andiamotrips - campania, italy with karen phillips

It's early.  Too early for  lunch.  Or maybe too early for dinner.  So why not have an aperitif...or as we say in Italy, an aperitivo. Either way you say it, the objective is the same:  to stimulate the appetite, get the juices flowing.  A pre meal snack which can be mundane, or as a recent visit to Oasis Sapori Antichi in Vallesaccarda, Avellino proved, a perfect introduction to the meal. The last time I was at Oasis was last December, so one of the first things that I noticed was their comfortable outside lounge. Sleek white couches, bright pink pillows, cool shades that protected you from the hot summer sun. It was here where Puccio Fischetti   offered us something to drink.  A spumante (what else)... Montesole Greco Spumante Brut Refreshing. An excellent choice to pair with our light l eggero aperitivo conversation. But Carmine Fischetti  decided to add a bit more to our pairing.  Three of the best bruschette that I have ever eaten. One of the Best Bruschetta #1 : T

Mario Carrabs A typical Saturday morning.  Time to fare la spesa , go grocery shopping.  I was in Irpinia for a few days and I decided to take a quick drive to the small town of Gesualdo nestled between the   valleys of the rivers Fredane and Ufita. Gesualdo, home to a    must see medeival castle and, in the corner of a quiet piazza, a small butcher shop run by Mario Carrabs and his wife Virginia .   When I arrived, the shop was bustling with activity.  No problem,   I made myself comfortable and sat on a wicker chair in the corner...the one with the soft red pillow...and soaked in a bit of la vita quotidiano, everyday life. A housewife picking up a few cuts of meat and a few recipe tips.  Another customer interested in making meatballs that evening  waited patiently for freshly ground beef right on the spot.  The door continuously opened and closed by Carrabs' s clients; regulars, and first timers like me who didn't mind spending a little time Saturday morning s

Sunday evening, the twelfth of August, I found myself back in Taurasi. This time to try 8 Taurasi's dated 1999. A wine tasting conducted by journalist   Luciano Pignataro .  I have attended various Taurasi tastings over the past couple of  years ( here ,  here  and here) this was one that made me pause a bit to reflect on my little love story with Taurasi. So while I waited for the rest of the Taurasi tasters  to arrive, I prepared myself mentally for this tasting.  Friends told me that 1999 was  a great year.  But why?  How does one judge a great year?  I thought back to what I read in a booklet written by my friends from Miriade & Partners   ; who during their numerous years of presenting Taurasi to the public and press examine a harvest year on 4 parameters.  For them there are two separate committees, the first,  a group of growers, winemakers and agronomists working in   Irpinia and the second panel formed by national and international journalists who participated i

The Fiera Enologica di Taurasi just completed its 13 edition yesterday in the sleepy centro storico of Taurasi in the province of Avellino.  A wine fair, a festival...5 nights of wine fanfare for the eno-gastronomical enthusiast. Insomma , in short, a fair with plenty to offer for everyone.  After looking at the rich program of tastings, concerts, and laboratories, I decided to focus my attention on the first two evenings and two guided wine tastings;   MondoAglianico e Formaggi di Altura and   La magnifica annata, retrospettiva Taurasi 1999.   Reservations necessary... the program said.  So I made mine, and found my seat in the front row in the first floor of Tauras's medieval castle. Saturday night -  MondoAglianico e Formaggi di Altura... A tasting designed to give us a mini immersion into the world of Aglianico, my first love.  Three territories and two vintages for a total of six wines were on the ticket.  But first? First we needed to understand the territory, o

Wikipedia :   Serendipity   means   a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it.   An email from Jeannie.  She had visitors in town from the states and wanted to take them to a local winery.   Could you give Vincenzo a call and set something up?   Vincenzo di Meo, a friend, enologist, and 5th generation guy in charge of La Sibilla in Bacoli (Na).  Sure, why not?  I enjoy taking people there to try some of the most interesting wines from Campi Flegrei; their Falanghina, Piedirosso, and one of Jeannie's favorites, their Marsiliana  ( a blend of Marsigliese, Olivella, and Piedirosso). And this would also be a great time for me to try the latest vintage bottled just a few months earlier. So, after a summer evening stroll in the vineyards with Vincenzo, it was time for the degustazione. ..our informal wine tasting paired with a campi flegrei cena estiva. And when it was tim