A Taste of Italy

Hi Everybody this is rather a sad note and quite different to my usual posts, but I am writing to let you know that I will be  leaving A Taste of Italy so will no longer be writing on the blog.  It has been a wonderful experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the entries every week, and I am very grateful for all of those people who wrote lovely encouraging comments and followed my blog.   The weekly entries will be continued by another member of staff and I know that there will be many more enjoyable recipes and wine recommendations to come.

Best of luck to you all.

Inez O’Shea

Brancaia is one of the leading wineries in Tuscany, Brancaia only produces four wines,  however the four wines which they do produce are quite simply outstanding.  There are many contributing factors which make a wine so special the first being the location of the winery.  Brancaia being  in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone is an area famous for it’s excellent “Terroir”.  Brancaia’s vinyards all have hillside location, looking south, southwest or southeast which means the grapes recieve maximum sunlight and  ripen to their full potential, consequently improving  the flavour of the wine.  The vines are then planted quite close together which resutls in the vines having to compete with each other for the nutrients in the soil.  The moderate amount of stress which they suffer from also results in  the grapes ripening earlier and the yield being reduced.  A reduced yield gives a far better quality of wine. As the saying goes “A struggling vine, makes good wine” .

The bunches of grapes on the vine are then thinned out mid June,  this means that the remaining grapes recieve all the of the vines attention and the concentration levels are increased which again improves the flavour and quality of the wine. 
Naturally each of the different wines have different vinification methods but all of the equipment used at the estate is modern and stat of the art.  The barrels used for maturing are French oak with medium toasting and used only for 3 years as they believe after this period the lovely oak flavours are imparted less and less.

As you can see there are many reasons for Brancaia’s success,  from their viticultural methods in the vinyard, to the vinification methods in the winery.  Their success comes from scrupulous attention to detail in all areas and we are proud to be importing their wines.

Inez O’Shea
“A Taste of Italy”

Brancaia Tre                                           Brancaia Il Blu

Brancaia Illatraia                              Brancaia Chianti Classico

Last week was the annual Prowein Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. This fair not only exhibits wines from Germany but in fact wines from all over the world, both Old World and New World.  Here importers get the opportunity to source new wines and wineries, while wine growers get the opportunity to exhibit and promote their wines. 

After the fair most people head into Dusseldorf to the German beer houses for a feast of traditional German cuisine.  Schweinshaxe would be the dish of choice which is the knuckle of the pig which is either grilled or boiled, this is normally served with  fried potatoes, white asparagus and Hollondaise sauce, all washed down with the local  German beer.  All in all it’s a great atmosphere both at the fair and in Dusseldorf  and makes for a great trip.

Here is a little German recipe which if your feeling adventerous you may tackle.  After getting through not even 1 quarter of my Schweinshaxe,  the following night I decided to opt for another typical German dish which may be on the “smaller” side and be a little more tender and easier to eat. So I opted for the lamb, which was soft, flavoursome and although still quite large (German portions aren’t for the faint hearted) it was thoroughly enjoyable!!

Roast Lamb- German Style
“Lammbraten”

• 6 – 7 lb. leg of lamb
• 2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 tbsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 6 oz. Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Trim fat from roast.
• Cut slits (1 in. deep) on top and sides of roast and insert slivers of garlic.
• Combine salt, pepper, sugar and cloves in small bowl. Spread mixture over roast, using hands to rub it in.
• Spread mustard in a thin coat on sides and top of roast.
• Put lamb on rack in roasting pan. Add broth or water. Cover.
• Bake 2 hours, basting every 15 minutes with cooking liquid.
• Remove cover and continue to bake and baste until lamb reaches internal temperature of 175° F. (takes about 30 to 60 minutes more). Add extra water if needed.
• Strain cooking liquid and serve with roast.
• Serves 10 to 12.

Of course traditionally beer should be drunk with such a meal, however a lovely full bodied red would be just as nice.  I enjoyed a Montepuliciano d’ Abruzzo Coste delle Plai by Podere Castorani.   This wine is full of fruits and jam packed with flavour.   The wine is made from 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes   which generally gives quite a full bodied richly flavoured wine, Podere Castorani then on top of this use the “sur lie” method which involves ageing the wine on it’s lees for 5-6 months, this gives the wine even further body and flavour.  In the glass you will notice that the wine is a rich ruby red colour with aromas of cherries, prunes, and small forest fruits. On the palate is has rich strong flavours of stewed fruits.  Abruzzi is in Central Italy so it is quite a warm environment the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is local to this region and is known for not having a huge amount of tannins.  This is highly noticeable, in the Coste dell Plai, the tannins which it does have are elegant and soft.  It has a long finish and all in all goes very nicely with the German Lamb. 

Enjoy!!
Inez O’Shea
“A Taste of Italy”

Happy St Patrick’s Day !!!

Unfortunately this is the one occasion which we can’t cater for, the only beverage that should be drunk on this day of the year is the obligitary pint of GUINNESS!!

Enjoy!!!

Inez O’Shea
“A Taste of Italy”

Cantina Endrizzi is one of our main suppliers, and the reason for this being is the excellent quality of their wines.  There are many factors which all contribute to the end product. 
Undoubtedly the location of the vinyard is possibly one of the greatest factors.  Every vinyard even if it’s located in the same area will have different soil, different amounts of sunlight, and a different micro-climate etc, all of these environmental factors is known as the ”terroir”.  As you can imagine a vinyard which has an alpine climate, soil made up of limstone, warm days and cool nights will produce a wine dramatically different wine to a vinyard which is for example in a hot environment, at a lower altitude, with soil made up of clay or granite!! 

Endrizzi is based in Trentino Alto Adige which is just 8km’s from the Austrian border.  Trentino Alto Adige is in the heart of the Dolomites which is famous for its skiing, hiking and spectacular Alps.  Despite the fact that in the winter it is freezing, the climate in summer is quite moderate with warm days, cool nights and a cool mediterinean breeze. 

In the vinyard, to combat insects which damage the vines and eat the grapes, Endrizzi has adopted a natural method, where by 25 birds nests have been planted, these birds feed off the insects which would normally attack the vine and grapes. This method is “organic” and far better for us as well as the environment.  Endrizzi then practices “Short pruning”, “short pruning” involves removing some of the leaves which shade the cluster of grapes, as maximum sunlight and ventilation is best for the grape.  They then also use a “Cluster thinning” method, this practice involves removing some of the grapes on the vine in order to ensure that the remaining grapes can reach above median sugar levels.   All grapes are then hand picked with scrupolous care and attention and placed in baskets so as not to damage the grape once it is off the vine.    
  
Endrizzi takes as much care in the winery as it does in the vinyard.  With the use of modern technology the white wines are gently pressed then placed into special fermentation containers called a “Ganymede” This “Ganymede” ensures that the quality from the vineyard remains intact in the wine. 
They have also completely rejected chemical cleaners within the winery and to use ozone-enriched water instead.

Endrizzi offers a broad range of wines, however all are indigenous grapes of this region ie Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Muller Thurgau, Nosiola, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Nero, Teroldego, and Lagrein.  They also make a small line of spectacular desert wines as well as  Grappa and Mustards.

We hope you not only enjoy their wines but appreciate the effort and work  and high level of  care that goes into making these wines so special.

Enjoy!!
Inez O’Shea
“A Taste of Italy”

Well  we are pleased to report that the recipe book “Inside the Italian kitchen” co- written by  Marco Roccasalvo and Anne Kennedy has well and truly been “launched”. The evening was a thorough success, and in true Marco style he managed to prepare a lovely array of Italian food. No Italian event is without a wheel of fresh parmesan, and naturally this was provided along with proscuito, salami, mozzarella and fresh seafood and vegetable dishes.    

The gourmet foods were washed down with the selection of wines provided by “A taste of Italy”, the wine list selected for the evening, included a sparkling Falanghina by Cantina del Taburno, Greco by Cantina del Taburno and a super Tuscan by Brancaia.

Now all that is required is to give the recipe’s “a go”  I have no doubt I will continue to enjoy his lovely food. The book will be available for sale from “A Taste of Italy”

Inez O’Shea
“A taste of Italy”

This week we are very excited to announce that the owner and operator of “Campo Dei Fiori”, Marco Roccasalvo who runs a well known Italian restaurant, situated in Bray just 10kms South of Dublin will be launching the release of his new cook book “Inside the Italian Kitchen”. Campo dei Fiori has a reputation for producing authentic Italian cuisine, using the freshest and highest quality of ingredients.  Which is why we are more then happy to get our hands on a copy on his recipes. 

The layout of the book is great for beginners or simply those who have never cooked Italian food and would like to learn!! ”Inside the Italian Kitchen” is co written with Anne Kennedy and they have carefully explained the most important aspects of Italian cooking. This ranges from how to source and what to look for when buying your ingredients, to the type of pot to use when cooking pasta and he even goes into depths of the type of oil, olives, and herbs to use.  Of course he also gives his advice on coffee and wine. Overall the book is extremely informative and unearths many secrets of Italian cooking!!!     

The book lauch will be on Thursday and then the books will go on sale just in time for christmas!! Needless to say I know where I will be sourcing my next “recipe of the week” from. 

The books will be available for sale from our website next week!!!

Inez O’Shea
“A taste of Italy”                                               

Hello and sorry for my silence I  have been sailing on my parents boat in Australia, but its back to Europe for me and back for more immersion in my favourite subject “Food and Wine”

I would like to thank those people who have made some lovely comments on the blog, I appreciate your words of encourgement and as I am not a writer I feel very nervous every time I do a blog. Writing for me, unlike most blog writers does not come easily or naturally, so the comments which some people have made are so greatly appreciated and have encouraged me to keep persisting!!

Thank You!!!

Inez O’Shea
“A taste of Italy”

The annual Vinitaly was held once again this year in the city of Verona!! The event has grown from when it first began and has now had its 44th edition, Vinitaly has over time become an important reference point for the wine world.
Over 150,000 professionals, including over 45,000 from 112 nations met this year with over 4,200 exhibitors at their booths. 

Many of “A taste of Italy’s” producers have been sourced from this fair and it has proved to be very beneficial for keeping and maintaining a good business relatationships with these producers. 

It also is a great opportunity  for “A taste of Italy” to search for new and up and  coming produders which can not always be found on the internet!! This fair allows us to try the wines, see the bottles and meet the producer or represantitives which is something which is very hard to achieve over the intenet or over the phone!!

We look forward to 2011!!!

Inez O’Shea “A taste of Italy”

This week we welcomed Mr Thommas Kemmler from Endrizzi wines, we had 2 lovely evenings the first evening was a wine dinner at the Elephant and Castle and the 2nd night was an information and tasting at Manifesto restaurant in Rathmines.  

The Elephant and Castle served a 4 course meal, and with each course a different wine was served, starting with the Endrizzi Prosecco Frizzante, followed by the Masetto Bianco, the Masetto Nero and finally Moscato Rosa. The Elephant and Castle did a supurb  job of pairing the  food with the wine and Thomas gave a great talk about the wines. 

The 2nd evening was at Manifesto, a new Italian restaurant in Rathmines.  The wines were a slightly different choice but all wines went very well with Manifesto’s menu.  The wine choices were  Masetto Bianco, Nosiola, Tereldego and Serpaiolo.   We hope that everyone who attended enjoyed the evening, and we would like to thank Thomas for his visit!!!

Inez O”Shea”A taste of Italy”