Friday, May 13, 2016

Wineand Food of the Giro 2016 Stage 7: Greipel, Bea and Lentils



Where are we? Riding 211 kilometers from Sulmona to Foligno.

From the Giro site: Sulmona: Lying in the Peligna Valley and surrounded by the mountains of the Majella and Abruzzo National Parks, Sulmona has always been a major, wealthy trading centre.
The aqueduct, dating back to 1256, has been the symbol of the city’s prosperity since the Middle Ages. Its majestic arches still surround Piazza Garibaldi. Major events include the “Giostra Cavalleresca” jousting tournament, and the famous rites and rituals of the Holy Week.
Symbols of Sulmona include marvellous churches and buildings of any time, made from local white stone, and above all “confetti” (sugar-panned almonds), which have been the signature of the city since the 15th century. 

COOKING: Maccheroni alla chitarra, truffle recipes; red garlic; traditional Sulmona confetti and torrone (nougat) 
WINE: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Cerasuolo (red); Trebbiano (white)

Foligno: According to an age-old tradition, this very ancient city is said to lie at the “centre of the world”. In fact, it sits at the heart of the Italian peninsula and, therefore, at the heart of Mediterranean Europe, namely the entire world as known in ancient times. The city suffered multiple earthquakes over the centuries. Nevertheless, Foligno now shines bright, with its mediaeval heritage that takes us back in time and provides the perfect setting for the Giostra della Quintana, a historical jousting tournament that takes place every year in summer. 

COOKING: Grass-pea soup, strangozzi and pappardelle with wild game sauce or truffle, cheese bread, rocciata (savoury strudel); Colfiorito lentils and red potatoes; extra-virgin “Muraiolo” olive oil

WINE: Colli Martani (red, white), Rosso Montefalco and Sagrantino di Montefalco (red, passito; main grape varieties: Sangiovese and the local Sagrantino grape)

The stage:  Expected to be one for the sprinters today. The early break did not last, but it looked the break number two would stick. 


One hundred and eleven kilometers to go and their gap was 2:30. 


With about eighty kilometers to go, they had about three minutes.  And then, well, I had to go work a booth at a convention center, so it is off to the Podium Cafe stage recap.  Turns it it was the anticipated sprint after all and I was delighted to read about another win for Andre Greipel. 





Wine: Bea Rosso de Veo 2009
Back to Umbria and back to a Bea wine. This time, the 09 Rosso de Veo. 
From the importer:
References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. This tiny estate is the classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption and working the land to produce olives, fruits and vegetables. To this day, the Bea family raises and produces much of what they consume on a daily basis. Paolo Bea, the senior member of the family, is the guiding force behind the production of this series of intense and idiosyncratic wines. He is assisted by his two sons, Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards, and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the winery.
The entire property encompasses 15 hectares: 5 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, 2 to olives, and the remainder to the fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown.  Sagrantino is the predominant grape, covering 60% of the vineyard surface. The remaining 40% is planted to Sangiovese and Montepulciano, with a small parcel planted to several white varieties. The vineyards are cultivated organically, all grapes are harvested manually and all wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
The current version of Rosso de Veo is a selection of the Bea estate’s younger Sagrantino vines, principally from the “Cerrete” vineyard which graces the highest point in Montefalco, between 1300 and 1500 feet above sea level.  The soil is clay and limestone infused with small pebbles from an ancient riverbed.


 Umbrian lentils
From Market Hall foods: In the hills of southern Umbria, the Bartolini family have been growing olives, grains, and what they call pulses (legumes) since the 1850's. Their lentils are famous throughout Italy and beyond for their outstanding color, texture, & flavor. Pale brown and tan in color, the crops of Umbrian lentils are actually quite small, so the demand often outweighs the supply.
The fabled Castelluccio lentils are not a protected DOP product - this means the Italian government hasn't yet clamped down on imposters and refined the market to include only the authentic lentils of Castelluccio.  The tiny tiny tiny town in Umbria called Castelluccio simply can't produce enough lentils for the world's demand. That said, these lentils are the same variety, but we cannot attest to their exact origin.

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