I just couldn't resist. My last run in Cortona took me past Frances Mayes' house, the infamous villa from Under the Tuscan Sun. On the road right near her house was a wild giant fig tree and since I have been wanting a cutting from Cortona to add to my collection, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get one. A quick snap of a tiny branch and I was on my way down the hill with a little piece of Tuscany in my pocket. I hope I am as successful with this as I have been with the Sicilian cutting, that as you can see by my photo below, has started to produce some deliciously sweet figs. I'll keep you posted!
Kerry and Antonio picked up our rental cars this morning and we hit the road for our first winery visit. But this wasn't just any visit, as we were heading to one of the most famous wine regions of the world, the gorgeous hillside slopes of Brunello di Montalcino.
Our host today was Count Alberto Marone Cinzano, current owner of one of the largest landholding estates, Col D'Orcia. Having run into some major traffic jams on the route, we showed up more than a bit late and were quickly whisked off to the large tasting room by Nicola, the property manager. The count himself guided us through the tasting of 8 wines that included a red blend from his Chilean estate, a super Tuscan, 2 rosso di Montalcino, 3 Brunellos, and their single vineyard cabernet and merlot. From the softer juicy light summer style reds to big powerful riservas, it was an impressive lineup thoroughly enjoyed by all of our guests.
Next up was lunch, in their beautiful reception room where we were treated to a variety of dishes made mainly with products grown on their property. Panzanella salad, bruschetta,prosciutto, freshly made pasta from their own wheat, lamb, fried peas and fresh veggies from the garden accompanied by their estate made olive oil. And of course bottles of each of the wines were set out for us to try with the different foods.
As do most producers in the region they also make 4 different grappa, as well as a beautiful dessert wine, that were also brought out for us with a delicious apple tart for dessert.
At this point, most had over indulged a bit, so we kept the tour a little short. As this would normally take place before the tasting our late arrival mean switching the order of things. But we did go to the barrel room where Nicola poured us each a sample of the very young 2010 Brunello.
We said our goodbyes and loaded everyone in the cars to explore the hilltop towns of Montalcino and Pienza, famous for it's pecorino cheese production. The most gorgeous ride back took us through the sepia toned Tuscan countryside, dotted with fields of olive trees and grape vines and beautiful villas as we winded our way back to Cortona for dinner.
Wanting to keep the pace of this trip a more relaxed, New Orleans style experience, we scheduled a lot of time for just hanging out and exploring different areas.
In front of our little apartment.
Having done some serious toasting and celebrating the night of our arrival, everyone had the morning to do what they what they wanted. Some went to Sunday mass, others slept in and hung out at the villa, I went for a run and and had a little breakfast at the apartment Kerry and I are staying in just up the hill from the villa.
The villa is a 16th century home, that is also a historic landmark in the town due to the fact that the famous Renaissance painter, Petro Berrittini, was born there. It has a huge, beautiful garden over looking the valley where we are serving our meals. Today we had freshly made spinach and ricotta ravioli that Antonio sautéed in butter and sage, salad, mixed cured meats antipasta platter and fresh fruit served with a few bottles of delicious sparkling Franciacorta wine.
We spent few hours in the Etruscan Museum, as Cortona was one o the original Etruscan settlements with it's origins dating back to pre Roman times. Afterwards, veryone then went off on their own, visiting the great small shops, ducking in and out of little hidden alleyways and streets, seeing the many churches, and of course we continued our afternoon gelato and espresso tradition!
Tonight's dinner was at Trattoria Dardano, owned by the Castelli family, who serves meat and game from their own farm. We dined on bruschetta, fresh made pici pasta with a duck ragu, a platter of freshly grilled rabbit, pheasant and duck, insalata and the most delicious rosemary potatoes, cooked in the fat of all of those meats on the platter. An array of desserts was accompanied by owner Paolo's incredible house made bay leaf amaro.
As we walked ourselves up the very steep hill to the villa, everyone was completely stuffed and ready to fall into bed. No late night parties tonight as all needs to awake early for our trip to Montalcino and be ready to drink the famous Brunello wines of Col D'Orcia.... - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Coffee this morning is in one of the many enotece in the beautiful Tuscan hill town of Cortona. The views here are much different than those from Positano, but none less breathtaking! The photos below are from my jog this morning.
This is the "work" part of the trip where Antonio Molesini and I have arranged a wine and cultural tour of Tuscany for 8 of our customers, using his home town of Cortona as a base.
We'll be visiting wineries, beautiful hilltop villages, museums and traveling around this stunning countryside while immersing ourselves in the food, wine and culture of the region.
Today is an easy day exploring Cortona, while tomorrow will be a trip to Montalcino and their famous Brunello wines. I can't wait!
When I told importer Marco di Grazia that I was coming to Campania he said that I had to go to his friend Sergio's restaurant, the best on the whole Amalfi Coast. While I haven't eaten at enough places here to make that claim, I can tell you that Da Adolfo has been my favorite so far, and for many reasons other than the delicious food!
Reason #1 - access from the road to the restaurant is difficult, so a handsome, suntanned Italian guy picks you up in a little wooden boat at the dock in Positano and takes you a few coves over and drops you on the tiny beach that Da Adolfo shares with a hotel.
Reason #2 - you sit in an open restaurant right on the beach, so the dress code is about as casual as it gets, bathing suits!
Reason #3 -since there is no storage, seafood is brought in by boat daily and you are served platters of the freshest mussels, clams, octopus, the catch of the day plus all locally produced
cheeses, wines, fruits, pasta and vegetables prepared simply with traditional recipes of the region.
Reason #4- no menus, just let the crazy Italian guys who work there pick for you. Trust me, you couldn't go wrong with anything they bring you!
Reason # 5 - when you are finished eating you have to wait for the handsome Italian guy to take you back in the boat and since you are dining in your bathing suit, you step down to the beach and take a swim in the crystal clear, sea foam green waters. Kids, adults, tourists and locals hang out, snorkel, swim, jump from the rocks and enjoy the moment.
Kerry and I snuck off by ourselves here the other day, so today, sadly our last, we're bringing the other girls. I can't wait!!
This time we all took a motorized vehicle to Monte Pertuso, as the next item on our agenda is dinner at Il Ritrovo, one of three restaurants near the tiny piazza. Recommended by slow food's guide, "Osterie & Locanda d'Italia" it was the only restaurant in the vicinity they felt truly captures the areas cultural and culinary traditions.
Located high on the mountainside above Positano, they make it easy for you to get there by sending a complimentary car to pick you up and take you home from the restaurant. This allows you to drink copious amounts of wine and still safely make trip down the winding twisty roads to your villa!
Far away from the nice but touristy places on the beach, Salvatore and Teresa Barba's trattoria is casual and humble with most of the vegetables and white meats come from their own land, farmed by father Domenico. Chiara's brother, Francesco, is the wine guy and we had a great conversation about local wines while I was waiting for the girls to come up on the bus earlier that morning.
They have a few set menus with multiple courses at varying prices and amounts of food or you can or items alla carte. Francesco recommended the $35 euro per person menu, so we all decided on that and I asked him to pick all local wines based on the menu.
I can't tell you how much I've been enjoying the white wines from the region! Refreshing, clean with great minerality from the volcanic soils and mouthwatering acidity, they beg for the fresh regional seafood dishes! Tramonti is one of the local doc's so we began with that; a blend of falanghina, biancolella and ginestra by Colle Santa Marina.
We had this with the antipasti, three platters full of grilled tuna and octopus;
fresh tomato bruschetta with fried shrimp and;
an assortment of different vegetables from their garden.
Next up was Francesco's favorite Greco di Tufo by Benito Ferrari paired with our primi piatti,
platters of freshly made pasta with porcini mushrooms, langoustine tails, housemade ravioli in a fresh tomato sauce and their local clams in butter and garlic.
Lastly we had the Bechar Fiano di Avellino that has by far been my favorite wine of the trip!
And our secondi was a beautiful local redfish poached in a light tomato and garlic broth.
Then there were the two platters of house made desserts accompanied by local liquors also made in house, but by this time I've eaten so many things that I can't even remember what we had!
Needless to say, we rolled out of the restaurant and back into the van that picked us up, miserably but deliciously full, and fell into bed!
Our day of hiking in the Lattari Mountains above Positano proved to be even more challenging and rewarding than anticipated! I had bought a book by Julian Tippett that was a great guide for adventure and helped us plan our day away from the tourists and into the forest.
This series of stairs, alleyways and stone pathways line the coast, connecting the countryside to villages and towns, and provides an amazing look into how the people of the region have historically moved themselves and supplies from place to place. They are extremely well made, but not well marked and you may find yourself walking straight up a hundred or more stairs only to end up at the gate of a residence!
Using the book as our guide, the plan was to take a bus from Positano to a small hillside town above called Monte Pertuso where we would start the hike. But I was so anxious to begin that I decided to instead also do the hike up the mountain to meet the bus in Monte Pertuso. After a few wrong turns I found the right set of stairs to begin my ascent. Now I have been challenging myself by running these steep stairways since I got here, but this climb definitely took my heart rate to new heights and left me having to stop and catch my breath between segments. Not many switchbacks, just ancient stairs heading straight up from sea level to 1200 ft!
Already dripping with sweat at 10am, I waited for the bus to arrive with the rest of the girls. We had decided on three hiking segments that would takes us deep into forest to different landmarks and towns and eventually back to Positano.
Something we all learned from the book is that if it says strenuous, they mean it! The first segment was labeled as such and provided an hour and a half's worth of climbing up another height gain of 1300 feet. Rock lined stairways, cliff hugging paths and sensational coastal scenery made for quite an adventure as we wound our way up the mountain to our first destination, Caserma Forestale, literally an old stone house in the woods perched atop a cliff that gave us place to rest for a minute while we prepared for the next segment.
The 1.5 mile walk from there to the village of Santa Maria de Castello, was a much easier trek, traversing across the mountain side, threading it's way through beautiful cypress and pine trees dotted with wild rosemary. The village consisted of a few homes, a bar, restaurant and of course a church, so we ordered a few panini and rested a bit before we headed down a dizzying descent back to Positano.
The 1700 ft descent here was very steep and difficult and the rough condition of the pathways made it quite the challenge.
And the fact that it was in the hottest part of the day with no shade didn't help, so needless to say we were ready to finish! We made our way down through town and decided to go straight to the beach, with a dip in the cool clear water offering the perfect reward!
A little gelato, a shot of espresso and all of the sudden it was 4:30 and we had to get ready for our next adventure, dinner at Il Ritrovo, but that is an entry of it's own....
I awoke to another clear morning and sat on the balcony with my coffee, this time accompanied by slice of that delicious almond cake Chiara gave us. I took a different route for today's run, starting my ascent at the Fornella beach and climbing straight up an ancient set of steps to the top of the town, then winding through the tiny alleyways to the main road. There is an amazing network of pathways, steps and streets here built centuries ago into the steep hillsides to give the villagers access the sea.
We hired a boat and driver today to take us up and down the amalfi coast. Mauro and his young son Aldo picked us up at the main pier and gave us both a history lesson as well as our best slice of the dolce vita since we arrived. We slowly made our way in and out of coves and crevices, viewing the stunning coastline from Mauro's perspective, someone who has been here all of his life and knows full well that he lives in paradise. We checked out the cave of the emerald grotto, stopped to swim in the sea foam green waters of the shoreline, ate our homemade panninis, drank some local wine by one of my favorite producers and basked in the southern Italian sun. We even got to see Sophia Loren's villa, perched atop a cliff near the town of Amalfi. As we were sitting there a helicopter touched down on her private helipad, leaving us fantasizing about what famous visitors were arriving.
We needed a little snack so they let us out at the beach where we wondered up on to the deck of one of the snack bars. The contrast between what would be served at the same sort of place in the US and what was served here says so much about the difference between our two cultures. Instead of the normal beachside fare of hamburgers, hotdogs and French fries, we oohed and awed over fresh melon and prosciutto, grilled mozzarella on lemon leaves, insalata del mare, fresh figs and cured meat. Healthy, local ingredients prepared freshly and simply that were absolutely divine!
Around 4pm we said goodbye to our captains and wandered up the beach for one of the other Italian specialties, gelato. Vowing to eat it daily due to all of the calories we were burning with walking around this beautiful place, it is served on most street corners and is always delicious. As we made our way back to the villa we picked up a few things for a simple dinner, a caprese salad, some leftover Pannini, olives and salami and spent the evening on the balcony enjoying the view and each other's company.
With the help of a little lunesta (thanks Elizabeth!) and a lot of potent espresso, I've manages to adjust to 7 hour time difference pretty well. After that lovely cup of morning coffee on the balcony I decided I would go for a run around the village. Coming from Pennsylvania, I've done a bit of running in the hills, but the steepness of the roads here is literally breathtaking! But absolutely with the effort!
Spiagga del Fornillo
After a little breakfast Kerry and I went to spiaggia del fornillo, the smaller beach near the town where all of the locals go. To get there you first take around 300 steps down an old stone staircase to the main beach and then a gorgeous tree lined pathway along the coast takes you to this small pebbly beach. The water is a stunningly clear pale blue green, so silky on your skin, and with a buoyancy like I've never experienced. After a quick cool dip and some great people watching we trekked back over in to town and stopped at Bar Mulini for a quick macchiato and the best pistaccio gelato I've ever eaten!
We decided to eat lunch at the villa today and stopped at the little alimentari for freshly baked ciabatta bread. Add some delicious prosciutto, local ricotta salata, basil and tomatoes from the garden at villa le sirene, a little olive oil and you have lunch made in heaven!
local cheese stuffed with olives and smoked
Naps were next on the agenda followed by a little grocery shopping for the dinner that we were cooking for everyone. We picked up locally grown veggies, some pasta and cheap vino for the main course, but needed a little something to hold us over. We found this amazing local cheese that is stuffed with green olives then smoked that was just crying to be put on some bruschetta. A little day old focaccio, some crema de pomodori topped with that cheese was a delicious slice of local life!
I made a simple pasta with the veggies and Kerry did a rucola salad with cherry tomatoes but Chiara, who owns the villa with her husband Giuseppe, provided the finale, a gorgeous almond cake that she baked herself. Both beautiful and delicious, it sent us to bed completely satiated and anxiously awaiting what Monday would bring.
Beautiful cake from Chiara
We've hired a boat and driver for the day to takes us around the coast, how great is that!
Sent from my iPhone
We took a quick walk up the street from our villa to Casa da Vincenzo. Nice food, but the highlight for us was the insalata del mare. Fresh octopus, clams, mussels, cuttlefish and more in a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing.
Sent from my iPhone
Our home for the next two weeks is the most beautiful place on earth! This is the view from Villa le Sirene in Positano this morning on the Amalfi Coast. I'll be blogging when I can take time out from eating, drinking, boating, hiking and swimming. I feel so incredibly lucky to be here!
Sorry everyone but it seems that I can post either photos or text but not both together. So I'm going to post a photo and the text that goes with it in a separate post. Let's see if that works!
Monday, July 4: Closed and we will also be closed all Mondays in July...
Sake Flites, July 6, 6-8pm
Our sake flite nite last month was a big success so we've set the first Wednesday of every month to feature new sakes. And our new summer wine menu will feature sake flites as well as a by the glass selection. This week join sommelier Michelle Gueydan and Chris Noyes for three new sakes from the Winebow portfolio. No reservations necessary, just pull up a seat at the bar! $13
Friday Free for All, July 8th, 6-8pm
Nick from Uncorked is in the shop with 4 great French wines in honor of our Bastille Day Festival the following day. This tasting is free and open to the public.
Annual Bastille Day Festival, Saturday July 9, 5-9pm
Your Faubourg St. John Merchants are holding our annual Bastille Day Festival as we close down Ponce de Leon Street on Saturday, July 9th, 2011 from 5 pm until 9 pm. Cindy Scott & Don Vappie with the Tupelo Honeys will be performing as well as the High Ground Drifters. In addition to the art booths, there will be plenty of fine food and drinks available from your neighborhood merchants, and we'll be serving up some great French bubbly, reds, whites and rose.
Wednesday Nite Flites, July 13, 6-8pm
Join sommelier Michelle Gueydan for a flite of 3 interesting wines. No reservations necessary, just pull up a seat at the bar!
Friday Free for All, July 15, 6-8pm
Britt from Wines Unlimited will join us for a tasting of 4 free wines from the Esporao Winery in Portugal. This tasting is free and open to the public.
Antonio's Italy, July 16-23. We'll be travelling through Tuscany with Antonio and blogging about our experiences! But don't worry Michelle and the gang will be minding the shop so we will still be open for business.
Wednesday Nite Flites, July 20, 6-8pm
Join sommelier Michelle Gueydan for a flite of 3 interesting wines. No reservations necessary, just pull up a seat at the bar!
Friday Free for All, July 22, 6-8pm
Join us Beth Kehn as we celebrate Tuscany tonight. We'll be sharing great wine and food on our last night with Antonio in Cortona as well, so we'll be with you in spirit! This tasting is free and open to the public.
Wine and Cheese Pairing Class, July 27, 6-8pm
Our wine and cheese pairing class was a big hit in June, so we've decided to dedicate the last Wednesday of the month to this format. Join Michelle Gueydan and Saint James Cheese to taste 5 distinct wines and their best pairing cheeses, learn about different artisan cheese producing methods, and understand what wines are best paired with cheese. This is a seated class but conducted in a relaxed, fun, yet informative style and is limited to 20 people. Reservation and prepayment are required to hold your spot. Call 504.304.0635 to reserve your spot. $25
Friday Free for All, July 29, 6-8pm
Join us for our regularly scheduled tasting of 4 of our favorite wines. This tasting is free and open to the public.
Dates to Mark: Sunday August 14th, Un Assigio di Campagnia, A Wine & Food Experience at A Mano - We're working with Chef Josh Smith and our favorite southern Italian restaurant to bring you a series of wine and food events from each region of the mezzogiorno. Following the format of our Siciliy event last spring, we'll introduce more than 15 different bubblies, whites, reds and roses and pairing dishes from one of the most exciting, diverse regions of southern Italy. Price TBA...
Wednesday September 21, The Wines of Marco De Grazia at Maximos. Join us for a wine dinner featuring one of the best import portfolios of Italy as we pair up with Uncorked Wines and Maximos Italian Grill to bring you an unforgettable night of wine and food. Menu and pricing TBA.
Clay amphora used for fermentation at COS Winery, Sicily
I realized in putting together my list of wines for our Indigenous Varieties for Adventurous Palates is that all of the wines are considered "natural". And then I realized how hard it is to explain natural wines to someone who hasn't experienced them or understand their relevance in the world of wine. It's even harder to nail down a definition to help one understand exactly what "natural" means. There is no codification or standardization of practice, but more an ideology that is based on, in very simplistic terms, a commitment to minimum intervention in winemaking that leads to producing wines with a sense of place. I know that is a very loose and broad statement and I in no way claim to be an authority, just someone who loves the end result!
One post I read compared the natural wine trend to cheese. Which do you prefer, a processed chunk of supermarket cheddar in a plastic wrapper that tastes the same every time you buy it or one in which a farmer is on a first name basis with his cows makes with traditional methods handed down from generations that could be different each time he makes it? While this is a pretty gross generalization, you get the picture.
Josko Gravner and many other natural winemakers producer skin fermented whites
The argument put forth by natural winemakers is that modern wines are too processed. They feel that too many producers are dependent on the winemaker's tool box. If nature hasn't given you enough acidity, tannin or sugar in the vineyard, then you can add tartaric acid, powdered tannins or concentrated grape juice to taste. Can't afford an oak barrel? Then chuck oak chips in the vat.
A biodynamic preparation from a cow's horn that has been buried into the ground at Milton Vineyards in New Zealand.
While there is no real standardization of practices, the reoccurring theme in natural winemaking seems to be not to add anything or take anything away from what the vineyard gave you to work with. In other words, what you taste is what you get! Most use biodynamic and/or organic processes, but many are not certified as such, although some like Frank Cornelissen consider these practices in themselves a type of intervention. They do use natural, wild yeasts, not the bought, cultivated strains and they add little or no sulphur dioxide. They tend to focus on indigenous varieties, but again, some do not. Some use wood barrels others abhor the practice and will only use clay amphorae.
Frank Cornelissen's unconventional fermentation vats for producing his "Contadino"
The Louis/Dressner Portfolio features the largest selection of natural wines that I've seen from an importer.
Their website has great information on the producers they represent, videos of interviews with their winemakers and the way in which they define "natural" winemaking:
The following techniques and guiding principles are what we believe is winemaking with integrity and respect for the traditions of the native region. This is fine winemaking at its purest, most fundamental level. Wild Yeasts: All wines are made with the natural yeasts on the grapes, in the vineyards and in the cellars. Cultured yeasts to rush fermentation or add “enhancing” aromas and flavors are unacceptable. We look for wines that express their terroir. No enzymes, no hormones.
Hand Harvesting: Growers harvest by hand, not machine. We want the ripest fruit to be brought carefully and lovingly into the winery.
Low Yields: The growers want low yields for greater concentration. We look for growers with holdings in old vines.
Natural Viticulture: We encourage growers to plow their vineyards to keep the soil an active eco-system, and to use natural methods in tending their vines.
No or Minimal Chaptalization: We do not want an artificially high degree of alcohol produced by adding sugar to the must. Non- or slightly chaptalized wines are more enjoyable and healthier to drink.
Non-Filtration: Wines are either not filtered or minimally filtered. We also encourage low levels of SO2.
Non-Interventionist Winemaking: We prefer a harmony, not an imposed style —wines should showcase their place of origin and varietal character. We are not looking for oak flavor, particular fruits or overly done aromatics. Minimal use of S02 is encouraged.
Enjoyment! Lastly, our most important “principle.” Because, the overblown world of overdone wines is fundamentally tiresome. We’re not looking for tasting specimens, but for wines that are great fun, and a great pleasure to drink.
While as I said I in no way consider myself an authority on natural wines, what I do know is that I've had enough of them now that I can taste the difference. And in most experiences I love what I find in a glass of natural wine: a common purity, vibrancy and authenticity that I find intoxicatingly intriguing and usually delicious! So I hope you will join us on Tuesday and try some natural wines made with very cool indigenous varieties by some superstar winemakers!
It is truly hard to believe it has been five years since we opened our doors on Ponce de Leon Street. It was an uphill battle from the start. Rebuilding our home after Katrina; leaving a very secure, well paying job of 8 years for the unknown; dealing with a neighborhood association that was initially against our plan; a terrible accident that took place in the shop just days before we opened; a business partner who disappeared in our first week; needless to say, it was a drama filled beginning. And despite the many challenges that were thrown our way over the past 5 years, we have persevered, even flourished and finally find ourselves settling in to a very good rhythm that we hope will continue for many more years....
As I love to do, I sat today and reminisced over the past five years, left out the low spots, and came up with my favorite things that have happened. This is more or less in chronological order, not in order of importance...
Me and Carol Short, one of the original "Nuts" crew.
"Nuts 'n Bolts" was an educational series of classes I offered soon after we opened and the first one brought in a wonderful group of people. Eager to learn and happy to drink together, the class encompassed everything we were about; building relationships through educating myself and others about the world of wine in a fun and unpretentious environment. We've all become close friends and most are still regular customers. I've led many other classes through the years, but that was a special group at a special time and they still continue to meet regularly on their own and hold themed wine and food pairing nights.
Team Swirl, 2010 MS150 Bike Ride
Our decision to start "Team Swirl" began when one of our friends was diagnosed with MS in 2007. Christy began to train with us in June of that year on a 20 year old 10 speed road bike, which she road up until the day of the MS Tour. She completed the first day of the tour, 75 miles, on her new and improved road bike and inspired us all to continue to train, raise funds and ride the MS Tour. We've been the top fund raising team in the Louisiana Chapter for the past three years, the largest team last year at 57 members strong and are hoping to do both again this year and continue in our dedication to making a difference in the lives of people with MS.
Chef Dan Esses & Antonio at one of our many wine and food events.
What can I say about the friendship that has developed between Kerry, me and Antonio Molesini? We love him like a brother and have so enjoyed our times together over the years. But a specific highlight for me was our very first Tre Bicchieri dinner at Ristorante Da Piero, something I had been wanting to do since I first discovered the Italian wine bible, Gambero Rosso. Antonio helped me make a dream come true as we drank the best of the best of Italian wines with amazing food and wonderful company and started a tradition that we have upheld every year. His wealth of knowledge, generosity, kind spirit and comedic talent have become invaluable to me both professionally and personally and I always look forward to our time spent together.
Kerry and I had the privilege of meeting Clovis Taittinger through our friends at Republic about three years ago and made an instant connection with the quirky, humble, funny and somewhat shy French aristocrat. So when we found out he was coming back in October of 2009, we teamed up with Commander's Palace for a Taittinger Champagne dinner hosted by the man himself. Eating fabulous food in one of the world's most prestigious restaurants, drinking the amazing 1998 Comtes de Champagne with Clovis, surrounded by customers who have all become our friends, it couldn't have been a more wonderful evening.
In the vineyards of Passopisciaro, Mount Etna Sicily
One of the reasons I got into this business was the hope of being able to offer wine and culinary travel opportunities to our customers. There is no better way to understand the culture of a people than to immerse yourself in their day to day lives, eat with them, drink with them and hear their passion as they share their stories with you. Our Wine and Culinary tour of Sicily in the October of 2009 was the first trip and could encompass 10 top moments on its own! Thanks to Cynthia Nicholson and Elisabetta Zoria of the Farmhouse Table, we were able to team up and organize an incredible tour of Sicily, meeting some of the most influential producers, take cooking classes, visit archaeological sites and enjoy the best food I've ever eaten and drink the most intriguing wines with a wonderful group of people who truly appreciated all that the Sicily offered us. Hopefully the first of many as we leave in a month for our upcoming tour of Tuscany with Antonio as our guide!
We first stumbled upon one of Marco de Grazia's wines by accident a few years back in a little shop in New York. It was the first wine I had ever tasted from the Etna region, and I knew then that something very special was happening on that wild volcano in Sicilia that I needed to know more about. Thanks to our friends Nick Selby and Dave Kenney at Uncorked, we had the pleasure of Marco's company in the shop for an intimate, seated tasting of his wines as well as a few others he is importing. Soft spoken, loquacious and extremely passionate about the region, it was wonderful to hear about his approach to wine making on the Etna, to taste the wines with him and hear his stories about what makes this reason so special and one of the most exciting wine producing regions in the world today.
There's always something special about tasting wines with someone who has literally had their hands in the process from start to finish. It's even more special if it is someone you've grown to love and respect for the person they are as we have with James Moises. The August 2009 launch party at Swirl for Moises Wines was a special night as producer and local ER doc James Moises and friends generously poured fabulous, small production, single vineyard Oregon Pinots for 3 hours straight! The standing-room-only crowd stood elbow to elbow inside and out to celebrate the first ever release of James' wines, a true labor of love for the native New Orleanian! We've held many events with James over the past two years, but the first was a truly memorable night!
Supporting local artist through our business has been a priority from the start. We've met and shown many talented artists over the years, but none have quite had the impact of RK(Rudy) Rowell. Introduced to us in 2008 by friend Paula Pizzaloto, there was something about the spirit of Rudy's work that just seemed to belong in our shop. A kind, generous and talented man, we developed a wonderful relationship and sort of became a gallery for his work. His tragic death in December 2009 marked the loss of a wonderful man who fiercely loved New Orleans and the south. His colorful works were a passionate display of that love and touched so many people. We feel so fortunate to have known him and really miss his presence in our lives.
The Food Network's filming of a Rachael Ray segment in our shop marked the beginning of a lot of national and local recognition for our us. While many have mixed feelings about Rachael's star power, we had a lot of fun shooting the segment with them and Rachael was a warm and gracious host. Many family, friends and customers came out and showed their support during the Friday night filming, and a good time was had by all.
In this business, as with any other, you meet people who look at it as a job and a paycheck and those who wholeheartedly love what they do. Monica Bourgeois and Neil Gernon bring a creative passion to the wine industry that is both refreshing and infectious. So when an opportunity became available to pour that passion into a bottle and produce their own wines they jumped in head first and never looked back. We held their first launch party at the shop and many other events since and just love what they are doing with their label, Vending Machine Wines. Besides our years of friendship, our support comes from the fact that their approach is a perfect match for our own; do what you love with the people you want to do it with, do it with passion and heart and have a lot of fun along the way!
There are so many more moments and people that have had a personal on professional impact on us like Linda Smith whose continued support, especially in the early days, made her a lifelong friend; Abe Schoner and his eyeopening unconventional approach to winemaking; Chef Josh Smith from a Mano who shares my love of southern Italian wine and food; Matt Lirette who is building an unrivaled portfolio of Italian artisan producers; chef Dan Esses who brought his creative culinary talents to Swirl on many Friday nights; author Robert Camuto who joined us for an incredible evening of Sicilian wine and food; sommelier Michelle Gueydan who has become such an important presence our lives and all of our purveyors, friends, family, customers who I wish I could take the time and space to name!
So, while there were times throughout the past years where life was challenging and difficult, it is nice to think back on these moments of joy spent with people we care about, sharing our passion for food and wine. Because a great wine is nothing without someone special to share it with and I am thankful to have a partner and friends who appreciate these wonderful moments just as much as I. Thank you all for you support over the past five years and the wonderful memories you've helped us create! Cheers!
We just ate our first fig from the little tree cutting I brought back from Sicily almost 2 years ago! Last year it made a few figs that never ripened so this was the first time we actually got to sample the fruit. We didn't have high expectations as it was not very aromatic, but boy were we wrong! It was the sweetest most flavorful fig I have ever eaten and I am so excited to have more on the way! We put it in a bigger pot early this spring and it is doing very well. I know as soon as we put it in the ground it will really thrive, but we want to wait until the fall so it doesn't get to stressed with the heat. For those of you who don't know the story behind the Sicilian fig cutting from the Planeta winery, click here For the Love of Figs
