abcV - Now Open For Breakfast And Lunch
/abcV debuts its fresh, vegetarian fare.
Read MoreabcV debuts its fresh, vegetarian fare.
Read MoreNestled within the hills of Provence is a winery you should know about!
Read MoreChampagne, red wine, tequila and a heart-shaped chocolate cake on Valentine's Day. Why not?!
Read MoreNot every day begins with a Champagne Breakfast and live presentation of the Oscar Nominations Announcement!
Read More
Enjoy these delicious and easy-to-make hors d'oeuvres!
Read MoreThree easy and delicious fish dishes!
Read MoreLearn more about this wine with "unmistakable, haunting aromas of flowers, white peaches, apricot and sage"....
Read MoreMany wonderful things in life are often terribly underappreciated. Take, for example, the red grape Cabernet Franc, which makes delicious, food-friendly wine. It often takes a back seat to Cabernet Sauvignon which makes some of the most popular and... Read more here at the Grape Collective.
Here's a recipe and wine pairing to keep you warm and happy on a cool Autumn night!
Read MoreSpain is hot! It's not just the weather but the wine scene too.
Read MoreOne of the greatest things about being a wine writer is how I travel all over the world every week!
Read MoreMy go-to wine for this salmon dish is always Pinot Noir. What makes it such a great combination?...
Read MoreThis California wine pairs perfectly with a fragrant chicken dish!
Read MoreElegance, lightness and grace in a bottle!
Read MoreThis quick and easy, refreshing summer salad can be made a few hours ahead...
Read MoreDry and refreshing, these pink wines should be your go-to summer drink!
Read MoreLast night under a beautiful starry sky, Rockefeller Center was transformed into a spectacular culinary paradise.
Read MoreA moist chicken with tasty, crispy croutons!
Read MoreMost people, myself included, think of Piedmont in Northwestern Italy when they think about wines made from the Nebbiolo grape. The Langhe area in Southern Piedmont produces great, complex Barolos and Barbarescos, as well as simpler wines known as Langhe Nebbiolos. Barolos and Barbarescos are some of the most sought after and prestigious wines in all of Italy, commanding quite high prices. But there are also wonderful, more affordable Nebbiolo wines to be found in other areas of Northernwestern Italy, like those in Lombardy, the neighboring region just to the east of Piedmont. This region of Italy is home to some of the most beautiful lakes of Northern Italy, such as Lake Como and Lake Garda. There is an alpine valley in the far north of Lombardy called Valtellina which has been producing wine for over 2,000 years. This mountainous area with very steep slopes produces red wine made mostly from Nebbiolo grapes, but they can also contain a small percentage of other locally grown grapes. These red wines, know locally as Chiavennasca, are lighter and less tannic than their counterparts in Piedmont due to cooler temperatures and higher elevations. While young, these wines are bright crimson in color with aromatics of bright cherry, tar and rose water. As they age, they slowly transform into a crimson color with a brick orange rim and present more gamey, leather-like notes on the palate, but are still very floral and delicate.
I recently had a Valtellina red wine at Republique, a fun, lively restaurant on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. The food there is modern French and the wine list has an interesting collection of off-the-beaten-path, mostly French and Italian wines. The 2001 Balgera Valtellina Superiore from the village of Valgella was a perfect choice to accompany the wide variety of spices and flavors. To my delight, this wine went perfectly with every dish, from the hamachi crudo with a thai curry sauce to the hearty rotisserie chicken with mustard and chilis. It never overpowered any of the more delicate flavors of the food, yet it stood up to some of the bolder ingredients. Fifteen years in the bottle had mellowed the fruit somewhat, but what remained was still fresh and vibrant with enough lingering structure to compliment and support the fruit. Over the course of our meal the flavors kept blossoming. It felt like we were drinking flowers...delicious, delicate flowers!!
The next time you're dining out I would suggest asking the sommelier if there are any Rosso di Valtellinas on the wine list. For the best experience, try one from one of the following DOCG areas: Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia, Sassella or Valgella. You can also go to www.wine-searcher.com to see if any of these wines can be found at a local wine shop. You won't be disappointed!
A FEW RECOMMENDED PRODUCERS OF ROSSO DI VALTELLINA:
Aldo Rainoldi, Nino Negri, Balgera
Two dishes which went well with the Valtellina wine:
Powered by Squarespace | Built by Grey Eighty Eight Studios