andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

I believe that I chose THE worst day to visit the vineyards of Villa Raiano . Rain. The road barely visible. The winery almost unrecognizable thanks to the pea soup fog. And the panorama -view-that I was looking forward to seeing? Forget it. Even Simone Basso , founder of the winery, told me that I was unfortunate on this particular day…But I like to look for the light at the end of the tunnel… the rainbow . I found it. The winery tour. Walking through the immaculate hallways, I tried hard to listen to the various details of location, territory, etc…but my eyes kept wandering to the scenery…the intense yet simple interior design. The dimly lit corridors, that formed a semicircle, lined with countless bottles of Taurasi 2007 and wooden boxes. A hallway that led to an area. ..The area where it all happens. Small stainless steel vats housing wines from individual vineyards. Towering overhead… gazing down on us were large beams along with barriques watching...observing. Observing as we

Chef Antonio Pisaniello and his wife Sommelier Jenny Auriemma have put together an incredible Friday night series entitled Rossi di Sera (Reds of the Evening). This Friday, Jenny has chosen the winery Il Cancelliere to sit side by side with a 5 course meal prepared by Chef Pisaniello.  The cost is 40 Euro (wines included). For more information, contact La Locanda di Bu at 0827 64619 or 392 26 03 952

Lunch time, Saturday afternoon.  A small centro storico in Avellino.  Tavernola San Felice to be exact.  La Buona Novella    to be more precise.   The plan was to have a quick lunch between vineyard visits. But when Annarita Landi   brought these little bundles prepared by her brother Francesco to the table, I couldn't help but take my camera out a snap a photo.  A plain white plate. Four little colorful packages. Each with a warm, comfortable filling.  From left to right...Ricotta and spinach. Verza and baccalà (cod) . Potatoes with scarmoza cheese and porcini mushrooms.  Radicchio with guanciale (pork cheek ) and carmasciano cheese. Definitely an amazing appetizer ... And yes, it does taste as good as it looks. La Buona Novella , Aiello del Sabato (Av) Chef  Francesco Landi Via Capocasale, 3-4 Località Tavernola San Felice Tel. 0825.667279 info@labuonanovella.net www.labuonanovella.net Closed Tuesdays

If you love Aglianico, then Paternopoli in the Avellino province is the hot ticket on Saturday.  Wineries from Paternopoli, Castelfranci, and Montemarano will be on hand to show you what their territory has to offer.  Highlights of the day include a guided wine tasting (In Italian) at 1800.  Reservations are required, seating limited.  340 095 2723 At 2000 wine tastings and food stands will open up.  AND then it's time for the Macenata---Grape stomping !!! That is scheduled for 2130 and 2230.

I am a big fan of Campania's primi piatti . Here is one by Chef Antonio Pisaniello , La Locanda di Bu in Nusco (Av). For 4 people Ingredients:  350 g paccheri di Gragnano, 250 g of fresh tomatoes, 2 medium eggplants, 150 g of Provolone del Monaco cheese , basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt. Preparation Wash and dry the eggplants. Cut off and discard the ends. Cut the remaining eggplant into cubes and fry in plenty of olive oil. Drain in a container (lined with paper towels so that they absorb the excess oil.) In the meantime, wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Put them in a saucepan with olive oil, a clove of garlic, basil and salt and cook for five minutes. Add the eggplant to the tomatoes, add salt if necessary, and simmer for a couple of minutes. Cut the Provolone del Monaco into small cubes. Drain the pasta a minute before the required cooking time and pour into the saucepan with the eggplant and tomatoes. Add the Provolone del Monaco and mix everything in

Over the past 18 months, I’ve had numerous occasions to try Terre del Principe’s wines. At their winery, wine tastings, Vinitaly, too many to count. I have never, however, never, ever , participated in a wine tasting like the one I had the opportunity to sit in on Sunday. Benvenuta Vendemmia at Terre del Principe. They, like many wineries throughout Italy, invited the public to their ‘home’ to witness the fall harvest. This one was special. This event featured a vertical wine tasting of two of their wines. Le Serole and Centomoggia . AND this wine tasting was led by Professor Luigi Moio , Campania’s most respected winemaker. The first time that this winery has ever organized a tasting of all these vintages at one sitting. History was about to be made. A packed cantina…a patient professor…glasses ready…class is in session. Professor Moio began with an introduction. A prologue, if you will, on his thoughts about how a particular grape has an enormous sfida, a challenge to repres

Enoteca Mercadante will kick off its fall season on the 23rd of September. The enoteca/winebar, located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, will reopen in the evenings around 2000 ish . Stop by, have a glass of wine, try the menu prepared by Chef Luca Pipolo …relax. For more information on events such as concerts, wine appreciation courses, and wine tastings, go to their website at http://www.enotecamercadante.com/ Enoteca Mercadante Corso Vittorio Emanuele n.643/644 - CAP 80121 - Napoli 081/680964 Stefano Continisio : 334/7807377 Francesco Continisio : 393/4110761 Fax: 081/680964 Email: info@enotecamercadante.com

After a long summer, Gambero Rosso’s Città del Gusto is back with an event that is more like a party. A party dedicated to Trento DOC . 31 wineries. Over 40 different wines. Music. Finger Foods by Chefs Nicola Miele (Città del Gusto Napoli ) and Michele De Leo ( Grand Hotel Angiolieri) The fun starts at 2000 hrs ish . The cost of the evening is 12 Euro (6 Euro for members of Slow Food, Ais, ONAV,and FISAR). Tickets can be purchased on line http://www.gamberorosso.it/ or directly at Città del Gusto . Napoli Città del Gusto Via Coroglio, 57/104 tel 081.198.08.900/902 Another hot ticket …

One week before the harvest.  A Sunday lunch with friends at Cantina del Vesuvio .  An excellent opportunity for a walk through the vineyards. Vineyards that I didn’t notice as I parked my car in the gravel driveway. They’re hidden behind a tall hedge. A tall rectangular opening that serves as a doorway. I entered, and as I ‘crossed the threshold’ I was greeted by Piedirosso, Aglianico, Caprettone, and Greco di Torre . Piedirosso … croccante , as winemaker Antonio Pesce described it. A grape with a tough skin able to withstand the hot climate. The leaves had already turned their fall colors of red, orange, and brown. Stems were beginning to turn that light violet pigeon color…all typical of this grape. This grape that in the Vesuvius area is used to make Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio DOC Rosso, Rosè, Riserva… Aglianico …a small quantity…thinned skinned…almost cracking due to the heat…ready for the harvest. This grape prefers the hills of Irpinia, where it is cooler, but at Cantina

The beautiful centro storico of Cusano Mutri is the setting of this fabulous funghi festival. Stands full of great food and great wine as well as prodotti tipici... Not to miss!  For more info, go to the comune's web site http://www.comunecusanomutri.it/ or call 0824 862003.

I had this appetizer last weekend at a lunch at Cantina del Vesuvio . What a surprise to see that my friend, Chef Carmine Mazza ( Il Poeta Vesuviano ) was the guest chef for the day. Paired with a Lacryma di Christi Bianco 2009, a view of the vineyards and Vesuvius, who could ask for anything more? Except the recipe… 250 g ricotta "fruscella”  (fresh ricotta typical of the area) parmeggiano cheese white pepper nutmeg 1 kg piennolo tomatoes garlic basil breadcrumbs rosemary hot red pepper flakes Mix the ricotta with a spatula, adding 1 tablespoon of parmeggiano, a pinch of white pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and chopped basil. Sauté a clove of garlic in a pan, add the tomatoes (cut into wedges), and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes. Mix everything in a food processor along with fresh basil. In a hot frying pan, toast the bread ( that has been cut into cubes) with a little olive oil and rosemary. With the help of a pastry bag, put the ricotta mixture

Sometimes I take for granted what is around me, right under my nose…. Like a glass of Falanghina from Campi Flegrei. Villa di Livia , an ancient Roman villa in Pozzuoli was the perfect backdrop for a roundtable discussion on this white wine. Ais Napoli's Tommaso Luongo was the host along with Malazè's Rosario Mattera and representatives from 5 of the area's top wineries; Francesco Martusciello jr (Cantine Grotta del Sole), Vincenzo Di Meo (Azienda La Sibilla), Gerardo Vernazzaro (azienda Astroni), Francesca Adelaide Di Criscio (azienda Quartum) and Giuseppe Fortunato (Contrada Salandra). So what is in a glass of Falanghina dei Campi Flegrei?…Territory. 120 hectares of territory devoted to this DOC. 120 hectares of sandy volcanic soil. Soil that is rich in potassium. A soil that has its challenges, but gives satisfaction as well. Territory…territory that you will note in its light straw color, smell as you take in the herbs, then light fresh fruity aromas. Territo

Vendemmia ...Harvest Terre del Principe has put together an extraordinary day to celebrate the beginning of the harvest season. The day begins at 1000 hrs at the winery with a toast and a presentation of Pallagrello and Casavecchia…two grapes that have been given a new life thanks to the hard work of Peppe Mancini, Manuela Piancastelli , and winemaker Professor Luigi Moio . Then it is off to the vineyards to witness the harvest in action. At 1300 hrs, lunch is served (reservations required, maximum 40 people, 40 Euro). A menu based around their prized grapes and paired with their wines; Pallagrello bianco, Pallagrello nero and Casavecchia . Then at 1700 hrs, an event that is not to miss… A vertical wine tasting led by Professor Luigi Moio of two wines. Pallagrello bianco Le Sèrole vintages 2009-2008-2007-2006 Casavecchia Centomoggia vintages 2008 (premiere), 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 e 2003. This wine tasting is free but reservations are required. (Reservations for l

Montemarano. An Irpinian town that I fell in love with when I stepped into Salvatore Molettieri's vineyard last June .  Great Aglianico, Taurasi, and on the 17th and 18th...the 28th Sagra del Vino. For more info go to the site :  http://www.promontemarano.it/

Aperitivo time, Aiello del Sabato (Av)… Il Cielo Azzurro A small bar, simple furnishings…basic stuff. Nothing really out of the ordinary. Except for …except maybe the Fiano ice cream made with Privilegio 1997 (a passito from Feudi di San Gregorio ) Except for …except maybe that the man who made and served me my ice cream was Antonio Del Franco (ex Ais Campania president) Except for…except maybe a grape vine. A vine that started out on one side of the patio, and over the years has spread up and over the terrace…forming a pergola, a protective covering from the sun. One vine, planted about 20 years ago…A vine that kept me transfixed while I enjoyed my Fiano ice cream…relaxed…took it easy... put my feet up … Antonio told me that the grape  belongs to the sangiovese family. .  Chosen from the nursery so long ago...planted without any particular plan…without any particular direction…. He told me Le cose involontario sono le cose più belle … Unintentional things are the most b

If Campania had a favorite Fiano region, I wonder what it would be. Fiano…a grape around since ancient Roman times. Fiana, Fiore Mendillo, Foiano, Latino, Latina Bianca, Latino Bianco, Minutola, Minutolo, Santa Sofia. ..so many names. Grown here in Salerno, Benevento, and Avellino. Fiano...the grape that has earned its own music festival and the wine at the center of a seminar during the Fiano Music Festival in Aiello del Sabato (Av). I attended this seminar last Saturday. A stroll through Fiano territory hosted by Raffaele Del Franco who was accompanied by three very experienced guides. Three familiar faces on the stage… Ais Campania President Nicoletta Gargiulo, Ais Campania Vice president and Delegate from Cilento and Valle di Diano Maria Sarnataro , and the Delegate from Benevento Maria Grazia De Luca . Their job was to help us understand the characteristics of this wine and note how Fiano can bloom where it’s planted. No peeking!! This was a blind wine tasting. The only thi

Palazzo Mediceo in Ottaviano will host three days of wine conferences and tastings.  For the complete program and directions, go to the site  http://www.stradadelvinovesuvio.com/

Tomatoes are everywhere lately.  Here is a recipe by Carmine Mazza , Il Poeta Vesuviano that uses piennolo tomatoes. Ingredients for 4 400 g spaghetti (Gragnano) 250 g piennolo tomatoes 1 garlic clove olive oil (from Cilento) fresh basil Cook the pasta in salted water to the al dente point. In the meantime, chop a clove of garlic and sauté it in a pan with oil. Add the tomatoes that you have washed and cut into quarters. You don’t want to cook the tomatoes too much, just sauté a little.Drain the pasta and toss in the pan with the tomatoes. Add chopped basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve garnished with basil sauce* and a sprig of fresh basil. *For the basil sauce: Blend the basil with extra virgin olive oil and salt until creamy smooth and compact.

Back to the Avellino province for another wine weekend.  Three evenings of music, prodotti tipici, and of course...Greco!!!

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in many wine tastings. Formal, informal, at an enoteca, wine fair, dinner, or lunch. I’ve had the chance to try many wines and work on broadening my horizons as I make my way from aspiring sommelier to a full blown one. As I attend the wine tastings, my mind sometimes wanders. I often find myself looking around and watching those near me perform my favorite part of the three part wine tasting…the olfactory exam. The part that I fondly call Nose to the Glass . I’ve had the good fortune of observing people that I have a grande respect for. I watch, I study, and sometimes even scrutinize as they bring their nose to the glass. They inhale, sometimes with their eyes closed…sometimes staring straight ahead…reflecting, contemplating, pondering. I try to imagine what they may be thinking. Could it be the intensità …intensity? The levels of aromas. Is it lacking? Is it a wine whose scent is so delicate, so fragile that you can bar

Malazè has a full program geared towards our young ones. Here is the program: Saturday September  4 and 11 and Sunday 5 and 12 Pozzuoli D'Averno Lake Giardino dell’Orco © AGRIGIOCHIAMO: Gioc'Orto per Malazè Activities for Children AgriGiochiAmo will take palce in the beautiful Giardino dell’Orco GiocORTO, and will introduce children to issues such as seasonality, and the use of fruits and vegetables their diet. A program presented in a playful way where they will 'learn' by ‘doing.’ The activities will take place on Saturday 4 and 11 and Sunday 5 and 12 in two shifts 1) 10.00 to 11.30 2)12.00 to 13.30 and will be led by experienced staff and AgriGiochiAmo © operators. Costs The cost is $ 4.00 per child includes all activities and a prize for each participant. For info contact: info@agrigiochiamo.it   or http://www.agrigiochiamo.it/ Ph / fax 0817146915-3939824709 September 6 to 10 Pozzuoli Maritime Museum Daytime Fishing Tourism for adults and childre