Italian food and Sicilian food come with a lot of flavor and style, which represents the lifestyles of both Italians and Sicilians. Many people think of them as one in the same, but Sicilians practice many customs that differ from their mainland Italian countrymen. These differences include food. Sicilians use a lot of fish in their everyday diet, amongst many other more middle eastern variations. This comes as no surprise as Sicily is an island in the Mediterranean sea, where fishing is a huge part of the culture and economy.
Chances are, delightful as the villas in Tuscany invariably are, there will be many occasions when you want to get out and about in order to sample the true taste of authentic Tuscan cuisine. Which is not to say that you can't get good meals inside your villas in Tuscany - with the fresh produce, the great spices and overall wonderful environment, any meal you make yourself is practically guaranteed to be delicious. Eating in the best food outlets in the area, however, is an experience not to be missed - whether they're small hole-in-the-wall shops, traditional family restaurants, or globally-recognised gourmet bistros.
The Fountain of Neptune, by Jean de Boulogne, in "Piazza Maggiore" square at Bologna, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)How to Eat Real Bologna Food With Locals in Bologna, Italy
By M. Cowan
On Skype I talked with our long time Bologna cooking tour colleagues, who've lived in Bologna for 40 years and grew up nearby. How to find good places to eat in Bologna where locals go?
The question was more complicated than that in Bologna, they said. Better to ask, "How to find good places to eat top quality, real Bologna style food where locals go in Bologna?"
Our Bologna cooking school tour colleagues have four criteria for a great restaurant:
- top quality food,
Pizzelle is an Italian waffle cookie that is especially popular around Easter and Christmas. They are fairly large, at around five inches, and are usually made one or two at a time. It is traditionally made with a pizzelle maker, similar to a waffle iron, held by hand over a stove burner. With the creation of electric irons, they are becoming a popular snack for people who lack the time to prepare them in the old fashioned way. The irons leave a snowflake pattern on the cookies.
If you are going to make these cookies by hand, you'll need flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, margarine, or vegetable oil. You'll also need flavoring. Common flavorings include anise, vanilla, lemon zest, chocolate, cinnamon, and orange. If you don't have the time or inclination to cook but still want fresh cookies, you can also buy a pizzelle mix. In some grocery stores, you can buy premade pizzelles.
There are many comparable cookies in various regions. Krumkakes from Norway are quite similar. The pizzelle is thought to be based on the crustulum, which is an ancient Roman cookie. Although pizzelle is the most common name, in the Lazio, Italy area they are called ferratelle and in Molise they might also be called cancelle.
Pizzelles can be eaten in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are had as flat cookies. They are often crunchy, but they can also be prepared in a way to make them chewy and soft. A wooden dowel can be used when they are fresh to roll the pastry into a cone shape. This pastry can then be filled with cannoli cream or another filling. A filling can also be spread on them while flat to make a sandwich cookie.
While they can be eaten year round, they are mostly known for special occasions. These include the Christmas season and Easter weekend. Italian weddings are also a common place where these are found. However, since technology makes it easier to cook fresh ones at home with little effort, they are gaining popularity as a treat that can be eaten at any time.
Though they may always be most prevalent in Italian households, they are gaining mainstream appeal. If local grocery stores don't carry them prepackaged, they can always be purchased over the internet. Pizzelle bakers have made it simply for anyone to make up a stack of cookies on a Sunday morning. They are good both fresh and after they have cooled.
The best way to have these cookies is freshly baked. If you are looking for a pizzelle cookie maker that will save you time in the kitchen, consider the VillaWare pizzelle maker.
Image by ryarwood via Flickr 5 Attractions in Rome, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.9,12.4833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=41.9,12.4833333333%20%28Italy%29&t=h" title="Italy" rel="geolocation">Italy</a> for Food Lovers
With food playing such a significant role in Italian culture it is natural that when you visit the country you will want to experience some of the best attractions on offer in this respect. Rome is the capital city of Italy and the food culture is certainly represented extremely well in the restaurants, shops and other attractions around the city. Below are some of the best attractions in Rome for food lovers to experience:
Campo Dei Fiori Food Market - This traditional Italian marketplace is certainly not the place to shop for cheap souvenirs. The market is renowned for its high quality produce and there is a price to pay to acquire these goods. The price is well worth paying however if you are a fan of top of the range food products, especially bread. The market has a reputation for offering the best bread in the area.
Image by ryarwood via Flickr5 Attractions in Rome, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.9,12.4833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=41.9,12.4833333333%20%28Italy%29&t=h" title="Italy" rel="geolocation">Italy</a> for Food Lovers
With food playing such a significant role in Italian culture it is natural that when you visit the country you will want to experience some of the best attractions on offer in this respect. Rome is the capital city of Italy and the food culture is certainly represented extremely well in the restaurants, shops and other attractions around the city. Below are some of the best attractions in Rome for food lovers to experience:
Campo Dei Fiori Food Market - This traditional Italian marketplace is certainly not the place to shop for cheap souvenirs. The market is renowned for its high quality produce and there is a price to pay to acquire these goods. The price is well worth paying however if you are a fan of top of the range food products, especially bread. The market has a reputation for offering the best bread in the area.
Image by davide.santoni via FlickrImage by HatM via FlickrThe Italian food culture concerns not only what we see at Italian tables or in a rich Italian restaurant menu.
It is something much deeper in Italians’ DNA.
Italians have some beliefs that go beyond education or tradition.
Concerning pasta
An easy example could be the pasta shapes and their seasonings. Considering that among dry pasta (the ones you usually buy inside paper or plastic bags that last for long) the difference is only the shape of it, nothing else, the shape itself is something very important for Italians.
There’s a traditional pasta sauce recipe from Roma region called Pasta all’amatriciana (it’s a tasty sauce made with tomatoes and bacon). Usually it’s served using the bucatini pasta (kind of huge spaghetti with a hole in its middle).
An Italian woman was disgusted hearing her hairdress telling her colleague that preferred it with short pasta. She said: “Don’t ask me why. It is just as it is. Amatriciana must go with long pasta. How can one imagine cooking it with short pasta?” The same goes for pasta with oil and garlic (aglio e olio), you probably will never see it served using any other pasta that isn’t spaghetti.
When it comes to exotic wines, nothing can even come close to the Tuscan wine! Wouldn't it be exciting if you get a chance to visit the Chianti Hills in Tuscany and actually be a part of the wonderful wine making process itself? Your mouth will start watering even as you think about it. Stop dreaming and start planning a Tuscan wine tour just for the love of wine!
Chianti Hills is undoubtedly the best and the most popular wine region in Italy. It's no wonder that Chianti is synonymous with excellent wine all around the world'. The enthralling hills of Chianti stand gigantically amidst Italy's art cities such as Tuscany, Florence, Siena, and Arezzo.
There's a lot to see and do in Edinburgh and things can quickly become a little hectic for the visitor and local alike. However, for centuries, people in Edinburgh have found relaxation in a cup of tea, and perhaps a slice of cake, in one of the city's many tea rooms. Below is a list of seven of the best tea rooms and tea shops in Auld Reekie.
When you hear of active volcanoes, one cannot help but think of Mount Etna, one of the world's most famous volcanoes. Located on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in the world. It is known as a stratovolcano, which means that it is conical and was built by the eruption of lava, ashes and pyroclastic flows. Currently it stands about 3,329 meters (10,922 ft.) high, but this is constantly changing due to summit eruptions.
Sicilian festivals are important to the people of Sicily. While many revolve around religious holidays, carnivals are considered secular events. They are traditionally held in the week preceding the beginning of Lent. Originally the festivals were intended to use up fresh food, since Lent is a time of prayer and fasting.
Some of the more famous carnivals are held in the communes of Sciacca, Acireale and Termini Imerese. Those participating in these Sicilian festivals typically wear masks. While the masks worn in Italian carnivals are usually like those of Pulcinella or Brighella, traditional Sicilian masks are more characteristic of Jardinara or Varca, especially in the province of Palermo.
If you want to take cooking classes in Sicily during your vacation, you might be interested in something called "culinary travel". Culinary travel combines informal cooking classes with a tour of the island. You might call it a "tour of Sicilianfood". But, you'll also get to see the craftsmen and the famous archaeological sites.
The group tours start in the market place, where tourists learn how the fresh ingredients are selected. Freshness accounts for some of the virtues of Sicilian food. The primary ingredients are grown locally, purchased at a farmer's market and usually cooked the same day.
Once the ingredients are selected, you can participate in hands-on cooking classes in Sicily restaurants or private homes, depending on the group that you tour with. You can also sample traditional Sicilian food by participating in "Agritourism".
If you are planning a Sicily vacation, you may be interested in the common Sicily weather. The island enjoys a Mediterranean climate characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, although there is snow on Mount Etna in the wintertime. It is much cooler in the wintertime in the northern mountains, but the mean temperature across the island ranges from 50 (F) in the winter to 84 in the summer.
The Mediterranean climate is similar to the climate that prevails in much of Southern California and parts of southwestern Australia. This type of climate allows the land to recover quickly from floods and fires.
The growing season is especially long and is one of the reasons that Sicily has been referred to as "God's kitchen". The abundance of foodstuff that grows on the island is incredible. No Sicily vacation would be complete without sampling the cuisine.
Image by gengish via FlickrBy: Levi Reiss
This kosher Chardonnay comes from the Lazio region of central Italy. Lazio, which also goes by the name of Latium, is home to Rome. It is often said that Latium's wines tend to be mediocre because Rome is a huge market and Romans, or perhaps the millions of tourists, will drink anything. Such sweeping statements may be dead wrong. I'm not necessarily a fan of Chardonnay, but I tend to prefer it to Latium's native white varieties, Malvasia and Trebbiano. Unless I'm forgetting something, this is my first Italian Chardonnay and one of my first wines from Lazio.
Before reviewing this wine, let me state a few things about the bottler, Cantina Sant' Andrea. This family business started on Pantelleria Island in the Mediterranean Sea between mainland Sicily and Tunisia about 150 years ago. Later the vineyards were relocated to Tunisia where they were expropriated in 1964. So the family moved to the Pontine, marshland that was reclaimed during the time of BM, Benito Mussolini.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review have been purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Chardonnay Lazio IGT 2008 12.0% alcohol about $10
There were no marketing materials, and the label said nothing about the wine. I even looked for additional reviews on the Internet after finishing my tests but came up with nothing.
At the first sips the wine was lemony but short. Its first pairing was with smoked rainbow trout filet (alas, not as good as it may sound) and a grated red cabbage salad. The wine tasted of apples and its acidity did well with the fish's grease. With the red cabbage, the Chardonnay intensified; it was refreshing but light. There were two desserts. The fresh pineapple just overpowered the wine. But with oversweet chocolate peanut butter candy the wine was lemony and fairly long.
The next meal involved a boxed eggplant parmigiana slathered with grated Parmesan cheese. Now the Chardonnay presented great acidity; it meshed with the tomatoes. It was lemony with nice length. The dessert of a frozen chocolate pie virtually muted the wine.
My final meal was composed of an omelet garnished with fresh tomatoes. The wine showed very pleasant acidity with a lemon taste and good length. Interestingly enough the fresh tomato rendered the wine rounder. With a side of grilled artichoke dip that tasted more of mayonnaise than of the grill, the wine was perky.
I finished the tastings (but not the bottle) with two local cheeses. When paired with a marbled cheddar it came up round with light, lemony acidity. And with provolone the wine tasted of green apples.
Final verdict. I saw no reason to finish the bottle. It was OK, but not really that good. Prejudices die hard. I am not prejudiced against kosher wines; many of them are fairly good. But I am rather prejudiced against Lazio wines. While I am always ready to taste others, I have yet to encounter a fine one.
Author Resource:-> Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but really prefers fine Italian or other wine, with good food and company. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. His Italian travel website is www.travelitalytravel.com .
Image via WikipediaBy : Sarah Martin
Unless you are a connoisseur of French wines, you may not be familiar with Gamay wine. It is also known as Beaujolais wine because it is mainly grown in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy. Outside of France, it is produced in small quantities by wineries in California, Australia and New Zealand.
The wine tends to be light with a low alcohol level, but care has to be taken during the production to have it just right. There is only a small window of opportunity before the wine becomes too light, too acidic or too thin. This wine is usually aged less than one year and they should be consumed within two years after they are bottled.
One of the distinctive features of Gamay wine is its scent. Like other red wines, it does have the scent of ripe red berries. However, since it is aged in wood barrels, it takes on some of the scent characteristics of the wood, giving it a scent of vanilla, oak or smoke.
While these scents are similar to that of other wines, if you smell the wine just above the rim of the glass, you will get the smell of ripe yellow pears. The scent of banana is always present, but this is more like an artificial scent, such as you would find in banana flavored candy. One of the most unusual scents of this wine is that of Bubblegum.
One of the reasons why the Gamay grape is not widely grown is that it does need granitic soil in order to thrive, which it does have in the Beaujolais region. The grape, itself, is dark red with white juice and tastes very smooth and fruity.
The full name of the grape is Gamay Noir á Jus Blan, which sums up what the description of the grape—black grape with white juice. In areas where the soil and climate conditions are just right, this grape grows well and produces an abundant yield. It is a temperamental grape however, similar to Pinot Noir, that requires precise growing conditions.
The Gamay grape was first discovered in the mid 1300’s in the village of Gamay, from which it takes its name. The juice and wine was very beneficial in helping the people of the village recover from the effects of the Black Death.
It ripened two weeks earlier than other grape varieties and was not as hard to cultivate, which led to its popularity in this wine growing area of France. However, the Duke of Burgundy outlawed the cultivation of the grape in favor of planting grapes that produced more elegant wines.
Connoisseurs of wine will tell you that Gamay wine is a very pleasant drink when slightly chilled. There are several varieties of this wine that range from deep purple to light rose in color. It is also suitable to mix with other red wines such as Merlot and Carignane for a combination of flavors and scents.
This is the choice of many who order a glass of wine in a bistro, but it goes well with almost any meat dish. It also goes well with tuna. It is one of those wines that you don’t have to sip. It is easy to drink and since it is an inexpensive French wine, you can have a supply of it on ice to serve guests at your next barbecue or informal gathering.
Author Resource:- Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, California. She is a frequent wine taster and enjoys researching the history of wine making and famous vineyards. For a wide selection of varietals including Gamay and Carignane, please visithttp://www.wineaccess.com.
Article From Article Storehouse Search Amazon.com for vino con vista
Important white grape varieties include the local Blanc de Morgex and Petite Arvine (popular in Switzerland. International varieties include Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Local red varieties include Petit Rouge, Picotendro (called Nebbiolo in neighboring Piedmont), Premetta, and Fumin. International red varieties include Gamay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Syrah. For a tiny volume there are lots of grape varieties.
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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but he prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which includes information on Italian wine and food.
Image via WikipediaI Love Italian Travel - The Marches Wine Tours
So you have decided to go to Marches, a small region of Italy on the Adriatic Sea. The Marches (it's often spelled with The) is relatively unknown to tourists. This is a great place to see the real Italy. Sights to see include the college town of Urbino with a lovely Palazzo Ducale that houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche and the Casa Natale de Raffaello, the house where Raphael was born. While the National Gallery doesn't contain much work by Raphael, you can view Titian's Resurrection and Last Supper.
The coastal city of Pesaro has the usual (for Italy) components of Ducal Palace, Cathedral, castle, churches, and museums. One museum is devoted to a local boy, the opera composer Rossini. Head further down the coast to the port of Ancona and visit the Duomo di San Ciriaco (Cathedral). Stroll the streets of the old city. Loreto is home to the Santuario della Santa Casa (House of the Virgin Mary). Festival time is Easter week and December 10, the Feast of the Holy House. Finish your tour at Ascoli Piceno. Visit the Piazza del Populo (Square of the People) and the Thirteenth Century Palazzo dei Capitani del Populo (Palace of the People's Captains). Festival time is the first Sunday in August, a day devoted to the city's patron saint, Saint Emidio.
Marches, tucked between the Appennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, produces two top of the line wines, Rosso Cònero Riserva DOCG made from mostly Montepulciano and up to 15% Sangiovese grapes in the hills surrounding Mount Cònero near Ancona. The Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG is a red sparkling wine made mostly from the Vernaccia Nera grape near Macerata towards the region's center. The regions' most popular wines are the white Verdicchios: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC and Verdicchio di Matelica DOC. They are usually dry but can be sweet. Be careful, their quality is variable. Try to find Bianchello del Metauro DOC wine from the rare Biancame white grape.
In addition to the grape varieties mentioned previously common white varieties include the Italian Trebbiano, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The local red Lacrima is relatively rare. Common red varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.
Companies that sell wine tours of The Marches include Prime Italy, Vineria la Birba, Hotel Universal Senigala, and Wine Tour Italia. Marches wineries that accept visits include Il Conte in Momteprandone and Casa Vinicola Gioacchino Garofoli in Loreto. Belisario in Matelica offers an extensive wine bar. A few words of warning are in order. Be sure to check ahead of time for opening hours and whether English is spoken. Some places may charge admission; others may expect you to buy some of their products.
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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet but he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches various computer classes in an Ontario French-language community college. Check out his wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines.
So you want to tour Apulia, the heel of the Italian boot surrounded by the Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Taronto. This is part of the south, in many ways the real, unspoiled Italy. The boot's spur is the beautiful Promontorio del Gargano (Gargano Promontory). You may want to visit the Foresta Umbra (Shady Forest), a real ecological delight bursting with animal and plant life. There's the mysterious eight-sided Castel del Monte. Don't miss the unique Apulian habitations, Trulli, that look like limestone teepees. Would you believe that some have been transformed into wineries? The Grotte di Castellana form the largest network of caves in all Italy. You may finish your tour in the relatively unknown city of Lecce, sometimes called "the Florence of the south." You'll find baroque architecture, a cathedral, historic churches, a Piazza, and the remains of a Roman Amphitheater. Don't forget to stop by the inexpensive Wine Bar Corte dei Pandolfini.
Common white grape varieties include the local Verdeca and Bombino Bianco said to resemble a child with outstretched arms, Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia Bianca, and Chardonnay. Common local red varieties include the local Negroamaro, Uva di Troia, and Zinfandel's cousin, Primitivo. You'll also encouter the Italian varieties Sangiovese and Montepulciano.
Companies that sell wine tours of Apulia include iExplore, Rustic Cooking, Wine Lovers Tours, and Alabaster and Clark Wine Tours Worldwide. Apulia wineries that accept visits include Conti Zecca in Leverano, Leone de Castris in Salice Salentino, and Azienda Vinicola Rivera S.p.A. in Andria. A few words of warning are in order. Make sure that you check ahead of time for opening hours and whether English is spoken. Some places may charge admission; others may expect that you buy some of their products.
Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books but he really prefers drinking fine wine with the right foods. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine, and food website www.travelitalytravel.com and his global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com featuring a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines.
Many people around the world love a glass of wine with dinner. People who don't enjoy wine are simply not aware of the difference the right variety can make in a meal. Wine and food pairing is something that many diners never give much thought.
Experience teaches us the proper way to do many things in life. Choosing the right wine before heading to the wine cellar or ordering something random with dinner is one of those things. The right choice will likely be different with each meal.
The Process of Pairing
"Pairing" refers to the method of choosing the perfect blend of flavors that will truly enhance the flavor of your meal. Most consider pairing the exclusive forte of a sommelier; hands-down the pairing expert. No great restaurant can exist without an experienced sommelier.
The process of pairing is often fraught with mistakes made from inexperience. Even more daunting is the fact that meals often have more than one course. What goes well with appetizers may not be suitable for the main course, and vice versa. A Few Basic Pairing Tips Everyone Should Know
Most types of fish go best with a white. Varieties of whites contain less tannin; therefore the taste doesn't clash with fish to produce a metallic taste. The same is true with most types of chicken and other white meats.
Varieties of reds on the other hand go best with red meats or heavier meals. Sparkling wines tend to go well with appetizers. Salads may be more easily enjoyed with a very light white or sparkling variety. Understanding More Than the Label
A vast number of grape varieties are used in vinification. Many people mistakenly believe that the label on the bottle will provide enough information for successful wine and food pairing. A sommelier, however, knows that it takes much more than labeling when deciding on which type to serve.
Few would deny that wine selection is something that is not easily mastered. Thankfully, there are a few websites that make pairing easier for those who wish to learn the art. Aside from an impressive listing of many varieties, most websites offer helpful critiques on each.
You will also find important information on specific varieties such as the type, producer and country of origin on any website that is truly dedicated to the enjoyment of pairing. Some websites offer an easy to use pairing list so that the appropriate variety may be more easily chosen for any occasion.
Wine and food pairing should never be dismissed as an overly technical matter. It is an artistic task that provides a feast to the senses when properly performed. Any good host wants to create an unforgettable experience for their guests by choosing the right wine for the meal.
Hope is not lost if you do not have the luxury of a well stocked wine cellar. Simply visit a reputable website that outlines a variety of options to help you choose the right variety for any occasion or meal.
Pairing isn't quite rocket science but it does require a bit of time and understanding. Choosing the right wine is extremely important whether you're planning a small intimate gathering or a large dinner party. Making the right decision the first time ensures the success of any party.
Author Resource:-> Marco Keurentjes is a software developer who loves a glass of wine. In helping other people on their Wine & Food pairing and other wine info. he helped develope the websiteWineWineWine.com. Check this website for your free Wine & Food pairing advices =>http://www.winewinewine.com.
I Love Organic Wine - A Mendocino, California Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Levi Reiss Search Amazon.com for vino con vista
Mendocino County faces the Pacific Ocean, past Sonoma and Marin Counties to the north of San Francisco. This lovely area is best known for its sparkling wines including some by the French Champagne house Roederer Estate. The wine reviewed below comes from the Ukiah Valley, home to several prestigious wine makers, two breweries, and a town named Ukiah once voted the #1 best small town to live in California. Bonterra is an organic wine producer who also makes biodynamic wine that costs more than twice today's offering. Their main ranch building is made of reclaimed materials.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon (V) 2006 12.8% alcohol about $18
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Description: This Cabernet used only organically grown grapes. The extra effort rewards with pure and polished aromas and flavors of cassis, cherry, roasted herbs, licorice and ripe blackberry, all wrapped in silky tannins with a medium-long finish. Enjoy with rosemary-and-thyme-rubbed veal chops, or with a hearty lasagna of beef, zucchini and eggplant. Our Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that this wine contains 15 mg/L of free sulphur. And now for my review.
With the first sips the wine was mouth-filling and quite long. The initial meal consisted of slow-cooked beef ribs with sliced potatoes and a side of eggplant roasted with the skin in lots of olive oil and garlic. The wine was very plummy with some tobacco and soft tannins. Its length was fine. The eggplant dish intensified the tobacco taste. When I added a spicy green jalapeno pepper sauce the wine stepped up to meet it. The second meal included zucchini and onions stuffed with rice and ground beef, cooked with potatoes and spices including pepper, garlic powder and cumin. The Cabernet Sauvignon was round with black cherries and some oak; it's aged in a mixture of French and American oak. It was mouth-filling and I tasted tobacco in the background.
The final meal centered around store-bought barbecued chicken wings in a sweet and sour sauce and chicken thighs whose skin was dusted with paprika. The sides were rice and green beans in a homemade tomato sauce. Once again the wine was round; now I got more than a touch of tobacco in the background. It was quite a good match.
As usual I tasted this wine with two cheeses; a goat's milk cheese and a Swiss Emmenthaler. The Cab was fruity and long when accompanied by the goat's milk cheese. With the Swiss I noted dark cherries and tobacco, with a good length. Final verdict. This wine was quite good. But if you don't need organic I don't think that it justified its price tag. Once in a while I've had $10 wines that are almost as good. Author Resource:
Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine wine with the right foods and people. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. Visit his Italian travel website www.travelitalytravel.com.
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