Italian Food, Wine, and Travel

Today is a full day – I have a list of vineyards to visit for our upcoming Italiaoutdoors Bike the Wine Roads of the Veneto adventure, many more than I know I can cover in one day. Touring like this in Italy is very different than in the US. I learned this on my first trip here visiting vineyards with Jody Adams, chef at Rialto restaurant. We expected we could cover 4 or 5 in one day, looking at where they were located on a map. In reality, 3 was pushing it. We neglected to account for lots of things –  the slow speed at which you are driving on these mountain roads, traffic in urban areas, and of course the time to visit and chat with the families that you visit. The traffic I can do without, the mountain scenery and the chance to make new friends is well worth the slower pace.

My first stop was the Tourist office in Valpolicella. There, I was able to pick up a map of all the wineries in the Valpolicella area. Many that only sell locally, so this added numerous other options to my already too long list. This is a great first stop for anyone looking to tour vineyards, but it is worth checking their hours in advance. Many are only open until noon, and not every day of the week.

San Pietro in Cariano was my first destination; specifically, the Brigaldara winery in the Frazione San Floriano section. I had an address, but no GPS and no map detailed enough, so my plan is basically to drive around the town until I spot the road. Not the most efficient method, I’ll admit. I also had to find a bathroom at this point, so I stopped at a little caffe, ordered a caffe macchiato, used the bagno, and asked for directions to Brigaldara. I can understand and speak just enough Italian to muddle through. I was not far away, and found it pretty quickly. The next part of the battle is garnering up enough courage to approach what is essentially a private home, knowing not much Italian, and asking to taste some wines. At this point, I’ve done it enough that I don’t think too much about it, I have always been greeted graciously. And because I make sure ‘comparer’ (to buy) is part of my opening sentence. I always buy at least one bottle, the most inexpensive offering costs me not more than 5 euros.

Brigaldara makes some wonderful Valpolicella and Amarone. I tasted several version of their Valpolicella, and purchased one, as well as an Amarone. Grand total – 25 euros. I spotted a Brigaldara Amarone last week in the US, retailing for over $50.

Next stop was Marano di Valpolicella, which was home to two wineries of interest. The first was right off the main road, Novaia. This is a multi-generational family run operation, I was greeted by the mother, whose grandparents ran the business, and then was introduced to her son, who is continuing the tradition. Mom did not speak any english, but her son did, and was brought in when I described my interest in bring some guests in the future. Wonderful Valpolicella and Amarone, and a gracious family. I will write more about them after I taste the wines I purchased.

I located another vineyard on my list, Fratell Degani, but it was situated more in the center of town, not near vineyards and through a gate that required you to ring for service. Not a place I’d go out of my way to ride a bike to, so that one is off my list.

The last, Ca La Bionda, was also located in town, in a very attractive facility, but I arrived about noon to interrupt their lunch. The person who ran the tastings was gone for the day, and it was suggested I return tomorrow. Wish I could!

I enjoyed a nice lunch in Marano at Antica Trattoria Da Bepi. I enjoyed a glass of Valpolicella, after spending the morning spitting out great wine. A Giuseppe Lonardi Ripasso 2008. A agreeable aroma, with cherry and dark fruits, a bit of smoke, and nice tannins at the finish.

My lunch was very traditional, grilled polenta with local salumi and cheeses. The menu indicates that the polenta is prepared very authentically, in a large pot over a fire with a very long cook time. I was visiting our next guest chef, Susan Regis, and she showed me a large copper pot she had inherited from her grandmother that was used just for cooking polenta over a fire. The long cook time is critical, many of us don’t cook it long enough, resulting a blander product. And you miss out on the crust that forms around the outside, which many cooks believe to be the best part!

The polenta was some of the best I’ve had, with a great smoke flavor. The salumi were nice, a bit on the fatty side, but the tannic wine helped cut through that. An hour or two to chill out during riposo, then back on the road.