Manoavino Taste!

Magical Night - Beautiful Wine - Cantina Roccafiore 'Fiorfiore'

I think the two most joyous moments of a winemakers year, are the first taste from the barrel, when she or he knows the vintage is just right, and then as they behold their wine being enjoyed by people like you and me. On this night the winemakers of Cantina Roccafiore would have been very very joyous.

The Wine: Roccafiore Grechetto di Todi 'Fiorfiore' from Umbria

The Food: A Sea and Farm to Table Feast

The Place: Our Backyard by Candlelight

Primitivo in a Dazzling New Light

When I spotted this wine at Astor Wines in New York, I had to buy it, loved the label and the magical images it aroused in my mind. A wonderful wine made by 5th Generation wine makers who bring the best of the modern to decades old traditions including “music therapy in the cellar.”

The Wine: Fatalone^® Teres Puglia Primitivo

The Food: Pancetta, Arugula, Tomato Pasta with fresh herbs, my own recipe

The Place: Home, with Sweet Memories of a Trip to Puglia

Romantic, Spontaneous, Hangover Cure

We really did plan to have dinner at home Sunday night, had carefully chosen all the ingredients at the Montclair Farmers Market the day before. But then there was that big party Saturday night. Still too hung-over to cook, let’s find somewhere romantic to heal.

The Wine: Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosato, hair of the dog as they say.

The Food: Fiore Di Zucca, Insalata Fungi & Pizzete Nduja, a perfect hangover remedy.

The Place: Trattoria Salute, Montclair, just what the doctor ordered. And perfectly romantic on a balmy summer night.

A Surprising Wine Pairing for Guacamole - Cantina del Taburno Amineo Coda di Volpe

The wine tasting theme was "The Exciting Wines of Southern Italy." The food was all to be Italian, Southern Italian. But, a guest brought his special home-made Guacamole. I wondered, would the wines from Sicily and Campania pair with this dish? One did, perfectly.

The Wine: Cantina del Taburno Amineo Coda di Volpe $$

The Food: A homemade Guacamole, but this wine would pair well with many Mexican dishes.

The Place: A private Manoavino tasting. When are you hosting one?

Red Wine with Chicken? Well Yea, Almost Anytime

The conventional wisdom of white wine with chicken and fish and red with meats is so old school.  Light, Medium, even full bodied red wines are fabulous with inspired and richly flavored chicken dishes. Here is an Italian combo you will love.

The Wine: Castello Monaci Salice Salentino Liante $$

The Food: Country Italian

The Place: Home this night, with are hearts in Salice Salentino, Puglia.

A Beauty from Sicily - Anthilia Vino Bianco by Donnafugata

The Wine: Negronis, oh you got me, that’s not a wine, it was “un bel vino bianco, Anthilia da Sicily” $$

The Food: Delverde farfalle with baby bella mushrooms, pancetta, arugula and parsley with buratta, EVO and pecorino romano

The Place: La Casa Conway Polack, “al nostro tavolo della cucina”

Like most great things of Italy, Donnafugata Anthilia, has an intriguing history. Two stories in fact, a tale that goes back to invasion of Italy by Napoleon in the 1800’s and our own story of discovering this favorite wine.

From Sicily with Love, a Very Fine Nero D'Avola, Case Ibidini, with Saturday Dinner, Rib Eye, Polenta, Burrata and...

Gaetana Jacono, owner and winemaker at Valle dell'Acate, Case Ibidini

By now you must know we love Sicilian wines, each year they get better, first tried this lovely Nero D’Avola from Case Ibidini at a tasting I hosted a few months ago, so excited to sip it again.

The Wine: Nero D'Avola, Case Ibidini, Valle dell'Acate – 2012 $$

The Food: Rib eye steak rubbed with fresh rosemary and garlic grilled outdoors in spite of the snow, creamy polenta, burrata cheese over greens.

The Place: Happy at home on a Saturday night, with pictures of Sicily dancing in our heads.

A Marco Polo Selection: Mongolian Stir Fry and Italian Wine

I don’t often think of Italian wine to pair with Asian food. But this discovery, a Pecorino, the grape not the cheese, from a winery Terre di Chieti in the Abruzzo region of central Italy was perfect with a Mongolian stir fry. It inspired thoughts of Marco Polo who spent 24 years of his life exploring Asia and served in the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. I bet he would have loved this wine.

The Wine:  Pehhcora Pecorino, Terre Di Chieti $$

The Food:  A Mongolian stir fry with Tofu and Asian vegetables

The Place:  Sunday dinner at home. Before settling down for an episode of Downton Abbey.