Late April is one of my favorite times of the year, and not just because I am a Taurus.  The weather's finally warm enough for me to feel confident in transferring my tender little plants outdoors yet I am still able work in my yard without getting roasted or eaten alive by mosquitoes.  Before the torpor of Summer sets in (usually well before Summer officially arrives in late June), this month or so of late April and most of May is an ideal time for spending time outdoors (unless you have allergies, of course).  At any rate, the wines that I will be pouring this Friday are a Spring-happy mix of new discoveries for RCC along with new vintages of some old favorites.  Here's what I'll be pouring this week:

Knebel 2009 Riesling Trocken: Located in the lower Mosel River valley near Koblenz, Germany, the Knebel family estate focuses on making top-quality white wines from Riesling sourced from their treacherously steep and ideally situated vineyards.  Completely dry but neither lean nor hyper-acidic, the 2009 Riesling Trocken offers aromas that recall lime, flowers and ripe pears, all underscored by definitive mineral accents.

Grotta del Sole 2009 Campi Flegrei Falanghina: Translated as "the Burning Fields," the Campi Flegrei is a wine-growing area that lies west of Naples.  An ancient Neopolitan grape, Falanghina produces characterful dry white wines in this volcanic area.  Sweet almond notes mesh with floral and apple notes in this vibrant, roundly-textured wine from Grotta del Sole.

Mas de Libian 2010 Vin de Petanque de Libian: Made from 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, this spicy, medium-bodied red from southern France offers pepper and violet aromas as well as riper berried notes.

Luzon 2009 Jumilla Tinto:  Based on Monastrell but with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this bold-flavored, full-bodied red wine from southeastern Spain has jammy blackberry flavors as well as hints of pepper and licorice.

Domaine Guindon 2009 Coteaux d'Ancenis Malvoisie: This off-dry yet impeccably balanced white wine, made from Malvoisie (aka Pinot Gris) hails from the western part of the Loire Valley in central France.  Peach, pear, citrus peel and honeydew melon come to mind in tasting this demi-sec wine.

(Sara's notes)  

Howdy Cheese Peeps!

I've got to confess that my love affair with water buffalo milk

cheeses has gotten completely out of hand.  First it was the fresh Mozzarella, then the washed rind Quadrello, and now, well, with the arrival of the bloomy rind Casatica, the aged Moringhello and the Blu???  It's all over for me.  Not to be pessimistic, but I just don't think there is any hope left for me to pull out of my swooning, love spiral for these utterly fantastic, magical creations.  I better just face the facts and come right out and say it...

(photo credit sara adduci) 

...My name is Sara and I am a bufala-holic. 

And I know exactly who is to blame for my addiction, it is the brothers Gritti from Quattro Portoni in Bergamo, that's who.  If Alfio and Bruno hadn't sold all their dairy cows for a herd of water buffalo about 8 years ago and started making all of these cheeses, I'd be fine right now, never the wiser.  But now that I know that these cheeses are out there, I can hear them calling my name with siren-like sweetness, tempting me with their complexity and twangy-rich creaminess.  I'm just powerless.  Thrilled, of course, that I can finally get my hands on these Northern Italian delights, but whoa, now I want to get my OWN water buffalo just so that I can be closer to the source of all this alchemy. Like I said, this love affair has gotten WAY out of hand.

Anyways, I sure hope to see you soon!  Better hurry though, because this guy just got my email and is also headed this way; I've heard his addiction is even worse than mine is...

course one (choose one)  smoked duck terrine with spring onions & dried apricots, dressed frisée with hazelnuts & mustard seed

salad of spring vegetables & greens, Caromont Farm fromage blanc, pine nuts & meyer lemon dressing

prosciutto-encrusted arancini stuffed with  

sweet pea-marjoram sauce

course two (choose two)  lamb shoulder, CityGarden fava beans, pecorino Toscano &  

fresh mint

house-made seafood sausage, green apple-ginger buerre blanc,  

crisp pea shoots & agretti

asparagus fritter, roasted morel mushrooms with fresh thyme, pickled spring garlic
 
pasta alla chitarra, sautéed ramps, Olli Salumeria speck,  

aleppo pepper

Spanish mackerel tartare with fresh ginger, cilantro,  

preserved meyer lemon & nasturtium

sformato with aged gruyere and Japanese spinach, sorrel sauce

course three (choose one)
strawberry & cracked black pepper macaroons

pistachio gelato with lavender-plum cake