Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Valpolicella and Amarone 101

By

This was the day I looked forward to most on the trip. 

We traveled about 30 miles outside of Verona to Valpolicella where my favorite wine is produced – Amarone.

We booked a tour through a company called VeronAround.  Our guides, Daniel and Sabrina, were fantastic and very knowledgeable about the wines.  I definitely recommend using them if you are in the region.  They also do tours of Verona!  Click here for their website.

Our first winery was Giuseppe Lonardi.  All across Italy the harvests were early this year due to the unseasonably warm weather.  This winery was on the last day of the harvest, so we did get to go out to the vineyards and see it in action.

Winemakers determine whether the grapes are ready to be picked by testing their sugar level.  When it reaches the ideal point, its “go” time!  Most winemakers have 5-8 hectares (12.5-20 acres) of land and the harvest takes about 3 days.

Giuseppe’s daughter, Silvia

Corvina, the most important Amarone grape, drying

After being picked, the grapes are dried on racks for a 3-4 months.  This concentrates both the alcohol  and the taste, making Amarone a richer (and more alcoholic) wine.

What makes it my favorite wine is that it is fruity without being too sweet.  It’s heavy raisin on the nose with notes of cherries.  There is often some spice on the end.  It pairs well with bigger dishes (like grilled meats) and dark chocolate.

After this, the grapes have 3 stages to go through:

  1. The juice is kept in stainless steel tanks to ferment for about 3 months
  2. It is then transferred to oak barrels to age for 2 years
  3. Finally it is bottled and aged about a year before it is ready to be sold

Other wines are also produced here:  Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso, Recioto Classico della Valpolicella, and Giuseppe’s own creation – Privilegia.

They each have their own processes as well.  Winemaking is definitely an art!

The Lonardi’s were just beginning the production of the Ripasso.  Above is a picture of Giuseppe himself dumping the first of the freshly picked grapes into the de-stemming machine.  I was beyond excited to witness the start of the 2011 winemaking!

Giuseppe’s daughter, Silvia, conducted most of the tour (Giuseppe doesn’t speak English).  We loved her instantly.  She was so sweet.  We are all about the same age… I may go back and just hang out with her.  And the French oak casks.

Silvia opening a Superiore to taste

2008 Amarone casks

The tasting was fantastic!  We were able to taste the most recent bottles – 2008 Classico Superiore Ripasso (it doesn’t need to be aged as long as the Amarone), 2007 Privilegia, and 2007 Amarone.

The Privilegia is Giuseppe’s own creation.  It is not made from the tradition grape blend, and therefore you won’t see the Valpolicella name on the bottle (they are very strict about wine rules!).  This did not affect it’s deliciousness. 

The family has recently opened an inn and restaurant where Silvia’s mom cooks.  If you have the opportunity to go to Valpolicalla, please stop by for a stay and tell them I said hello!  Click here for their website.

I could have stayed there all day, but we did need to get on to the next tasting with the 3 brothers of Fratelli Vogadori.

Can you believe this is their backyard? (Minus these hot mammas, of course 😉 )

Vogadori was fantastic as well.  We tasted their Classico, Ripasso, Amarone, and Recioto.

Recioto is basically a sweet version of Amarone.  The grapes are dried; however, the fermentation process is stopped earlier before all of the sugar turns to alcohol.  It feels heaver and more velvety on the palate and pairs perfectly with dark chocolate or cantucci.

A couple of those Amarone bottles my or may not be in the mail on their way to me…

Here we also tasted olive oil.  Many families have a small production of olive oil.  We learned that it takes quite a lot of olives to make oil, so the smaller family winemakers only produce it in limited quantities.  My mom now has a bottle in her kitchen. 🙂

Most places (here included) offer prosciutto and/or salami and bread sticks during tastings.   The brothers brought out a blue cheese snack to go with the bigger wines at the end of the tasting.  It was SO good – and that’s not just because we were 2 tastings in!  

Corinne approved!

I mentioned before that one of the odd things about Italy is that it was so hard to find fresh veggies and fruit.  After 2 weeks of  carbs,  cured meat, steaks, and more wine that I’ll ever admit to drinking, I’ve decided to do a modified version of the Standard Process Cleanse I did last November.

My rules:

  • 10 days of all the veggies and fruits I can eat (more veggies than fruit, as much raw as possible)
  • 4-5 tsp of oil a day (flax, olive, coconut)
  • 1 C lentils or wild rice a day
  • 2-3 protein shakes a day
  • 1 serving of tofu, chicken, or fish a day on last 11 days
  • No alcohol
  • No diary
  • No processed food

The strict program doesn’t allow beans or nuts… but I’m allowing a small amount.  I love nuts.  (Yes, you can quote me on that.)  I may also allow coconut milk after the first few days.

I was going to ban coffee… but I’m in my 3rd city this week and am averaging 4 hours of sleep per night.  It’s about survival.

I love Italy, but the return of the (green) Sweet Potato Smoothie (and football!) was a welcome one.

***

I’m already on day 6 of the cleanse and feeling good!

Did I put you all to sleep by geeking out on wine?  What is your favorite wine?  

Do you do anything to cleanse a certain points in the year or after a period of overindulgence?

Romeo, Romeo: A Day in Verona, Italy

By

Our first full day in Verona was laid back.

How cute is our B&B?!

We walked from the city center and to meet out new friend Tim, who had offered to show us where to get our first pizza of the trip.  I was so hungry that I FORGOT to take a pic!  Fail.

We ordered 4 pizzas and shared them… they were good, but Southern Italy is really the place for pizza.

Next we were off to tour L’Arena.  The stairs in that place were no joke!  The only stone was quite slippery.  If it were the US, we would have seen some serious “climb at your own risk” signage!

They were setting up for a concert that night with a popular Italian singer/guitarist.  We couldn’t get tickets, but just seeing the contrast of the ancient against the new was surreal.

Next up was Juliette’s balcony.  We took pictures and fought for a spot to rub Juliette’s boob.

Apparently it’s the thing to do here – there were small children feeling up her statue!

When in Rome…

It was unseasonably warm throughout our visit (we, of course, over-packed with all our sweaters).  After all that walking around we were past due for our first gelato of the trip!

Vanilla-Hazelnut for me!

Refreshed after our tasty treats, we decided it was time to tackle Teatro Romano (the Roman Theatre).  Doesn’t it look far away?

We got to walk across the oldest bridge in Verona to climbed about a million stairs to the top!

The view from the top was well-worth it!!!

Check out yesterday’s post for another view. 🙂

Next is my favorite part of the day – wine time dinner time!

We loved Antica Bottega de Vino so much our first night that we returned again for dinner!  This place is the only restaurant in Verona to be officially recognized as a “historic establishment.”

There are worse places to be trapped!

Tim joined us and we feasted.  Everything was delicious, but I am sad to say that I did not get a picture of my favorite dish.  We started with an amazing plate of polenta topped with some the most deliciously creamy gorgonzola I have ever tasted.

One of the coolest dishes was an Amarone risotto.  I still prefer to drink it in a glass, but it’s depressing funny that Amarone is inexpensive enough in Italy to use for cooking.  In the States it’s hard to find a bottle for less than $80!  

Yes, I realize this looks like baked beans.

You’ll start to see a theme as I post recaps… we ordered pasta with truffles.  For the second night in a row.

The nutty parmesan and fresh olive oil coating homemade noodles combined with earthy, rich black truffles is too much for me to pass up!

You’d think that would be enough, but after dinner Tim had a surprise for us – we were able to meet the restaurant owner, Severino Barzan, who gave us a tour of his impressive 130-year old cellar (seriously – the wine in there was worth more than I can imagine).

The Wandering Winos in their happy place

The restaurant and it’s owner are quite well-known – we spotted a picture of the Clinton’s on a recent visit!  Can you make out the autograph below?

Not wanting the night to end, we spotted cognac bottles lining the walls dating back to the late 1800s… and decided we needed to have a glass from each of our birth years.

Tim, Brittany, Corinne, me, and Proprietor Severino Barzan with our birth year bottles

On our 2nd night in Italy we were already making memories more fantastic than I could have dreamed of!

***

In all my craziness I forgot about WIAW!!!  I’m (late) joining the party with my “What I Ate in Italy” theme!  As always, check out Peas and Crayons to see the tastiness everyone else ate today!

 

I’m out of town in client meetings for the rest of the week.  I can’t believe I’m already jumping on another plane!

Did you enjoy reading Shakespeare in high school?

Have you had a surreal night like we did?  I want to hear about it!

Four Eyes and 6 Wines

By

How much can you fit into one day?

Apparently I decided to try and find out yesterday.

I ran a new route and even with the (somewhat unexpected) hills and kept a good pace.  My legs felt really stong after a Thursday rest day.

Stats:

  • Distance – 6 miles
  • Time – 48:06 mins
  • Pace – 8:01

My legs did feel a bit heavy at mile 5, but that didn’t prevent me from sprinting to make a cross walk and then running up and down my street to get the last quarter mile (had to make an even 6!).

Recovery smoothie time.  Thursday’s smoothie list reminded me of a old favorite – mocha banana.  It was just as delicious as I remembered.

Mocha = Smoothie in a Mug

I worked from home in the morning, but took a moment to make a crust (to be filled in a few mins this morning).

Any guesses as to what it’s getting filled with?

I also took a moment to learn a very import lesson about why you should wear a shirt while baking.

Due to an eye appointment, I took a lunch break from Excel.

I’m loving my new doc, Dr. Reena Gupta, at Ansley Eye Care!  She fixed me up with an updated prescription and new glasses to replace my old (5+ years?!) pair.  She get extra rockstar points for being at work just 1 month after having a baby!

Which is better?  1?  2?  Or 3?

They arrive next week!

Starbucks has become my home-away-from-home during this crazy work period.

I tried one of their new lunch boxes – the Chipotle Chicken Wraps.

Verdict: Not bad.  It was <400 calories and had 26g of protein.  The sauce was delish and I loved that it came with a piece of dark chocolate.  The tortilla could have been more fresh, but for a boxed lunch it was fine.

After chowing down, I found a new ring in the fiery pits of Excel hell  more working from Starbucks ensued.

No matter – because then I got to celebrate the weekend with an Italian wine tasting!  Perrine does a great job with these at her shop – complete with an awesome cheese spread.

She even brings in the wine makers.  There is nothing cooler than talking to the Italian wine maker while sipping on his wine…

…except when you get that Italian grower to autograph your newly-acquired bottle of his signature wine.

Corinne and I will be visiting Alessandro Bocci and enjoying the wines at Perazzeta in Italia. 🙂

The icing on this day’s cake was sharing one of those bottles over (another) delicious dinner at Bocado.

That beet salad with farro, avocado, hazelnuts, and oranges is seriously addicting.  If you’re in ATL, don’t miss it!

And that, my friends, is how you fill up a Friday.

***

You guys were cracking me up about the peanuts and coke yesterday.  I kind of want to try it…

What are you doing this weekend?  

Is anyone running a race?  I’m missing it after a couple weeks off!

Surprise Blondies

By

Last night’s was another Screen on the Green in the park across from my condo.

One of the reasons I love Atlanta

The showing was 16 Candles.  My group was enthusiastic about re-living the 80s on the lawn with bottles of wine.

This is Kathleen’s enthusiastic face. Really.

Our wine of choice was a Malbec (one of my favorite varieties).  I was gifted a bottle of a 2008 Antigal Uno from Mendoza, Argentina.  It was perfect of the slightly crisp evening.

We enjoyed it with crackers and Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper (a creatively-named sheep’s milk cheese).  It was a great pairing!  I could also see this wine being wonderful with pizza or lamb.

Name: 2008 Antigal Uno

Tasting Notes: Lingering juicy blackberry taste, followed with end notes of chocolate.  As it opened up, a hint of spice in the middle.  Satisfyingly smooth ending.

Price: ~$15

Added bonus: the bottle is really neat

One the friends is gluten-free, so I thought this was the perfect time to try out a special recipe for her!  Sadly, she isn’t eating any carbs right now.  Happily, that meant more for me!

I gave her one in a baggie to take home and freeze for when she’s eating carbs again. 🙂

She should have had a bite… ’cause they were really friggin’ good.

Blondie had a bite.

Leggo my Blondie!

For my friends’ benefit, I referred to these as “Surprise Blondies” due to the secret ingredient.

Katie @ Chocolate-Covered Katie shared these “Genius Blondies” a while ago and I’ve had them bookmarked ever since.

Bloggers were raving about how good they are… but sometimes these “trends” turn out to be all hype.  I’ve tried a few and they weren’t realllly all that good (microwave protein muffins down right suck).

Katie’s Blondies? They live up to the hype.

Blondies have more fun

 Katie’s were originally made in a brownie pan.  I would use mini-muffin tins.  That way they’re easier to serve and you don’t need to cook them very long (the faster I can get to my dessert, the better).  You can fill each hole nearly to the top with dough – they aren’t going to puff up a lot (i.e. they aren’t going to turn into muffins).

I used a square “bar” pan.  This pan rocks, btw.

 I made adjustments to 90% of the ingredient amounts and added a couple items, so I’m re-posting the entire thing for ease.  Know that they originated here with Katie.

Surprise Blondies

  • 1.5 C chickpeas (drained and rinsed with skins removed)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 packet Stevia
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 C ground flax
  • 1/4 C peanut butter
  • 1/4 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, blend all ingredients (except chocolate chips) until completely smooth.  Hand mix in chips, and scoop into a greased mini-muffin tins.

Bake 15 mins.  You want them a teensy bit under-done so they remain moist and doughy when cooled.

Note: You don’t HAVE to remove the skins from the chickpeas, but it will make the batter much more smooth.  (Same goes for using them in hummus, FYI.)

***

What’s your favorite way to sneak in veggies?

Mine is now Zucchini Oatmeal.  Or these brownies.  And, of course I’m now a Blondie-believer.

Nectar of the Gods

By

Saturday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend a Sommelier Roundtable at the Food & Wine Festival.  Special thanks to my new friend, Corinne, for helping me make that choice!

 

A Sommelier is a wine professional.  A certified sommelier must take courses and pass exams to earn the formal title.  There are 4 levels of certifications, the highest level being Master Sommelier.  Only 180 people have ever earned the title of Master.

Participants in the Sommelier Roundtable included:

 

The session was attended by yet another Master Sommelier, Andrea Robinson.  She is one of 15 women to have been appointed a Master Sommelier.

Needless to say, I was starstruck.  Thankfully, they were serving wine.

Ready to taste

________________________________________________________________________________________

So what did we taste?

1. Rose Brut

Name: Alfred Gratien Brut Rose Champagne

Notes: This champagne (Did you know that to be called a “champagne,” the wine must originate from the Champagne region of France?  Otherwise, it’s just sparkling wine) was pleasantly crisp, lots of strawberries and raspberries on the nose, some minerals, tiny bubbles and a deliciously yeast-y finish (think fresh breakfast rolls).

Price: ~$70

My Rating (1-5): 4.0

2. Lebanese Red Wine

 

Name: 2001 Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar, Red

Notes: An interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault from Lebanon (who knew they made wine in Lebanon?!).  It was extremely dark in color.  Heavy on the nose, strong woodsy/licorice taste with a nice spice at the beginning.  It packed a surprisinglysmooth finish… though I thought it died a bit too soon.

Price: ~$30

My Rating (1-5): 3.0

 

3. Syrah

Name: 2006 Joubert-Tradauw Syrah

Notes: Intoxicating coffee scent.  Hints of plum as the wine opened up.  Long, smooth, cocoa-filled finish.  Complex layers, not one to sip on a hot day.  Would love to drink with a fillet or dark chocolate.  This bottle will definitely impress at a dinner party!

Price: ~$20

My Rating (1-5): 4.5

4. Sherry

 

Name: Lustau Dry Oloroso Don Nuno Sherry

Notes: I’m not a big sherry drinker, but this changed my mind.  Caramel with a hint of burnt orange on the nose.  More citrus at the beginning, then the caramel intensifies and some nuttiness is apparent.  Well-balanced flavors, toasted nut flavor on the end.  Unlike many sherries, there is no overpowering alcohol taste.  We were given an almond to eat as we tasted – this made the flavor really pop and left me dreaming of enjoying a glass with a simple chocolate-hazelnut tart.

Price: ~$28

My Rating: 4.2

 

Can you guess which sommelier chose which wine?

  1. Rose Brut – Heath Porter
  2. Lebanese Red – Clint Sloan
  3. Syrah – Steven Satterfield
  4. Sherry – Virginia Phillip

 

All of the wines were so different – it’s hard to choose a favorite.  This will not be the last time I have that Syrah though!  Or the sherry.

If you are interested in learning more about Sommeliers, click here.

***

I am carving wine after this post.  Which means it’s past time to hit the gym.  🙂  Tasting tent recap tomorrow!

Are you a wine drinker?  What’s your favorite region/grape… or other beverage?

 

 

Hummus with a Spoon

By

Last night I made hummus.  

 

Not an uncommon occurance, as I eat it in embarassing quantities.

THIS hummus was special though.  It’s hummus that is acceptable to eat with a spoon.  Who knew the slurp-life could be so good?!

 

The concept was from this recipe found on Oh She Glows.

Hummus soup is great for several reasons: great nutritionals (thanks to the musical fruit), good fats from the peanut butter and oil, and it is super-filling (something I’m quickly coming to appreciate in my delicate condition).

I ate the leftovers for lunch today.  Like many soups, it’s even better after the flavore have a chance to meld together!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Hummus Soup

  • 1 T EVOO
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • 2 15-oz cans of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and skinned
  • 1 C vegetable stock (I used full-sodium)
  • 2 C water
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 T peanut butter
  • 1/4 C fresh parsley
  • S & P (to taste)

 

Heat EVOO in medium skillet.  Add in onion and heat over medium until just beginning to become translucent.

Add in zucchini and sautee until slightly softened.  Add minced garlic, reduce heat to low to avoid burning.  Let cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 mins.  

Add garam masala, a pinch of salt, bay leaves, pepper, and fresh lemon juice.  Stir to continue to cook over low heat for 4-5 mins.

Meanwhile, combine vegetable broth, 1 C water, sesame oil, and chickpeas in medium pot.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer for 8-10 mins.

Remove bay leaves and add onion mixture and peanut butter to chickpea pot.  Cook for 5-7 mins, allowing flavors to combine.  Add remaining cup of water as needed.  Mix parsley in the last 1-2 mins, stirring to combine.

Pour the soup mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, or use immersion blender to combine.

Pour into bowls and garnish with lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, feta cheese, and/or olive tapenade.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4 cups (4-ish servings).

Note: I added roasted red pepper olive oil and red pepper flakes as my soup was cooking.  I like it HOT.

Next time I’d add some rosemary and probably leave out the bay leaves.  I’d also like to try it with some roasted eggplant.

***

What’s your favorite smooth dessert?

I’m over vanilla ice cream and I can’t eat the chunks in my favorite fudge brownie.

 

Follow Me!

instagram_b facebook_b twitter_bpinterest_b
rss_a email_ayoutube_b googlep_b

Popular Posts

Dinner charcuterie board
Home | About Me | Privacy Policy | Fitness | Recipes | Training & Nutrition

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!