andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

I love Avellino, particularly a little town called TAURASI. This town, home to wineries such as Cantina Caggiano, wine tasting events such as Anteprima Taurasi and the late, great Fiera Enologica Taurasi, has called me back on several occasions since I pulled into its centro storico several years ago. Whenever I go, I have to stop by Giuseppe’s. Everyone knows Peppe. He runs a little agriturismo called ‘Agriturismo Taurasi’. Hard to find on a map, but worth the trip. I took my folks there last week for Thanksgiving. No turkey, but we stuffed ourselves on antipasti that just kept coming to include, onion soup, a prosciutto and salami tray, eggplant parmagiana, and asparagus with prosciutto rolled in cheese. A few choices on the menu for the first course. I chose cavatelli con asparigi while Dad and David had fusilli con ragu. Our second course, agnello alla brace (lamb cooked on the barbecue) was everyone’s favorite. No room for dessert this trip. But there was

Last Friday, November 27, most Americans were recovering from a Thanksgiving meal, or shopping. I decided to take the opportunity and attend the champagne tasting at Ciao Vino. The weather on Friday morning wasn’t the best, but inside the Enoteca, a packed crowd enjoyed themselves as we were introduced to Bruno Paillard and 5 of his top French champagnes. This was my first ‘champagne’ tasting and a great eye opener. We tasted 5 different champagnes; Brut Première Cuvée brut S.A, Rosè Première Cuvée S.A , Brut Assemblage Millésimé 1996, Blanc de blancs Millésimé 1996 , and Blanc de blancs Millésimé 1995. Each champagne was a treat, and unique. My favorite was his Brut Assemblage Millésimé 1996, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinoit Noir. I really enjoyed the aroma of pane di spezie or bread with spices. There was also an aroma of caffè and candied fruit, a first for me. Another noteworthy offering was Rosè Première Cuvée S.A. 100% Pinot Noir, a brilliant rose color

Here is the rest of the program for the month of December. December 6, 2009 h 10.00 e 12.00 Museo di Capodimonte Ballo a corte: una favola ‘reale’: A ball at the court, a royal fairy tale A tour and show withSalvatore D’Onofrioand Rosanna Gagliotti for young and old. An invitation to the ball at the palace of King Ferdinando and Queen Maria Carolina. A great chance to visit the apartments and appreciate life in the court during the Bourbon period. December 7, 2009 h 10.00 and 11.00 Museo di Villa Pignatelli (Mergellina) Un abitare aristocratico: The aristocratic life Musical accompinament by Sergio Colicchioand Antonio De Rosa Visit the grand rooms in the apartment which belonged to Rosina Pignatelli. dell’appartamento di Rosina Pignatelli, to include her library, dining room, and ballroom with beautiful music in the background. December 8, 2009 , h 10.00 e 11.00 Certosa e Museo di San Martino (Vomero) Aspettando il Natale: Waitin

Consistency. Tannins. Sulfites. Acidity. Those are the key aspects as to whether a wine will age well or not. Last Friday night’s Winerdi’ at Ciao Vino, owner and professional sommelier Fabrizio Erbaggio and our ‘favorite’ enologist Vincenzo Di Meo were the hosts of the evening. Our crowd learned, through a guided wine tasting, what to look for when buying a wine. Many Americans who are stationed here often buy a few hundred bottles of wine to take back to the states when it is time to leave. The info that Fabrizio and Vincenzo shared opened many eyes. For example, sulfites are important. Some wine buyers are afraid to buy wine with sulfites. Vincenzo explained that all wines have at least some small amount of sulfites. Sulfur dioxide is used by winemakers to keep freshly pressed wine from spoiling. It keeps down the activities of the yeast and bacteria and preserves the freshness of the wines. Modern technology has allowed the use of significantly less sulfur

Ciao Vino and Ais Napoli have something great in store for us this Friday, November 27. They have invited Bruno Paillard, a respected champagne maker from Reims, France. Bruno will tell his story of how over 30 years ago he sold his old jaguar, to follow his dream, producing champagne. His hard work and dedication is impressive. In fact, his champagne has conquered the planet! What better place than the cozy ambiance of Ciao Vino’s living room to share his experiences. What better place than Ciao Vino to try great champagne such as Brut Première Cuvée brut S.A, Rosè Première Cuvée S.A , Brut Assemblage Millésimé 1996, Blanc de blancs Millésimé 1996 , and Blanc de blancs Millésimé 1995. Followed will be a buffet with tripe and mozzarella. The cost is 30 Euro, show time, 1130 am. For reservations, give Fabrizio a call at 081.5090425 – 3337267080 or email fabrizioerbaggio@libero.it Enoteca Ciao Vino Via Madonna del Pantano, Varcaturo (Na)

Last May, a couple of friends and I spent a lovely afternoon exploring the ‘Egg Castle’ downtown and – wine tasting. The event was Vitigno Italia 2009 and has called Naples its home for the last few years. This event is an opportunity to taste wines from all over Italy and meet the producers face to face. We had a blast. Well, on the 1 st of December, at Hotel Excelsior, Anteprima Vitigno Italia will be held. This event is a sneak preview of what will be presented next spring. About 100 wineries will be represented with over 500 wines. From 1800 to 2230, you can wine taste until your hearts content. I suggest that afterwards you take a stroll and stop for a late dinner at one of the many different restaurants splattered along the waterfront or in the neighboring San Pasquale area. For more info on which wineries will be there or directions, log on to www.vitignoitalia.it .

Enoteca CiaoVino, Varcaturo December 4,2009 2000 hrs This time we will focus on Chianti. Sangiovese was a great grape and always will be! Lets discover together the great chiantis. The evening will consist of a guided wine tasting of 4 chiantis followed by a super buffet. The cost of the evening is 25 Euro. To sign up or for more info, contact karenphillips09@gmail.com or call 348 590 7349.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a friend who I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. His name is Luigi (or Louis) and is a sommelier at Torre Gaia. I met him when our wine tasting group visited one cold day in March. I had almost forgotten about Torre Gaia. I’ve driven by it numerous times since then and have seen this beautiful estate on my way to St Agata dei Goti (Bn)or to a friend’s country home in Melizzano (Bn). Anyway, we started talking and he encouraged me to take a look at the web site to see what is going on. Here’s what is up: Saturday, November 28 An evening dedicated to dance with an ‘appertivo’, 15 Euro Sunday, November 29 KIDS EAT FREE ( children 10 years of age and under) Adults will enjoy a fixed menu for 25 Euro There will also be a ‘Vinolandia’ for the kids. A workshop where they can learn how wine is made, etc. It was unclear by reading the brochure on the web site if wine was included in the price. If you would like to make reservations, contact them directly at 082

Hey, If you are on my andiamotrips mailing list, you probably received an email on Saturday morning from me saying that I was in Scotland, out of money, blah, blah, blah. Well, IT WASN'T ME!!! This pass week, I was fooled into giving my yahoo password to who I believed was YAHOO CUSTOMER SERVICE. They were not, they have taken over my andiamotrips@yahoo.com account and have access to my mailing list. I do have a hard copy of my address book and will be sending out info to all with my new address, etc. I apologize to those who received the email. The blog is safe so continue to check it for upcoming info. If you want to get in touch with me, leave a message on the blog. Have a great weekend. I know I will. My parents just arived from the States and I haven't seen them in 2 years! Ciao, Karen

Several years ago, I wanted to take advantage of the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend. My husband, Italian, did not have the weekend off since it is an American holiday. I chose Avellino since it was far enough away, but close enough to home if you know what I mean. After an extensive web search, I stumbled on an agriturismo by the name of Tenuta Montelaura. There I had one of my first experiences with a hospitable family run business. Alone with my son David, who was 5 years old at the time, we were treated like one of the family. There I had one of my first glasses of aglianico. I had my first taste of a classic Italian recipe, pasta and pumpkin with potatoes. As we enjoyed homemade pizza in front of a roaring fire, I was reminded of what I love about Campania. David loved seeing the animals as our hosts Raffaele (Lello) Tornatore and Flavia Pappalardo took him under their wings to see the goats, pigs, and chickens. Since then, I have been back several times, including a N

If you haven’t made it out to Enoteca Mercadante on Corso Vittorio Emanuele yet, here is a chance to do so. Francesco and Stefano have an evening lined up that will be one to remember. Trabucchi d’Illasi” located between Valpolicella and east of Verona is an organic winery. The land has been owned by the Trabucchi family since 1924, but their first wine was bottled in the seventies. As they present their wines, Mercadante’s chef, Luca Pipolo, will prepare dishes designed to match perfectly with each glass. The menu is as follows: Spiedino di gambero lardellato con zuppetta di fagioli di Lamon ________________ Risotto radicchio e Monteveronese _________________ Brasato di manzo all’Amarone con stufato di verza e polenta croccante _________________ Semifreddo al torroncino e caldo di fondente gianduja The wines: Margherita bianco ‘08 Valpolicella Sup. S.Colombano ‘05 Amarone della Valpolicella ‘04 Recioto della Valpolicella ‘05 The cost is 35 Eur

December 4 – 8, Mostre D’Oltramare (a few steps from the soccer stadium), a special event will be held for chocolate lovers. This event is called SHOWCOLATE-the first of its kind in Naples. The event begins on Friday, December 4 at noon with the grand opening ribbon cutting. From that point on there will be a series of chocolate tastings, presentations, and demonstrations from chocolate factories such as Gay-Odin and Antica Cioccolateria Monaco. Chocolate experts will be on hand to present professional ‘chocolate tastings’ at scheduled times throughout the weekend. (Saturday at 1700, 1800, and 1900. Sunday at 1100, 1800, and 1900 by reservation only. You can reserve by going to the web site at www. showcolate.it . The cost is 7 Euro.) Other events include a Choco beauty and relax: which is a massage and beauty treatment with chocolate at the la SPA Ulysse STAND 126-127 – Included is a caffè, limoncello, and chocolate tasting. There will also be a chocopizzeria , b ody painting

Many of us have discovered Vomero, thanks to its great market (Piazza degli Artisti) and its great shopping. Well, get ready to rediscover Vomero as Centro Commerciale Vomero presents Vomero Wine & Shop. This celebration of two favorite pastimes will be held the 19 th through the 20 th of November. On those three days, while you're (window) shopping, you will have the opportunity to try wines from various wineries from the Campania region. So, here’s an idea; take the funicolare up to Vomero and stroll along via Merliani to via Alvino, via Bernini and via Scarlatti, piazza Fuga e piazza Vanvitelli, via Luca Giordano, via Piscicelli. About 30 boutiques will participate as well as compete offering a glass of wine, cheese, cigars, chocolate, etc while you ‘shop,’ Store windows will do their best to attract your attention as well as compete for the prize of “Miglior Vetrina Wine&Shop”. Here is a list of the participating shops as well as the wineries they have

Not just wine..... Okay, I know I’ve been talking alot about wine lately. Here are some appointments coming up though that gives you the opportunity to visit Naples’s museums. 22 November 2009 , h 10.00 e 11.00 Museo Duca di Martina in Vomero Un mondo in tazza/World in a cup I took this tour last spring. It is an amazing trip through Europe in the 17 th and 18 th century seen through a common tradition of nobility. Tea time (or coffee and chocolate) was a daily tradition that only the rich could afford and they did so using amazing porcelain services from Naples, Meissen, and Sevres. The tour ends with a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of chocolate. If the weather is nice, you will get some amazing views of Naples through the ballroom of the duchess’s ballroom window. 29 November 2009 , h 10.00 e 11.00 Museo diVilla Pignatelli (Mergellina) Gemito incontraViviani/Gemito meets Viviani With the music of Sergio Colicchio and Antonio De Rosa The Ba