Areators, what?

Dear readers,

Have you ever wondered how and if the areators for red wine work? Well, let’s find out.

Recently, I have seen many types of this kind of accessory, which are different from the traditional decanter: they don’t have the function of decanting the red wine sediments, but allow to oxygenate the red wine very quickly. It’s an handy accessory: for example, if we have guests for dinner and we don’t have time to open bottles an hour or two before drinking it!

I really like this type of aerator, the Ventorosso, ease to use, with a very linear and functional design: it is composed of a base, to be placed above the glass, and a sphere on which you pour the red wine, so as to increase its surface exposed to air, “opening” it faster than a simple wine rotation in the glass.

Let’s go a bit ‘in detail to see how it works.

I did a test with the Chianti Classico Le Ellere by Castello d’Albola.

NO VENTOROSSO: At the nose, perfumes of cherry, red fruit, a bit of wood, vanilla, tobacco, but it’s pretty close. On the palate, the wine is fresh, dry, rather elegant, medium tannin, sap.

WITH VENTOROSSO: A wider and rounded nose, plus a better perception of the flowers’ fragrance. The wine’s characteristics are very similar, but the tannin is much more rounded on the palate!

Pro: Easy to use, since it is composed of two simple and easy-washable pieces, with the possibility to use upon different glasses size; Rapid oxygenation; Improving the roundness of red wine, especially on the palate.

Cons: Not to be used with old red wines, as this may oxidize too much, ruining it. Furthermore, some sensations are perceivable by experts (eg. sensations perceived by the nose)

In conclusion, I highly recommend it to those who want to drink a young red wine and better appreciate its features and roundness. Furthermore, the simplicity of use, makes the Ventorosso a simpler product compared to a decanter.

Donnas 2009, Caves Cooperatives de Donnas

Dear readers,

Today I propose a review of an Aosta Valley native wine, the Donnas produced by Caves Cooperatives de Donnas.

We are in Donnas, in Aosta Valley, and the vine is Nebbiolo (from which Barolo and Barbaresco): here Nebbiolo “gets” the nickname “Nebbiolo of the mountain”, given by the proximity of the Aosta Valley to Piedmont and by the vineyards placed at the foot of the mountains.

The Donnas by Caves Cooperatives de Donnas is an austere wine, with an elegant character, dry, with a good body and structure. This wine is aged in large oak casks at least for 12 months, giving the tannin roundness and pleasure at every sip!

I tried the Donnas 2009.
At the nose, perfumes of small red berries, cranberries, currants, raspberry, black cherry, cloves and black pepper.

On the palate the Donnas is dry, quite rounded, quite tannic, with a good freshness.

I recommend it in pairing with medium-aged cheese and hard cheese, red meat preferably not grilled, stews and, according to local tradition, the Carbonada (link here).

Caramelized apple pie

Dear readers,

Today I tought about the caramelized apple pie recipe, really tasty and quite simple to prepare: your weekend will be much sweeter!

Let’s go step by step to prepare the recipe and you will see it will be less difficult than expected.

Ingredients (12 slices):

2 egg yolks
2 entire eggs
200 gr of flour (7 oz)
200 gr of sugar (7 oz)
50 gr of melted butter for the mixture (1.8 oz)
60 gr butter to melt in the pan for the “caramelized” process (2.1 oz)
80 gr of sugar to caramelize the apples (2.8 oz)
Juice of half a lemon
250 gr of thinly sliced ​​apples (moisten with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent them discoloring) (8.8 oz)

Preparation

Beat and mix the two egg yolks in a bowl, the two whole eggs and 200 grams of sugar.
Melt the 50 gr of butter for a minute in a pan, at low heat, being careful not to boil it and blacked: let cool before adding it to the mixture or else you could risk to “cook” the mixture and make a real mess!
Add the cooled melted butter to the mixture, the juice of half a lemon, the flour (a little at a time) and stir gradually.

Meanwhile, cut the apples into thin slices and moisten with a dash of lemon juice, to prevent them blacken. Turn on the oven at 180 °C (356 °F) to preheat it.
Melt the 60 grams of butter in a pan of 30 cm (11 inches) diameter and then add the 80 grams of sugar: caramelized the sugar until it has reached a golden color, taking care to stir it very often, otherwise you could burn the sugar.
At this point, place the apples (as shown in figure) into the pan, pour the mixture and bake it for 45 minutes at 180 °C (356 °F).

Overturned the cake, using a plate and being careful not to burn your hands with the melted butter that may leak during the operation!

We’re done, now we could enjoy the piece of cake!

Conservation

You could store the Caramelized apple pie in a sealed plastic or glass box in the fridge up to five days. I suggest you to warm a little bit the slice before eating to enjoy more the caramelized apple.

And the wine?

For the cake with caramelized apples, I picked the 2011 Chaudelune, produced by Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle.

I chose the Chaudelune for its fruity notes of pear, apple and other white pulp fruits, which is well aligned with the main aroma of the caramelized apple cake, broadening the whole taste. Moreover, the softness of the wine surrounds and fits perfectly with the sweetness of the cake and the caramelized apples.

For more about the Chaudelune, have a look directly to the review here.

If you can not find it, I recommend a sweet wine that has similar characteristics to Chaudelune, a Moscato Passito di Chambave or a Verdicchio Passito. If you cannot find these two, I recommend a more common Passito di Pantelleria or Moscato di Pantelleria, both dessert wines, however, with different characteristics, since the predominant perfumes and aromas are related to apricot, peach and dried fruit: a pleasant pairing, but not superb as the first!

Baccanera 2011, Lo Zoccolaio

Dear readers,

Today we begin the week with a very interesting and affordable wine, the Baccanera produced by Lo Zoccolaio.

The Baccanera is a wine made in Pedimont (the world-famous Italian region for the Barolo and Barbaresco) from a blend of Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo: it has a notable body and an excellent consistency, especially in the mouth. Baccanera is aged in Barriques for 18 months, giving the wine an important and rounded tannin on the palate.

I tried the Baccanera 2011.
At the nose, perfumes of blackberries, plum, cherries in brandy, white pepper and a slight hint of hay.

On the palate, the Baccanera is fresh, quite sap and very charming.

I recommend it in combination with first courses of meat, braised meat, stews, red meat roast and medium-aged cheeses.

Barbacarlo 1996, Azienda Agricola Barbacarlo

Dear readers,

Today we’re talking about the Barbacarlo: a wine with a very distinct nature.

We are in Oltrepò, just a few minutes walk from Pavia, exactly on the hills of Broni, particularly suitable for producing high quality wines. Even Napoleon knew that: in fact, he appreciated wine from these hills.
The actual name, Barbacarlo, was born later in 1886, when the great grandfather of Lino Maga bequeathed the hills to his grandchildren: the uncle Carlo had the title of “Barba”, so, in his honor, the grandchildren called that territory Barbacarlo.

The Barbacarlo consists of three grapes, a blend quite variable in percentage from vintage to vintage: Uva rara, Croatina and Barbera.
I was lucky enough to find on the internet a 1996 vintage bottle and I was very happy to try its resistance to aging: still, I’m enraptured by the complexity of the evolution of this masterpiece.
The 1996 vintage is slightly sparkling, with a great freshness and flavor: a 1996 vintage wine with this kind of freshness is very difficult to find.

At the nose, aromas of vinyl glue, ripe red fruits, compote of candied fruits, nutmeg, slightly earthy, camphor, spices and a hint of mild green bell pepper.

On the palate, this wine is rounded, with a good length, persistence and elegance. The tannin is very well educated.

I recommend to try it alone, without pairing food, to better understand its complexity and harmony; but if you really want to enjoy it with food, I recommend you to pair it with aged and hard cheese, game, braised meat and stew.

What a wine, guys!

Rollhütt 2013, Peter Zemmer

Dear readers,

Waiting for the weekend, I tried a good Pinot Noir. This time, we’re in Südtirol, in northern Italy, where it’s produced the Rollhütt of Peter Zemmer.

The Rollhütt is quite interesting, with an elegant character and a medium body. It is a wine that ages in a elegant and traditional way, not being aged exclusively in small French oak barrels (barriques): the 70% of the Pinot Noir is aged in big French oak barrels for 12 months and the remaining 30% of the Pinot Noir is aged in small French barriques.

I tried the 2013 Rollhütt.
At the nose, aromas of blueberries, red currants, cherries in brandy and a light note of white pepper.

On the palate, this Pinot Noir is elegant, quite tannic, rounded and fresh.

I recommend it in pairing with the chicken cooked in the oven and other kind of white meat, red meat, preferably not grilled, and medium aged cheese.

Have a nice weekend!

Chaudelune 2012, Cave du vin blanc de Morgex et de la Salle

Dear readers,

Today we’re talking about the Chaudelune, by Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle.

We are in the Aosta Valley, at the foot of the Mont Blanc: Chaudelune is an “ice wine” ( the harvest is done in December, with the first winter frosts) aged in not completely filled oak barrels, to encourage oxidative processes that enrich the wine’s aromas and flavors (as for some Sherry and Porto production technique) .

The grape, which is made Chaudelune, is the Prié Blanc, a Aosta Valley native vine, which is famous for the sparkling Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle .

I’ve tasted the 2012 vintage .

At the nose, aromas of pear, yellow and white ripe fruits, cedar, herbs (thyme and rosemary) and a light balsamic note .

On the palate, Chaudelune is soft, warm enough, with good acidity and sap.

I recommend it in pairing with blue cheese and or aged cheese, though, to fully appreciate it in its special qualities, should be tasted by itself!

Rossese di Dolceacqua 2010, Tenuta Anfosso

Happy weekend dear readers!
Today we’re talking about a native Ligurian wine, the Rossese di Dolceacqua.

In these weeks, I took a short break from the blog, in order to prepare the exams of the Sommelier course! Now that I’ve finished them and finally and officially I become a Sommelier, I can dedicate myself more to what I love: wine!

Now let’s come back to the Rossese di Dolceacqua.
Produced by Tenuta Anfosso, from the same Rossese grape, this 2010 Ligurian red wine is really soft, quite fresh, quite tannic and with a good alcohol structure.

At the nose, perfumes of ripe red fruits, olives and a hint of white pepper.

On the palate is very soft with a good persistence. It is a full-bodied wine, even if with a delicate tannin .

Due its characteristics, I recommend it in pairing with medium aged cheese (e.g. Pecorino Toscano, young Parmesan cheese and washed-rind cheeses, like Taleggio) and grilled meat. I tried it with a roast duck and it was not bad!

And now, let’s celebrate the weekend to begin!

Bignè with smoked salmon mousse

Happy new year and welcome back dear readers,

Today I thought of a super fast recipe that you can really prepare in 5 minutes and it will be ideal for your interesting starters, the Bignè with smoked salmon mousse.
If you do not have available the Bignè, you can spread the salmon mousse on a classic sandwiches or toasted bread, much easier to find.

And now we start!

Ingredients:

100g of mascarpone cheese (or philadelphia cheese or cream cheese) (3.5 oz)
100g of smoked salmon (3.5 oz)
50g of fresh whipped cream (1.7 oz)
the right amount of pink pepper and salt
15/20 empty Bignè

Preparation

Cut the salmon into thin slices and add the mascarpone.
Started to blend the mixture with the mixer, taking care to add gradually milk to facilitate the blending.

Add salt, the pink pepper and whip the fresh cream with the electric beater.
Add two tablespoons of whipped cream, stir the mousse, fill the Bignè and we have finished!

Conservation

You can store the smoked salmon mousse for a maximum of two days in a sealed plastic or glass jar in the refrigerator.

And the wine?

For the Bignè with smoked salmon mousse I chose a Cruasé Oltrepò Pavese 2009 vintage, produced by Bruno Verdi.

The Cruasé is a “Metodo Classico” (also known as Champenoise method) rosé, obtained by the vinification of Pinot Noir grapes, at least 85% of the total amount.

With a beautiful grain and fine and persistent bubbles, this Cruasé Bruno Verdi has an excellent flavor, good freshness, good persistence and structure.

At the nose, aromas of lemon, lime and citrus fruits in general.
On the palate is quite soft and has a good mousse that favors the pairing with our recipe!

And now, Bon Appetit!

 

Duck white Ragù

Weekend time, dear readers!
For this one, I thought about a particular and sophisticated recipe, the Duck white Ragù.

Ingredients (serves 6):

2 duck legs
4 thigh duck (you can replace the thigh with chest, easier to find)
1 shallot
2 onions
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 cloves of garlic
3 sage leaves
2 liters of water for the broth
1 laurel leaf for the broth
1 glass of Sherry (white wine or port are fine the same)
1 knob of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

 

Preparation

Wash the duck, dry it and debone it.
Put the deboned meat in the meat grinder; if you don’t have it, you can cut the meat by knife, working it until you get small pieces of meat. In any case, keep a little of skin duck in the meat, in such a way as to make softer the white Ragù. Once ground, stir the meat with your hands.

Meanwhile, prepare the broth with the duck bones, the celery, carrot, onion and the laurel leave. Savory the broth and cover the pan with a lid, making sure to leave the heat to the minimum.

Chop the shallots, sage, onion and celery and sauté it in a pan, adding a spoon of broth to avoid burning the sauté: turn off the heat once the sauce will have acquired a golden color.

 

In another pan, sauté the ground meat of duck with extra virgin olive oil and butter: brown the meat over high heat, in a way which does not make it “boil” in its juices.
When the meat has acquired a golden color (see figure below) and has dried the liquids in the pan, blend it with a glass of Sherry (or white wine): later, add the sauce and reduce heat to a minimum.
Add salt and pepper and then the broth, in quantities of three ladles (see figure below).

During the cooking process (about 2 hours), remember to add broth whenever the Ragù is too dry: check it about every 15-20 minutes.

You can serve the Duck white Ragù on a plate of pasta, preferably a “short” one: the best match would be with Garganelli, a fresh Emilian short egg rifled pasta which captures the Ragù very well.

Conservation

You can store the Duck white Ragù in glass or plastic sealed jars for about three days, in the refrigerator. You can keep for a week, if stored in the freezer. Before serving, thaw and heat quickly in the microwave.

And the wine?

For the Duck white Ragù, I chose “Capo di Terra” 2007 by Conti Sertoli Salis, a small Italian producer located in Valtellina.

It is a “Valtellina Superiore”, made from Nebbiolo grapes (the same for Pedimont Barolo and Barbaresco), Chiavennasca in the local dialect.

Clear and quite transparent, garnet red in color with orange highlights, “Capo di Terra” is a quite rounded wine, elegant and quite tannic.
On the nose, aromas of blueberries, currants, raspberries and other small red and black berry and violet leaves flower.

It pairs very well with the Duck white Ragù, without prevailing, but drying very well the oiliness of Ragù.

So, have a nice weekend and a good preparation!