspberry.

Cantine Vincenzo Ippolito, “Pescanera” Calabria Rosé IGT 2018 made from 100% Greco Nero which is a local grape from Calabria. The grapes come from the best vineyards on the coast and after a manual harvest are soft pressed without any maceration. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine has hints of strawberries and raspberries with citrus notes and a touch of wild flowers.  Rosé wines have a long history in Calabria and Ippolito was one of the first to produce them.

Sokel Blosser Dundee Hills Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2018 (777,115 & Pommard clones) Alex said the 2018 vintage was their coolest growing season since 2012 and he believes it will be their best vintage since then as well. The grapes were carefully hand harvested (brix at harvest 19.5), de-stemmed and loaded into the press where the juice soaked on the skins for four to six hours. It was then gently pressed to minimize extraction of tannins from the skins. The juice was divided into multiple stainless steel tanks, one portion was inoculated with natural yeast, and the other with a yeast focused on lifting the fruit aromas within the grape. An extended, slow, cool fermentation took place. There is just a hint of residual sugar (1.5g/l) to balance the firm acidity. This is a crisp refreshing rose’ with hints of melon, white peach and a touch of raspberry

 

 

 

 

 

A Touch of Provence in NYC

Friends who live nearby invited us for an al fresco lunch the other day.  It was a beautiful day and we sat properly social distanced at two separate tables.  Ours was set up under a pergola.  With the dappled sunlight shining through, the setting was magical and reminded us of our travels  in Provence.

The appetizers

We started with an appetizer of endive leaves filled with a creamy tuna tonnato sauce.

There were crunchy French breakfast radishes to dip in butter and salt, too.

Nuts

TrentoDOC Ferrari Perlé Method Classico 2011 made from 100% organic Chardonnay from vineyards at 300 to 700 meters with a southeast or southwesterly exposure. The soil is loose not too deep made of volcanic and glacial deposits. There are 4,500 to 5,500 plants per hectare. Harvest is by hand from in the middle of September..Fermentation and aging is in stainless steel and the wine remains on the lees for 60 months. This is an elegant well-balanced wine with hints of apple, almonds, and a touch of brioche. I was very impressed by this wine. Residual sugar 6g/l.

Breads  Bakery  provided  the  delicious  sourdough  bread.

The soup was served in a beautiful hand painted terrine.

It was a  cold  pea  soup  finished  with  a drizzle  of  cream.

Rosè Massoferraro 2018 Azienda Agricola Massoferrato made from 100% Sangiovese, picked early from vineyards located in Impruneta, on a south facing slope just south of Florence. The grapes are picked and are in contact with the skins for a few hours. The wine remains in stainless steel for a few months before release.  This is a fruity wine with good acidity, hints of cherry and a touch of spice.The Marzovilla Family owns the winery. Nicola Marzovilla is the owner of i-Trulli in NYC.

 

Potato salad  with red  onions,  green  beans  and  herbs.

Grilled  steak  with  sauteed  peppers  and  onions.

On the plate

 

Gigondas 2008 “La Reserve” Domaine Du Pourra made from 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. From 20 /40 year old vines. The clay and limestone soil is planted with vines that are more then 40 years old. There are organic practices in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the vineyard. Older vintages were aged in Foudres ( old wooden vats), more recent ones in concrete. This is a complex wine with hints of blackberries, cherries, pepper, a touch of spice, undertone of lavender, a long finish and very pleasing aftertaste. It was perfect with the grilled steak.

 

Michele made and orange yogurt cake which she served with local strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

With the cake and in keeping with the Provencal theme, we had a delicious Beaumes  de  Venise.

 

Muscat Beaumes de Venise 2918 La Petite Grain D’Antonin Vignoble Alain Ignace. Made from 75% Muscat à petit blanc and 25% Muscat rouge.  The grapes are destemmed and pressed followed by a cool decantation for 18 hours. Vinification is in steel vats for 15/20 days on the lees before the mutage (adding alcohol to the must) This is a dessert wine with hints of rose water, violets. lychee nuts and unstated red fruit.

A 1978 Chianti Classico with Lunch

During a visit to the Fattoria di Monsanto in 1983, I tasted the Santa Caterina Chianti Classico for the first time.  That day, I spend several hours speaking with the owner, Fabrizio Bianchi.  He introduced to Laura Bianchi, his daughter, who now runs the winery, as well as her sister and their mother. It was a wonderful visit and one I still remember after all these years. Recently when I saw the wine for sale I just had to purchase it.

Santa Caterina Chianti Classico 1978 DOC Fattoria di Monsanto –the wine was likely made mostly from Sangiovese with a little Canaiolo. They stopped using white grapes in 1968. This was their wine to be drunk young  and for everyday drinking. They stopped making it in the 1990’s replacing it with a wine called Monrosso, which is not a Chianti Classico.

For a  wine that was made to be drunk young this wine has lasted for 42 years, once again proving that Sangiovese can age.  The wine had hints of red berries, leather, cooked  fruit. and a hint of violets with no signs of oxidation.

With the wine we ate  grilled  lamb kabobs  with  peppers,  onions  and tomatoes.

We finished the wine with two cheeses,  Parmigiano Reggiano and  a young Piave. 

Michele’s anise and wine cookies are a staple in our house and I finished the meal with them and a good cup of espresso.

Ten Favorite Red Wines $20 and Under

Here are some of my favorite red wines that you can buy for $20 or less.

Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba DOCG “Garabei” 2017  Giovanni Abrigo made from 100% Dolcetto grapes planted in 1968. The estate is situated on a hill in Diano d’Alba at a high altitude. They own 11 hectares of vineyards. The soil is sandy with a lot of gravel. The juice is fermented naturally on the skins for 8 days in stainless steel tanks. After racking the wine is aged for 12 months in stainless steel and spends 4 more months in bottle before release. The wines are not filtered or fined. Sustainable farming methods are used. The wine has hints of red fruit, cherries. $16

Mustilli Piedirosso Sannio DOC 100% Piedirosso from the Pozzillo vineyard, which is at 800 ft. The soil is volcanic and clay and the exposure is southwest. The wines are between 10 and 20 years old. The grapes are hand harvested in late October. Fermented on indigenous yeast in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months. Very nice fruit with hints of plums, violets and a hint of bell peppers.

Elena Walch Schiava Alto Adige DOC 2015 made from 100% Schiava from high side vineyards above Lake Caldaro at 1,312 ft. The soil is limestone and dandy clay. There is temperature-controlled fermentation at 27°C in stainless steel tanks for 7 days of skin contact. Malolactic fermentation and maturation take place in traditional 8,000-liter Slovenian oak casks. This is a fruity red wine with hints of cherry and a nice bitter almond touch on the finish. $16

Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2012 Sartori di Verona made from 45% Corvina, 30% Covinone, 20% Rondinella and 5% Croatina. The Valpolicella Classico area is north of Verona and the soil is calcareous with fine layers of limestone. There is soft pressing with skin maceration for 8 to 10 days. After pressing 10% of the must is extracted to obtain better color and tannin. After racking and malolactic fermentation the wine is aged partially in stainless steel and partially in oak for 15 months. The wine is aged in bottle for 4 months before release. It has aromas and flavors of rich red fruit with hints of black cherry, nice minerality and soft tannins. $20

Montefalco Rosso 2016 Bocale made from 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 10% Merlot and 5% Colorino. Harvest takes place by hand from the last ten days of September to early October. Vinification is exclusively with natural enzymes. The wine does not undergo any kind of stabilization or filtration. The presence of sediment should be considered a guarantee of authenticity. The wine is aged in barrels and barriques for about 12 months and aged in bottle for at least 6 months before release. This is a balanced wine with hints of cherry, violets and floral scents and a touch of spice. $19

Irpinia Aglianico DOC 2015 Tenuta Del Mariggio made from 100% Aglianico from estate vineyards located in Montemiletto at 500 meters and in Taurasi at 300 meters. The vineyards were planted between 2003 and 2012. There are 4,000 plants per hectare and the training system is guyot. Harvest takes place at the end of October and the beginning of September. This is a wine with red and blackberry flavors and a hint of spice and should be drunk within the next 5 years.$16

Casavecchia “Trebulanum” Terre del Volturno IGT Michele Alois made from 100% Casavecchia from a 1.5-hectare vineyard at 180 meters. The soil is volcanic with minerals, training system is guyot and there are 5,200 plants per hectare. Harvest is in the first weeks of October. Vinification is in stainless steel tanks with maceration on the skins for 20 days. Malolactic fermentation in large barrels (botti) for 18 months  and 6 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of licorice, tar and smoke, a very long finish and a pleasing aftertaste.

Castelluccio Miano “ Perric One”  DOC, 2015 Sicily, 100% Perricone The average age of the vines is 20 to 30 years and the training method is guyot and spur-pruning. Before fermentation, the grapes are dried, then the wine is made using the “ripasso technique”. Traditional red wine fermentation with pump over during the initial spontaneous fermentation stage. Complete malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 3 months in steel tanks, then 10 months in small oak barrels and another 6 months in bottle before release. This is a full-bodied red wine with aromas and flavors of dry fruit with a nice aftertaste and long finish. $20

Nero D’Avola 2018 Cusumano 100% Nero d’Avola . Production zone San Giacomo, Butera. The vines are 14 years old and the exposure south, southeast. Training system is espalier and there are 5,000 plants per hectare. Destemming and cold maceration takes  on the skins for 2 days. Fermentation is with frequent re-circulation and removal of the must. Malolactic fermentation is in stainless steel an the wine remains on the lees for 5 months before release. This is a fruity easy drinking wine and a great value. $14 

Primitivo Salento “Mezzapezza” 2016 Trullo di Pezza made from 100% Primitivo from vines 20 to 30 years old at 5 meters. The soil is sandy clay, south exposure and the training system is Espalier. Harvest is manual. Fermentation is in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with maceration for 8 to 10 days. The wine is aged in stainless steel for 5 months and 1 month in bottle before release. This is a fresh intense fruity wine with hints of cherry, plum, and a touch of spice.$17

 

 

 

 

Lunch Should Have Been on Lake Maggiore

We were supposed to be in Italy on Lake Maggiore right now.  But since that was not possible, we decided to invite a friend who we would have been traveling with over for Sunday lunch.

Michele has been experimenting with cheese biscuits, so we had some of them to start.  She made them with a mix of  cheeses  and  lots  of  black  pepper.

Cheese  and  Black  Pepper  Biscotti

Anchovies

A jar of Anchovies  purchased  in   Rome  was  the  inspiration  for  the  next  starter.   

Toasted ciabatta topped with stracciatella, a creamy blend of shredded mozzarella, and those anchovies.

With these we had Champagne

Champagne Pierre Gimonnet & Fils “Fleuron” Brut 2009 made from 100% Chardonnay from premier cru Villages mostly in the Cöte de Blancs. Fermention is in stainless steel and malolactic fermentation takes place, The wine remains on the lees for 84 months. The wine has hints of apple, floral notes a touch of lemon, with good minerality and balanced acidity.

Then Bucatini Amatriciana  made  with  guanciale,  cured  pork  cheek, tomatoes  and  pecorino  cheese.

Then we had Pork in the Cradle with roasted potatoes.  When we first moved to Park Slope in Brooklyn many years ago, Michele found a wonderful Sicilian butcher who would prepare pork loin this way by tying the roast onto a rack of ribs.  When you serve it, you have a great combination of  sliced pork and tasty ribs.  The butcher returned to Sicily many years ago, but Michele still likes to do pork this way tucking seasonings — fennel, garlic, rosemary — over and under the meat.  When the roast is done, she lets it rest while the ribs go back to the oven for additional crisping.   

Pork, ribs, pan roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe.

We had one of my favorite red wines  to  go with  this  feast.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2001  Emidio Pepe 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The winery is organic and Bio-Dynamic. They belong to the Triple “A” Agriculture Artisans Artists. Both the tendonne method and the cordon spur method are used for training the vines. In vintages when the weather is very hot the tendone method is better because the leaves form a canopy to protect the grapes from the sun.  When the weather is not too hot, the cordon spur is better because it allows more sun and air to reach the grapes. 1 hectare of tendone has 900 vines produces 90 quintals of grapes.  That means that each vine produces from 6 to 9 kilos of grapes. In one hectare of cordon spur trained grapes, there are 3,300 vines and each vine produces 5 to 6 kilos of grapes. The grapes are crushed by hand and the juice placed in glass-lined cement tanks of 20/25 liters. Only natural yeasts are used, there is no filtration or fining. The wine is transferred to the bottle by hand and the corks are placed in the bottles by hand. The wine has deep red fruit aromas and flavors with hints of cherry, spice and leather.  I had the 1982 a few weeks ago and the 2001 has the same profile but needs more time.

Michele had planned a simple dessert of homemade lemon ice and cookies, but our guest brought us a fruit and  custard tart from a favorite bakery.  It was very beautiful.

But we also had lemon ices, topped with grappa, as a digestivo but the picture did not come out.  Can’t imagine why.

 

 

 

 

How Chinon Saved Lunch

 

Under the current circumstances, we have been ordering most of our groceries and household supplies from different sources.   Many of these sources are overwhelmed by the demand placed on them and some time the wrong items are sent. Michele ordered pork sausages with fennel but when they arrived they turned out to be chicken sausages with parsley and cheese.  Chicken sausages are usually beneath her consideration, but they were here and we were hungry, so Michele decided to cook them.

For an appetizer we had two different types of pecorino cheese, salami , taralli, and Italian “Air Bread”,  crisp crackers that Michele had come across at Eataly. 

The main course was the chicken sausages with sauteed peppers and red onions.  The  sausages  were  much  improved  by  the  peppers  and  together  with  the wonderful Chinon , it  was  a  good  meal.  

On the platter

On the plate  with  a crisp ciabatta  roll.

Chinon “Les Picasses” 1989 (Loire) Olga Raffault” Made from 100% Cabernet Franc. The soil is limestone and clay. The mid slope vines are at least 50 years old and are worked organically and harvested by hand. The fruit is destemmed and whole uncrushed berries are fermented with indigenous yeast in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation and maceration lasts for 25 to 30 days depending on the vintage. The wine is aged for 2 to 3 years in oak and chestnut foudres of 30 to 50 HL. There is more aging in tank and bottle before release for about four years. This is a full bodied, structured and complex wine with hints of cherry, red and dark berries, a hint of smoke and a touch of meatiness.

For dessert, we had some homemade Wine Cookies with espresso.

 

C 

 

An Al Fresco Lunch

After almost 90 days, Michele and I  accepted an invitation to join friends for lunch in their garden. They live a few blocks from us. They left the front door open so we walked through the house into the garden. We sat at separate tables more than 6 feet apart. It was wonderful to see them in person and to be eating outside.

We started with finocchiona salami and taralli

Then we had with vinaigrette, chives and egg mimosa

With this we drank

Bodegas Naveran Rosado Cava Brut made from Pinot Noir and Parellada grapes. The grapes are lightly pressed and very little skin contact takes place so the wine remains pale in color. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a very low temperature. Once the base wine was finished fermenting, it is stabilized and filtered in order to continue with the triage and a second fermentation takes place in the bottle with a minimum of 12 months aging. The wine has very tiny bubbles with aromas and flavors of red fruit, a touch of lemon and a hint of ginger. The winery produces organic cavas and wines. This is a vegan wine.

Our host pouring the wine

Next there we had tile fish with olives and capers with steamed potatoes and sugar snaps.

With  the meal  we  had  whole  grain  bread

To accompany the fish, we had Sancerre “ Les Baronnes” Henri Bourgeois made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The soil is clay and limestone. The wine is fermented in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks at 15 to 18 degrees C. The wine is aged on the lees at a cool temperature for 5 months before release. This is a crisp and fruity wine with citrus aromas and flavors with a touch of herbs, nice minerality, a long finish and pleasant after taste.

Michele made the dessert, Cornmeal Berry Cake with whipped cream from her book, The Italian Vegetable Cookbook.

Calvados  and  espresso  completed  the  meal.

What a pleasure to enjoy a delicious summer lunch al fresco with dear friends.