Winery Doors to Vinous Paradise

Many winery doors in Europe are thick, wooden barriers to domains through which centuries of winemakers have passed. On the edge of Barolo’s central district, on Via Vittorio Veneto just below sprawling Nebbiolo vineyards, there is one such door.

A black plaque with four large white letters affixed on the right of the door prominently displaying the name of the legendary wine family “PIRA” alerts visitors they’ve arrived. Press the button on the brass plaque to ring the bell that could easily wake the dead of centuries past. You’ll hear hurried steps – albeit maybe not immediately – lock turning, a bolt scraping open and finally the centuries-old door creaks open.

For centuries, the E. Pira e Figli winery has occupied the corner of via Monforte and via Vittorio Veneto in Barolo.
For centuries, the E. Pira e Figli winery has occupied the corner of via Monforte and via Vittorio Veneto in Barolo.

If your timing is right – the probability of which is improved dramatically if you’ve cleverly booked an appointment – Chiara Boschis’ bright, welcoming smile will be the first thing you see on the other side of the door to E. Pira e Figli.

At home in the tasting room of Chiara Boschis, E. Pira e Figli, in Barolo, Italy.
At home in the tasting room of Chiara Boschis, E. Pira e Figli, in Barolo, Italy.

On a cold March day shrouded in a light mist more akin to November than Easter, I met Chiara Boschis, E. Pira’s proprietor and winemaker. The door burst open and before me was a petite, smiling woman in leggings and a flowing skirt, bundled up in a puffy coat she clutched around her neck. I stood before her in jeans and a light, powder blue sweater and tee shirt, freezing. For some reason – as I stood there, slightly shivering – admitting it seemed out of the question. I live in the Rockies after all. We’re tough and rarely admit we’re cold.

Chiara greeted me as she would a long lost friend. Here before me was a much-loved woman who had successfully staked out her territory in Barolo’s male-dominated world and who was the subject of many laudatory articles in wine journals and blogs. But immediately I could see, despite her fame, she was no wine diva.

Chiara enjoying the sweet summer fragrance of roses in the vineyards.
Chiara enjoying the sweet summer fragrance of roses in the vineyards.

There was no period of uncomfortable formalities, only a warm two-handed handshake, a deep sincere look into my eyes and concern over my lightweight attire. Here was a woman in love with her craft and grateful for my interest in the women of Piemonte. I was humbled.

The conversation flowed effortlessly as we descended steep, concrete stairs, through another heavy wooden door into the maze of subterranean rooms of the centuries old winery. I was thrilled when we entered the warm barrel room where a humidifier bellowing steam transformed the space into a mild sauna. Low level lights shining up through the fog at the vaulted ceiling created an ethereal affect, giving the musty space a timeless feeling. I could see through the fog a small forest of large wooden barrels and smaller barriques where nature, guided by Chiara, was finishing its work aging and imparting aromas into her precious wines.

The "cantina vecchia" (old cellar) that has housed barrels of aging wine for centuries.
The “cantina vecchia” (old cellar) that has housed barrels of aging wine for centuries.

On later visits, I thought the cantina seemed the sort of place the ghost of sainted Giulia Colbert Falletti, Marchesa di Barolo – the 19th century mother of modern Barolo – would be comfortable. I believe she would have enjoyed Chiara, the woman who burst through gender barriers to become Barolo’s first woman winery proprietor and winemaker. Chiara draws inspiration from the Marchesa. Perhaps Giulia’s spirit guides Chiara and all the women who are her oenological legatees. I like to think so. But I digress.

A woman to the rescue

Once a rarity, women winemakers are taking their place in the Piemonte wine industry, particularly in the Langhe and Roero regions. Famous last names previously associated with men are now brands belonging to women winemakers and proprietors such as Chiara.

In 1980, following the death of Luigi Pira, Chiara emerged as the first of her gender in her family’s nine generations in Barolo to tend the vines and vinify the noble Nebbiolo grape. Luigi was the last male heir of the renowned centuries-old E. Pira e Figli winery in Barolo.

At Chiara’s behest, her father, Franco for whom she had worked at Giacomo Borgogno e Figli, bought the winery from Pira’s two sisters. The vineyards, including parcels in the prized Cannubi, and the winery would become the launching pad of Chiara’s meteoric career.

Chiara possess an innate talent for growing high quality grapes and making luscious wines from her vines’ bounty. A combination of swimming in the right gene pool and on-the-job experiences spanning a lifetime prepared her to successfully assume control of the operation in 1990.

New generation, new philosophy

On that first visit, Chiara poetically described her winemaking philosophy with words like “joy,” “passion” and “love” garnishing her language. The biggest change in her generation was not only women entering winemaking, but also giving more attention to the vineyards. “You cannot abandon the fruit in the vineyard during the growing season,” she warns. The work in the vineyards is 80% of the process. The other 20% is in the cellar. It’s logical that without the best fruit possible, nothing in the cellar will change mediocre grapes into stellar wines.

No job is too menial for Chiara and she takes great delight in the handwork of winemaking. Here she is cleaning a wine vat.
No job is too menial for Chiara and she takes great delight in the handwork of winemaking. Here she is cleaning a wine vat.

Chiara was one of the first to conduct a green harvest – crop thinning – in Barolo. If done correctly, as she does, the process of cutting shoots and bunches during the growing season produces quality over yield. Chiara strongly believes quality cannot be achieved when the vine is preoccupied and stressed with too much growth. It’s a delicate process, however, that is sometimes done three or four times as she monitors the vines’ development and the weather between June and harvest.

One of Barolo's first women winemaker's, Chiara Boschis, at home amongst her treasured nebbiolo vines
One of Barolo’s first women winemaker’s, Chiara Boschis, at home amongst her treasured nebbiolo vines

Her first green harvest, however, brought calls to her father from locals saying, “Chiara is crazy! She is cutting the vines!” She admits her father was also skeptical, but the proof of her logic rests in the high quality of her elegant wines.

Meteoric Rise to Fame

The splendid 1990 vintage was Chiara’s first on her own. She downplays somewhat the significance of the Tre Biccheri the Gambero Rosso awarded her her maiden vintage declaring, “It was a fabulous vintage.” True, it was, but she need not be humble about her achievement with that vintage. Four years later, with the release of the 1994 vintage, Chiara proved she was no flash in the pan.

In Europe, rain and mud were the hallmarks of the second half of 1994. Long before vines surrendered their grapes, the vintage was branded as poor. Although it gave only two out of five stars to the 1994 Piemontese vintage, Britain’s Decanter magazine noted, “Prolonged rain caused serious problems, although a few producers still made good wines.” One of those wines was Chiara’s cru from the legendary Cannubi vineyard.

As the winner of the sole Tre Bicchieri awarded for Barolo that year, her 1994 Barolo Cannubi proved she could make great wines even when Mother Nature was cranky. “Consistency is most important to success,” Chiara asserts. Weather can be changeable, but winemakers must always be at the top of their game to achieve consistently high quality wines. Since 1994, Chiara garnered numerous accolades for her Baroli that exhibit power, but with a Burgundian-like elegance, finesse and soft tannins, the signature of her wines.

Chiara Boschis' three Barolo "children"
Chiara Boschis’ three Barolo “children”

In its 2013 Duemilavini wine guide, the Italian Sommelier Association awarded its highest honor, “Cinque Grapoli” (five bunches), to Chiara’s 2008 and 2010 Barolo Cannubi. So I’d say that now, as she brings in her 24th vintage as the head of Pira, Chiara Boschis has proven herself worthy of her winemaking heritage.

Chiara enjoys taking her wines on the road. Here she is at Zino Ristorante near Vail, CO with Executive Chef Nick, Giuseppe Bosco and her loyal, trusted importer, Steve Lewis of Giuliana Imports.
Chiara enjoys taking her wines on the road. Here she is at Zino Ristorante near Vail, CO with Executive Chef Nick, Giuseppe Bosco and her loyal, trusted importer, Steve Lewis of Giuliana Imports.

Chiara’s wines continue to garner praise across the globe. Her personality, devotion and talent emerge from each bottle of wine opened in lands far from the humble Piemonte village of its origins. No doubt, most days someone meets Chiara for the first time by merely sipping her vinous creations.

Chiara Boschis with Giuseppe and Alisha Bosco of Vail Valley's Ristorante Zino enjoying Chiara's wines in her tasting room.
Chiara Boschis with Giuseppe and Alisha Bosco of Vail Valley’s Ristorante Zino enjoying Chiara’s wines in her tasting room.
Looking To The Future

Chiara bridges the past and future through her devotion to preserving Piemonte’s cultural heritage, insuring future generations remain connected to region’s land and the culture surrounding all it produces.

Chiara's feet are rooted in the soil of Barolo. She is most at peace among her vines.
Chiara’s feet are rooted in the soil of Barolo. She is most at peace among her vines.

Chiara is married to the land and protects it as she would her own offspring. As a certified organic wine producer who never exposes her vines to pesticides, she guards the environment and the health of her clients and neighbors. Her ardent belief – a view many of her peers share – is vineyards can survive without chemicals. A healthy future and continuation of centuries of Piemontese viticulture depend on farmers such as Chiara to protect the terroir.

With brother Giorgio who left Borgogno and joined her at Pira in 2010, she’s well into her third decade of creating beautiful, award-winning wines. Brother Cesare also left Borogono and now works with his sister and eight others in the “ethical” project to preserve the culture and production of Castelmagno in Rifugio Valliera. Together, the close-knit siblings are working to insure the region’s traditions remain a part of its fabric, leaving generations to come a bright future in Piemonte.

Chiara Boschis enjoying lunch al fresco at Rifugio Valliera in Castelmagno.
Chiara Boschis enjoying lunch al fresco at Rifugio Valliera in Castelmagno.

Discover Piemonte With The Locals

Fifteen years ago this November I discovered PiemonteWith the companionship and help of locals I came to know and love like family, I was able to experience the region in all her glory.

Now, over 20 visits later (I stopped counting) and taking up my pen to write about Piemonte, it’s a delight to see the joy of a novice Piemonte visitor, as shown in this vignette.

Of course, many vendemmia have passed since I’ve been out until 4:30 a.m., but it at least I now start my days earlier so I have the same amount of time to immerse my senses in the joys of Piemonte.

Ci vediamo lì presto!

 

 

2014 Harvest at Cascina delle Rose

Romancing the Grape at Cascina delle Rose

From far away, wine lovers romanticize about the process of making wine. They long to participate in a harvest, to experience the crush of vinous fruit and inhale a winery’s intoxicating, musty odors fermentation creates.

Harvest time in Barbaresco
Harvest time in Barbaresco

Yes, the transformation of fruit into fermented juice is a magical experience. For those whose connection with wine is primarily the vinous stream from a bottle poured in their homes or at a restaurant, it’s a bit of a fantasy. I urge wine lovers to experience a harvest, since to do so is to understand the high risks, the incredibly difficult, stressful work and the sheer joy that comes with producing wine. In short, it’s an experience that enhances appreciation of the men and women who toil in vineyards and wineries across the globe.

The Pleasure of Hard Work

One of the best places for such an experience is Cascina delle Rose in Tre Stelle, deep in the heart of the Barbaresco appellation.

Vineyards below Tre Stelle in the Barbaresco appellation.
Vineyards below Tre Stelle in the Barbaresco appellation.

Since the mid-1990s, Giovanna Rizzolio has been welcoming visitors to her agriturismo by the same name. She was one of the first in the Langhe to provide lodging of this type. Soon, some of her guests – particularly Oregonians – began returning to help her bring in the grapes from her 3.6 hectares.

Cascina delle Rose agriturismo in Tre Stelle.
Cascina delle Rose agriturismo in Tre Stelle.

Twenty years later, Giovanna with her husband Italo Sobrino and their two sons, Davide and Riccardo, tend to Cascina delle Rose’s vineyards and make excellent wine below their home and the agriturismo’s rooms. Lots of life happening under one roof on three levels!

Giovanna her two sons - Riccardo and Davide - and husband Italo.
Giovanna her two sons – Riccardo and Davide – and husband Italo.
Ground floor of one the two apartments at Cascine delle Rose.
Ground floor of one the two apartments at Cascina delle Rose.
One of the cozy rooms at Agriturismo Cascina delle Rose.
One of the cozy rooms at Agriturismo Cascina delle Rose.

Giovanna’s captivating stories of her nonna Beatrice inspired me to begin an odyssey I’m still on: committing to paper many of the stories the Langhe’s and Roero’s strong women. Giovanna’s story is one of courage and unyielding determination in the face of Barbaresco’s patriarchal society buried like the vines deep in Langhe clay.

As the first woman to own and run her own winery in Barbaresco, Giovanna surmounted many obstacles and avoided trapdoors on her climb to success. But today, with her small family Giovanna, has succeeded in garnering accolades for her wines from across the globe.

Magnums of Barbera d'Alba in the cellar of Cascina delle Rose, waiting for the right moment to be enjoyed.
Magnums of Barbera d’Alba in the cellar of Cascina delle Rose, waiting for the right moment to be enjoyed.

This year, given the difficult summer growing season – cool and somewhat wet – I asked Giovanna to keep a “day-in-the-life” diary of the harvest. Mamma Natura is smiling on them now, giving them more sun and warmer temperatures. If she continues her generous gift of good weather, the increased hang time for the Nebbiolo grapes will yield a lovely crop from which Giovanna will begin to work magic in her cantina.

Big format oak barrels in the cellar of Cascina delle Rose.
Big format oak barrels in the cellar of Cascina delle Rose.

Since Cascina delle Rose only produces red wines, their harvest work in the vineyard begins a little later than those wineries with whites, but preparations have been underway to prepare for harvest when the grapes tell them it’s time to head home.

Cozy tasting room is a great way to learn about and enjoy Cascina delle Rose wines.
Cozy tasting room is a great way to learn about and enjoy Cascina delle Rose wines.

Vendemmia 2014 Begins

Here are the highlights of “harvest week one” that Giovanna shared with me. Much more to come:

Sunday, September 14th

16:00 – We finished sampling Dolcetto grapes from Tre Stelle and Rio Sordo crus.

17:00 – Samples are taken for analysis

Monday, September 15th – The Harvest Begins!

08:00 – The results of the analyses of the Dolcetto grapes arrived. We decided that today is the best day to start the harvest.

08:20 – The 2014 harvest begins with Dolcetto’s Tre Stelle vineyard!

Observation – The weather is great!

12:40 – We need a short lunch break!

13:00 – We return to the vines; the harvest continues.

Dolcetto grapes waiting to go home to the cantina
Dolcetto grapes waiting to go home to the cantina

14:00 – A couple of guests from the Agriturismo join is to experience the harvest

Observation – The afternoon is warm and sunny.

17:30 – We are starting good. Not much more to pick in the old vineyards of Tre Stelle.

Dolcetto grapes from the Tre Stelle vineyard, the first grapes of the 2014 harvest.
Dolcetto grapes from the Tre Stelle vineyard, the first grapes of the 2014 harvest.

18:30 – The vineyard is finished, so not the guys are collecting the boxes.

Italo carefully driving crates of Dolcetto grapes from the vineyard to the cantina.
Italo carefully driving crates of Dolcetto grapes from the vineyard to the cantina.

19:00 – We are preparing the entire staff for crushing process. Some clouds in the sky, but no rain yet.

19:15 – We are now ready to crush the first vineyard harvested in 2014!

Italo watches carefully as the first boxes of Dolcetto grapes are poured into the crusher.
Italo watches carefully as the first boxes of Dolcetto grapes are poured into the crusher.

20:00 – Crushing is finished. It’s time to sample the must (23°C – Babo 19.10). Not too bad at the end. J

IMG_2305 (2)
Testing the samples of the crushed Dolcetto grapes from Tre Stelle vineyard.

21:00 – The Agriturismo’s guests are all out for dinner, so Giovanna starts cooking: pasta with home ragù and Dolcetto 2012 is on the menu this evening.

From the crusher to the tanks.
From the crusher to the tanks.

Observation – The first day ended with a thunderstorm in the Barolo area. Barbaresco was luckier since no rain arrived. Not so tired. The guys know that the hardest work will arrive within approximately 15 to 20 days when the Barbera and Nebbiolo will be ready to come home.

Note of the day – The grapes – that have very sensitive skins and stems – seem to have suffered a bit in the strange summer. But with no hail and great September weather, they will have a great balance, but sugar level is a little lower than in past years.

Tuesday, September 16th

06:40 – Our day starts early. Lazy Jack has difficulty waking up! J

Lazy kitty Jack is not ready to see the dawn and get to work.
Lazy kitty Jack is not ready to see the dawn and get to work.

08:00 – While Giovanna and Riccardo are busy with the Agriturismo’s guests, Davide and Italo start with the Dolcetto’s Rio Sordo vineyard, the only one located just a few meters from home. The guests will join the guys in the vineyard later.

Rio Sordo Dolcetto grapes ready for picking!
Clusters of Rio Sordo vineyard Dolcetto grapes ready for picking!

12:20 – Lunch break! A few panini and a tiny bit of relaxing.

12:40 – Back to the Rio Sordo vineyard.

13:00 – Davide’s wife Simona joined us for the harvest.

18:45 – Dolcetto 2014 harvest is ended and the guys will start to collect the boxes of grapes.

Boxes of carefully picked grapes are collected and driven to the cantina for crushing. The process begins again.
Boxes of carefully picked grapes are collected and driven to the cantina for crushing. The process begins again.

19:30 – We are now ready for crushing.

Italo once again dropping bunches of Dolcetto grapes into the crusher.
Italo once again dropping bunches of Dolcetto grapes into the crusher.

20:10 – Dolcetto crushing is finished and samples done (22°C – Babo 19.80) J!!!!

Testing samples of crushed Dolcetto grapes from the Rio Sordo vineyard.
Testing samples of crushed Dolcetto grapes from the Rio Sordo vineyard.

20:15 – It seems that the Tre Stelle vineyard is wanting to start with fermentation. Maybe tomorrow?

20:30 – Preparing to go out for the evening with Elizabeth Page (Giovanna’s “American sister” – our Dolcetto label is dedicated to her!) and Alan to celebrate his birthday. A totally relaxing evening tonight!

Note of the day: We had great weather. Quite chilly in the early morning, but the day developed very well; 25°C (77°F) in the afternoon.

Wednesday, September 17th 

Observation – As expected, Tre Stelle vineyard grapes slowly begin fermentation.

Thursday, September 18th

Observation – The crushed Rio Sordo Dolcetto grapes begin their fermentation. Nice color and a great bouquet are developing. Three times a day, we conduct a soft and long pumping-over.

Pumping over…..
Pumping over…..

Stay tuned….much more to come from Cascina delle Rose in Barbaresco!

Cellar

Elide Cordero: Cultivating Culinary Perfection

Long before the Cordon Bleu and Culinary Institute of America were founded, there were mothers and grandmas who taught their female offspring to cook, binding generations together with culinary traditions. In Piemonte, Italy, this “nonna culture” has cultivated many fine chefs. Elide Cordero, Chef/Co-owner of Ristorante il Centro in Priocca, Italy is a culinary offspring of that culture. 

Chef Elide Cordero of Ristorante Il Centro is equally at home in nature and her kitchen.
Chef Elide Cordero of Ristorante Il Centro is equally at home in nature and her kitchen. Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

Piemonte, the large province located in northwest Italy, is home to a diverse landscape that yields a cornucopia of agricultural bounty, perfect for instilling in her inhabitants a rich culinary legacy. In the mountains, milk and cheese are the primary products. The region’s sub-alpine hills are home to Alto Piemonte’s vineyards. On the flatlands, fed by the Po River, cattle, rice and crops such as beans and other vegetables flourish. Finally, vineyards and hazelnut groves carpet the undulating landscape of Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato. That’s just a bird’s eye view of the region’s agrarian landscape.

The rolling, vineyard covered hills of Piemonte lie within a stone's throw of the majestic Pennine and Cottian Alps.
The rolling, vineyard covered hills of Piemonte lie within a stone’s throw of the majestic Pennine and Cottian Alps.

It’s in that surrounding Elide’s grandmother and mother nurtured her culinary roots. At her family’s restaurant Il Centro in the Roero town of Priocca, Elide Cordero has blossomed into one of Italy’s leading chefs, although in her shy, modest manner she’d deny that stature. Her well-deserved Michelin star gives the Cordero family’s restaurant global notoriety, but Elide, like her cuisine, has remained humble and true to the region.

Chef Elide Cordero of Ristorante Il Centro.
Chef Elide Cordero’s uniform is a starched white chef’s jacket, black pants and  her ever-present strand of pearls. Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

Unlike many of her peers who earned degrees at expensive private culinary schools, Elide studied at one of the oldest and most prestigious of all – the family kitchen. Her earliest memories were of a yearning to cook. Under her grandmother and mother’s tutelage in their farmhouse kitchen in Pocapaglia, 32 miles south of Torino, Elide fell in love with nature’s bounty growing just beyond their kitchen door. The two women she loved and admired most showed her how to coax delectable flavors out of the simplest ingredients. Those experiences set her on a path well-deserved fame.

Youthful Farm Life

The evolution of Elide Cordero’s culinary prowess began on her family’s farm.  Growing up in the middle of nature instilled in Elide a solid work ethic and keen appreciation of the seasonality of food and the time needed to produce it. Elide finds the ability to buy strawberries from some distant land in the cold of December unnatural.

Food has a seasonality that should be respected. Gone are the days we pined for our favorite fruit or vegetable to be ready for harvest. Strawberries in spring. Melons in summer. Grapes in autumn. Today, Western societies have settled for “on-demand” food, available anytime of the year. As Elide notes, the demand may be met, but the price paid is quality and health.

On Elide’s parents’ farm, chemicals – a given in today’s industrialized farms – were eschewed. It was unheard of to alter a plant or animal’s development. Nature would take her time.  She needed no interference from man’s chemicals. Fertilizer came from cows not a chemical plant miles away.

In the face of commonplace economic hardships, farmers like Elide’s father, Francesco Mollo, possessed a complete understanding of nature’s ways. They knew the origins of everything their families ate and respected nature for providing it. Sadly, industrialization of the food industry has tainted – perhaps forever – the land once so lovingly tended.

The knowledge transfer Elide enjoyed came each day after school when she and her brother Giovanni would tend the farm animals and harvest vegetables and herbs for dinner. She then would help her mother Francesca cook. It was a hard, demanding life, but in her words, “It was a life lived from the heart, so it wasn’t tough.”

Wood, not gas, fired the stoves of Elide’s childhood home. In winters, Elide would accompany her father to collect wood. The wood’s use was dependent upon its characteristics. Slow burn was obviously best for the kitchen. Rovere and Quercia – types of oak trees – are prized for their very slow, even burning characteristics. Elide’s daughter Valentina fondly remembers peering through a hole in the top of the stove while her grandmother added more wood to fire a slow-cooking dish.

From this respect for nature that cocooned her budding culinary skills, Elide learned how to coddle a product, developing its best flavors. It’s the essence of her philosophy in her kitchen at Il Centro. The best products cooked in the correct manner – usually slow – yield the best dishes. That philosophy, engrained in Elide long before she became a chef, drives her creative cuisine that pays homage to the rich Piemontese culinary heritage.

Journey to Il Centro

Elide’s journey to Il Centro began in her early 20s. Her workweek consisted of 8-hour days in a garment factory followed by evenings helping on the farm. Fridays didn’t signal an end to work. Weekends presented another work opportunity when she would travel about 16 miles to work as a server and a barista at a bar in Priocca.

In early 1980s’ Piemonte, restaurant excursions were primarily weekend events. That’s when bars such as the Cordero family’s Il Centro would be transformed into restaurants serving patrons celebrating birthdays, weddings, christenings and first communions. Elide had little interest in serving. Cooking for restaurant patrons was closer to her heart.

The alchemy of cuisine energized Elide and filled her dreams. An encounter with a “coup de feu” when she met Enrico Cordero helped make those dreams come true.

Lighting Strike

Love at first sight is often viewed as a cliché. Not for Elide and Enrico. Within 6 months of love’s lightening strike, they celebrated their nuptials. Once again, Elide’s culinary education was in the hands of two women, her mother-in-law Rita and Enrico’s grandmother Lidia, each with a love of cooking. A year later, they welcomed their first child Valentina into their lives.

A culinary love match - Elide and Enrico Cordero.
A culinary love match – Elide and Enrico Cordero. Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

Mornings found Elide in Il Centro, behind the bar, making coffee. Afternoons she moved to the small kitchen for her cooking education. With no formal culinary background, Elide stressed over the dishes she prepared.

Her first task was learning to make pasta. Piemonte is famous for its traditional pasta – agnolotti di plin, small ravioli; and egg-rich tajarin, a tiny version of tagliatelle only 1/12” wide. Making each is time-consuming and challenging, but Elide mastered the techniques. Then came desserts. Although happy to be cooking, she yearned to expand the bar-restaurant’s menu.

Piles of thin, egg-rich tajarin are created twice a week at Il Centro.
Piles of thin, egg-rich tajarin are created twice a week at Il Centro.

A few years after Valentina, her brother Giampiero was born. The little family was complete. Six years after her wedding, Elide realized she needed to venture to other restaurants to absorb knowledge from seasoned chefs to achieve her full potential.

Elide’s first culinary experience beyond Il Centro was a 3-day stage with Georges Cuny, a French chef in Piacenza she discovered through a long-time customer. The short stage yielded a wealth of knowledge that helped her better organize and operate Il Centro’s kitchen. But since she believed “the hand of woman is very different than that of a man,” Elide wanted to continue her education under the guidance of a woman chef. She found that opportunity in the medieval hilltop town of Montemerano, halfway between Florence and Rome.

Chef Valeria Piccini’s restaurant Da Caino is located in an agricultural zone much like that surrounding Elide’s beloved childhood home. Here Elide reveled in learning new techniques under the guidance of the Michelin two-star chef. Having enhanced her culinary repertoire, Elide now had the confidence she needed to take Il Centro to the next level. Chef Piccini urged her to take the plunge.  And plunge she did.  

Creating an Epicurean Center of Excellence

Enrico Cordero’s chef-father Pierin bought Il Centro in April 1956. For 100 years before and in years since he purchased Il Centro, it had always been a bar first, restaurant second. The restaurant concept didn’t fit Elide’s vision. The pool table and pinball machine certainly weren’t suitable furnishings for a white linen restaurant. The tiny kitchen was woefully inadequate. Changes were needed.

In the late 1980s, the transformation from bar to world class restaurant began. Although the entrance is still a bar where patrons can enjoy a coffee or something a bit stronger, the pool table and pinball machine are gone.  In their place is a small, discrete private dining room with soft lighting under the original vaulted brick ceiling, giving guests a feeling of renaissance dining. The elegant, but non-pretentious main dining room is bright and airy with pale yellow walls and stately white molding.

The kitchen more than doubled in size, becoming a stage for Elide and her team’s epicurean performance six days a week.

Her expansive modern kitchen is Chef Elide Cordero's second home.
Her expansive modern kitchen is Chef Elide Cordero’s second home.

Elide’s dessert station was once her entire kitchen.

Il Centro - Kitchen 2

Below, in the belly of the building is a treasury of wines Bacchus would envy.

Il Centro cellar
Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

As it always has been, Il Centro remains a family affair.

The Cordero Family in the cellar at Il Centro
The Cordero Family in the cellar at Il Centro. Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

Valentina, now a journalist in New York City, spent her childhood with her brother Giampiero working with and learning from their parents. Even now, when she visits from New York, Valentina joins her family in the restaurant.

Valentina Cordero
Valentina Cordero. Photo courtesy of Il Centro

Giampiero, a graduate in enology of the prestigious Alba enological school, now works in the front of the house with his father Enrico.

Giampiero Cordero
Giampiero Cordero in his “office.” Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

Together, they manage the impressive wine cellar and insure Elide’s beautiful cuisine receives the presentation it rightly deserves.

Enrico Cordero and son Giampiero in Ristorante Il Centro's lauded wine cellar.
Together, Enrico Cordero and son Giampiero manage Ristorante Il Centro’s lauded wine cellar. Photo courtesy of Centro.

The road from the farmhouse kitchen in Pocapaglia to the heady atmosphere of Il Centro, where people from around the world flock to enjoy her cuisine, has been a long, but happy one for Elide. Her smile and her delight at creating simple but sumptuous dishes out of Mother Nature’s bounty are key ingredients in Elide Cordero’s cuisine.  Her successful journey from farmhouse to world class restaurant kitchen where she cultivates culinary excellence is now complete.

Il Centro front
Photo courtesy of Il Centro.

Alpine Adventures in Castelmagno

I met Barolo winemaker and nature lover, Chiara Boschis, on a research trip to Piemonte in March 2013. One of the first woman wine producers in the Langhe, Chiara is the proprietor and winemaker of E. Pira e Figli, a 30,000 bottle annual production winery in Barolo.

One of Barolo's first women winemaker's, Chiara Boschis, at home amongst her treasured nebbiolo vines
One of Barolo’s first women winemaker’s, Chiara Boschis, at home amongst her treasured nebbiolo vines

In that first interview, she told me the intriguing story of the Des Martin ethical project in Castelmagno, a commune high in the Valle Grana in western Piemonte.

The fusion of old and new at Rifugio Valliera.
The fusion of old and new at Rifugio Valliera.

In 2007, Chiara and nine others, including her brother, Cesare Boschis, embarked on a mission to procure and renovate a portion of Valliera, an abandoned timberline hamlet in the commune. Their goal: resurrect Valliera to preserve a dying cheese making tradition.

Rifugio Valliera, nestled at timberline in the Commune of Castelmagno.
Rifugio Valliera, nestled at timberline in the Commune of Castelmagno.

The project embodies Chiara’s passionate dedication to honoring nature and preserving tradition. The intersection of her enthusiasm for the project and my love of the cheese prompted me to ask her to take my husband and me to Valliera for a firsthand experience. Chiara promised to do so. Chiara makes no empty promises. Early in the morning on the last day of June 2013, our exploration of this bit of history began.

Not really a day of rest

Three months of relentless rain and cold nights stymied Piemonte’s vines in the early growing season. However, two weeks of warm sunshine in early June coaxed tendrils to reach for the sky and begin their summer grape-making chore. Developing vines demand attention and already Chiara had her own chores in the vineyards. Nevertheless, she willingly dedicated her Sunday to guide us on a unique mountain adventure few visitors – and locals – have experienced.

It certainly wasn’t a “day off” for Chiara. Truth is I’m not certain if such a thing exists for someone easily described as “The Energizer Bunny of Wine.” She volunteered to drive to Valliera, nearly two hours to the west of Barolo. Given her pickup was more suited for the rough mountain roads to the alpeggio than our low-to-the-ground rental car, I ceded driving responsibilities to her.

Chiara’s longtime Belgian friends, Willy and Marie Therese Van Riel, joined us at her winery in Barolo early that morning. For the past 17 years, the Van Riels have returned to Piemonte at least twice a year. This was their first trip into the Occitane valleys that lie along Italy’s western, alpine border. Together, we piled into the double cab pickup like excited kids on a field trip.

Traversing Varying Landscapes

Piemonte consists of three geographically distinct areas – mountains, plains and hills. Our drive west at Chiara’s leisurely pace – unusual for a Piemontese under the age of 80 – took us through all three. First, we drove along winding roads through rolling, vineyard carpeted hills in the southern reaches of the Barolo appellation. The lush, green canopies were in stark contrast to the barren vines of winter and spring, and vibrant gold and yellow leaves of autumn I’m used to seeing.

Undulating, vineyard covered hills of the Barolo Appellation with the Cottian Alps in the distance.
Undulating, vineyard covered hills of the Barolo Appellation with the Cottian Alps in the distance.

Soon, the hills were behind us as we reached the flatland between the Langhe and mountains. Here, instead of grapevines, the earth nourishes crops such as fruits, particularly apples and kiwis, vegetables and Cuneo’s famous climbing beans. Chiara gave us a lesson in all the crops, the increasing climate change issues, particularly hail, and the history of the region’s many frescoed churches and chapels. This really was a school field trip! Like sponges, we absorbed Chiara’s wisdom and knowledge.

Roadside Renaissance

Once the province’s capital Cuneo was behind us, the geography once again changed as we began our climb into the Valle Grana. Our first stop was the 15th century chapel of S. Sebastiano in Monterosso Grana.

Renaissance fresco of Piero da Saluzzo at the chapel of S. Sebastiano in the Valle Grana.
Renaissance fresco of Pietro da Saluzzo at the chapel of S. Sebastiano in the Valle Grana.

Earlier, as we drove across the plain, Chiara pointed out churches and chapels that house frescoes painted by 15th century artists who roamed from town to town. The wealthy House of Savoy ruled the region from the 11th century until the end of the Italian monarchy in June 1946. The noble family commissioned artists from Italy, France and beyond creating what today is a fresco museum of sorts spread across Piemonte. The chapel of S. Sebastiano is one of those hidden-in-plain-sight gems.

Located steps away from the busy road, adjacent to a cemetery, the chapel’s nondescript exterior belies the art treasure that adorns its ceiling. Only a simple sign on a tilting post provided hints of the chapel’s significance.

Pietro da Saluzzo was one of the prolific traveling Renaissance artists. We peeked through the large viewing window cut into the exterior wall and marveled at his incredibly detailed and well-preserved fresco, described by some as “remarkable and witty.” It was a bit surrealistic viewing this five century-old painting while standing beside a road, with cows grazing nearby. This is what I love about Italy. Not all its treasures are locked away in traditional museums. Had Chiara not stopped there, my ignorance of Piemonte’s Renaissance fresco painters would still exist.

The field trip continued as we piled back into the truck and continued our drive along the Grana River. Chiara was now on a mission. Next stop, a small bakery where sought-after baguettes are baked daily.

Two Baguettes, Cheese and a Smile

This bakery – sorry, didn’t get the name – is legendary for its crusty baguettes, an unusual bread in Italy, no doubt a result of French influence in the valley under the Savoys. Buying one, however, is challenging.

As we approached, people leaving the shop clutched their treasured baguettes and glanced sideways as though suspicious we would snatch their bread.

Chiara was not only determined to buy baguettes for a late morning snack at our destination, but to coax a smile from the aged, rotund and rather grumpy woman who ran the shop. Smiling is something Chiara has mastered. Her throaty laugh combined with her broad smile that easily spreads across her face, could make anyone grin. Except this woman.

Chiara pleaded with her to sell us two baguettes. It wasn’t an easy task since the day’s allotment of this caviar of bread was dwindling fast. I couldn’t quite understand the exchange between Chiara and the guardian of the bread, but whatever she said worked. We scored two loaves, but no smile.

Delicious, crispy bread with a somewhat salty crust deserves something very special to go with it. Since we were in the land of one of the most revered cheeses in Italy, Castelmagno was a no-brainer choice for Chiara to add to her bread purchase.

Crumbly yet creamy. Young Castelmagno cheese makes the perfect accompaniment  to crispy, fresh bread and red wine.
Crumbly yet creamy. Young Castelmagno cheese makes the perfect accompaniment to crispy, fresh bread and red wine.

As we climbed back into the truck, Chiara offered a loaf to us to try. It was still warm. Had we turned around and driven back to Barolo, the drive for the bread and cheese would have been worth it. However, waiting up the valley were more delights to tickle our senses.

Walk, Don’t Drive

In late autumn 2008, Dani and I explored Castelmagno’s villages. Therefore, when we began climbing the excruciatingly narrow and steep road to Colletto, the tight 180-degree switchbacks didn’t worry me. Well, at first that is.

Precarious, single lane road leading from the floor of the Valle Grana to Colletto and the alpeggi above.
Precarious, single lane road leading from the floor of the Valle Grana to Colletto and the alpeggi above.

The truck’s poor turning radius and difficult gearbox weren’t suited for the road. Chiara had to turn, shift gears, roll backward, shift, and turn again to navigate the tight switchbacks. The flimsy metal-pipe guardrail offered no solace to the terrified. Remember, I told you the road’s steep. Little did I know, this was child’s play compared to what awaited us between Colletto and Valliera.

The cliff-dwelling village of Colletto. Last paved road on trip to Rifugio Valliera.
The cliff-dwelling village of Colletto. Last paved road on trip to Rifugio Valliera.

As we reached the tiny, cliff-side village of Colletto, I finally exhaled. My easy breathing and lowering heart rate lasted all of 10 seconds. We began the final climb up the rocky, even narrower and steeper road – if that was possible – through the forest to Valliera. Cows and herders walk this road twice a year. Now we were driving it. I vowed to walk down, if we made it up.

Taking the metaphorical high road is often fraught with perils. The real ones can be risky, too. The steep gravel road with sharp turns and switchbacks was just that, risky. I trusted Chiara with her dogged determination and experience with the road, but my fear of heights plagued me.

Lush forest on road between Colletto and Rifugio Valliera.
Lush forest on road between Colletto and Rifugio Valliera.

Although I sat in the front passenger seat, I thought perhaps the back of the pickup may have suited me better, preferably under a blanket with my eyes squeezed shut. The lovely view ahead through the thick forest captivated us, but it was the absence of any road to my right and the sheer drop down the tree-lined mountainside that opened the door for fear to creep in.

“Don’t look,” I kept telling myself. Unfortunately, the plunging landscape mesmerized me. Chiara tried reassuring us that we weren’t really high up. Given the valley floor was 1,500 feet below, down the near vertical mountainside, I found no solace in her words. The chicken in me would not rest.

Finally, we were out of the forest. Valliera appeared like the Emerald City. As we parked in a clearing above Valliera, I released my death grip on the door handle and took my first easy breath since we left the valley floor.

View from Rifugio Valliera.
View from Rifugio Valliera.

In the distance, we could see tiny Colletto far below. Through breaks in the forest, I could see the steep road we traveled. Chiara jumped out and quickly set up an aperativo of Italy’s holy trinity – bread, cheese and wine.

Tailgate "brunch" of fresh baguettes, Castelmagno and E. Pira e Figli by Chiara Boschis Dolcetto d'Alba.
Tailgate “brunch” of fresh baguettes, Castelmagno and E. Pira e Figli by Chiara Boschis Dolcetto d’Alba.

The scrumptious late morning snack consisted of the crispy, slightly salty baguettes from the frowning lady’s shop, soft, flaky Castelmagno cheese and a bottle of Chiara’s own exquisite Dolcetto d’Alba. It beat any tailgate party I’d experienced.

Sunday morning aperitivo of the Italian "Holy Trinity:" Bread, wine and cheese.
Sunday morning aperitivo of the Italian “Holy Trinity:” Bread, wine and cheese.
Torino’s Siren Song

As we stood savoring Chiara’s treats, I felt haunted as I looked down at the ghostly hamlet Des Martin is bringing to life and thought of the centuries-old mountain culture that came to an abrupt halt in the 1950s and 60s.

For countless generations, the inhabitants of these high mountain hamlets tended their cows, sheep, goats and gardens in the summer and, with the animals, retreated indoors when the snows arrived. They made good use of the long, solitary winters. While barricaded in the hamlet until the spring thaw, they whiled away the hours repairing tools and making furniture. It wasn’t an easy life.

In the 1950s and 60s, the lure of jobs at Fiat and promises of the good life prompted mountain dwellers to abandon their villages and head for Piemonte’s capital, Torino. People simply took what little they needed, left the rest and fled their alpeggio life for the unknown – but promised – riches of the city. Valliera, like other hamlets in the Castelmagno commune, was abandoned.

For five decades, the abandoned hamlet endured Mother Nature’s high country winter wrath on its own. When the members of the Des Martin consortium arrived, the hamlet, though decaying, was mountain life frozen in time.

Beds with mattresses and clothes still hanging are some of the evidence of a culture gone by.
Beds with mattresses and clothes still hanging are some of the evidence of a culture gone by.

Tattered, moth-eaten clothes still hung in closets. Empty plates lay on tables. Stained, musty mattresses were on rickety beds. Chiara likens the exodus to the California Gold Rush when people abandoned lives they knew for promises of riches in a different world. They simply vanished, blending into Torino’s population.

Decades after the inhabitants moved to Torino, moth-eaten clothes still hang in Valliera's closets.
Decades after the inhabitants moved to Torino, moth-eaten clothes still hang in Valliera’s closets.

For an hour, we explored the dwellings before arriving at Des Martin’s renovated buildings – modern on the inside, rustic on the outside – that housed the consortium’s living and cheese production quarters.

With just a little renovation, this brick oven could be functional again as it was for generations.
With just a little renovation, this brick oven could be functional again as it was for generations.

Cheesemaker Ilaria Tomatis was busy draining forms of wet cheese.

Cheesemaker Ilaria Tomatis draining wet forms of Castelmagno cheese.
Cheesemaker Ilaria Tomatis draining wet forms of Castelmagno cheese.

We popped our heads into the two refrigerated rooms where 5-kilogram blocks of precious alpeggio cheese were aging. The short, five-month season yields 500 forms of Castelmagno. Obviously, much more is needed for economic viability. However, for now, the owners are content with saving the hamlet and starting up the operation.

Ripe Castelmagno d'alpeggio ready for sale.
Ripe Castelmagno d’alpeggio ready for sale.
Wheels of fresh Castelmagno d'alpeggio beginning their nine months of aging in Des Martins' cellars.
Wheels of fresh Castelmagno d’alpeggio beginning their nine months of aging in Des Martins’ cellars.

By 1:00, Chiara ended her intriguing guided tour of the Des Martin project. It was lunchtime!

Finding Refuge at the Table

Huts of all sorts dot the high mountain landscape throughout the Alps. In Italy, rifugi alpini (Alpine shelters) provide resting spots for trekkers across the mountains. Rifugio Valliera provided us a place to sit and enjoy a typical Occitania lunch al fresco.

At the long picnic table, we joined Flavia Arneodo, manager of the Rifugio, Ilaria, Flavia’s father Piero, workers and Des Martin’s cow herder. It was a feast!

Dining al fresco at Rifugio Valliera is part of the hamlet's magic.
Dining al fresco at Rifugio Valliera is part of the hamlet’s magic.
Table set and ready for a traditional mountain lunch.
Table set and ready for a traditional mountain lunch.

As with every Italian meal, antipasti were set out on wooden boards – frittata, lardo, and salami with the obligatory grissini. Travel in Piemonte is not a time to watch your cholesterol. Besides, this was fresh food, free of chemicals.

Antipasti including salami, lardo and frittata.
Antipasti including salami, lardo and frittata.

Small pitchers of house Dolcetto were set out, but Chiara produced another bottle from her cellar – Barbera d’Alba. What can I say about her wines other than each one, even those from the humblest grapes, is stellar?

My hubby Dani Hoffman and a bottle of Chiara Boschis' Barbera d'Alba.
My hubby Dani Hoffman and a bottle of Chiara Boschis’ Barbera d’Alba.

First course was salsiccia with fresh tomato sauce over polenta, the starch of choice for meat in Piemonte. On the table were plates heaped with Gorgonzola and creamy, fresh butter to add to the dish, as though additions were needed. What the heck? Cheese is one of my favorite food sins so I happily sinned on the region’s famous soft blue cheese.

Salsiccia in tomato sauce on polenta is a perfect Piedmontese lunchtime treat.
Salsiccia in tomato sauce on polenta is a perfect Piedmontese lunchtime treat.
Salsiccia on polenta served with fresh creamy butter and Gorgonzola.
Salsiccia on polenta served with fresh creamy butter and Gorgonzola.

Flavia then offered gnocchi with a rich, creamy fonduta of Castelmagno. This was an epicurean no-brainer. Despite having gorged myself on salsiccia, a meal in Castelmagno is incomplete without the most typical of dishes – gnocchi with a silky sauce of melted Casltemagno. It’s really a splendid dish that, despite what you may think, is not heavy. It was as though we’d come upon the pot of culinary gold at the end of the rainbow.

Gnocchi al Castelmagno is a speciality of the region not to be missed!
Gnocchi al Castelmagno is a speciality of the region not to be missed!

Dessert of crostada and panna cotta perfectly punctuated the meal. Cost of this feast? A whopping $15 per person. Just the view and the delightful ambience of sharing a meal with the locals were worth far more.

Crostada with espresso was the perfect end to the alpine lunch.
Crostada with espresso was the perfect end to the alpine lunch.

It was now time to say our good-byes and head down the road. The wine had done nothing to assuage my fears, so my husband Dani and Marie Therese Van Riel joined me for the steep hike down to Colletto. Chiara tried, but failed to convince Marie Therese’s husband, Willy, to drive the truck down so she could walk. Hiking gave me a chance to safely view the steep drop from the narrow road. Just as scary walking as driving, but the awe I felt gazing at the splendid vistas quickly replaced my fears.

Marie Therese perfectly stated the experience of visiting Valliera with Chiara and those dedicated to preserving this cultural gem, “It was an exclusive experience money could not buy.” Chiara mentioned we were probably the last to see the buildings as they were left decades ago. Renovation continued all summer during which time the ghostly remains of clothes, furniture and bedding were removed.

IMG_3403

The high road we had taken lead us back to Chiara’s cellar. Sipping her beautiful wines while she wove stories about their production was the perfect finish to an intriguing day.

Chiara and her brother, Cesare Boschis, who is director of Des Martin, possess an infectious passion for the project. Their vision is for Des Martin to have both cheese-making and lodging facilities, making it an agriturismo experience connecting old with new. I can’t wait to check in, but I think I’ll walk up next time.

Great way to end a day of new experiences in Castelmagno - wine tasting in Barolo with Chiara Boschis.
Great way to end a day of new experiences in Castelmagno – wine tasting in Barolo with Chiara Boschis.

Note: Des Martin’s agriturismo at Rifugio Valliera is scheduled to open in August 2014. Stay tuned for more details on these lodgings in the sky.

Review: “The Mystique of Barolo”

Maurizio Rosso’s “The Mystique of Barolo”

In 2002, in only my third year of visiting Piemonte, I discovered the English translation of the recently published, “Barolo: Personaggi e Mito” (“The Mystique of Barolo”). It was a rare find in the under-discovered northwest Italian wine region: a book about the region’s people, in English no less!

A panoramic view of the Barolo appellation taken from Maurizio Rosso's family farm in Diano d'Alba
A panoramic view of the Barolo appellation taken from Maurizio Rosso’s family farm in Diano d’Alba

What a beauty I unearthed! A book filled with bewitching photographs, rich history and, most notably, captivating stories about Barolo producers told in their own words.

Mystique of Barolo

For author Maurizio Rosso of Cantina Gigi Rosso on Via Alba Barolo in Castiglione Falletto, it was a labor of love. Rosso, whose own roots are buried deep in Barolo’s clay soil, gives us a unique opportunity to read the personal accounts of Barolo producers he lovingly chronicled.

Maurizio and Mia Rosso
Maurizio and Mia Rosso

Although born into a rich winemaking tradition in the heart of the Barolo appellation, Rosso pursued an education in foreign languages and literature at Università di Venezia Cà Foscari and Anglo-American literature at University of California Santa Cruz.

Rosso penned many historical novels, including the award winning “Il Castello dei Catari” (The Cathar Castle). His is a fictional account of the burning in Milan of over 1,000 Cathars from Monforte d’Alba in 1028, nearly 200 years before the much studied, frenzied annihilation of heretics in France.

Labor of Love

So why did this journalist-author turn from history and captivating tales he wove from it to a wine book? Rosso provided an answer in own words, “In those days [late 1990s] most press on Barolo was about the wines and hardly about the people.I wanted to stress the human factor and I gave the producers a chance to speak for themselves.”

During a two-year period from 1998, Rosso conducted extensive research and interviews, compiling what is more than a “mere” wine book. It’s akin to a compendium of love letters from vintners to the noble grape they collectively popularized across the globe and the land in which its vines are anchored.

Not only does Rosso capture the essence of the Barolo men, but also provides one of the few (if not only) English language accounts of Juliette (Giulia) Colbert Falletti, Marchesa di Barolo. Because of her vision, this aristocratic French saint-on-earth made it possible for today’s Barolo producers to provide the world with a noble wine from a humble land.

Historical Significance

Given some of those whose stories Rosso captured and visages Chris Meier photographed belong to men who sadly left us in the years since the book’s release, it will be treasured for generations as an historically valuable tribute to the hard work, dedication and unfailing love for the appellation by those whose families for centuries made Barolo their home.

When I first read the book, I thought perhaps it was written in English. It was not despite Rosso incredible language skills. Josephine Taylor’s translation perfectly captures the essence of Rosso’s introduction of the land and its wines that spans the first 73 pages of the book and makes accessible to Anglophones the winemakers’ words.

Stuttgart-born photographer, Chris Meier shot his beautiful photos in each season of the year. Meier, a gifted photographer specializing in gastronomy and still-life, is also a gastronome fond of Italian food and wine.  He has a penned several books about his travels including books featuring the cuisine of Sicily and Piemonte.

The product of Meier’s magical work behind his camera is intertwined with historical documents and photographs, many of which the producers provided from their family archives.

 “The Human Factor”

The “human factor” is crucial to the viability of this land and its greats wines. Yet, scores and vintages are often discussed in near sterile terms, devoid of recognition of the humanity behind the labels.

Yes, many oenophiles and journalists know producers, but do they know the stories of their families’ triumphs, tribulations and aspirations? Do they know the sacrifices made to acquire and retain their precious crus? What about the family schisms that divided centuries’ old wineries?

With Rosso’s help, we can all discover the rich human spirit needed to create these luscious wines. “The Mystique of Barolo” has been an invaluable research resource for my own book on Piemonte and the women of its wine families. It’s a must-read for every lover of food, wine and the indominable spirits of these Piemontese winemakers.

Monforte d'Alba against a backdrop of clouds and mountains.
Monforte d’Alba against a backdrop of clouds and mountains.
Sidebar: Where to find the book? Unfortunately, in the U.S. it is a pricey proposition on Amazon. My best suggestion is to jump on a plane to Malpensa (or the European gateway of your choice), hightail it to Barolo and purchase your own copy at Cantina Gigi Rosso on the main Alba-Barolo road in Castiglione Falletto. Not only will you have the opportunity to purchase this treasure, but also to taste the lovely wines of the estate and have the author sign your precious possession.

Discovering Under-Discovered Piemonte

Seeking the Sun in Piemonte

I’m in Piemonte now, spending a month wrapping up final interviews and research for my book project on the wine women of the Langhe and Roero.

It’s mid-May, a time when the weather can be unpredictable, but is generally kind to visitors and vintners. Although snowstorms still plague my home in the Colorado Rockies, here the sun is shining. At my agriturismo in the countryside, I am suspended between Heaven and earth, azure blue skies and rolling green hills.

Panoramic view of the Barolo appellation and the Cottian Alps and Alpes Maritime in the background as seen from Diano d'Alba.
Panoramic view of the Barolo appellation and the Cottian Alps and Alpes Maritime in the background as seen from Diano d’Alba.

Unfortunately, my experiences haven’t always been like today. The shyness of the sun in those early trips nearly foiled later adventures to the region. How I came to love this land and find a connection so deep that I am consumed with writing about it is something that did not come easy.

Since so many of my storytelling-moments involve Piemonte, people often people ask why I’m drawn to the province, particularly the Langhe and Roero, the two most prominent wine districts (my apologies to Montferrato and northern Piemonte wineries). It’s a fair question and actually quite easy to answer. This region in the northwestern corner of Italy is an endearing amalgamation of people, culture and natural beauty that literally bewitched me.

Spell-binding autumn colors of Piemonte's vineyards can still be seen and enjoyed on cloudy, autumn days.
Spell-binding autumn colors of Piemonte’s vineyards can still be seen and enjoyed on cloudy, autumn days.

A year passed before I experienced a sunny day in Piemonte and saw for myself what I had only seen in photographs – vine-covered rolling landscapes peppered with medieval hilltop towns against a backdrop of snow-covered alps far away on the western and northern horizons.

Reconnaissance Mission

In early November 1999, I set out on my first Piemontese adventure with my mom and my mini-Schnauzer, Otis.

Otis the Wine Dog
Otis the Wine Dog was welcome everywhere we went in Europe.

My mom was visiting and my husband Dani was in China overseeing a shipbuilding project at Jiangnan Shipyards in Shanghai, so this was a great opportunity to take mom on a reconnaissance mission to learn about this under-discovered region. We lived in neighboring Switzerland, so I loaded up mom who was visiting from south Louisiana, and Otis who enjoyed the benefits of Europe’s enlightened pet access rules into our white Ford Explorer for the nearly 5 hour drive south from Zurich.

Dani with the Wine Panzer at Marchesi di Gresy in Barbaresco appellation.
Dani with the Wine Panzer at Marchesi di Gresy in Barbaresco appellation.

Anyone who knows Piemonte knows Mother Nature usually unleashes her foul mood on the region in November after (hopefully) holding rains in abeyance through the autumn harvest. At a minimum, there’s always fog. But there is also rain. We had rain. Lots of it. Walking a dog in the pouring rain through sticky mud was not the experience I sought. Frankly, I was miserable.

In those days before bloggers and writers began spreading the gospel of Piemonte, there were few travel resources in any language much less English. A few of my colleagues at Swiss Re gave me tips, but for the most part, I didn’t know where to go or what to eat. I was just told it was hard to make a bad choice. My mom was along for the ride. Normally someone who wanted to be in full control, she happily ceded control to me. You might say it was a classic case of the blind leading the blind.

I discovered agriturismo Villa Meridiana on the outskirts of Alba. Perched on a west-facing slope high above the town with a view, I was told, of the Roero to the north and the Langhe to the west, it was one of the few agriturismi in existence at the time. As I had discovered when I booked, it was full. No one had told me early November was still high season when gastronomes across Europe descended on Alba to dine on and purchase tartufi bianchi d’Alba.

Sunset over Alba from Villa Meridiana on a later trip to the region.
Sunset over Alba from Villa Meridiana on a later trip to the region.

Fortunately, the owners had two vacant apartments in Neviglie, a hilltop hamlet in the Barbaresco appellation about 10 minutes to the east. We were delighted, but the terrifying drive on narrow, winding roads in pouring rain in what we would in later years dub the “wine panzer,” proved to be an unexpected stressor. Wine was needed.

We spent four rainy days and nights there, only once venturing outside at night. Although we didn’t discover very much beyond the apartment’s door, each day we had a delightful time buying grissini, bread, salumi, cheese and, of course, wine from the mercato d’Alba and small salumerie, panetterie, alimentari and enoteche.

A wide selection of delicious Piemontese specialities are always available at Alba Market on Thursday's and Saturday's, year round.
A wide selection of delicious Piemontese specialities are always available at Alba Market on Thursday’s and Saturday’s, year round.

The experience connected me to the region and I knew I would return if for no other reason than to see the sun shining on the vineyards.

Still Seeking the Sun

During the first February of the new millennium, I made my second trip to Piemonte, this time with Dani and my ever-present companion, Otis. Still not the best seasonal choice, but at least the persistent clouds didn’t rain on us. Although we didn’t see the vistas the Langhe was known for, the abundance of medieval villages, seemingly ghost towns in the mid-winter cold, held gastronomic secrets we soon discovered – excellent, family-owned restaurants.

Fog in autumn and winter can create beautiful scenery when settled into vineyard lined valleys.
Fog in autumn and winter can create beautiful scenery when settled into vineyard lined valleys.

We couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate introduction to classic Piemontese cucina. It was as it should be: simple, fresh and made with love. Needless to say, the concept of eating food grown within a few miles of the restaurants was a fabulous discovery.

The basics in all traditional Piemontese restaurants: fresh grissini and local cheese, salumi and, of course, wine.
The basics in all traditional Piemontese restaurants: fresh grissini and local cheese, salumi and, of course, wine.

The warmth of the food and those who prepared and served it made us long for more. We still hadn’t seen the landscape nor had we truly experienced the wine culture. That would soon change in a – positive – seismic way.

Discovering a part of New Zealand in Barbaresco

It wasn’t until later that year, again in November, when I saw the bright sunshine and what the clouds and fog had hidden from me. The trip began as expected: foggy days and even foggier nights. On the third day, an early season snowstorm blanketed the near naked vineyards with snow so that when the clouds surrendered to the sun, we discovered the landscape in all its splendor.

Early winter snow blanketing the vineyards of Martinenga. (Photo courtesy of Marchesi di Gresy).
Early winter snow blanketing the vineyards of Martinenga. (Photo courtesy of Marchesi di Gresy).

Snow-covered vineyards, azure blue sky – we call it “bluebird skies” in Colorado – and soaring mountains on the horizon made the wait worthwhile. Perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of making visitors to the region worthy of witnessing the splendor she could unveil.

On that trip, we not only discovered what fog and clouds had hidden from us, but it was the beginning of our adventures in wine. After the brief period of sun, the snow melted and the fog returned. Piemonte was once again shrouded in her foggy winter mantle.

Nevertheless, despite the fog and daunting directions, we discovered the Kiwi wine wizard, Jeffrey Chilcott, maître de chais of the vaunted Barbaresco winery, Tenuta Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy.

Marchesi di Gresy Maitre de Chais Jeffrey Chilcott
Marchesi di Gresy Maitre de Chais Jeffrey Chilcott

Nestled on the slopes of the Martinenga ampitheatre, it’s not an easy place to find, particularly when the pea-soup thick fog obscures signs. But we persevered and our lives changed forever. We quickly discovered it wasn’t just sun that had been missing, but an anglophone wine sage to guide us through the exciting world of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Arneis and all the other varietals that make their home in Piemonte.

At Home – Briefly – in Piemonte

Fast-forward 15 years and over 20 trips to this morning in the Langhe. Once again, I’m rewarded with deep blue skies above, but now it’s lush green below my feet that dominates the colors of the landscape. Nascent grapes are profiting from warm, sunny days and vines are growing fast to produce leaves that will capture the nurturing sun’s rays.

Early season Dolcetto grapes in vineyards of Cantina Gigi Rosso in Diano d'Alba.
Early season Dolcetto grapes in vineyards of Cantina Gigi Rosso in Diano d’Alba.

Another vintage is dawning in the heart of Piemonte. I’m here to witness it and share with you stories of Piemonte’s wine families and their region.

Come back in the days ahead as I share stories and guide visitors to some of the under-discovered places that enchant us. Needless to say, I will introduce you to many people who have become dear friends, including Jeffrey, the tall Kiwi of Martinenga.

Ci vediamo tutti!

Wine-Friendly Bayou Country Gumbo

DISCLAIMER – This is an essay about my recent experience digging down to my cultural roots deep in south Louisiana to cook smoked goose gumbo. I highly recommend you pour a glass of your favorite vinous drink – and keep the bottle handy – to sip as you come along on my bayou country adventure in my Colorado kitchen.  One more comment, sorry I don’t have more photos to share.  Making gumbo and shooting my own photos was a recipe for disaster.

In the beginning…..

When I set out to write a column on the fine art of creating goose gumbo, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be.  Not that it’s difficult to make gumbo since it’s actually surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it.  It’s because I’m a child of the bayou country, rooted deep in its fertile culinary ground.  With that, I feel a weighty responsibility to get it right.

As I began to free-write, memories of smells, tastes and countless family meals enjoying hearty gumbo possessed my fingers.  I couldn’t stop writing.  That’s a problem since my word budget in the Vail Daily is 1,200 words per column.  Even 2,400 words weren’t enough to share my passion for this centuries-old – if not older – dish Chef John Besh refers to as a “cultural stew.”

Another impediment to staying within my word budget is the wealth of information and stories about gumbo out there in cyberspace and on bookshelves. Louisiana luminary chefs such as John Folse have penned reams about gumbo.  There’s no way I could compete with that and I felt intimidated that my qualifications to weave a tale of gumbo might be lacking.

With all those thoughts swirling through my mind, I decided to restrain my writing voice in favor of a shorter Vail Daily piece, comply (sort of) with my word budget and just tell a shorter gumbo story in my column.  But I also wanted to tell my story and share it with my readers, so you’ll find it here in my own little corner of cyberspace.

What Does Gumbo Have to do with Winefamilies?

“Why here?” you say when this is a blog about wine families.  Hey, you have to eat when you drink beautiful vinous creations from these family-owned wineries, so why not eat gumbo!

Gumbo is a dish with many faces and can dance with an array of varietals, blends and terroir expressions.  Stick with me and I’ll share with you some spirited tips on pairing gumbo, particularly my smoked goose creation, Master Sommelier Sean Razee, Beverage Director of Vail Resorts Mountain Dining, shared with me.

Stocking up on Flavor

In part one of my two part somewhat restrained Vail Daily column, I walked my readers through making a rich, homemade stock I used to make my goose gumbo for my article.

Yes, I could have bought “manufactured” stock from a grocery story, but that would be cheating.  Needless to say, you won’t find goose stock in your local grocery store and even if you could, store-bought goose stock would pale in comparison with what resulted from hours of extracting flavors from herbs, vegetables and the marrow, fat and residual meat from my goose carcass.  (Visit Schiltz Food’s website to order this delicious smoked goose to make your own gumbo.)

Partially submerged smoke carcass dull ofd
Partially submerged smoke carcass full of delicious residual flavors

The stock was the easy part.  Let’s go to my kitchen get into some hardcore gumbo making!

First You Make a Roux

Roux is the essence of every kind of gumbo, etouffée and many other Louisiana dishes such as shrimp creole.  Since this simple amalgamation of flour and hot fat is the cornerstone of gumbo, a perfectly crafted roux is the Holy Grail chefs and home cooks strive to attain.  Before we make our roux, let’s prepare our mise en place.

Everything in its place

As with everything you cook, preparation is key to minimizing stress and maximizing quality.  It makes no sense to stop in the middle of a process, grab a knife and start chopping away at your ingredients or start rooting for the correct pan.  Stress is an unwanted ingredient in epicurean creations.

With gumbo, it’s extremely important to have your mise en place ready.  Making roux is a relatively slow process, but when it’s ready, things will happen very quickly so make sure you’re prepared to meet the challenge when the time arrives.

Sidebar:  I am a bowl freak.  I have a broad assortment of bowls ranging in size from 1-ounce glass bowls – great for holding small amounts of spices and liquids such as vanilla extract – to 9-quart stainless steel mixing bowls great for holding prepped items.

My stock recipe yielded about six quarts.  I used four quarts and froze the other two.  I always like to have some stock on hand when the urge to make gumbo strikes me!

Although the process of making gumbo is fairly standard, what goes in it is limited by your imagination and, of course, logical choices.  Here’s what I use for my goose gumbo that begins with four quarts of stock.  Keep in mind, unlike making bread and pastries, gumbo ingredients don’t have to be exact.  This is truly art, not science.   Like painting, there are rules to follow in getting the paint on the canvas, but the colors you use and designs you create are purely your own.  So go for it!

Dice two large onions, three stalks of celery and seed and dice two green bell peppers.  If you want to play Picasso, substitute a red bell pepper for one of the green peppers to add a dash of color.  Mince two or three large cloves of garlic.

I love okra in my gumbo, but only fresh will do for me, not something easy to find during long Colorado winters.  I’ve learned to do without it.  But if you can get your hands on the fresh stuff, use two cups of frozen (and defrosted) sliced okra.

Nowadays with mass hydroponic production of tasteless fruit, tomatoes challenge discerning home cook.  Since Colorado in winter isn’t a haven for fresh tomatoes, I use a handful of canned San Marzano tomatoes when the snow’s flying.  In summer, I use the real deal, grown in dirt.  Pity I can’t get the red, sweet and delicious Creole tomatoes I was raised on.  Whichever, my recipe requires one tomato seeded and diced.

Leaves from a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme provide a subtle, woodsy taste.  We’ll also need two bay leaves.  I like California laurel leaves that are large and a bit pungent, so I only use only one.  Grind a couple of tablespoons of black pepper and measure a bit of Kosher salt.  A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce will provide a je ne sais quoi that would definitely be missing otherwise.

I also use about an eighth of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, teaspoon of ground cumin and a quarter of a teaspoon each of ground allspice, sweet paprika and ground coriander.  Some recipes call for Cajun spice mixes that include onion and garlic powders, but this is my answer to that.  It actually becomes a question of taste, but please, whatever you do, don’t kill the flavors with a ton a Tabasco or cayenne pepper.  Use those two sparingly.

For our meat, we need a half-pound of andouille sausage sliced or chopped.  I like to slice it on the bias, place on a sheet pan and bake on 350 degrees for about 10 minutes to render the fat.  Since my goose carcass had been picked clean at Christmas, I ordered more smoked goose breast from Schiltz Foods of South DakotaThree to four cups of rough chopped goose meat is perfect.

A few words about the andouille.  First, this is not andouillette you may have eaten in France (if you had buy accident, you’d know it!).  It’s a course smoked pork sausage typical to south Louisiana.  There are some great purveyors of Jacob’s in “The Andouille Capital of the World,” La Place, Louisiana, is a great source for andouille, if you happen to live within driving distance of the store.  Shipping costs more than the sausage, so I turned to Aidells Cajun Style Andouille as a reasonable substitute.  It’s good quality and I can even pronounce each ingredient on the label, always a plus for me.

Don’t forget to prep ingredients for the roux: fat and oil.  Fat choices include clarified butter, rendered duck or chicken fat and oil.  If you were making etouffee or bisque, I’d say go for the butter, but with gumbo I use oil.  Chef Folse, recommends using vegetable oil.  I use canola.  Perhaps next time I go with the expert’s suggestion.

A quick note about butter-based roux.  Butter burns easy as you’ve probably discovered.  To make a dark roux, you need heat and time.  Both of those don’t agree with butter so much.  Accordingly, butter is glorious for etouffee where a light roux is preferred – at least that’s my opinion – and for a dark (black) roux that’s part and parcel to the deep, rich flavor of goose or duck gumbo, oil is the preferred route.  NEVER OLIVE OIL in any case!

As to flour, Chef Folse advises cooks use “fresh and properly stored flour.”  In Louisiana, the high humidity makes that an issue.  “Mee-mees” in flour is one thing I do not miss about Louisiana!  Cooking at altitude may be challenging, but storing staples like flour is a dream.

My mom used Wondra flour because it’s fine and resists clumping.  I generally use all-purpose, unbleached King Arthur flour for my roux.  Do not – I repeat – do not consider any other thickener for your roux than white flour.  Chef John Besh believes “only a flour-based roux yields that traditional flavor” of gumbo.  Bottom line, if you want the real deal in your bowl, there’s no gluten free alternative.  Make soup, not gumbo.

A one-to-one ratio of flour to oil is ideal.  One cup of oil – vegetable as Chef Folse advises or canola – and one cup of fresh flour works great for four quarts of stock.

Serious Business of Roux Making

Now, as I walk you through making the rest of the process, you’ll discover why prepping is so important.  Before you begin making the roux, take care of all calls, including Mother Nature’s, and walk the dog because there’s no stopping once you’ve started.

SIDEBAR – Roux can be an incredibly contentious issue between Louisiana cooks.  There’s so much written about it and even 40 years since I made my first roux, there is still so much for me to learn.   Chef Folse is one of those who have written reams on the subject and I doubt he’s covered everything he knows about it.

Back to cooking.

Which pot to use?  Certainly not a shallow one, definitely not non-stick and preferably heavy-bottom.  My grandmother had a cast iron Dutch oven that seemed to be the only pot she ever used except the small one for boiling milk for her coffee that I proudly gave her for Christmas one year.  She was a fabulous Sicilian-American cook whose love of family and food fused in her pot to create memorable meals, particularly Sunday lunch.

But I digress.  See why I couldn’t write a short article?  This is family history for me and memory lane leads right to my kitchen.

I prefer to use a large pot, so my 13.25-quart gargantuan Le Creuset Dutch oven Santa Claus gave me last year is my pot of choice for a large batch of gumbo.

My 13.25 quart Le Creuset behemoth Dutch Oven is a workhorse in my kitchen.
My 13.25 quart Le Creuset behemoth Dutch Oven is a workhorse in my kitchen.It’s heavy and can easily overheat, but it heats evenly.

It’s heavy and can easily overheat, but the most important quality is it is heavy and heats evenly. Since moving to a house with a gas stove, I find my Le Creuset pots much easier to use on gas than on halogen.

With my treasured pot on high heat and my whisk and trusty 30 year-old wooden spatula in hand, I’m ready to go.  Oh, I forgot.  My step stool.  At 5’1”, the extra 6” helps me see into the pot and is easier on my arms.

Chef John Besh advises heating the oil before whisking in the flour.  He believes it speeds up the process and produces a deeper dark chocolate color.  I concur.

Once the oil is “dancing” – making ripples – add the flour, whisking until it’s all dissolved.

Bubbling flour is the beginning of the roux
Bubbling flour is the beginning of the roux

Next, lower the heat to medium – continue to stir and watch the heat, lowering as needed to keep it from burning.  If you see little specks of black, that’s not a good sign. Toss it and start over.  Don’t feel inadequate if you do burn your roux.  We’ve all done it and it will actually help improve your skills.

More sage advice from Chef Folse: “Risk is the tariff paid to leave the shores of predictable misery.” I’ve risked burning my roux – which I’ve done several times – to speed up the process.  Confession time.  I did burn the roux last week because I was taking photos; almost dropped the camera in the pot, too.  Not to be deterred, I started again and, with better focus, had a glossy, dark chocolate-colored roux in 20 minutes.

Initially, the flour will bubble and then settle down, releasing a fragrant nutty aroma as it begins to cook.  It’s a smell of my childhood particularly Lenten Fridays when dinner consisted of seafood gumbo and fried catfish or speckled trout.  With duck and goose gumbo, a dark chocolate-colored (black) roux is desirable.  For seafood and chicken, it’s more like milk chocolate.  We’re going for dark.

Once the flour is completely dissolved, I switch to my wooden spatula.  I believe moves the roux around better than a whisk.

This is when being ambidextrous comes in handy.  It’s a process that imperfect cooks like me need to take slowly, which sometimes means 20 minutes or so of constant stirring.  I’m getting better.  It used to take me 45 minutes to make a dark roux because I was so paranoid about burning it; now I can do it in 20.

Sidebar: Time for a health warning (sorry, but it’s the lawyer in me).  Hot flour and oil splashing on tender skin – like fingers and forearms, not to mention foreheads – leaves pretty nasty burns.  The combination of hot oil and flour gave roux its name “Creole napalm” since it’s sticky and contact with skin quickly results in a nasty burn.  I have the scars to prove it!  Take care to keep the roux in the pot, not in the air.  Hot roux “spits” if you’re not careful, so it’s important to continue carefully stirring not just to keep the roux from burning, but to keep the roux from burning you!  It’s not a bad idea to have some Aloe Vera gel nearby.

Getting darker…..
Getting darker…..
And darker….
And darker….

When the roux is glossy and the right color, it’s time to assemble the gumbo.

….and now ready!  Dark and shiny is the goal for smoked goose or duck gumbo.
….and now ready! Dark and shiny is the goal for smoked goose or duck gumbo.

Here’s where another great tip from Chef Besh I use.  After stirring and stirring, you’ll have the urge to dump the onions, bell peppers and celery – the Holy Trinity – into the roux all at one.

Chef John Folse's black roux ready for the addition of the holy trinity.
Chef John Folse’s dark (black) roux ready for the addition of the holy trinity of onions, bell pepper and celery (Photo courtesy of John Folse & Company).

Resist that urge and just add the onions first.  I tried it and it works fairly well.

As the hot roux cocoons the onions, a tantalizing, nutty aroma emerges.  Adding the onions first also allows the onions to caramelize and release its sweet juices without interference from the water in the vegetables.

Louisiana culinary icon Chef John Folse making gumbo.
Louisiana culinary icon Chef John Folse making gumbo. (Photo courtesy of John Folse and Company)

Reduce the heat, add the onions and stir for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Next, add the other vegetables, herbs and spices, stirring well while cooking for another few minutes.

Try adding onions first, then celery and bell pepper to get an optimal caramelization of the onions.
Try adding onions first, then celery and bell pepper to get an optimal caramelization of the onions.

The stock is next and, as you’ll see, is another opportunity for disaster if not done correctly.

After recently breaking my roux – after burning the first batch (wasn’t a good day) – I turned to Chef Folse for some troubleshooting advice.  If, after adding stock, flour separates and floats instead of mixes with the liquid, it’s broken.  To avoid this, add the liquid in one-quart intervals, stirring constantly to allow the roux to absorb the stock before adding more.  I was flustered from my previous roux failure and added the stock too quickly.

My second mistake was not to warm my stock.  Chef Folse cautions that when “Cold liquid is added to hot roux, the fat may coagulate as it rises.”  He advises to bring the liquid to a boil then briskly whisk to blend the mixture back into suspension.   Problem solved.

Once you’ve successfully crossed that bridge, add the andouille, goose meat, Worcestershire sauce, file, and balance salt and pepper.

The careful marriage of the stock and roux then addition of the meat marks the beginning of the easier stages of gumbo-making.
The careful marriage of the stock and roux then addition of the meat marks the beginning of the easier stages of gumbo-making.

A few dashes of Tabasco will add some kick, but only add a little at time.  Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf.  Stir, bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour to let the flavors meld, skimming fat that floats to the surface.  Note that you’ll find many recipes that call for a different ordering of ingredient additions at this stage, but this is what I do.  You’ll discover over time how gumbo can be a very personal dish.

While the gumbo is simmering, it’s a good time to prepare the rice.  Since I grew up on it, I often use extra long grain Mahatma white rice, but I recently discovered Full Circle organic long grain brown rice at Village Market in Edwards that is quite nice.

Place about a half cup of steaming rice into a bowl, spoon the gumbo over it and garnish with sliced green onions, parsley and filé, preferably homemade from dried sassafras leaves.  Salad and crusty garlic bread – baguette or ciabatta – are perfect partners for your gumbo.

A bowl of gumbo is soothing on a cold winter day, but is a pleasure all year round.
A bowl of gumbo is soothing on a cold winter day, but is a pleasure all year round.

What to drink?

Quite honestly, Barq’s root beer was my favorite soda growing up.  It wasn’t the kind made with high fructose corn syrup sold today – yuck!  Until the late 70s, no one had to put “real sugar” on the label.  My other favorite root beer was homemade using Zatarain’s root beer extract.  Oh the memories!  Therefore, I must confess that root beer is hands down my favorite drink with gumbo.

But since this is a wine blog, I thought I’d turn to Master Sommelier Sean Razee, Beverage Director of Mountain Dining at Vail Resorts, for some advice to share with my readers who stuck with me for the last 2900 words.

Since Sean so perfectly articulated his recommendations, here are his words verbatim:

My first wine inclination (following an amber ale or sweet tea) to pair with a dark roux, goose meat, and likely some spice, is to serve a thin-skinned red grape with a hint of sweetness—something like a Côtes-du-Rhône Grenache-based red.

My thoughts:

  • I envision the goose meat lending a hint of gamey earthiness to the dish that would be complimented by a Grenache/Syrah/Cinsault/Mouvedre blend
  • Any herbal notes in the dish would merge beautifully with the Southern French flavors that are typical in these wines (thyme, rosemary, parsley, bay leaf)
  • Grenache will carry a hint of sweetness to counter the spiciness of the dish
  • Gumbo has French, Spanish, etc. influences and this wine is a French wine based on a Spanish grape (Garnacha/Grenache); so there is a nice cultural connection
  • For small, estate producers, my recommendations would be:

Final Thoughts

I discovered Schiltz Foods’ smoked goose gumbo at a dear friend’s house on Thanksgiving.  Delicious, moist meat that make bird my new go-to star for my holiday feast!  From that point on, I was on a mission to make smoked goose gumbo.  This article emanated from that mission.

Schiltz Smoked Goose
Schiltz Smoked Goose (Photo Courtesy of Schiltz Foods)

Gumbo is such an amorphous dish that can challenge your imagination.  Other proteins that are at home in gumbo include shrimp and crab, turkey, chicken and duck.  Here are some resources that you might find helpful whether you’ve made gumbo before or inspired to broaden your cookery horizons.

John Folse on Roux
Southern Foodways: How to Make a Roux
John Besh on Duck on Oyster Gumbo 
Schiltz Foods

I truly hope my musings provided you with some food for thought and that you’ll experiment with this wonderful dish steeped in centuries of Gulf Coast history.  Since this dish represents all that is good about familial cooking in my home region, it goes perfect with the concept of honoring family-owned wineries, which is what I strive to achieve on this blog.

Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.  I may not have the answer to all your queries, but I’m blessed to have wonderful Louisiana culinary resources available to me.

Ready for the table where it will get a sprinkling of file (Photo courtesy of Alisha Quinn Bosco).

Bon appetit, y’all!

Passing of Ca’ del Baio’s Beloved Patriarch

Ernesto Grasso – 1922 – 2014

Fiorentina and Ernesto Grasso
Fiorentina and Ernesto Grasso

The Grasso family of Ca’ del Baio, a century-old Barbaresco winery in Treiso, experienced the pain of loss on March 11th with the passing of their patriarch, Ernesto Grasso.  Surrounded by the family that loved him dearly, Ernesto passed with the same dignity with which he lived, in the house he built over 5 decades ago.

On that late winter day, the Grasso family’s hearts collectively entered a winter of loss shared by all those who loved Nonno Grasso and the family that always surrounded him with love.  Nonno had been in failing health, but he still was able to participate in the winery’s work – including the 2013 harvest – and two years of delightful times with the fourth generation of his family, Lidia Deltetto. 

Sign of the noble vineyard of Valgrande, a great Barbaresco produced by the Grasso family of Ca' del Baio.
Sign of the noble vineyard of Valgrande, a great Barbaresco produced by the Grasso family of Ca’ del Baio.

The Legacy of Ca’ del Baio

Ernesto Grasso’s grandfather moved his family of six – including his son Luigi – from Calosso d’Asti to Treiso in 1881.  The wine made from the great Asili vineyard in Barbaresco Ernesto’s grandfather acquired as a wedding dowry from his wife’s family is today one of the Barbaresco appellation’s prized treasures.

Immediately after completing his military service during the First World War, Luigi married and founded Ca’ del Baio.  Luigi’s wife gave him five children of which the first four were girls.  In those days, the patrimonial system made it unthinkable for women to inherit land (what would Luigi say about his three granddaughters working the winery now!).  In 1922, Luigi’s prayers for a son were answered with the birth of his youngest child Ernesto.

Throughout the Fascist regime, Ernesto remained a bachelor, a stigma the Fascists branded with a special “bachelor” tax.  Ernesto obviously was waiting for the right woman to come along.  And she did.  In 1956, he married Fiorentina Cortese, the woman with whom he would share the next 58 years of life.

In the 1950s, Ernesto built the family’s home next to the ever-expanding cantina. It was then he stopped selling the family’s prized grapes and began the legacy he passed to his son Giulio – bottling wines under the Ca’ del Baio label.  Ernesto and Fiorentina, later joined by Giulio and his family, lived in the house Ernesto built until he passed quietly in his own bed.

The Future is Secure

For some time Giulio has been running the family’s winery, but Ernesto remain engaged in the day-to-day operations and watched with great pride as his three granddaughters – Paolo Grasso Deltetto, Valentina and Federica – took their places with Guilio and their mother Luciana in the winery.  How times have changed that the absence of sons as heirs no longer deals a fatal blow to an estate.  Thank God, because Ca’ del Baio will live on through the hard work of Giulio and Luciana, and their three daughters!

Three generations of Grasso winemakers - Giulio, his father Ernesto and Paola Deltetto Grasso (in the back)
Three generations of Grasso winemakers – Giulio, his father Ernesto and Paola Deltetto Grasso (in the back) – Photo courtesy of Valerie Quintanilla
Four generations of the Grasso Family in the winery's tasting room.
Four generations of the Grasso Family in the winery’s tasting room.

Soon, Paola and husband Carlo Deltetto’s second child will join sister Lidia in the next generation of the two esteemed wine families.  No doubt the knowledge his legacy is in capable hands helped him peacefully join his father to become Ca’ del Baio’s newest guardian angel.

My Thoughts

Although I met Nonno Ernesto at the turn of the millennium, I can’t say that I really knew him.  We didn’t share a spoken language, but we exchanged knowing smiles that we shared a love of his wonderful family and the wines they produce.  I got to see him in the winery, around the tasting and dining tables, playing tug with Rocky II and, best of all, seeing him play with his great granddaughter Lidia.

Ernesto Grasso enjoying a game of tug with Rocky II
Ernesto Grasso enjoying a game of tug with Rocky II

In March 2013 during a research trip for my book about the women of Piemonte’s wine families, I once again was invited to join the four generations of Grassos around their dining table for lunch.  With Lidia in her happy world of pasta on one end and Nonno Ernesto on the other end of the table sitting next to Nonna Fiorentina and two generations of Grassos in between, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming emotion of joy at being able to share part of their daily routine with them.  It’s an indelible image in my memory.  Such a privilege to be able to know them as family.  So much life happens around Italian dining tables and those snapshots of their life will live inside me forever.

Thank God family togetherness on a daily basis still exists in the hills of the Langhe!

Lidia Deltetto enjoying her pasta at lunch with three other generations of Grassos
Lidia Deltetto enjoying her pasta at lunch with three other generations of Grassos
Nonno Grasso and the ever-loyal Ca' del Baio winery dog, Milo.
Nonno Grasso and the ever-loyal Ca’ del Baio winery dog, Milo.

 

Wine is an expression of culture made by man, not just by nature. Wine families are the ultimate vinous artisans.

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