Thursday, Aug 31
Friday, Sep 1
Saturday, Sep 2
Sunday, Sep 3
Monday, Sep 4
Tuesday, Sep 5
Wednesday, Sep 6
Thursday, Sep 7
Friday, Sep 8
Saturday, Sep 9
Sunday, Sep 10
Thursday, Sep 7 - Cooking Lesson and a Tour of a Vineyard Operation
Today was very hot, sticky and humid. We ate a nice breakfast, then at 11:00 we had a cooking lesson with Denise. We first donned our kitchen aprons, then charred some huge, beautiful bell peppers. These would be stuffed later on with a tuna mousse, which we made in a quisinart with tuna, capers, and butter. After we charred the pepper skins over the gas range flames, we doused them in cold water and scraped off the burnt skins. This method results in de-skinned peppers that aren’t discolored or mushy and soft. We then cleaned the insides.
Denise also showed us how to make a cream sauce for tonight’s pasta. Sauteed onions and garlic (sweated, not browned), white wine, heavy cream stirred in gradually and then simmered to get a reduction. Later she would add crushed hazelnuts, a local favorite. The kitchen was very hot!
During lunch we drove up to Diano d’Alba again and bought some more Boffa Barbera d’Alba. Then we returned to the castle and rested a while.
At 4:30 we drove to Germano Etorre, a vineyard near Serralunga. We were supposed to have a tour and wine tasting. When we arrived, though, there was a huge truck delivering barrici (oak barrels) from France. So we had to wait until they were unloaded. It was also the first day of harvest, and Chardonnay grapes were stacked in baskets everywhere.
Sergio Germano came out finally to give us a tour. He apologized for the confusion and also explained that their baby daughter was sick. We offered to come back another time, but he wouldn’t hear of it. We did the tour of the cellars, then we heard thunder, and it was clear it was about to rain. Sergio became agitated. He had stacks of harvested grapes and about 20 brand new oak barrels to get inside, so he disappeared to go take care of his vineyard business.
His wife showed up to help us with the tasting. As rain poured down all around the tasting room, we tasted a marvelous Riesling/Chardonnay blend, a great Nebbiolo, and 2 good Barolos. We paid for 4 bottles of wine, watching the workers scramble to unpack the barrels before they got soaked. We wanted to help, but they were moving too fast and speaking even faster – in Italian, of course.
Back at the castle, we sat in the foyer and talked with several people from Michigan as we waited for dinner. This was our best meal and wine so far, an extremely fragrant Barbera and sauces that were unbelievably delicious. Denise really knows how to do sauces! For his antipasti Pat had vitello (veal), raw and sliced thin with cheese and grated truffles. I had a marvelous baked onion with a heavenly cream sauce with sausage. We both had the pasta, which had the hazelnut cream sauce we had helped cook (stir, actually). The best pasta dish I’ve ever had! Then Pat had a main dish (secondi) of pork over a chestnut puree (yum!) with another wonderful sauce. Just a magnificent meal. An excellent evening!
