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WINE FUNDAMENTALS CLASS AT CAPRICCIO WAS A SUCCESS!!
At least that's what I think!! We had 25 people attending our first class on fundamentals and we had a lot of fun (I know I did).
In this program we covered many basic aspects of wine knowledge such as soil, pests, terroir, vineyard management, etc. We also went over the lifecycle of the vine and went into red and white wine production. Then the fun part started - we went over how to taste wines and we tasted 8 wines (4 whites and 4 reds). Sorry I didn't take any pictures!!
I am thinking of continuing offering the Wine Fundamentals program and to develop a couple of other programs to go in more depth into subjects such as Old World Wines and New World Wines.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions on topics to be covered.
Cheers!
Gerry |
| PERUVIAN FOOD READY FOR THE NATIONAL STAGE?
Peruvian cuisine has been getting a lot of attention recently.
Being a native Peruvian I am a little biased, but I truly believe that our cuisine is really unique and outstanding.
Adriana and I did a culinary tour in Lima (capital city of Peru, where I am from) last August and were very impressed with the evolution of the cuisine. The flavors are the same that I remember from my childhood but the preparations are now modern and exquisite.
I am cooking Italian and Spanish now but I know I will be cooking Peruvian hopefully soon!
Here is a great article published today in the Washington Post:
Cheers!
Gerry |
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WORLD'S OLDEST CHAMPAGNE UNCORKED!
It may have been bottled 10 years after the battle of Waterloo, etc. but the description as a "heavily oxidized" wine is just not very appetizing.
Nevertheless it must be really exciting to open a bottle as old as this one.
Here is the link to the article:
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CHEF SPECIALS
Torre de Verdura - $8
Layers of grilled portobello mushroom, eggplant, zucchini, squash, and red bell pepper. Accented with a tomato basil couli. Absolutely delicious!
Pollo alla Parmigiana - $19
Our delicate version of the famed Italian/American dish. Yes, there is cheese and tomato sauce but in an elegant way.
This is a typical dessert from Naples, Italy. You may recall Tony Soprano bringing home Sfogliatelles (he also brought home Cannolis). The word "Sfogliatelle" means "many leaves/layers," and this describes the dessert fairly well, as the texture resembles leaves stacked on each other. |
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FEATURED WINES
MEZZANOTTE
Sanford Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara, California) - Bottle $56
The Sanford Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a blend from the estate vineyard, La Rinconada, and the historic Sanford and Benedict Vineyard next door. A mix of vineyard blocks and several different clones gives this wine added complexity. The wine is deep violet red in color and is bursting with raspberry, black cherry, pepper and clove on the nose. The palate delivers dusty berry flavors framed nicely by bright acidity and supple tannins. The wine was allowed to age in French Oak barrels (30% new oak) for 10 months where it gained concentration and picked up hints of vanilla and licorice. This is a beautiful wine that goes well with white and red meats.
Rosso di Toscana IGT - Santa Martina Bottle $36 - Glass $9
The Sangiovese in this wine comes from the Chianti Classico property while the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are from the Vigne a Porrona estate in Maremma. This is a bold potent wine with plenty of dark cherry fruit and toasty oak along with hints of dark chocolate. It is hard to believe that this is a $36 wine! Absolutely outstanding.
CAPRICCIO
Castell del Remei Gotim Bru (Catalunya, Spain) - Bottle $38
Dark cherry in hue, this is a lively, vigorous, aromatic red with vivid red cherry fruit and attractive, spicy and slightly resinous overtones. Well balanced and smooth (a reflection of its high proportion of Tempranillo), it has good acidity and a satisfying, lingeringly peppery finish. Robert Parker said - "Purple-colored, it provides a fragrant nose of spice box, tobacco, blueberry, and blackberry. Firmly structured, medium to full-bodied, and layered, this ripe, tasty wine should evolve for 2-3 years but who is going to wait? It is an outstanding value." 90 points!
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