Dinner Party

Last monday, at the end of my baking techniques class (Monday 9AM to 1130) the head instructor Andrea asked for volunteers to help with a dinner that night. Scott and I volunteered and we were asked to come in at 3 with our chef gear on. We got there a little early and were put right to work. My school had just opened a restaurant called Ganzo (means cool in italian) near Santa Croce which was staffed by student volunteers and had food cooked by students from the masters class. The affiliated art school (FUA where Brittany went last semester) helped design many parts of the restaurant and menu layout. Anyway due to the restaurant being open almost everyone was always halfway across town so they were short handed for a dinner they were putting on at the school for about 50 english doctors and scientists and their families. As soon as we got there we began prep work. I cut up quail eggs, atichoke and asparagus in assorted shapes and sizes. After the chopping was done I made a fondue out of 600 ml of milk which i brought to a weak boil and then took off heat. I stirred in a large bag of parmesian and put on heat for about 30 seconds, after which i periodically added milk out of the 1000 ml carton while the pot was off heat until all the milk was added. When the consistency was right I added salt and a little nutmeg. After the fondue I was put to work creating the appertivo. First I used a pastry bag to spread a salmon mousse onto crostini and then put canals of caviar (canal is a technique using two spoons to put thick sauce or puree on a plate in an attractive way) topped with a sprig og green and they were done. I also cut up pecorino and arranged it on a plate with walnut and honey.We spent about an hour putting together all kinds of appertivo. After the antipasti were finished we began to prep the main courses. We made gorgonzola gnocchi, toasted the artichoke risotto and seared beef with rosemary and olive oil . Andrea was skilled with molecular cooking so we mixed olive oil with a powder that was odorless and tasteless and made the olive oil a solid. It was placed inside ravioli and had a excellent taste. For pasrt of the dessert they made a foam out of espresso and baked a special kind of sugar in silk sheets that created an amazing crystal, glass effect that looked like ice sculptures. At about 5 we all ate a meal of pasta with ragu and red wine. Once guests arrived we started cooking! We finished the risotto and cooked the ravioli, which we plated with lightly sauteed radicchio and the fondue. We cooked the gnocchi with a tomato confit (lightly cooked) and plated it with basil and other herbs that we had fried previously. The sauce was a saffron olive oil. We also had a broccoli quiche that was excellent. It was fun actually cooking and plating food for real people instead of for ourselves or teachers. Second course we finished the beef which we plated with a blueberry sauce and an edible flower in applesauce. For desert there was a tomato sorbet to cleanse the palate and then tiramusu with the sugar crystals and coffee foam. After the night was over we had spumante and relaxed. It was alot of fun and a little taste of what working in a restaurant could be like.

Up until 24-1-08.

 

Having trouble loading pics....... So much to show you. Hopefully a better connection in Italy.

After Ellis

Okay so back to Monday. After leaving Ellis Island Scott and I walked around Battery park for a while, watching street performers and enjoying the sun. We walked North up through wall street and saw the famous big bull of Wall street. We kept walking for a while and headed up to the WTC site. In the day light it was very different, you could watch the work being done through tears in the fence covers that went all the way around ground zero. There was one observation area that I found where you could get a decent view and ever tho I had seen it before the size of the devastated area was awe inspiring. We headed up towards Rockafeller Plaza to try and get into the Conan O'brien show, passing through broadway and by radio city music hall. There were some great shows like: Blue Man Group, Young Frankenstein, Lion King, Chicago, Mary Poppins, Grease and others. Maybe one day I'll come back at see one but right now I'm too poor. So we made it to NBC studios which is a large, black building right next to where they film the Today show. We walked in and it looked like the inside of a 5 star hotel only with posters of NBC shows, past and present, everywhere. We went up to the Conan area only to be told that there were no more extra seats. We then headed off to Central park so I could see Balto. Central park is massive! Its a very nice park also, even in "winter". Statues and nice landscaping were the theme. It was also very open and seemed like it would be alot of fun in the summer. There were horse carriages and bike pulled carts everywhere, but we stuck to walking. The park was so big we missed Balto a few times but finally found him. The NY Balto is jacked! Compared to the Anchorage Balto this dog was definitely on the juice. Leaving Balto behind we took the Subway back to Atsoria, Queens to meet Mario. Tuesday we didnt do to much, mostly just hung out in Queens and then checked out the nightlife. Queens is very very international and a fun place to go. Wednesday we helped marios Grandfather empty out an apartment in one of his buidings that he was renovating. After that we headed into the City to meet Elle, one of our friends from Florence. Elle was leaving to do volunteer work in Africa on Friday so we wanted to hangout with her before she left. We had a mix-up and didnt get to meet up with her that night so we just walked from Washington Sq. Park through the East and West villages. Those are pretty unique areas, known for being counter-culture, non mainstream areas. Filled with shops and restaurants and interesting looking people it was a fun area to walk through. We then went down Mulberry St. into Little Italy (according to Mario its not the authentic one) and I was abe to use my Italian to talk to some lady who was outside a restaurant trying to get people to eat inside. We decided to try it and it was alright, nothing special. Little Italy had a surprising number of Asian owned shops and was only a few blocks in size. We continued down through a little bit of China town and walked for a while before taking the subway home. One thing I've loved doing is walking around Manhattan because every 3 blocks it really is a different place. So many different ethnic areas, shopping areas, surreal areas like Times Sq. and pretty much everything you can imagine. Thursday we hooked up with Elle at her Washington Sq. Park apartment and started walking. We took the subway up into Times Sq to get a bite to eat at ESPN Zone, which is a sportsfans palace. The main eating floor was facing a wall with two huge screens and about 20 others, all with different sporting events on. It was alot to take in. I was very happy to see about 8 basketball games one at one time. There also was a screen at out table that was touch operated and allowed you to bring up any of the 20+ games that were on the wall. The food was very good also and they had a great selection of beers on tap. I got a gorgonzola cheeseburger that was decent. (by the way we went out last Saturday to a gentlemans club and had a couple or a few drinks and one more thing I've learned in NY is that 30 whitecastle burgers between a couple guys does not feel good in the morning) After eating we walked around the always crazy Times Sq and started walking downtown. We spent about an hour walking around NY before taking another subway to a stop near her house. One thing about NY is that it's a very clean and safe feeling city. The subways actually feel cleaner than many in europe (at least italy). I also have a safer feeling than in many other American cities I have been in. It might be because of the 100,000 NYPD officers there are but it's definitely different than I expected. All the New Yorkers explain that it was Guiliani's work that made it this way. After we got off the subway we walked to the hollywood diner for milkshakes. We hung out there for a while, talking about Italy and remembering some of the things we did. After we walked her to her apartment we had some fun wrestling in the streets before the mood was dampened by the realization that Marios jeep wasnt where he left it..... After some phone calls we discovered that it had been towed- about 40+ blocks away.(near the meat packing district This was at about 2AM but we decided to walk. As we walked through the different neighborhood we saw all the clubbers coming out all dressed up and jumping into their sportscars and limos. It was a pretty nice walk, still pretty warm and the streets for the most part were pretty empty. We made it to the tow lot at about 3:30AM and it took about 45 minutes for them to process his car out of the lot. Next update- Coney Island and last night.

Catching up

Just like the comments the posts have been slow coming also! I've done so much in the last 6 days I hope I can remember everything. Time here goes by much slower than when Im in Italy. I think its because in Italy I'm aware of the fact that my days there are numbered and the days are slipping away like time in an hourglass. New York is amazing but living in Italy is like a dream that you dont wake up from. So even tho I'm busy all day here and doing tons of things time doesn't fly. So where did I leave off? day before Christmas? Christmas eve dinner was done in a traditional Italian way with no meat dishes, only fish. I was asked to cook the brown sugar salmon recipe that I made in Italy. There was also lobster, shrimp in a cream sauce, fried calamari, bacala ( a kind of white fish), pasta with clams, pasta with anchovies, things like hummus and other dips, bread and other sides. There was so much food! After dinner came out plate after plate of desserts served with espresso. After playing chess with Marios little brother I went upstairs to take a nap and although I had planned to go back downstairs The food kept me asleep until morning. Christmas morning after coffee me mario, his two sisters, his brother and his mother gathered near the christmas tree. Although I had said they really didnt need to get me anything these people are too generous not to. His aunts family and his both got me gift cards. After they opened their presents we went and watched a movie for a while and just relaxed. A while after noon we started getting ready for the Christmas dinner which would be at Zia's house (italian for aunt) and once again would include the whole family. While waiting for everyone to arrive we ate finger food that consisted of excellent Italian cheeses and meats, chips and homemade dip, the bacon that was cooked on the roast and other goodies. Remembering that I had said I used to bartend they put me to work making them their pomegranate martinis. Glad to help in anyway I could I made the best martinis possible. When every one arrived (grandma and grandpa, uncle and cousins) we all sat down and started eating. Once again their was great food and wine. Mario had brought back some homemade wine from his relatives in Italy and they also had store bought Italian wines to go with dinner. There was roasted garlic (a whole clove cut in half and baked with cheese and bread crumbs on top) scalloped potatoes, veggies, fresh bread and an excellent roast rubbed with rosemary and stuffed with panchetta. Basically I had two nights of excellent food and good company. Another good thing was that I was able to talk to everyone in my family on the phone. I think it was easier to be away from home than it normally would be because my parents have been divorced for a long time so I've always been apart from part of my family on Christmas. After christmas dinner we had some drinks and hung out for a while. The next day (still feeling full) Mario, his cousin and I headed into the city to go to the gym he used to work at and burn some Christmas food off. That was my first day taking the subway (im a pro now). From Steinway st. in Astoria, Queens we rode the subway to a stop right next to sity hall. City hall was beautiful with fountains and antique street lights. We met up with Marios workout partner and discovered that his branch of the club was closed. We made our way to the next branch (located off wall street), passing by the NY stock exchange building. The building was huge with columns decorated with lights to look like the american flag. The gym was very cool, with huge windows and great equipment. We were there for a couple hours and I got to work out, hit the speed bag and take a nice steam sauna. After the gym we headed to battery park area of Manhattan to visit one of Mario's friends, Samir. Samir lives about one block up from the World Trade center site and it was crazy to see the actual size. Everything in New York is different than I expected it becaue I've seen enough on TV to have expectations but generally all my expectations have been wrong. The size of things is what has been incorrect the most. I always visualize things being bigger or smaller than they are. The World Trade Center ground zero was definitely much larger than I expected. There were construction crews going 24/7 but it still looked like they hadn't even removed all the rubble yet. There were two HUGE holes where the towers used to be. It was very surreal when I actually started thinking about what happened and what it would be like to be there. After hanging out at the apartment for a while we headed back to queens on the subway which is very easy to use and not as grimy as I thought it would be. The next day we hung around the house for a while before deciding to take on Brooklyn. Although Queens and Brooklyn are connected we went through the city (what they call Manhattan) and over the Brooklyn Bridge. Every time I go over a bridge into the city it is awesome (especially at night) but it can never compare to the first time, which felt like I was driving into a movie. The first time was amazing and crazy and like nothing else Ive ever experienced. Anyway Mario, Gianni (his lil Bro) and I went over the bridge into Brooklyn and made our first stop, the pizza place that I posted pictures of previously. With multiple recommendations as the best pizza place in NY I had high expectations. Called "grimaldi's" (http://pizzatoday.com/features_articles.shtml?article=ODkyc3VwZXI4ODlzZWNyZXQ4OTY=) it was under the brooklyn bridge and apparently other people had heard good things because there was a line. While they waited in line I walked around and took pictures. Once inside the packed restaurant my eyes were drawn to a massive (http://www.grimaldis.com/) coal heated oven. The smell inside was the kind of aroma that makes a hungry man hungrier and a full person realize they have a little room left. We squeezed into a corner and ordered a sausage, red pepper pizza and a carafe of wine. Its alot harder drinking wine with every meal here in the US because wine is so much more expensive than in Italy. The pizza was excellent with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes imported from Italy. Easily some of the best pizza I've ever had. After Grimaldi's we headed out for another culinary landmark: Juniors. World famous for it's cheesecake and deserts it was located in the heart of Brooklyn. We got out and walked our way to the restaurant, which looked like a classic diner (although very large) from the outside. (http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/)The inside was decorated with signed pictures and memorabilia from famous people, New Yorkers and otherwise. I ordered a cheese cake and a glass of milk and while I was waiting used the restroom, which for some reason had a bathroom attendant. The cheese cake was so good! Milk was a good choice too. Very smooth and rich it had excellent flavor. We drove around for a while before heading back to Queens. The next day we headed out to JFK to pick up Scott, who was flying in from Germany. After we picked him up there we had perfect timing. Right after we walked out of the airport two cabbies got into a screaming match which included very graphic death threats. Scott just put his head down and walked by very quickly. Welcome to New York. Although Ive felt completely safe since Ive got here it was the stereotypical NY scene and we had fun teasing him with made up stories about what he was in for. The next day we headed into the city with Marios whole family. We walked around times square (which will never be normal) and his mom took us all out to dinner at a tuscan themed restaurant. It was very good and we ordered in Italian. The food was tasty and was authentic. After we ate we headed to check out the tree at rockafellar center and then some stores. There was a mass of people out due to the holiday weekend. We stopped to watch a huge building that was covered in lighted stars that turned on and off in time to christmas music that played out of speakers. We also checked out Grand Central Station, which was beautiful and the nicest station Ive ever seen. We separated from most of his family and headed out to see the night life in the east village, which was pretty fun. The next day Scott, Megan (one of my friends from AK who goes to school in the area) went to the Natural history museum, which was very cool. The building itself was incredible and huge. It was stuffed full of all kinds of things that would take days to take in. We got to watch an Imax movie about dinosaurs also. After the museum we walked along central park for about 20 blocks, seeing trump tower (I dont have any pictures from this day because before I left the house I though it would be nice to have a day where I could just enjoy things and not have to worry about taking pictures. I wont do that again) and lots of other landmarks. Central park was enormous. We took a subway to Times square and we took turns picking stores to look in. There was actually a 4 story store solely for M&M's. Crazy. My favorite was the 4 level massive Virgin Mega store. It had massive floors full of every movie, cd, book that you could think of from around the world. We tried to eat at restaurants like the Hard rock Cafe and ESPN zone and a few others but each had waiting times of about 90 minutes each. I led us to a little Japanese restaurant that I had seen a couple times and we had a very nice meal. Bento boxes all around with Sapporo and tempura. After that we walked around some more before heading back to the subway where we found some real NY flavor. A very charismatic man call "the pots and pans man" was playing drums on pots, pans, buckets and other objects and sounded gread doing it. After watching him for a while we moved towards our train before being stopped, this time by the sight of a group of young kids doing break dancing. They were very talented and funny and put on a great show. Both performers incited random people to start dancing all around and in general made the subway a fun place. We met Mario back in Astoria, Queens and he took us to his favorite Hookah bar. He told us that hookah bars were typically non alchoholic places that people go to socialize and relax. It smelled great when we walked in. We ordered two flavors of tobacco and middle eastern drinks. The hookahs were water cooled and very smooth. We had peach and tobacco out of two, over 4 foot tall, hookahs. After we met up with one of Marios sisters at a little bar/ cafe and had a drink. The next day (New Years Eve) We headed into the city around 6pm. There was definitely a different vibe in the air. Everyone was happy and excited and there was an electric feeling going around. And it was only 6! We got to Times Square around 7 and all the way around and a couple block from Times square there was a ring of police and barricades. They kept saying there was a way into Times square a couple blocks down but after following their advice a few times it became apparent that it was just a clever play to keep large groups of people from piling up at one place. Each street had a row of 20 officers flanked by police cars in v formation and police in riot gear with M-16s. They were serious. At one point a long line of about 35 mounted police trotted past. Once again NY made me feel like I was in a movie.We were able to sneak past a couple barricades and were about 20 feet from the festivities. We were right in front of Miles Cyrus (one of the musical groups playing that night) and the sight of over a million people was crazy. We stopped for some pizza and decided to head downtown and return to Times Square later. We took the subway to Chinatown and purchased a relaxing beverage, which we enjoyed while walking through Chinatown (where I purchased some early release movies) and little Italy. There were people all over the streets laughing and celebrating. Very fun just walking around. We walked up to soho and through east and west village, where we were when it turned midnight. Happy new Years everyone! Mario picked us up the next day and we headed over to his aunts house for a family New Years dinner. Once again there was excellent food and good company. After dinner we headed back into the city to meet up with a girl that we went to school with in Florence that was staying with a friend for the night. We hung out at her apartment for a while. She had an amazing apartment in battery part that had a great view of the Statue of Liberty. After catching up there we headed out to a little pub frequented (according to Mario who went to school in the area) by college kids. We had some great food there, simple (fried chicken and irish fries) but very good. We dropped our friend off and headed back to Queens. The 2nd (yesterday) was just a lazy catch up day for us. After the holiday season and about 2 weeks of sight seeing I enjoyed a relaxing day. We walked to the neighborhood grocery store and got some groceries to cook with and that was about it for activity that day. This morning we woke up early and picked up Mario's Grandma before heading to the Bronx. Mario told us how the real little Italy is located in the Bronx (not manhattan) and that its a lot more authentic than the one in downtown Manhattan. Marios Nonna (grandma) used to live there and told us how it used to be over 10 square blocks but now has shrunk to only a few. We went to a bakery that had excellent bread then a market that was similar in content if not size to Florence's central market. We followed that up with a stop in a homemade cheese store and a fresh Italian coffee store. After we finished shopping we went to Yankee stadium and walked around there for a while. The Yankee stadium was cool to see, especially because they are building a new one and are about to tear down the old one. There! Its good to catch up. I brushed over a few things so feel free to ask questions.

Closer to the city.

Today I woke up about 6 AM. It must be the time change becuase I couldnt go back to sleep. I was scheduled to go with Marios aunt, Antoinette, to shop with her and Mario's nonna (gma). She arrived with bagels, muffins and coffee and me her and Rosa, Marios mom, had breakfast. We set off for Astoria, Queens to pick up her mother. Her mom was a nice old lady with a playful smile. We went to a store called BJ's which is like Sams club to pick up bulk stuff for their Christmas eve dinner and then went to a organic fresh foods market called raspberrys that had lots of Italian goods. We also stopped in a deli called Sorriso (smile in Italian) that made me feel like I was back in Italy. It was full of meats and cheese and Italian goods. Antoinette has been going there for over 15 years so she knew what was good and they recommended new things to her. After we dropped off her mother Antoinette took me out to lunch at a bakery that served panino's and was in Astoria. After lunch she took me to Long Island City so I could take pictures of Manhattan.

Italian Wine 1st semester.

Here are the notes from our final review tuesday. A summary of what we've learned.

Italian wine is classified in a pyramid system. At the top is DOCG (denomination Origin Control Guaranteed) with the most regulations and limit in production. DOCG came into practice in 1979. DOC (Denomination Origin Control) is next and was started in 1963. Third is IGT with the fewer regulations and was created in 1992. At the bottom (but not bad wine) is vino di tavola, or table wine. Italian wine was not regulated until the 60's and was not considered to be of high quality.

Wine appreciation.
Visual. By looking at a glass of wine you can tell color, limpidity, fluidity (alchohol level) and if sparkling effervesence. Color can tell you climate the grapes were grown in, age, grape variety and vinification techniques.

Olfactory. Intensity in the smell is a measure of quantity persistence is a measure of quality. Swirl, sniff then strong sniff. Taste the wine with your nose. There are aromas. 1st is grape variety 2nd fermentation process 3rd tertiary aromas which are the flavors (flour, fruit etc...)

Gustative.
Tasting stages: Attack, middle palate, finish. Finish is the aftertaste. First attack is the first 5 seconds. Middle palate is the next 10 seconds. Finish is the aftertaste. Sence of taste: bitterness on the back of tongue acidic on sides sweet on front of tongue salty behind sweet. Kinds of acid in wines: tartaric:hardness, malic:sour apples, citric:sharp lemony, lactic:milky tartness, succinic: salty bitterness, acetic:acidic.

Sence of touch when tasting.
Texture:from sharp to smooth, soft, well rounded
Astringency: Tannins from red, acidity from whites
Temperature: Temperature and ethyl alchohol
Body: Sense of weight and structure of wine
Prinkle: In sparkling wines

Vinification: How wine is made.

Quality of wine comes mostly from the quality of the grapes used. Quality of the grape comes from their variety, weather, soil and time of harvest. The combination of these factors is called terroir.
Wine is an alchoholic grape juice. Sugars + yeast = alchohol and carbondioxide. The sugars and yeast are in the grapes. Yeast is in skin of the grapes.

During primary fermentation yeasts feed on sugars in the must ( crushed grape mix) and multiply producing carbon dioxide and alchohol.
The temperature during fermentation efects the taste of the wine and speed of fermentation.
For every gram of sugar converted about 1/2 gram of alchohol is produced. To produce 12% alchohol wine the must should be 24% sugar.

Harvesting.

First step in wine production. Done mechanically or by hand. Harvest time decided by level of sugars and tannins, acidity and weather.

1st fermentation.
Red wines.

Must is transfered to containers to ferment. Temperatures reach as high as 86* F. Skins are left in contact with juice (that part is called maceration). This process extracts from the skins the polyphenols that give the wine its color and assure its longevity in addition to providing the aromatic substances that make the boquet. The wine is de-vatted and separated from the pressings. It is drawn off into tanks where a second fermentation takes place. This second fermentation is called malo-lactic fermentation and aggressive malic acid is turned into softer lactic acid. To secure a limpid beverage the wine is raked numerous times in the next few months. Some wines are aged in barriques (a type of oak barrel) which adds flavor.

White wines.

White or red grapes are processed with a quick crushing and transfered to the press to avoid contact with the skins (where the color comes from) Temperature is lower in fermentation than with reds. Only one fermentation takes place.

Rose` wines.

The dark skins are left in contact with the juice just long enough to extract the colors that the winemakes desires. The must is then pressed and fermentation continues as in white wine.

Misc info.
Containers can be stainless steel, large wooden containers or small wooden barrels. The small wooden barrels hold about 60 gallons and are always handmade. Flavors from containers are: stainless steel makes a light to medium weight wine. Clean , fresh, crisp style. Aromatic fruit flavors.
Small wooden barrells: Usually fuller, richer style. More rounded, complex, multi dimentional.

Sparkling wines

Two main methods: Champenoise method and Charmat methos.

Champenoise/ Metodo classico
Assembling: Grapes ( not too ripe to retain high acidity ) go for the alchoholic fermentation and are blended in an individual cuvee` which may include different vintages.
Tirage: The basic wine is bottled (with a metal cap) and the liquer di tirage is added (cane sugar and yeasts)

Refermation: The yeasts transform the sugar into 1 or 2 degrees of alchohol as carbon dioxide builds up to a pressure of 5-6 atmospheres

Aging on the lees: Now the wine has to age on the lees for about 2 years. The absence of oxygen consumed in the refermentation lets the wine develope a natural stability.

Riddling: once the aging is completed the spend yeast must be removed. The bottles are placed face down at 45* in some A frames known as pupitres then agitated and twisted for a few weeks, gradually declined in the A frames until the deposit rests against the cap of the bottles.

Removing the sediment: Degorgement. In the past done by hand, the neck of the bottle is dipped in a chilled solution, freezing the deposit. Set up with the cap off the gas in the bottle expells the frozen deposit.

Topping up: Now the bottle must be topped immediately with a cork. The champenoise spumante recieves a dosage (liquer di expedition) Different dosages, different classifications.
Production takes about 20 months.

Charmat method.

Same as other method except stored in stainless steel containers and unwanted material taken out with a filter. Takes about 4-5 months to produce.

REGIONS


Northern Italy

Four areas: Valle d Aesta, Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria.
Because of different topography each area produces different wine.
General characteristics: Reds: North West: Great, important, complex, long aged wines. Brilliant red colors. Elegant and very persistent wines.
Whites:North East: Highly acidic, fresh and crispy flavors. Pale in color, fruity in flavor.

Piedmont: Produces many of the most important Italian red wines. Typical grapes are: Red: Nebbiolo grape which makes Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco (makes many more but those are 2 of the best). Region also makes a great white moscato.

Lombardy: Typical grape: Red: Nebbiolo which makes Valtellino DOC. White: Chardonnay and Pino. (Also makes Francia Corta DOCG sparkling wines.

North Easter region of The Northern area is known as Tre Venetzia. Typical grape variety: Friuli Giulia, Trentino alto adige.

TUSCAN DOCG wines
Greatest percentage of DOCG wines come from Tuscany (where I am!)

Reds(some, all DOCG): Chianti, Chianti Classico, Nobile di Motepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano.
Only one white DOCG in Tuscany: Vernaccia Di S. Gimignano.

Grape Variety: Sangiovese (Ive actually gotten to eat these off the vine a few times and they are great) is the main grape. Others used are: caniolo, colorino and international grapes such as cab sav, merlot. Wines in this region must be made with at least 75% Sangiovese.

New Vineyard must wait 4 years after planting to begin production.

Southern Italy

Regions: Compagnia, Apulia, Basilicate, Calabria.

Climate: Some areas very hot.

Characteristics: Reds: Great intensity, fruity, concentrated, rustic, less elegant style, dip in color, high alchohol.
Whites: Great intensity, good, not so high acidity, usually golden yellow, high alchohol.
Stand out wines: Tavarsi DOCG, Castel del Monte DOC.
Usual grape: Aglianico.


ITALIAN ISLANDS

Sardinia's best wine: Vermentino di Gallura (one of only 4 Italian DOCG white wines)

Red grapes: Connonao, Carigiano, Nebbiolo
White grapes: vermentino, moscato.

Sicily: Great production, great quality. Creates many desert wines: Marsala, moscato and passito which is made with Nebbiolo grape.

Red grapes: Nero d'avola, cerasuolo, internationals.
White grapes: Moscato, marsala, inzolia, alcano.

Here is a review of italian wines I found at:http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.edining.ca/pictures/Chianti%2520Classico.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.edining.ca/viewarticle.asp%3FID%3D262&h=300&w=300&sz=48&hl=en&start=15&sig2=kG5XbtWhfRFveBT2zTirrw&um=1&tbnid=esr3kI8ZPNk_mM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&eid=H4JYR8GeKqeO-ALMzbzgCg&prev=

talian Wines

Italian wines are usually ranked among the best wines in the world. The demand for Italian wines is so high that this small country produces around 8 billion bottles of wine each year. But the growing number has not resulted in deterioration in quality, as most Italian wine producers are known for their strict quality control.

The history of Italian wine dates back around four thousand years. Perhaps, what has helped Italian wine stay ahead of its competitors is the fact that Italy has more local grape varieties than any other country on earth. Italian wine is considered unique due to rich blend of diverse wine cultures that exist in various wine regions in the country. There are certain general qualities of Italian wine which make it stand out in the crowded wine market.

It is better to take Italian wines with food, as they have relatively high acidity levels. Italian wine bottles are full of earthy aromas and regional flavor. This is also known as ""earthiness"". It helps make an Italian wine complement the food, not compete with it. Most Italian wines are not heavy. They are moderate in nature, though there are some heavy wines, too.

A number of grape varieties that do not grow in other parts of the world are grown in Italy. These varieties are used for producing wines which have unmatched taste.

Italian wines are available in a wide range of prices. Some of them are very expensive, but many of them are easily affordable. A number of Italian wine stores sell these wines online. Most popular department stores also sell Italian wine bottles from different parts of the world. It is better to buy Italian wine from an authorized store, as many ordinary wines are also sold as "Italian wine" in the market.

Italian Wine provides detailed information on Italian Wine, Italian Wine Regions, Italian Red Wines, Italian White Wines and more. Italian Wine is affiliated with French White Wines.

Commonly known as Italian reds, Italian red wines are world famous. As compared to red wines produced in other parts of the world, they stand apart due to their tarter taste, higher acidity, and aroma.Unlike French wines, Italian red wines are not named after the grapes used for making them; instead they are named after regions in which they are produced. Italian red wine makers use different varieties of grapes. Many of these varieties are not available in any other part of the world.

Due to their sharper taste, Italian red wines are not preferred for simple sipping, but a bottle of red wine is a perfect companion during a meal. Valpolicella, Chianti, Barolo and Merlot are some of the best-known red wines. Valpolicella is named after a famous wine-producing region in Italy. There are three different varieties of grapes-- Rondinella, Corvina and Molinara--which are blended together to produce excellent red wine in this region. Valpolicella is a relatively lighter wine. Chianti, on the other hand, is considered to be a perfect companion of an Italian meal. It is produced in a region of the same name.

Barolo is another impressive red wine produced in the region having the same name. Unlike Chianti and Valpolicella, Barolo is made from a single variety of grape called Nebbiolo. It takes around ten years for Barolo to age perfectly. A perfectly aged Barolo has a distinct aroma of roses, raspberries and earth.

If you prefer a simple Italian wine, Merlot could do the trick. The region of Tuscany also produces a number of great Italian red wines. Some Italian red wines could cost you a fortune, but many of them are quite affordable. Italian red wines can be purchased from online stores, exclusive outlets or any of the stores which stock them.

Milan, Lago Magiore and Lago Como. Internet Cafe not working well- pictures coming

Rome was my first school trip and this one was my second and last of the semester. I didnt really know what to expect and I didnt know that we were going to stop in Milan until the bus left but I knew that It would be beautiful. One of my roommates, Mario, also signed up for the trip so we headed off to the trains station together, getting there right at 7AM. We had to wait a few minutes for the late people and we headed out around 7:20. The bus was nice, same as the one we took to Rome. Luckily we werent going by train as their was a transportation strike throughout Italy. We reached Milan at about 11, getting off the bus right next to their Duomo. The Milan Duomo is the second largest gothic cathedral in the world and very different from our Florentine Duomo. An uncountable number of spires reaches towards the clouds, each with a saint perched on top. Like our Duomo ever inch of the exterior was covered in art or schulpture. The inside was not nearly as filled as St.Peters in Rome but still had its share of statues and art. It was know for its stained glass that covered the huge windows. There was also an interesting statue of San Bartalomeo wearing his own skin as a robe.We exited the Duomo and were faced by Italians in full riot gear, large guns, helmets, shields and all. In the piazza in front of the Duomo there was a mass of people in red. From what I could read it was either a union or communist rally. There was not rowdiness, the police were relaxed and the rally peaceful. The group disbanded, to meet again in a few hours. Mario and I checked out the famous shopping are then started wandering. We came upon a national geographic exhibit in the stree that was a series of beautiful photographs of wildlife and people. Near that we stopped at a pastry cart and had Milans version of a cannoli. From there we walked towards the tower that was dominating the skyline. When we came into the piazza we discovered that the tower was connected to a castle. Called Castello Sforzesco its deep red brick contrasted with the dull gray of the street. The wind started blowing like crazy, throwing leaves and debris into the air. Walking through mini tornadoes we entered through the main gate. The ground was depressed around the front where the moat used to be. We were able to walk all through the old castle which was amazing. Everything was still in good condition and very well made. From the holes for archers to shoot out of to the old garden everything seemed just ast it would have been hundreds of years ago. We were getting close to the time we had to go so we left a different way we came and tried to explore some more of Milan before we left. We all met up near the Cathedral and walked to our bus. The ride to the lake took about an hour and a half, which was spent playing Scopa, an Italian card game played with Italian cards. When we reached the hotel it was already dark but immediately we could tell that we were in for a treat. The covered valet area was well decorated and the doors were automatic and completely made of glass. Grand hotel Dino was written in gold above the door. We pulled our luggage out of the bus and moved inside. The interior was even more amazing. Directly infront was a huge oval going into the ceiling made out of stained glass. Huge chandeliers lined the ceiling around the stained glass. Every direction was a beauty that I was unaccustomed to. I was used to beautiful scenery, cassic paintings, amazing architecture but not modern man made art. We got our room keys and headed up the elavator that had a large LCD screen displaying weather, stocks and lots of other information. Our room was very classy with a tiled bathroom and a large balcony. We each took our showers then headed down to explore as we had a couple hours before we were to meet for dinner. The place was huge. You'll have to google the hotel to get an accurate picture but I'll try. It was a 5 star hotel and I think it lived up to its name. The hallways were elegantly furnished and stretched on forever. There were about 5 dining rooms, each watched over by about 8 of the huge crystal chandeliers. Past the dining area a long blue hallway lead to the spa area, which contained saunas, turkish baths, two jacuzzi, a large gym, large indoor pool, outdoor pool, massage area and a large game room with billiard ping pong a tv area and moor. When we were wandering the spa area we bumped into Francesco, one of our chaperones/ guides. Francesco is the kind of older man who is like an encyclopedia. He really knows EVERYTHING especially about Italian art. He has amazing stories, including some about being arrested for leading resistance against fascism. He also is the ind of older man who does as he feels and expects to be listened too. He said "come this way" so we did. We explored with him for a while until we came to the sauna area. He asked if we would like to sauna and we said that we would, not expecting his next move. He then stated that we would be taking a sauna at that exact moment. Although we had no swimwear and werent planning on taking one until later, we went with it. He signed us up for one and we headed into the sauna room. It was a very nice wooden room with showers on one side with the sauna and beautiful beach chairs to the other. He said that it was time to change so we undressed and grabbed towels and got in the sauna. The temperature read 90 C which if you do the conversion is about 190 degrees. Very hot. But it was very relaxing, especially after the long bus ride. After about 10 or 15 minutes Francesco said it was time to go outside to cool off. We followed him outside and stood near the outdoor pool cooling off for a few minutes. After we had cooled down we headed inside. Francesco saw the jacuzzi and decided that it was time to go in the hot tub. Mario and I gave each other a look as we realized that the guy wanted to go sit in the hotel hot tubs naked. We shrugged and followed him. When in Rome right? So we placed our towels strategically close to the part of the hot tub we were sitting in incase the rest of the group came into the pool room we would be able to make an exit. The hot tub was great, with many many jets and a mosaic of Poseidon behind us. Although Francesco had been keeping an eye out for people he hadnt done a great job. Francesca and her two friends showed up and got in the hot tub next to us. After a minute of feeling uncomfortable we went with it and hung out for a while. It seemed like they would be there for a while so eventually we grabbed the towels and headed out. I might have accidentally kicked Marios a few feet towards the ladies. We went back to the sauna and changed, feeling refreshed and relaxed. It was a great story to have and very funny to us afterwords but there were times where we gave each other looks like "what is going on". After the spa we had a few more minutes to explore before we met in one of the dining rooms. The menu was fixed with two choices for pimmit piati and two choices for secondi piatti. Since we were on a lake I chose the seafood risotto and the trout with potatoes and fennel. The food wasnt spectacular as it was prepared for a large group of people. Reminded me of the princess hotel that I used to work at. After desert most of the group of about 25 headed to the hotel bar for caffe` and drinks. We had a good time getting to know each other as most of the kids were from FUA (Florence university of the Arts) and only a few were from my school. After hanging out at the bar for a while some of us went outside and sat on the deck over looking the lake. We shared a large Romeo and Juliet Cuban cigar and enjoyed the night. This trip was billed as the most relaxing trip of all the ones offered with no running around trying to see every sight possible. So far it was definitely relaxing. Sitting on the deck of a beautiful hotel with a good friend was great. It was a good place to talk or just sit in silence thinking about my future or to not think at all and just absorb my surroundings. Eventually we went back into the hotel where Francesca challenged me to a game of ping pong. She convinced the hotel to let us in the game room even though it was after hours and we headed down. After a close game where I came out victorious we all headed to bed. Breakfast was at 8:30
After showering and getting dressed we headed down stairs to the massive spread that awaited us. In the same beautiful dining room we ate in last night we found sliced meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, cereals, pastry, yogurt, eggs, bacon an assortment of drinks and of course caffe`. Of each there was at least 5 different kinds and I made sure to eat as much as possible. The bread was especially good with a strong crust and soft inside. We all met out on the deck and for the first time saw lago Magiore in daylight. It was a beautiful lake, huge with hills on everyside. Although the water was not as busy as I thought it would be there was a few boats moving around. We enjoyed the view for a few moments then walked down to the dock where we split up into two groups and each got into a boat. We enjoyed a smooth ride around islands to a little city that was having a market and that we would get a chance to explore. It was very sunny out and at the dock where we deboarded there were kids playing and lots of ducks and large swans swimming around. The water was full of large fish which I think someone said were catfish. We established a meeting point and headed off to explore the little town. We wandered the market for a while before stopping into a cafe to try a local speciality which was the hot chocolate. Not like American hot chocolate this was thick like pudding and came in about 35 different flavors. I chose white chocolate with hazelnut which was excellent. they came in large cups placed into little wooden bowls. We met back up at the dock and departed. We boated around the island for a while before stopping on an island that held a private castle like villa that was owned by a prince and had a private garden that is open only one month out of the year. Unfortunately for us it wasnt that month. We landed on the side opposite the villa and walked to the place we would be having lunch. One end of the island jutted out like a miniature version of the homer spit and was lined with trees that displayed beautiful fall leaves. We walked through the small island city with only a couple feet on each side separating us from the buildings. There were also many fat cats hanging out, probably well fed from the fisherman. We found our restaurant where we would be eating for free, courtesy of Francesco. Everyone would be served the same thing: a seafood risotto and fried fish with mixed veggies and a veggie pastry that was like an empanada. Everything was very well cooked and tasted excellent. The restaurant itself was wall to wall with windows that allowed us to enjoy a great lake view. After lunch we headed back to the mainland. When we got there Francesco said he would be walking around the island and we could join him if we wanted. I was one of the about 10 that joined him, the rest going back to the hotel. He led us through the city to an old church where he explained the architecture and the art. Very informative. We wandered around for about an hour, even seeing a banana tree which I thought was pretty cool. Back at the hotel I wrote in the journal that Meadow and Bill got for me (so my thoughts would be fresh for my blog!) and relaxed for a while. When It started getting dark I went outside and took some slow capture photos and photographed some of the hotel, as well as exploring the less seen parts of the hotel. Dinner was pretty much the same affair as the night before but with different food. Once again not anything too impressive but tasty and satisfying. After dinner we all decided to go to a local pub for drinks and dancing. Francesco and Francesca joined us and we all danced for a while. We went back to the hotel for a while and hung out in the tower room for a while. After we all went our separate ways I showered and went to bed. In the morning we would be going to Lago Como.
In the morning we woke up a little late and after packing and getting everything out of the room we went down to breakfast and ate some more good food. My sister and Bill called and I talked to them for a while, which was good. I miss everybody! The bus to Como took about an hour and a half. Como was a decent sized city and we slowly made our way to the docks. We got off the bus and waited while Francesco haggles with a boat captain. We were only scheduled to take a land tour but he thought we would be able to experience it better by boat. Paying for it himself he booked a charter boat for a tour of the lake. The lake was surrounded by hills and stretched for miles in the shape of the letter Y. To buy a medium sized house on Como costs minimun 10 million Euro. So imagine how beautiful the homes were. There were villas owned by hollywood actors like George Clooney and Sylvester Stallone, Villas owned by princes and dukes, a villa that was built for Napolean the 3rd. Saudi princes had villas as well as Steve jobs, the owner of apple. It is illegal to build new home on Como without hard to get special permits so almost every villa is in classic style and beautiful. Comos waters were much busier with sailboats and other watercrafts criss crossing the lake. After about two hours on the water we went back to land where we began our tour. The bus took us out of the city center and near villa estes. (google that) We wandered around for a while and had lunch. For those who met at the meeting point on time we got to take a tour of the extremely private villa estes, a hotel that rents the cheapest rooms for over 1,000 euro a night. They have a large, beautiful garden and runis of a cliff side fortress on their property. Francesco said something to the man at the gate, who called someone who talked to Francesco. Francesco again worked his majic and got them to let a group of American students wander around this exclusive, high end estate. The gardens were beautiful, especially with the multicolored leaves in the trees. Massive trees and a pool IN the lake were also highlights of Villa Estes. We made our way back to the bus and began our journey home. It was a great, beautiful and relaxing trip. The homes were amazing and the natural beauty great as well. The hotel was an experience in itself. I enjoyed the feeling of being royalty after a few years as a poor college student! Thanks Dad and Jackie for paying for the trip!
The ride home was pretty smooth. At the rest station we saw a beautiful Lamborghini. We watched a movie and played cards to pass the time and we got to Florence at about 8. I love that I feel like Im home when I come back to Florence.
P.S. I wanted to say a special thanks to my Mom, Ellen pennell for helping me with money to travel or rent a place over Christmas break. Youre always there when I need you and it takes alot of stress off me and lets me enjoy this chance of a life time that much more. My dad and Jackie also deserve another thank you for the computer that you sent me (even though Italian customs is impossible) and your continued support. Thanks also to everyone else that reads my blog and helps me feel connected to everyone. Ciao. Recipes from the last week coming also.