Il castello che seduce


Il castello di Spessa da Case&Country- Venezie Class nr. 3 anno 2010

Collio in Vespa nella guida di Magnar Ben

Guida Magnar Ben 2011, debutto a “Identità Golose”.

Un itinerario tra 400 ristoranti e 180 grandi vini dell’Alpe Adria, la prima guida dedicata agli appassionati del mangiare e bere di qualità.

LA GUIDA MAGNAR BEN, NUOVO LOOK PER I 15 ANNI.

La Guida, dopo tre lustri, si rinnova nell’immagine di copertina, rosso fiammante, e nel formato. Ma resta invariata l’accurata selezione della migliore ristorazione del Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Carinzia (Austria), Slovenia, Croazia Istriana, a cui da quest’anno si aggiungono alcune proposte del territorio lombardo del Franciacorta. Dalla piccola trattoria fuori porta al grande ristoratore blasonato, dall’osteria con cucina al relais chic, 400 recensioni per gli appassionati del “mangiare fuori casa” con le curiosità, le storie, i piatti degli chef e dei ristoratori che hanno scelto un percorso di qualità. Ogni scheda è correlata inoltre da una fotografia del locale (importante per indirizzare il consumatore sulla tipologia dell’ambiente), tutti i dati istituzionali, il prezzo medio ed il prezzo aggiornato di alcuni piatti.La guida, diretta da Maurizio Potocnik festeggia il 15° anniversario con una grande novità: oltre alla ristorazione di qualità, nello stesso volume, pubblica una speciale raccolta di 180 grandi vini dell’Alpe Adria.

Questa iniziativa, unica nel suo genere, offre una sorta di “informazione / formazione” anche sulle eccellenze enologiche di questo grande territorio. L’iniziativa, affidata all’esperienza di Giampietro Comolli, è nata per istinto davanti a un buon calice di vino durante l’ultima vendemmia. Sono stati così selezionati vini noti e internazionali, emergenti, di tendenza ed anche etichette con un’ottimo rapporto valore/identità, mirando anche a scoprire la filosofia produttiva che accompagna  le scelte aziendali sia dei piccoli produttori, sia delle grandi aziende storiche. Le 180 schede riportano informazioni sul vino selezionato, l’analisi delle caratteristiche organolettiche, la quantità di bottiglie prodotte, il prezzo alla cantina, un range di prezzo consigliato al pubblico in ristorante/enoteca, la descrizione storica/produttiva dell’azienda, i responsabili e i contatti diretti.Per la prima volta un volume unico per il mangiare ed il bere di qualità nell’Alpe Adria,  a cui da questa edizione collabora anche la giornalista Cristiana Sparvoli.

Con l’edizione  Magnar Ben 2011 è allegato gratuitamente “Collio in Vespa” una iniziativa tutta da scoprire dell’Associazione Piccolo Collio. (www.piccolocollio.it)

www.magnarben.it

L’Aceto Sirk a IDENTITA’ GOLOSE -Milano 30, 31 Gennaio,1 Febbraio-

L’Aceto di Joško Sirk a IDENTITA’ GOLOSE

SALA BIANCA – Identità di Miele

ore 16:40 -
Joško Sirk : Sorbetto aceto e miele

Piccolo COLLIO con Nico Gaddi a Vienna

La mostra e’ stata presentata dal direttore dell’ Istituto per la Cultura Italiana a Vienna. Ha avuto larghi consensi sia dal punto di vista artistico che dell’accoglienza ( Enogastronomica :) ).

Nico Gaddi nasce a Grado; insieme ad alcuni pittori fonda il gruppo Pittori Gradesi. Frequenta i master di fotografia in Svizzera alla Sinar per il banco ottico e alla Broncolor per le luci. Partecipa a Milano ai seminari sul sistema zonale. L’incontro conScifoni fa’ riemergere la passione per la grafica. Frequenta la stamperia d’arte di Santini e i corsi di grafica ad Urbino. Le sue opere sono presenti in numerose pubblicazioni d’arte e fotografia.

Agricoltura per la Salute- 28 Gennaio 2011

Quarin Viaggi con Piccolo COLLIO

Quarin Viaggi, la prima Agenzia partner di Piccolo COLLIO per scoprire tutte le bellezze del Collio, in Vespa, in Bicicletta, in pulmino… o come vuoi tu!



Il Primo pacchetto turistico di Piccolo COLLIO

Dal sito www.turismofvg.it

Pacchetti/Offerte

Piccolo Collio

Piccolo Collio Località:
Cividale del Friuli, Cormons, Mariano del Friuli

Descrizione:
Un suggestivo itinerario alla scoperta del Collio e dei suoi sapori

Dal al Notti Struttura Prezzo
22/11/2010 31/03/2011 3
Relais La Subida da lunedì a giovedì BB
da240
22/11/2010 31/03/2011 3
Relais La Subida da venerdì a lunedì BB
da420

Descrizione:

La quota individuale comprende:
- 3 notti solo pernottamento c/o RELAIS LA SUBIDA di Cormons (Case nel bosco con angolo cottura)
- 2 cene a quattro portate a scelta tra i seguenti ristoranti (bevande escluse):
- TRATTORIA AL CACCIATORE (cucina del territorio) Cormons
- RISTORANTE DEVETAK (cucina del territorio carsolino) San Michele del carso
- RISTORANTE LE DUNE (specialità pesce) Mariano del Friuli
- RISTORANTE SALE & PEPE (cucina del territorio Valli del Natisone) Loc. Stregna – Cividale
- visita ai produttori del Piccolo Collio
- visita nelle cantine del Piccolo Collio
- escursione guidata a piedi nella “Strada delle Vigne Alte”
- possibilità di usufruire della “Vespa del Collio
- possibilità di usufruire delle bici “Slow Collio”
- possibilità di corsi di cucina

La quota individuale non comprende (supplementi):
- Piccola prima colazione Euro 9,50 p.p./giorno
- Grande prima colazione Euro 12,50 p.p./giorno

Riduzioni:
- bambini 0-3 anni GRATIS
- bambini 3-12 anni Euro 12.50 al giorno
- terzo letto adulto: Euro 25 al giorno

La quota bambini e terzo letto adulto comprende solo il pernottamento. I pasti saranno regolati in loco a consumo.
Le Case nel Bosco del Relais possono ospitare al massimo 4 persone (2 adulti + 2 bambini)

Periodo di Natale e Capodanno quote su richiesta.

Organizzazione tecnica: Quarin Viaggi.

Veal, Wine, and Vinegar: An Italian Food Journey

Dal sito www.theatlantic.com

Continuing our journey in Italy’s Northeast, we left Hisa Franko and our new friends Ana and Valter who gifted us with homemade preserves (hand-written labels in Slovenian—I’m clueless) and elderberry syrup. We were on our way to Manzano (chair capital of Italy) and the winery Le Vigne di Zamo. I adore their wines and the owners, Silvano and Brigitte, who invited us to stay in their guest quarters.
They had plans with friends, so we dropped off our luggage, picked up the keys, and headed for Sunday lunch at La Subida, a long-time favorite. We bumped into Matteo Carminucci from the fantastic honey company Mieli Thun and his companion Osiride, daughter of Mario Chiaradia, beer-master and owner of Zago. They were without a reservation and the place was packed, but owner-host Josko Sirk squeezed them in at our table. The food was traditional, as always, but presentations were a bit more sophisticated. We began with crispy frico (cheese crisp made with Montasio) on a long lollipop-like stick, wafer-thin pear slices arranged like a rose and topped with melty lardo, and gnocchi stuffed with prune preserves and dusted with cinnamon. Roast veal shank (stinco), the restaurant’s signature dish, was as spectacular as I’d remembered, carved by Josko’s wife, Loredana, worth a voyage. The palate-cleansing sorbetto—honey and vinegar, was delicious. I asked for the recipe.

After lunch Josko gave us a tour of his vinegar works—he selects quality local grapes, ferments in small vats with spontaneous acidification, ages in oak barrels. The results are splendid—we all bought vinegar, and Josko gave us a highly unusual book, Baba Yaga’s black suit, A story dressed with vinegar, photographed by Maurizio Frullani for Josko Sirk. We skipped dinner and spent the evening in Zamo’s culinary-enological library, with a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

We had an appointment with enologist Michele Bean(pronounced bee-AHN) at Davide Feresin’s winery. We tasted Pinot Grigio: extreme, just like Michele—he extracts color and flavor from the grape’s skins (it’s a clone of Pinot Nero, not a white grape) and it looks like rosé and acts like a light red. And a reserve refosco called Nero di Botte—a play on words—barrels and beaten up, with a cartoon of Davide and Michele on the label covered with bruises. We were invited for lunch, prepared by Davide’s mother, but had plans to meet Silvano and Brigitte at Sale e Pepe, a perfect trattoria in the tiny end-of-the-road village of Stregna. We feasted on traditional dishes like buckwheat polenta with ricotta, horseradish and Seuca apples, bean and barley soup, sausage, white polenta, mushrooms and chestnuts, and a tasty dessert called snow in a glass, featuring persimmons. I got the recipe. We spent another evening in the library with Pinot Grigio.

Vito insisted on a visit to our favorite grappa distiller, Domenis, where, in spite of the early hour, we sampled La Storica Nera, my favorite grappa, and I bought cartons of what look like cigarette packs containing eight tiny, single-shot vials, a perfect gift (under the airline liquid limit). Bastianich was nearby, and we had to taste with Wayne Young, the winery’s spiritual leader according to owner Joe Bastianich—Friulano and Friulano Plus, Vespa Bianco, all from the latest vintage, tasty but young. Then back to Osvaldo to pick up our prosciutto, boned, divided into three parts, shrink-wrapped for easy transport.

We had a forgettable lunch nearby, then back to the Le Vigne di Zamo for a tour, some barrel tasting (always fun), and shopping with Brigitte for some vegetables for dinner. Cathy and I were excited to buy brovada, salad greens and beautiful squash, and headed back to the kitchen. Brigitte set out a beautiful cheese selection, whipped up a smoked pork and sauerkraut dish, Cathy and I made soup with the squash, roasted in Brigitte’s wood-burning oven. Silvano poured champagne for the chefs, and, at the table, some historic wines, including a very special 1991 Ronco delle Acacie. After-dinner entertainment: a video of the purcitade, a seasonal celebration starring pork, with butchers who dismantle a pig and make it into salumi and fresh meat, an all-day food and wine extravaganza for members of the Longolardi (a blend of Longobardi and lardo) club—you can join online. Cathy was inspired, and wants do a purcitade at Nostrana. Stay tuned to her website for more information.

Our plans for the morning were cultural, a quick stop in Aquileia to see the phenomenal mosaics (on the floor for easy viewing, Biblical scenes—Jonah and the whale are a personal favorite) and thenVilla Manin for an interesting Munch show I wanted to see. But floods on the autostrada—all traffic west to Milan was detoured and we were stuck in a long line of trucks and cars—left us little time for culture, and we went straight to Sarmeola di Rubano, the kingdom of Alajmo.

Cathy and David hadn’t seen Le Calandre’s new, remodeled dining rooms, we all wanted to taste Massimiliano’s latest creations. And I needed to shop at in.gredienti, the Alajmo’s store. I bought a loaf of Massimliano’s natural mother yeast bread and a few packages of Sarawak pepper, pre-ordered Le Calandre’s extra virgin version of Pandoro, called Pan’olio, for Christmas presents. We were hungry, ready for lunch. Raf had a surprise waiting at our table in the restaurant: my friend Gianni Capovilla, master distiller, who brought me a special bottle of aged (30 years) plum distillate—we would taste after lunch and I could take the rest home. Massimiliano’s menu was a thrill, beginning with raw red shrimp, pomegranate ice and crispy rice cloud, paired with Champagne. Raw Piemontese beef with gold, incense and extra virgin, spaghetti with garlic, extra virgin, chili pepper and oysters, hare with a rich red wine sauce flanked by chestnut puree paired with Barolo Gramolere, hazelnut and coffee gelato with rum ice and milk foam. Raf and sommelier Angelo joined us to taste Gianni’s plum distillate, truly amazing, true to fruit, which seemed to evaporate from our glasses and my bottle.

Vito’s van was packed. Unlike other forms of travel, there are no luggage limits. He helped me unload our purchases and gifts—cases of wine, jars of preserves, fresh horseradish, a package of brovada, honey, extra virgin olive oil, grappa, vinegar, lots of books. My kitchen table was completely covered with bounty. I can’t wait to go back.

La Subida e i Vini del Collio in Italia Squisita.net

Luoghi e Itinerari

La Subida, Cormòns e vini Collio

by Nicola Sprelli, Thursday 13 January 2011

Appena fuori Cormòns (GO), il ristorante “Al Cacciatore della Subida” rappresenta al meglio lo spirito di queste terre di confine. Vini Collio compresi.

Sapori di confine, in un luogo della memoria dove le mille suggestioni che arrivano dalla gastronomia friulano-veneta, slovena e austriaca vengono rielaborate e proposte con raro equilibrio. Interpretandone l’anima, si potrebbe forse dire. Sui rilievi del Collio goriziano, appena fuori Cormòns (GO), il ristorante “Al Cacciatore della Subida” rappresenta al meglio lo spirito di queste terre di confine, da sempre crogiolo di popoli e punto d’incontro fra civiltà mediterranee e mitteleuropee. Una cucina tipica friulana resa attuale – e questa è l’alchimia che conquista – senza aver perso la sua origine, una cucina che ha saputo rendere nobile la semplicità della tradizione. Ma a rendere veramente unico questo luogo è il senso dell’ospitalità di Joško Sirk e della moglie Loredana, affiancati ora dalla figlia Tanja, gentilissima nel presentare agli ospiti la preparazione di un piatto in menu e nell’illustrare i luoghi da scoprire nei dintorni seguendo il confine, serpeggiando fra i colli, magari a bordo di una Vespa color “giallo Ribolla”. La Vespa è una delle tante, piccole e grandi attenzioni, con cui i Sirk accolgono gli ospiti: un amaro alle erbe dagli ingredienti segreti che viene regalato, in senso benaugurale, alle signore; le biciclette messe a disposizione per andare alla scoperta del Collio; l’organizzazione di escursioni a cavallo o di visite e degustazioni in cantina di vini Collio (come Toros, Gravner, Russiz Superiore, Schioppetto); i raffinati oggetti di artigianato selezionati per uno shopping inusuale; la prenotazione del green nel vicino campo da Golf di Capriva… «Se qualcuno è incuriosito dai nostri piatti, organizziamo piccoli corsi di cucina, e io stesso accompagno quando posso i nostri ospiti lungo le strade segrete di questa nostra bella terra di confine, dove c’è fortunatamente ancora molto da scoprire» racconta Joško. Ma il menu del ristorante? «In questo periodo invernale i protagonisti sono i sapori forti e genuini, come il salame scottato in aceto, il cervo alla brace con i mirtilli rossi e lo stinco al forno, una vera “istituzione” del ristorante». In primavera, invece, trovano grande spazio le erbe primaverili con la frittata con le erbe di campo guarnita da un ciuffetto di bruscandoli (i germogli del luppolo selvatico), gnocchetti verdi con germogli di papavero, orzotto amaro, coniglio al dragoncello e gnocchi di susine, piatto-simbolo legato alle tradizioni slave. E, come dolce, la putizza, una deliziosa focaccia al dragoncello. La Subida, Cormòns e il Friuli in un sol boccone!

Gorizia, Italy is Loaded with Gold in Their Hills

Written by Steve Dryden. Wine and Food Guide

Massive amounts of pure gold are being unearthed in the province of Gorizia in northeastern Italy along the Slovenian border. Within this “magical-like kingdom” of Austrian-Hungarian and Italian decent lies the wine region of Collio which produces distinct white wines with 14K gold color. Not only are these wines beautiful in color, but the flavors drawn from the rich mineral soils, are interpreted by the vines and fruit varietals into stunning white wines of elegance, finesse and distinction.

We’ve come to this beautiful wine producing region located between the Giulian Alps and the Adriatic Sea as two wine prospectors searching for bottled treasures of delight. Little did we know that we’d find gold in the vineyards, wines, and souls of the local artisan people: the chefs and winemakers. In fact, I was so taken aback with the region that I raced into Trieste to stake a claim, so I can return and explore this region for a seemingly endless amount of gems and jewels in the wine and culinary cultures blended together here over many centuries. We’re here with our newest project: Vino Mundo Productions, a collaboration between myself as a wine, culinary and travel writer and the talented filmmaker, Adrián Enrique Ruiz.

In addition, I’m here to trace my Austrian-Hungarian roots as a member of the Haider clan that moved to America from Vienna in the late 1890’s. My great grandfather, Michael Haider grew grapes and made wine near the famous Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles, California. As a vineyard manager and winemaker in Mexico, I’ve always wondered about my natural tendencies to indulge in farming, winemaking, along with the consumption of gourmet culinary delights, and an incurable urge for all things Italian. It only took a few minutes of exploration at my first stop in Trieste to fully understand the meaning of my Austrian-Hungarian heritage. The churches, the architecture, the promenades, the cuisine, the coffee, and of course, the great white wines from the Collio region.

Trieste is about an hour train ride from the province of Gorizia and the Collio wine region, and makes a great departure locale, especially if you’re looking for gold in the hills of northeastern Italy. Trieste is a gem in itself, a very charming and classic city, very much “off” the tourist maps, a real “dynamic destination” in my opinion. It’s no wonder that James Joyce lived and worked here for twenty years without ever mentioning what a “hidden treasure” he had discovered in the city, the people and the lifestyle. Sigmund Freud lived and wrote here too, but he was somehow able to avoid a “Freudian slip” and reveal the magical world he discovered here as well. Sometimes good things are better kept to yourself, but the secret about Italy’s emerging white wines is already being discovered around the world by serious wine lovers and connoisseurs.

The Collio wine region lies in the province of Gorizia and is also known as Friull Venezia Guilia or Friuli. There are six distinct regions within Collio: Gorizia to San Floriano del Collio, Mossa to Capriva del Fruli and Preval, Cormons, Dolegna del Collio and Farra d’Isonzo. These unique regions are blessed with high mineral content in the soils, many diverse habitats, hilly exposures and soulful, creative winemakers. This dynamic combination allows for wines of distinct flavor and richness. The white varietals that excel here are: Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Tocai Friulano, Picolit, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Bianco. Some reds do great here as well: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a few local varietals such as Pignolo and Refosco. For the most part, this is premium white wine growing country, blessed with an abundance of creative and innovation winemakers with a long history of winemaking traditions.

Four names you should know in the Collio DOG are Marco Felluga, his son Roberto Felluga and daughters Patrizia and Alessandra Felluga. In fact, the entire family is made up of “rock stars” in the wine and hospitality business in this region. Roberto is the fifth generation of Felluga winemakers and manager of Russiz Superiore, while sister Alessandra oversees the operations at Gradisca d’Isonzo, These are two of Italy’s top with wine producers of about 200,000 bottles annually from 60 hectares at Russiz Superiore and 650,000 bottles from 120 hectares at the Marco Felluga group. Roberto’s diverse wine portfolio contains excellent examples of wine from Collio Bianco, Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon, Pinot Blanco, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I particularly enjoyed the rich flavors and deep structure of his Rosso Riserva, but in fact, all of his wines are of superior quality on a global scale.

Marco Felluga is a dynamic leader in the Collio wine region. He is and was the visionary and patriarch of this region, the one who first understood the unique significance and magic of the mineral rich terroir and the local grape varietals. His daughter Patrizia has now stepped in and inherited her father’s spirit of leadership, passion, determination, and vision. Her winery estate, Zuani, produces 40,000 bottles of superior wine from 14 hectares annually. She focuses her talent on growing limited yields of high quality fruit and making two specific wines: Zuani, a cask conditioned wine, released in the second year, and Zuani Vigne, processed in steel tanks. Both are O Collio Bianco wines of excellent quality. Her son Antonio and beautiful daughter, Caterina are well on the road to being the next generation of “super stars” from the Felluga family.

The only problem I encountered in the scenic wine regions northeastern Italy was that all the wines were of premium quality, and all the winemakers are unique individuals with an amazing diversity of talent and vino. Another important element in this equation is that this remote section of Italy isn’t ALL about wine, it’s also about Italian-Austrian-Hungarian culinary delights, a wonderful blend of people, classic traditions and beautiful scenery. Having said, that, I’ll be writing many more articles during 2011 to help you understand and discover one of Italy’s best kept secrets: their phenomenal white wines. Be looking for our documentary from Vino Mundo Productions: A White Christmas in Northeastern Italy, coming soon on a DVD near you.