I just got back from VinItaly, the week-long wine trade show held in Verona every year. To be honest, it would be nicer if it were held later in the year, because most of the young wines (1998 whites and light zesty reds such as Dolcetto or unoaked Barbera) have just been bottled and are still recovering from the shock (very closed, with minimal bouquets and tannins and fruit out of whack), while most of the more important wines that have aged longer, such as Barbaresco, Barolo, Chianti Classico Riserva, Amarone, and so on, simply need more time. Even another month would make a big difference, but tradition dictates the show be held in April. In any case, even though I felt as if I were trying to decide what a room full of toddlers will turn out to be as adults, I did come to the conclusion that the wines are going to be excellent, especially the 97 and 98 vintages (including the more important ones still aging in cask and barrel, which will be released next year and in 2001). If you like wine this is a good time to begin stocking your cellar with Italians.

Wine Fests

While at Vinitaly I stopped by the stand of Cittá Del Vino, an organization devoted to wine tourism, and picked up their calendar of events for this year. They're in the process of rebuilding their site and the information should eventually appear there (at http://www.cittadelvino.it), but for the meantime here is what caught my eye:

April

April 24-5 at Agliano Terme (Asti), the Giornate della Barbera

April 24-May 2 at Alba, Vinum -- the regional winefest.

April 30-May 10, at Asti, the Fiera di Asti

April 30-May 2 at Magliano in Toscana, the Sagra dell'acquacotta e del baccalà (a peasant soup and salt cod)

May

Throughout the month, Noto (Syracuse) celebrates the primacera infiorata, spring in bloom

May 1-15 at Bolzano, Mostra Assaggio dei Vini, a wine show

Throughout the month, Gattinara holds tastings of the Nebbiolo of northern Piemonte

May 2, at Suvereto (Livorno), a tasting of biologically produced (i.e. green) wines

May 7-10 at Corno di Rosazzo (Udine), Fiera dei Vini dei Colli Orientali del Friuli -- the wines of Eastern Friuli, which are superb

May 11 at Marsala (Trapani), Garlibaldi celebration, with local specialties

May 16 at Nizza Monferrato (Asti) The berral race

May 16 at Soave (Verona) Medieval white wine festival

May 20-23 at Pontassieve (Florence), the Toscanello d'Oro wine show dedicated to Chianti Rufina, Pomino and Colli Fiorentini

May 21-23 at Bardolino (Verona), Bardolino Classico Chiaretto DOC festival

May 23 at Cortona (Arezzo), the Giostra dell'Archidado (not sure what it is but sounds interesting)

May 28-June 6, at Siena, the 33rd annual Wine Week

May 28-31 at Polpenazze del Garda (Brescia), the DOC wines of Garda festival (yet another reason to visit a beautiful area)

May 30, throughout Italy: Cantine Aperte, wineries will open their cellars to visitors. Something to take advantage of if you've never been to a winery.

May 30-June 6 at Montespertoli (Florence) 42nd annual Chianti show

June

June 4-6 at Santo Stefano Belbo (Asti), the annual Moscato show

June 4-6 and 11-13 at Faedis (Udine), the wine and strawberry show

June 4-6 at Monteveglio (Bologna) the Festa dell'Abbazia, with tastings of Bologna's DOC wines

June 6 at Brindisi, Il Cavallo Parato -- not sure what it is but it sounds interesting

June 6 at Verduno (Cuneo), fleamarket and tastings of Verduno Pelaverga

June 15-September 15 at Santarcangelo di Romagna (Forli), the strada del Sangiovese -- the Sangiovese wine route

June 21 at Gradara (Pesaro) 18th annual wine show, and 8th annual olive oil show

June 25 at Castiglion del Lago (Perugia), Trasimeno wine show

June 27-July 4 at Sizzano (Novara) Sizzano DOC show

June 27 at Portomagno (Asti) the Grignolino festival

June 29 at Pantelleria (Trapani) Regata

July

Throughout the month at Castelldaccia (Palermo) Shows and activities

Throughout the month at Cerreto Guidi (Florence) wine show

July 2 at Siena, the Palio

July 2-4 at Cividale del Friuli (Udine) Ci Vin Tas, a show of Friuli's DOC wines

July 2-4 at San Floriano dei Colli (Gorizia) the 29th annual Slovenian folk song festival

July 3 at Desenzano del Garda (Brescia) the fish festival

July 3-11 at Montecarotto (Ancona) the Annual show of Marche wines (including Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Rosso Conero)

July 7-11 at Cembra (Trento) the 12th annual Muller Thurgau show

July 9-11 at Manzano (Udine) the 49th annual Piarcjolade (wine & peach festival)

July 15-19 at Canneto pavese (Pavia) the 20th annual wine show

July 18-26 at Monteu Roero (Cuneo) the 13th annual Roero Arneis Festival

July 24-5 at Pesaro the Basil festival

July 25 at Canale (Cuneo) the peach festival

August

Throughout the month at Alcamo (Trapani) Alcamo DOC festival

August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 at Furore (Salerno) Baccanalia in the moonlight (!)

August 1-2 at Manduria (Taranto) the Manduria Primitivo DOC festival

August 4-8 at Castiglione in Teverina the 15th annual Colli del Tevere wine festival

August 4-7 at Staffolo (Ancona) the 33rd annual Verdicchio festival

August 6-8 at Castel Viscardo (Trento) in search of the lost dish, redicovering culinary heritage

August 10 Città del Vino organizes "Goblets of stars" (contact them through the website for further information)

August 13-15 at Corciano (Perugia) living history

August 13-16 at Celle Enomondo (Asti) the Barbera Festival

August 13-25 at Torgiano (Perugia) the Vianrelli show

August 15 at Randazzo (Catania) the Vara Dell'Assunta (A pageant commemorating the Virgin)

August 16-September 1 at Petruro Irpino (Avellino) the Sagra del Fusillo (a type of pasta)

August 16 at Siena, the Palio

August 21-29 at Matelica (Macerata) Matelica Civitas Romana

August 21-29 at Montepulciano (Siena) A week of happenings (culminates with a barrel race through town on the 29th)

August 29 at La Morra (Cuneo) mangialonga, a food fest throughout town

September

September 3-12 at Valdobbiadene (Treviso) the annual sparkling wine show

September 4-5 at Santo Stefano Belbo (Cuneo) the Moscato D'Asti festival

September 6-13 at Tufo (Avellino) the Greco di Tufo DOC festival

September 10-12 at Asti, the Douja d'or -- a very prestigious wine show

September 10-12 in Greve in Chianti, the Annual Chianti Classico show

September 10-12 at Monteu Roero, the 28th annual wine and chestnut festival

September 11-12 at Cherasco (Cuneo) the annual snail festival, with tasings and meetings

September 11-13 at Sommacampagna and Custoza (Verona) the Bianco di Custoza DOC festival

September 12-26 at Dogliani (Cuneo) the Dolcetto di Dogliani Sagra

September 16 at Castelnuovo Berardenga (Siena) the grape festival

September 17-19 at Greve in Chianti and Panzano in Chianti (Florence), Vino al Vino, a wine festival

September 18-20 at Barile (Potenza) the Aglianico festival

September 18-19 at Sorbara (Modena) the Lambrusco di Sorbara festival

September 19-26 at Chiusi (Siena) the wine and grape festival

September 23-26 at Rufina (Florence) the 14th annual Bacco Artigiano festival

September 27-October 2 at Asti, Astifest (all sorts of things I expect)

October

October 1-3 at Bardolino (Verona) the 70th annual Bardolino Classico DOC festival

October 3 at Alba, the palio degli asini (a mule race)

October 9-11 and subsequent weekends until the 24th at Alba, the white truffle festival

October 14-17 at Marsala (Trapani) Vinoro, an international show

October 15-17 at Orvieto (Trani) A gastronomic festival

October 16-24 at Carmignano (Prato) the new wine festival

October 29-31 at Frascati (Rome) the Vino Frascati DOC festival

November

November 13-21 at Imola (Bologna) the annual Sangiovese show

November 14 at Caneli (Asti) the regional truffle festival

November 14 at Montespertoli (Florence) the 2nd annual Vinsanto festival

November 25 at Torgiano (Perugia) the Banco dei Vini, an important national show

November 28-December 8 at Suvereto (Livorno) the annual wild boar festival

December

Nothing too exciting going on.

A printer-friendly version of this information.

Torta della Nonna

Winding down, Chrissy asked for a recipe for Torta della Nonna, which translates as Grandma's Cake. Leonardo Romanelli has recently published a collection of recipes from Tuscan inns and restaurants for the Slow Food Series, and says: "In the dreary Florentine pastry scene, torta della nonna is one of the few consistent highlights. It's difficult to find it made with ricotta in bakeries, because of ricotta doesn't keep so well; more common is the version made with chocolate cream that goes by the distinctly unimaginative name of torta del nonno." (Grandpa's Cake).

To make Nonna's variety you'll need:

• For the crust:
• 5 cups (500 g) unbleached all purpose flour
• 4 or 5 egg yolks
• The grated zest of an orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups (200 g) powdered sugar -- the kind without cornstarch in it
• A pinch of salt
• For the filling:
• 12 ounces (300 g) fresh ricotta
• 4 yolks
• 1 pint (500 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (60 g) flour
• 4/5 cup (180 g) sugar
• To decorate it:
• An egg yolk
• A handful of peeled blanched almonds or pine nuts
• Confectioner's sugar

Prepare the dough by mixing the ingredients gently, without handling them over much (a pastry blender will make things easier), and chill the dough for an hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, lightly whisk the yolks and the sugar, then sift in the flour, mixing carefully to keep lumps from forming, and then add the milk in a thin stream, again stirring gently. Once the mixture is smooth, gently heat it, while stirring carefully, until it begins to thicken. Once it reaches a very slow boil, count to 120 while stirring gently and it is done; transfer it to a bowl because it will cream to cook in the pot, and let it cool thoroughly. Mix the ricotta into it.

Preheat your oven to 370 F (180 C).

Roll out the dough and use half of it to line a crostata pan (a low-sided 10-inch pan). Pour the ricotta mixture into the middle of the pan, forming a mound, and cover it with the remaining half of the dough, tamping the edges down firmly to seal them.

Whisk the remaining egg yolk, brush it over the top of the torta, and scatter the nuts over it. Bake the torta for an hour, let it cool, dust it with confectioner's sugar, and serve.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

Thanks for visiting, and have a wonderful day!
Kyle Phillips

Back to the Cosa Bolle Index.
If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter (it's free), visit this page
Back to the General Recipe Index