Soul and passion, driving your wine choice...Only if you call yourself into question! Sandro Sangiorgi docet!

Walking around a wine shop during a normal day, after long working hours, can make you understand that the real parameter to choose wine is your soul instinct. Indipendently if you are a Sommelier or not; indipendently if you are a wine expert or a fellow working in the wine business, what counts at the end of the day is the emotional feeling you have while choosing the bottle you are going to taste tonight or during the weekend or whenever you feel it's worthed. I personally think that every day can be the right day if you think so. There is no special occasion to wait, no need to look forward your birthday to open a special bottle. No need to open a special bottle during your birthday, you can simply toast with a beer stein, with the same ease you drink a Vintage Champagne or an aged Barolo on a regular Monday evening or, why not, during a business lunch.

All this foreword to say that tonight I decided to choose a wine based on the label I liked most, having a moderate budget, honestly speaking. I spent nearly half an hour snooping around the wine shop, having the owners's spotlight on me (it was 10 past seven and they remarked that closing time was 7.30!), perfectly aware that my choice needed to be fast.

That's why I decided to follow my instinct and choose the label that most inspired me. While driving home I was really looking forward to read on the Internet what the hell I had grabbed. And I realized that I was right. The label was exactly reflecting my expectations, confirmed reading the story about Cirelli.

Agricola Cirelli is an organic farm, whose production respects the natural cycles of the olive trees, vineyards, horticultural crops and the animal breedings. Their motto is "to live in harmony with nature". It looks like a predicted idea, but I am convinced they actually do so.

Tasting the wine I felt immediately a

simplicity touch, a genuine taste, reminding red fruits notes coming out from Montepulciano grapes. The short six month aging takes place in steel tanks, making evident the strong character of the tannins. Even though, they do not attack you, They gently cope with your toungue, softly decreasing their presence as long as you get in sympathy with them.

 

The main message of this article is just one: you need to follow your instinct. And not on purpose, while stating that, I realized that Sandro Sangiorgi (one of the few truly influential free-standing wine reviewer) has more (or less) the same opinion. On the back of his book "The invention of joy", he states the following:

"I address to those who are browsing in-between the pages of this book, attracted from the title, from the cover or, even better, from the subject: The invention of Joy", which requires a person willing to commit himself, both in the lecture and in the practice  (and in the writing, I would add). It is an important request that could discourage who is approaching for the first time the world of wine and expect immediate answers. It's highly probable he will find them (and with them precious advices) but at one unique condition: the ability and willingness to take a challenge. As I did".

 

So my interpretation is: FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCT, CHOOSE THE WINE FROM THE LABEL YOU GET ON WELL MOST. BUT THEN, DISCOVER THE WINE, STUDY ITS STORY, TASTE IT VIVIDLY. ENJOY IT. LIVE IT!

 

Kobe beef drinks beer!

What would you expect from a beef massaged with Sakè, which drinks every day a large amount of beer? Ok, the myth is that they drink beer as party animals, but the reality is that beer is supplied especially during hot season to stimolate their appetite. Poor animals!:) Regarding the massaging it's done to relieve their stress and keep them calm ... I have always said that I should go to the SPA more often!!! I would come tastier as well :)
The result of all this attention is that the meat is extraordinarily tender, finely marbled, and full-flavored.
The less attractive part of all this topic is the price: to eat a fillet of 125 gr I spent more than 100 euro (to be precise the rate was 750 euro per kg). But it was worthed.

My advice is to pair it with a reasonable amount of beer. Being a little bit tipsy you will appreciate it more, forgetting the fortune you are spending :) Or, as we did, try a local wine:

I went to a restaurant in .apan called Misono, in Kyoto. Kyoto is a wonderful city, it's much more traditional than Tokyo. Amazing the two, from different perspectives.

 

Going back to Misono, If you read Trip Advisor reviews as usual you will find contradictory opinions. My evaluation to that restaurant is 4/5. Not less because the quality of the meat and the service were high-level as per my modest opinion. The chef cooked in front of us in the #Teppanyaki style (鉄板焼きfrom Japanese teppan (鉄板) = griddle, and yaki (焼き) = grilled), both the meat and the vegetables. I didn't like too much the fact that before grilling the meat he massaged it with some garlic. The meat is good enough and it doesn't need anything, being enriched by its own fat! Gnammy!

 

 

 

I didn't feel to evaluate it with 5 stars because the waiters were somehow "cold", not making any difference to our experience. But the Chef (see picture), was a great human being!

Not to feel alone we socialized anyway with some Spanish people sitting in our same table and sharing with us the same griddle (and also the experience, of course!). We had such a good night, which ended up with a magnum of Sakè. Served cold (Japan in August is extremely hot). At the end of the day Italian and Spanish Always get on well!

 

But is the Kobe meat raised exclusively in Japan? Because of the high cost and increasing demand, there are now some Kobe-style beef-cattle being raised in the U.S. using the same techniques.  I believe they do it well. But being a traditionalist I wanted to try it during my stay in Japan (in US I will leave some space for cheesburgers)!
If you want to read more about US Kobe beef and the controversy around this topic I found this interesting article on Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2014/01/07/the-new-truth-about-kobe-beef-2/.

 

Enoy! The article and life in general!

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Cheese and wine pairing!

Cheese is the best invention man has ever made. And wine too. So the best thing in life, after the first one that everybody knows, ;), is pairing cheese with wine. I am not going to be boring but I want to summarize the main tips that will make your life wonderful.
With soft cheese characterized by a delicate milk aroma you should go for a fresh white wine like a young Chardonnay or, why not, some bubbles with a shy personality, like a Prosecco?
"Caprini"are cheeses made mainly from goat milk (there are in commerce also some from cow milk) with a stronger flavor. Many times they are conserved in oil with aromatic herbs or spices which makes them quite persistent in terms of taste and demanding in terms of wine. So, if you go for a white, be sure it's enough silky and perfumed. A barrique resting period would be welcome, otherwise, if at home you just have a red wine, be sure it has a medium structure. For my personal taste I prefer white wine combination, like a Verdicchio from Matelica!

Another category of cheese is the one with "washed crust". They are seasoned products (Taleggio and Robiola are an example) whose surface is washed with saulty water to avoid the mould and allowing the growing of batteria of red colour, which produce aromatic aromas reminding fermented fruit, sometimes very intense. I definetly love this type of cheese, I confess...technically speaking they need a strong wine to cope with their strong personality, but mellow enough to balance the  fatness and sweetness notes of the cheese. In this hard circumstances I love a Gewurztraminer from Alto Adige region. It's almost a dream!
The real dream and the most playful pairing come with seasoned cheeses. Playful because you can stretch the pairing from red wines with a really good structure, like a Barbera from Piemonte, up to sparkling wine made with champenois method, like a Franciacorta Brut. Let imagine yourself picking some bites of Parmesan or Grana cheese (for the difference between the two read my post parmigiano-reggiano-or-grana-padano) with a glass of sparkling wine, cleaning perfectly your mouth from the saulty and delicate fatness sensations left from the cheese swallowing....would you ask something more from life?:)

The problem of cheese are two: you are never tired of eating them (from starter to dessert) and you are never tired to pair them with wine because the variety of pairings is endless, depending on the cheese you choose or on the wine you have in your canteen. That actually wouldn't be a problem if in life calories were not existing! Who invented them!!? In any case when it comes to dessert forget about them, especially if your sweet treat will consist of "erborinati" cheeses with some jams and honey. A Passito wine is the perfect  pairing in my opinion. You can also dare with a fortified wine. As an example a Passito from Pantelleria, a Vin Santo from Tuscany or a Sauternes if you are in France.

                                          

But...Which is my favourite cheese? Definetly the Castelmagno, a paradise for senses, strong but at the same time elegant, the king of cheeses (il-re-dei-formaggi)!

Pretty Gourmet corners of Stockholm

When you travel for business it's hardly impossible to get something from your trip. You get to know new people (colleagues), you can visit the new offices and show-room of your company and them the game is over. That's what I thought since few years ago, when I change my way of living to the #enjoy every single moment that life gives you#, you can always get something from it. It just depends on the perspective and angle from which you observe and experience things. Said that, I have enjoyed few places during my short business trip to Stockholm that I want to write down on my diary blog.
I simply loved my breakfast at the Scandic Grand Central, a cosy hotel in a central position (located in the business area), closed to the central station so very convenient I would say. The breakfast was simply different from normal buffet. It was organized into different "corners", each island dedicated to a specific preparation. So you find the one dedicated to fresh bread, the one to fresh fruit and smoothies, the one to yoghurt and muesli and so on. On the top of that, fresh and organic were the key.

During a quick lunch break I tried this colourful tapas bar, the Boqueria, a very vibrant place for a quick stop over. I have been living few months in Madrid and visited Barcelona several times, so I feel reliable when saying that the quality was good. But especially the atmosphere; you can drink outside enjoying the bright Swedish light during summer, since the outside area is located on a pedestrian street. 

Not least and not last, if you want to get into the real atmosphere of Stockholm life, make sure you don't miss this place: Sturehof, on the south side of Stureplan in Stockholm. Sturehof is a bustling meeting place for local people! I wouldn't find a better way to define this place as they do on their website: "steeped in tradition, Sturehof is at the same time a modern restaurant classic on par with famous brasseries in New York and Paris... Our audience is a glorious mix of ages, origins, professions, and interests – in every conceivable way". 

Proud of their long history tradition, they do things really well. I have tried the selection of 3 sorts of herrings with Swedish cheese; gorgeous.

 

Last and not least the Lisa Elmqvist: in the inner market SaluHall (a venue existing since1888, a must for high quality ingredients and cooked dishes from the Swedish cuisine), you can find this restaurant which serves REALLY fresh fish. I had the fish soup of the day served with garlic bread: really nice! I read a little bit about the history of this place and I have learnt that it's a family-owned restaurant. Today it's the fourth generation of the Elmqvist family who continues to work assiduously: in the food hall the name of Lisa Elmqvist represents a fish stall and restaurant with a unique sense of the delicacies of the sea.

Confrérie du Sabre d'Or

Last Friday I had the very funny chance to attend a wonderful dinner located in Jesolo, the seaside town close to Venice. The fish restaurant, "Da Guido", was very charming, in my opinion it will get the 1st Michelin star very soon. All the dinner was accompanied by loads of different Champagne, from starters to dessert, vintage, rosè, all types you could imagine. Why I said funny? Because the dinner was just an excuse to initiate new "candidates" to the "Confrerie du Sabrè d'or". Luckily the initiation ritual took place after having enjoyed the wonderful starters in the pleasant garden. Sushi, fresh gazpacho with prawn, oysters, miso soup, paired with some elegant Champagne which helped me a little bit to relax before sabreing the expensive fizz bottle in front of people I have never met, surprised that also a woman (I was the only one actually) wants to be part of such a unique club, the "Confrerie du Sabrè d'or". No worry, it wasn't the first time in my life :) but it was the first time with such a big golden knife. I normally use a kitchen one.

What are the tips?

1) you need to identify the seam that runs from the bottom to the top of the bottle. 

2) you have to tickle the neck, running it up and down the seam with some pressure, preparing the bottle for the final strike.” Always keep your striking wrist firm: it’s all about hitting the neck in one simple movement, like a golf swing. 

Enjoy the video :-) Do I look stressed?

After that I could enjoy with some proud; ;-), my dinner. A special mention to the Kamut spaghetti with sole and Champagne!

And what about the Champagne I had? The one which impressed me more was the Fallet Dart , made by a family of vignerons since 1610 who grow the grapes in a very vocated terroir "The Clos du Mont."