Solyss Negroamaro La Corte 2004 – Red wine from Puglia

Puglia is not generally known for its wine. The grapes are robust, the flavor fruity, and the sugar content is high but the wines from Puglia are, more often than not, combined with other wines to increase their sugar and alcohol content. Occasionally a really good and reasonably priced table wine comes out of this southeastern region of Italy. I must admit that my experience is formed from traditional Italian knowledge where wines from Puglia do not get a great deal of respect. In the last 10 years the regional producers have made significant progress creating good quality wines.

Yesterday evening Raffaella prepared Fagiano alla Cacciatora con Funghi, another in dish in our series featuring Pheasant. The bottle of Solyss had been enticing us for the last couple of weeks and we thought the savory Pheasant with the rich mushroom sauce needed a flavorful wine to balance. Our concern was that Solyss might be a bit too young and fruity similar to a Barbara table wine but we were presently surprised. Solyss ages only 6 months in oak barrels and is just less than 2 years old. We would think of this as infanticide for most wines but our great friend Italian Wine Guy told us that Solyss was designed for consumption as soon as it is distributed.

Our risk was well compensated. The wine was stable and well-rounded without an excess fruitiness. It had enough body to balance the mushrooms, just fruity enough to accentuate the wild fowl flavor of the Pheasant, and just enough tannins to clean the palate. As baby bear in Goldilocks would say, “It was just right!”

Grape: Negroamaro 100%.

Color: Scarlet Red with Violet highlights.

Bouquet: Jasmine and Eucalyptus, ripe red fruits and spices.

Flavor: Medium-bodied flavor, red berries, currant, dried herbs, the residual is a hint of blueberries.

Alcohol Content: 14 %

Serving Temperature: 15-18 c.

Decanting: None

Pouring: Pour slowly, angle at 55 degrees or less.

Glass: Red Wine Glass.

Aging: This wine was first produced in 2000 so its capability to age is unknown at this time however, given the limited time in barrels and its fruity nature I would think that this should be consumed within a couple of years of purchase.

Tags: La Corte Red Wine Italian Wine Puglia Sommelier Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Pane Pugliese – Loaf Bread from Puglia

This is a big, crusty, country bread. Originally made with coarse flours and cooked in hot wood-burning ovens, Pane Pugliese is chewy and porous, a perfect compliment for a lunch or dinner with cheese, dried meats or foods with sauces. The loaves are large 2-4 pounds each and are cut into large pieces.

Many Pugliese regional foods dip the bread into flavored oils or as the carbohydrate base for soups, gravies, or savory sauces. The thick crust results in a flavorful and filling bread. One of my favorite traditions is dipping it directly in a fruity new wine from Puglia.

There are several versions used today but the original, said to have origins in the Turkish Empire, uses a mix of unrefined flours. When working this bread it will seem a bit soft and wet, do not worry this is how it should be.

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast (7 gr.)
¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups water at room temperature
1 cup (200 gr.) Biga
4 ½ cups (600 gr.) all-purpose unbleached flour
3 cups (375 gr.) wheat flour
5 teaspoons (20 gr.) salt

Preparation

Stir the sugar in the warm water. Dissolve the yeast in the water and let sit for 10 minutes until creamy. Place the biga in a large bowl. With a spoon, stir the yeast mixture. Stir in the water (room temperature).

The traditional method:

Pour the flour mixture onto a flat hard surface. Shape into a mound and create a well in the middle with a spoon. Pour half the biga mixture into the well. With a pastry spatula begin moving flour from the walls of the well into the biga-water. Add the remaining biga-water and fold the remaining flour. The dough will be very soft and “runny”. This will take about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but just firm enough to maintain its form.

The quick way:

Mix the all-purpose and wheat flour and the salt. Pour the flour mix into the bowl with the biga and mix for about 3 minutes until the dough separates from the sides of the bowl.

Kneading:

Knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and velvety.

First Rise:

Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow to rise about 3 hours, until tripled.

Shaping and Second Rise:

Place on a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough delicately with your hands and roll from the back to the front. Press down again. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll again from back to front. To create a round ball, cup your hands and slide them, pulling the bottom portion of the dough, under the dough ball. Turn 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until a perfectly round ball has formed.

If you are using a baking stone place a bit of corn meal flour on the stone, if using a baking sheet, place parchment paper and flour the surface. Position the dough ball in the center. Make sure you have sufficient room on the side as this bread will expand laterally.

Cover with a heavy slightly humid towel and let rise for at least 1 hour, until doubled.

Baking:

At least 30 minutes before baking, turn the oven on to 450 degrees. Five minutes before baking dust the top of the dough with flour and delicately dimple, with your fingers, the top of the dough. The dimples will disappear when baking but will allow the dough to rise evenly. Place in the oven. After 10 minutes reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. If using a baking pan, remove the bread from the pan and place the bread directly on the oven rack. Continue for another 15-20 minutes.

Cool on a rack.

Tags: Pane Pugliese Bread Italian Bread Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Il Gargano – San Giovanni Rotondo – Monte San Angelo

I am not the type of person to go on religious pilgrimages so why am I talking about 2 strictly religious destinations. At the beginning of the networking and Internet expansion I was asked to design a secure network to connect 7 of the long term care institutes of the Padre Pio foundation. These are located in San Giovanni Rotondo. I was amazed to see the number of people that arrived every day in this little town. These people were not your typical vacationers. Most had little money and had spent most of their funds just getting there.

This is a religious pilgrimage for excellence. San Michele, the archangel Michael, is the patron saint of Foggia and many of his miracles are attributed to the cavern of San Michele in Sant Angelo on the Gargano. A sanctuary rises above the cavern where it is said that the image of the saint is burned into the walls of rock. The medieval town of Monte S. Angelo has retained its original look and feel. Divided in zones slightly larger than courtyards you find small shops and restaurants around every corner.

The town is located above the cliffs overlooking the coastline and the panoramic view of the beaches can be seen from most parts of the town. This is an interesting place to take a daytrip.

Further into the Gargano is San Giovanni Rotondo. Millions of pilgrims arrive every year to visit the sanctuary of Padre Pio. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to park in the town unless you are checking into one of the healthcare facilities. Busses will bring you to primary plaza from which you have a marvelous panoramic view of the Gargano. A large Avenue leads right up to the Sanctuary and along the way you can find all sorts of religious paraphernalia. Most of the hotels are family operated and they can direct you to find just about anything you might need or desire regarding Padre Pio. Remember visitors do not come to these areas for the food or wine so you should not expect anything really special.

Tags: Gargano Padre Pio Monte San Michele Puglia Travel Italy

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Gargano - Baia delle Zagare

What a rush! Driving the winding roads around the Gargano in the dark of night. I have traveled this road so many times I can sense the next turn in the road before I get to it. How fast can I make it this time? I turned up the volume on my “Neri per Caso”, and push a little on my dark blue with black leather interior Lancia K. The 2.0 liter turbocharged engine let out that typical “WAMFUF” of the turbo kicking in. I was still in second gear and doing about 60 km/hour. As I navigate the curves this machine just sits to the inside and hugs the road. Oh, what a feeling.

Out of nowhere a horn. How can that be? No one is on the road, no lights, yet there it is again. Then I realize I can’t see anything. All is black. I am asleep at the wheel. I try to open my eyes but nothing. How can I stop the car. Surely I will end up in the ravine. The adrenalin rushes and I still cannot open my eyes. Again; this time much louder, that horn.

Slowly I open one eye, it is still dark in the room. It was just a dream. The horn is that terrible alarm clock. I really have to slow down. Those 1500 km days with 3 meetings don’t leave enough time for sleep.

As the second eye opens I hear the birds chirping at the dawn light peeping over the horizon creating a long trail across the sea. The sun breaks into view in the distance, seems like the sun is having as difficult time as I am getting up this morning. There is a slight dampness in the air as the sun begins to warm the surroundings and I can smell the coffee from the breakfast lounge.

I throw on jeans and a sweater, although it is July the nights and early morning can be quite chilly. “Girls, time to get up, let’s get breakfast.” After a few “oh, Daddy. I want to sleep,” and “just a few more minutes.” The girls are up, dressed and we are heading through the wooded compound to the breakfast area. Few guests are up at that hour but the breakfast hall is decked out with a buffet that runs the entire length of the hall. The tables are all set with white tablecloths and stainless steel utensils. Not made of tin that bends as soon as you pick them up, but nice heavy stainless steel.

I choose the table in the back and order 3 double espresso and a pitcher of hot frothing milk. The girls start out with freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. I love breakfast and go for freshly baked bread with butter and jam and some Danish. The girls instead have cereal and fresh fruit Macedonia. After this I am ready to go back to bed but I promised the girls that I would spend the day with them so our first stop is the beach.


Baia delle Zagare has its own private beach at the foot of the cliffs where the compound is located. Right off the shore there are two “faraglioni”. These are pieces of the mountain that were separated from the main mass and over time the sea has eroded the sides and the base. They are impressive, shooting straight up out of the water about 100 feet. There are only two ways to get to this beach, one by elevator ride for about 5 floors, and the other by sea. The resort offers beach umbrellas and reclining chairs for about 10 $ a day. You can also just lay your towel down but if you plan to spend the day in the sun the umbrella is definitely worth the money.

A couple of hours on the beach its back to the room for a shower and off to the resort’s restaurant for lunch. Be prepared this is Puglia, so lunch is a serious affair. Do not be thinking a quick sandwich, unless that is what you really want. We take a table close to the window. The restaurant looks out over sea and by lunch the sun is high in the sky and does not shine directly through the windows. You can have a full, several course meal or just a first or second plate but in any case you come away from the table well satisfied. Remember the local wines are relatively good but usually have a more fruity flavor and a higher alcohol content so go slow; they can sneak up on you. Fish is the primary staple for most of the dishes and since it is fresh there is no reason to order anything else. Now you should know I am very difficult on fish. Either it is really fresh (still moving when it gets to the kitchen) or I just can’t eat it. At Baia delle Zagare I would do about 2 weeks of fish.

After lunch I take the girls to the Tremiti for an afternoon. You can catch the boat directly at the private beach or make arrangements for a taxi motorboat. This is an experience in its own right and I will not write about it today.

After an afternoon of the Tremiti and all of the grotte (sea caverns) underneath the Gargano we return to the resort. Ah shucks, its almost time to eat again… I guess you can tell I really like good food. We get cleaned up and dressed. Remember this is Italy, casual should look good. Although the staff understands that not everyone understands proper dress and that when people are on vacation they like to shed the rigors of social acceptance it is appropriate to dress properly for dinner. This does not necessarily mean coat and tie but it does mean a dress shirt and slacks perhaps with a sweater or light evening jacket.

Do not think anyone will turn you away if you dress in cut-offs and a Tshirt but our objective here is to vacation like an Italian and not immediately stand out as the American tourist. Respect for the local customs will usually result in a better table, better service and a more reasonable price.

Dinner is a marvelous experience. About 8:00 pm is right for me and the family. Again the table close to the window is a must. By now the sun is setting and the light trail over the water extends in the opposite direction from the morning toward the horizon. Service is excellent. Most of the staff has been sourced from the tourism trade school and the chefs are top grade. The food is good balance between fresh pasta and light fish. Deserts, as just about everywhere in this region, are flavorful, not to sweet, and the presentation is colorful and imaginative.

The day is not over. Baia delle Zagare is a family resort. They hire in entertainers and there are nightly skits, presentations, and shows. The kids can go alone, as the staff are very attentive, or the entire family can participate. The fun is family oriented and you can laugh your insides out until about 11:00. By that time just about everyone is ready for bed.

To sum up: This is a family vacation. You do not need to leave the resort to have a marvelous time. There is not much around if you are looking for night life but the entertainment style is much like that of a cruise ship. This is the place to go to experience a family vacation, with excellent service, entertainment and to eat like a king.

Tags: Gargano Baia delle Zagare Foggia Puglia Travel Italy

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Pizzomunno - Mancore

This area is considered by many to be the most suggestive of Italian landscapes. I found this area while traveling with one of my business partners, Antonio Mattei, nephew of the great businessman, politician, and ex-president of the national oil and gas company, Enrico Mattei. Antonio was great in his own right and was the most influential individual in my career development. He taught me the “rules” of Italian business including one of the most important concepts of any successful venture, “Perception is Reality, the Truth is only the Truth”. During one of our trips from Senigallia to Foggia he took the scenic route, about 5 hours longer than by traveling the expressway. As we arrived in Vieste he told me the story of Mancore.

Enrico Mattei was returning by helicopter to Senigallia from the port of Manfredonia where ENI had a large storage and chemical production plant. As they came around the promontory of the Gargano, breathless, he placed his hand on his heart and stated that this was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. This area became know as “Mancore”, local dialect for “hand on your heart”.

In the 50s and 60s there was a strong communist movement in Italy. Enrico Mattei was very communist. Companies would provide vacation structures for the employees at significantly reduced cost. Eni built a company-owned vacation colony on the spot he found so beautiful. Today most of these structures have been sold and the area has one of the most luxurious hotels I have ever stayed at. This is not because of the physical environment. In fact the hotel is contemporary, the suites are extremely comfortable, but it is hard to outdo the ambiance created in a renovated 15th century palace (but that is another topic).

The primary hotel at Pizzomunno is top in luxury for its service. The food is great is every sense. Primarily fish however, wild game, hunted by the locals, is available in season and cooked in the according to the traditional Umbrian recipes. I strongly agree with this position. Any recipe perfected over the last 500 years probably does not need to be made contemporary. If you are big into the new tastes of international food attempting to match new Chinese and new Italian into a single plate then, this is not the place to be.

The chefs, who have the advantage of great talent from one of the top cooking trade schools in the country, adhere to the highest standards of traditional cuisine. The waiters can tell you about how a dish is made, why it is made that way, when is the best time of year to order it, and which wine, of the extremely well furnished cellars, should be consumed with each part of the meal.

Just a note on wine, this is Italy; some of the finest wines in the world are produced here. Most producers still use the traditional methods of preparing the wine: natural yeast, very little or no micro-filtration, no pasteurization, no additives, just good grapes and thousands of years of practice. All this to say please, do not order a French, German or Californian wine. Food and wine are a delicate mix. Usually a local wine will be the best with local recipes.

Pizzomunno is located at the base of the cliffs of Vieste. The fine white sand extends right up the cliffs. From the hotel built on the beach you can walk the steps up to Vieste or take the very tight roads. Generally, the roads have a brick retaining wall on one side and buildings on the other. The streets continuously turn back on themselves as they wind up the cliff so do not attempt to drive this as you will surely leave a side of your car on one of the walls. As the road comes to turn back on itself you will find little nooks. At one time these were defensive positions, today they are a great place to stop and enjoy the view.

There are many small cities to visit, shop if you want, or just to wander. Stop in the churches, eat at just about any local taverna, take a motorboat trip to see the “grotte” and the “faraglioni”, that is big lighthouses, formed out of pieces of the Gargano that did not quite make it to the mainland and the sea has eroded over time. You will come away after three or four days with a different aspect on life.

Tags: Pizzomunno Food and Wine Italian Vacations Puglia Travel Italy

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Il Gargano - Puglia

The Gargano is a grey granite mountain sticking out like a knuckle on the southeastern coast of Italy on the northern border of Puglia. It is located on directly on the coast between the major cities of Pescara and Foggia. The promontory is about 3,500 feet high with cliffs dropping directly into the water and is 65 km long and 40 km wide. In 1991 this area was declared a national park and covers 250 square km, half of which forest, and 2,000 species of vegetation.

The locals indicate that at one time the Gargano was actually connected to Tunis and as the continental plates shifted, broke off a piece that became an island, that eventually ended up attached to Italy. The eastern coast toll road runs on the western side of the mountain so to get their you either get off in Pescara and follow the coast to the northern side or go south to Foggia and follow the coast up through Manfredonia for the southern side. The roads are typical mountain roads with beautiful views, winding around the side of the mountain. They also drop straight down into deep gullies or directly into the sea so take this road VERY slowly, no more than 40km an hour.

The Gargano has four primary locations that I love to visit. On the northern side, Vieste, on the promontory Baia delle Zagare, and San Giovanni Rotondo toward the peak, and the Tremiti, small islands that stand like lighthouses just off the shore. This does not mean that there are not other fantastic places to visit, just that these are the places I would usually go to on vacation.

Actually the Gargano is very well known because of Padre Pio, sanctified in 1999, and the hospitals and hospices that carry his name. Every year millions of pilgrims make the trip to San Giovanni Rotondo.

The food is great. Most everything has something to do with fish and the local pasta is orecchiette, little ears, and most families and many restaurants still make them by hand. A typical dinner in this area means several hours and if you happen at lunch on Sunday you can find yourself still at the table when dinner starts being served. Fried in a light batter or breadcrumbs is primarily the way most food will be prepared. So go slow, take your time and enjoy the numerous varieties of fresh vegetables as antipasti, a small plate of the local pasta with fresh tomatoes slightly heated with small pieces of smoked pancietta, followed by some savory fish caught that morning, and before coffee some smoked scamorza cheese. By the way, in Puglia, coffee is sweetened when prepared and it is very sweet. If you can still remain upright after this smorgasbord, the deserts are incredible, their presentation immediately let’s you know this is not something you want to miss.

Local wines are very fruity and usually have a higher grade of alcohol. This is due to the extreme summer heat that drives up the sugar content in the grapes. Be careful, you can easily go overboard on the wine while eating dinner. I usually like to have a glass of mineral water to sip on every once in a while.

Tags: Gargano Puglia Travel Italy

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