Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food - Summer 2017 by Gambero Rosso

WWW.GAMBEROROSSO.IT YEAR 21 N. 109 - JULY-AUGUST 2017

WINE

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FOOD

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THE GOLDEN AGE OF ITALIAN WHITES

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WINE 28 | Il Borro. Hymn to nature In this part of Tuscany, a few kilometers from its renowned art treasures, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wilder nature shows itself: woods, pasture land and Mediterranean scrub prevail. 32 | Tuvaoes. The Vermentino that defied time Vermentino di Sardegna Tuvaoes is thirty years old. In 1986, this ^IZQM\a Ă&#x2026;Z[\ LMUWV[\ZI\ML \PM OZMI\ XW\MV\QIT WN ;IZLQVQIV _QVM[ The most interesting vintage years from 1986 to 2016 tell the story and convey the commitment of the Cherchi family.

TRAVEL 38 | Oliena. Where Cannonau is called Nepente

July-August 2017

Moute Corrasi, an extraordinary massive rock looms over the town of Oliena. The mountain dominates woods that alternate with vineyards, olive groves, and swaths of Mediterranean scrub. But Oliena is also an historic place with eleven churches and an artistic patrimony of gold work and embroidery. 2 JULY-AUGUST 2017

from “The Day of Judgment” by Salvatore Satta (writer 1902-1975)

60 | Finland. Turku, the new culinary mecca. In Turku, after the sauna, the newest Finnish passion is all about food. Despite the lingering cold, on the Aura River the Finnish movida quickly gains speed after a winter slowdown. In July and August, the love of good eating and conviviality awakens along the river…

FOOD 20 | Washington. The Best Italians in America. The American capital is not only the political heart of the country, but it is also a sophisticated city where the world’s cuisines are especially authentic. The best Italian tables are here. Even home food shopping is aimed at direct contact between consumers and farmers. 49 | Mauro Ladu. Market-day cooking in Cagliari A student of Cristiano Andreini and then Gualtiero Marchesi, Mauro Ludu cooks in the most effervescent and informal kitchen in Cagliari, Cucina.eat. Here he delves into Sardinian tradition and varies it in new forms, borrowing from others and proposing original dishes with sometimes unfamiliar ingredients 3 JULY-AUGUST 2017

EDITORIAL

IT’S TIME TO SAY WHITE The Italian wine universe has always found its strength in its red denominations. From Piedmont to Tuscany, from Abruzzo to Campania, it has been wines from varieties such as nebbiolo, sangiovese, montepulciano, aglianico, barbera and cabernet that have been in the limelight. This attention is certainly due to the quality of these bottles, but also to the relative ease of making high-performance reds. Let’s take a step back in time and look at, for example, the disastrous 1960s, when viticulture was ridiculous, when yields per hectare were dizzyingly high, when the concept of quantity outweighed by far any talk of quality. In that context, red-berried varieties were, by their very nature, ad^IV\IOML \PIVS[ \W \IVVQV \PI\ OQ^M[ ÆI^WZ [\Z]K\]ZM IVL longevity. This physiological advantage led also to the advantage of a superior reputation which for many years kept white-berried varieties in the position of younger brothers, in eternal second place, and unable to aim at something more. Then came the 1980s. Quality became the objective and reasoning changed. That happened so drastically and deeply that the panorama was overturned, and no one re-

UMUJMZ[ PW_ Q\ ][ML \W JM <PM MV\QZM [MK\WZ JMVMÅ\\ML but especially white wines. Simply, the level from which they began, in terms of quality and reputation, was so low that the leap was more evident. It’s no accident that in those years, growers began to replant varieties that had been disappearing, such as pecorino, grechetto, timorasso. Many that had always been planted began to be recognized, such I[ ÅIVW ^MZLQKKPQW OIZOIVMOI WZ NZQ]TIVW [\QTT KITTML \WKIQ at that time). Now the results are obvious and time is rewarding those who believed in whites, despite the general opinion that Italy was a country for reds. It’s no accident that of the Vini d’Italia 2017 guide’s nine Special Awards, seven went to white-berried wines. It shows that Italy has no need to fear comparison with the rest of the world. The country has such a potential patrimony of grape varieties, that in most cases wooden barrels are an extra, rather than a necessity. Read the vertical tasting of the Cherchi family’s Vermentino di Sardegna Tuvaoes if you want proof. Eleonora Guerini

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Vini d’Italia Worldtour 2017/2018 2017 OCTOBER 25 SEOUL - Korea

Top Italian Wines Roadshow

OSAKA - Japan

Top Italian Wines Roadshow

WARSAW - Poland

Gambero Rosso Wine & Food Experience

TOKYO - Japan

NOVEMBER

trebicchieri

03 06

TAIPEI - Taiwan BEIJING - China

08 13

HONG KONG - China SHANGHAI - China

MOSCOW - Russia

Top Italian Wines Roadshow trebicchieri Wine & Food Experience trebicchieri - HKTDC Special Gambero Rosso Wine & Food Experience trebicchieri Wine & Food Experience

2018 JANUARY 16 STOCKHOLM - Sweden 18 COPENHAGEN - Denmark 22

BERLIN - Germany

MUNICH - Germany

trebicchieri Gambero Rosso Wine & Food Experience Gambero Rosso Wine & Food Experience trebicchieri

APRIL 05 SÃO PAULO – Brazil 09 HOUSTON - Usa 25 DUBAI - EAU

MAY 07 ZÜRICH - Switzerland FEBRUARY 01

MIAMI - Usa

Gambero Rosso Wine & Food Experience

06 08

CHICAGO - Usa NEW YORK - Usa

trebicchieri trebicchieri

SAN FRANCISCO - Usa

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LOS ANGELES - Usa

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MARCH 01 LONDON – U.K. 17 DÜSSELDORF - Germany

trebicchieri trebicchieri PROWEIN Special

22 24

SINGAPORE - Singapore BANGKOK - Thailand

JUNE 04 SEATTLE - Usa 06 VANCOUVER - Canada 08 TORONTO - Canada

Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Wines Roadshow Notte Italiana Wine & Food Experience

Gambero Rosso Wine & Food Experience Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Wines Roadshow

Top Italian Wines Roadshow trebicchieri trebicchieri Wine & Food Experience

NEWS FROM FROM AROUND AROUND THE WORLD WINE AND THE ECONOMY WORLD

MICHELIN SINGAPORE 2017. INTERNATIONAL NEWS FOOD TWO ITALIAN RESTAURANTS ADDED. ROBUCHON THE ONLY THREE-STAR Aiming to survey one of the restaurant scenes universally considered the fastest-growing in recent years, the Michelin Red guide arrived in Singapore two years ago. Its goal: to point out the most intriguing tables and most talented, capable chefs in this city-state of southeastern Asia. “The atmosphere of Singapore,” explained Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin guide, “makes the city a destination with great gastronomic potential. It’s very exciting for someone in my profession.” Thirty-eight restaurants have received a coveted star, including twelve new entries that WVKM IOIQV KWVÅZU \PM LaVIUQ[U and high quality of the city’s culinary scene. Joel Robuchon’s restaurant has held on to its three stars, the only one with the maximum score in the last edition. To the six places

with two stars in 2016, one new address is added: WakuGhin, home of chef Tetsuya Wakuda, who focuses on contemporary Japanese cooking based on local, seasonal ingredients. The other thirty places mentioned each have one star. Braci, run by Singaporeans, is dedicated to barbecue, but also offers a more classic menu with an Italian slant, its dishes including risotto and raw Å[P /IZQJITLQ¼[ UMV] XZM[MV\[ 1\ITian specialties reinterpreted to meet the tastes of local clients. These two are Italy’s representatives in Singapore, according to Michelin. Not mentioned this year is Terra, _PQKP QLMV\QÅM[ Q\[MTN I[ I ¹<WSaW Italian restaurant”. Run by Japanese chef, Seita Nakahara, who has made fresh pasta his signature dish, <MZZI _WV I [\IZ QV \PM ÅZ[\ MLQtion. Among the other new places

in the 2017 volume are the Australian Cheek by Jowl, Cantonese Chef Kang’s, and Labyrinth, where chef Han Li Guang revisits Singaporean cuisine with a modern eye. The list also includes the Australian restaurant, Whitegrass, the French Sanit Pierre, and Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine, an opportunity to taste the traditional dishes of Teachew. For a mix of Korean and Japanese dishes, there’s Meta. Iggy’s is a modern restaurant that owes its success to featuring top-quality local, seasonal ingredients. Stars also went again to two street food spots that made news in 2016, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle and Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle. Both were recognized for their preparation of popular dishes, to be eaten on the spot or to take away.

FROM TEAHOUSE TO STARBUCKS. THE GROUP’S NEW COFFEEHOUSE IS IN AN HISTORIC MACHIYA, WITH SEATING ON TATAMI From the outside, it is still an historic townhouse, a wooden dwelling, machiya, a type of popular building meant for merchants and artisans, a modest residence once common in Kyoto. Urbanization has swallowed up many of these traditional dwellings in the last 20 years, due partly to the high cost of maintaining them. In one of these machiyas, Starbucks has opened its first location in a traditional Japanese setting, complete with tatami, cushions and antique furnishings. The celebrated American coffee chain has more than 1,100 sites in Japan, but all the others are in line with the company’s standard international architectural style, similar to other Starbucks, whether in Chicago or Istanbul, Tokyo or Paris. Next year one will open in Italy, in Piazza Cordusio in Milano. Kyo-

to’s new café, though, is in an area near the city’s temples, the celebrated Nineizaka, one of the best preserved streets in the Higashiyama district. The building dates back to the middle of the 17th century, the Edo period. The renovation of the space, which was a teahouse until 2005, paid careful attention to pre-existing elements in order to showcase the story of the building and the city’s traditions. The characteristic fabric curtain, the noren, hangs at the doorway, as it does in many popular Japanese businesses, although here it is decorated with Starbucks’ distinctive siren. Inside, the counter space is inspired by Asian lanterns, their form, materials and colors. Open-air areas, Zen gardens and stone water basins, tsukubai, are nods to classic Japanese decor. Upstairs, most seating is on tatami mats, shoes come off, and besides coffee, matcha pudding and green tea are served. There are, however, benches and a few rooms of tables and chairs for those who are unable or unwilling to sit on the floor. 6

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A FORAGING APP FROM VILD MAD. THE LATEST IDEA FROM RENÉ REDZEPI At the end of the summer of 2015, while many projects rearranged the cards at the Redzepi food enterprise, the Danish chef, promotor of New Nordic Cuisine, gave his blessing to a new idea, Vild Mad (wild food), a basic element in his MAD project. Vild Mad is aimed at stimulating foraging, making it a tool available to all, and not only something that great chefs undertake. The rediscovery of moss, lichens and other wild edible products has always been a pillar of Redzepi’s redrawing the culinary image of a territory unjustly considered to have scarce resources before the new Nordic Cuisine wave. The desire to share his experiences so that they could become part of everyone’s culture led to the development of the Vild Mad platform. The venture is developed along three lines: wide divulgation and teaching; education in schools and free guided explorations outdoors; the ongoing building of a database of references and photographs to orient seekers into the spontaneous offerings of the planet. Now Vild Mad has released a digital guide to foraging, available free as an app from the Apple

Store and Google Play, in Danish and English. The large amount of data included in the app helps users find their way between ecosystems and seasons, ranging from the forest in spring to the city during the summer and every other possible combination. Users can see what’s edible and inviting to smell, taste, gather and cook. Four sections lead to that goal: landscapes, ingredients, recipes and exploration (“get outdoors”). Ingredients are subdivided by type, each with its own presentation, whether berries or flowers, leaves or mushrooms, or even seafood. The philosophy: “This is your foraging app. Foraging is a tradition as ancient as human civilization. It consists in gathering wild food such as plants, berries and fruit.” The Vild Mad team says, “We believe this is an incredible tool for discovering new flavors and for starting new conversations about the provenance of the foods we eat.” Although it is intended for Danish users, the app will be useful in many other settings, and should inspire international imitators.

FRANCIS MALLMANN IN PROVENCE. THE ARGENTINIAN CHEF‘S FIRST RESTAURANT IN EUROPE IN CHÂTEAU LA COSTE <PW[M _PW ÅZ[\ [I_ PQU QV NZWV\ of the television cameras of Chef ’s Table remember him dealing with M`\MUXWZIVMW][ ÆIUM[ _QTL TIVLscapes, primordial surroundings. That slightly naïve approach to the kitchen, and to life as well, is a quality that Francis Mallmann, 61 years old, is still proud of. Born in Argentina, in the Buenos Aires region, and the ambassador of a Patagonian culinary movement which he has dedicated himself to over decades of his career, today Mallmann is a celebrity recognized not only in South America. He is also a capable restaurant entrepreneur. Strongly attached to his roots and his own territory – in Argentina and Uruguay he manages various restaurants – over time he has also exported his gastronomic phi-

losophy north. In Miami, his name is on the kitchen of Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann, in the Faena Hotel since 2015. In the past, in the early years of his career, a 20-year-old Mallman went to Paris to learn the basics of classic cuisine from the greatest French masters of the day, a direction that Mallmann abandoned when he returned to Argentina. Instead, he followed a more passionate, individual path. *]\ VW_ UIVa aMIZ[ IN\MZ PQ[ ÅZ[\ French experience, Mallmann has decided to return to Europe and WXMV PQ[ ÅZ[\ ZM[\I]ZIV\ QV \PM 7TL World, inside one of the most celebrated wineries of Provence, north of Aix-en-Provence, Château La Coste, noted also for its open air gallery of contemporary art. The chef has dedicated the place of

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honor to a grand grill, which is almost an artistic installation itself. It will be used to slowly cook large K]\[ WN UMI\ IVL _PWTM Å[P :M[taurant Mallmann, as the sign proclaims, completes the wine estate’s food offerings, which also include the cooking of Tadao Ando, Restaurant Louison – Gerald Passedat, the Terrasse café and an exemplary kitchen garden designed by Louis Benech.

WINE AND ECONIMY

SPAIN. THE NEW RIOJA TAKES SHAPE DOP Rioja is taking a further step towards improving its quality and upgrading local production. After an overhaul of the Reserva and Gran Reserva categories, which will go into effect in 2019, the denomination’s control board approved a second step in its 2020 strategic plan, introducing the option for producers to indicate a single vineyard on their labels. Consumers look for more [XMKQÅKQ\a _PMV \PMa X]ZKPI[M _QVM IVL \PM KPIVOM has been requested for over a year by the hundreds of grape growers who signed a petition to favor quality. <PQ[ UWLQÅKI\QWV UMM\[ \PM LMUIVL[ WN M`XWZ\ UIZSM\[ which have increased steadily over seven years, from 339 million euros in 2010 to 503.6 million in 2016 (+1.8% over 2015, at an average price of 4.32 euros/liter), gaining on the great international denominations, including Italy, according to a recent Nielsen-OeMv study. 0IVL PIZ^M[\QVO aQMTL[ [UITTMZ \PIV \PI\ Å`ML Ja regulations, complete traceability of the product, and double quality control (physical-chemical and sensory)

before release are some of the requirements set in place by the Consejo Regulador. The board is also examining the use of added geographical mentions on labels. Another market-driven item is the introduction, for the ÅZ[\ \QUM WN JW\\TM NMZUMV\ML [XIZSTQVO _QVM JW\P _PQ\M and rosé. For the oldest Spanish DOP, and the country’s best known wine brand around the world, this amounts to important repositioning. The denomination has made a contribution to large retailer and HORECA increases in wine consumption seen all over Spain, +4.1% in volume and +7.8% in value in 2016.

A TRIBUTE TO DOMENICO CLERICO. FAREWELL TO ONE OF THE BAROLO’S GREATEST PRODUCERS. globe and uncorking not only his own labels, but the best Italian and French bottles.” This was the editorial in Gambero Rosso, which continued, “Success came early and was well-deserved, with his Barolo Ciabot 5MV\QV /QVM[\ZI ÅZ[\ IVL \PMV 8IRIVI PQ[ XIQVN]T Percristina and extravagant Aeroplanservaj, as well as many other labels that were genuine expressions of his vineyards. Little by little over the years, the number of ÅVM KZ][ OZM_ ?M ZMUMUJMZ PQU [UQTQVO IVL OMVMZous, passionate and innovative, capable and stubborn in the countryside and in his cellars, a force of nature who gave the world great, great wines.”

Born in 1950, Domenico Clerico was one of the Italian wine world’s greatest innovators. In 1976 he took charge of the family winery in Monforte d’Alba and decided to devote himself to Barolo. Today his winery measures 21 hectares and exports excellent wine to over 40 countries around the world. “He began in 1976 and immediately ‘demonstrated that he had clear ideas. He wanted to shake up the Barolo microcosm and make it great, showing young people entering the sector that the profession of winemaker could be a proud one in the Langhe. Domenico reached his goal, working hard J]\ [\QTT ÅVLQVO \QUM \W [XMVL _Q\P PQ[ NZQMVL[ WXMVQVO his cellars to passionate wine lovers from around the

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IN MONTALCINO, POGGIO ANTICO SOLD TO BELGIAN ATLASINVEST After a few months of negotiation, the owners of Poggio Antico received an offer they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t refuse from AtlasInvest, a private holding company based in Brussels, active in the oil, gas and renewable energy sector since 2007, and led by Marcel van Poecke, also head of Carlyle International Energy Partners. Paola Gloder IVL PMZ P][JIVL )TJMZ\W 5WV\MĂ&#x2026;WZQ [WTL WN \PMQZ shares of the Montalcino winery (which produces between 100,000 and 120,000 bottles per year), one of the most prestigious names in the Tuscan denomination. The price agreed upon was not revealed, and only a press release from Poggio Antico announced the change of ownership. The Belgians, who are investing in wine NWZ \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ \QUM JW]OP\ \PM MV\QZM M[\I\M" PMK\IZM[ of land of which 32 are vineyard (28 Brunello), machinery, cellar, winemaking facilities and warehouse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These are capable people that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve known for a long time,â&#x20AC;? Paola Gloder told Gambero Rosso, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I am sure they

will do well, following in the path of high quality that our winery undertook years ago.â&#x20AC;? Gloder and MonteĂ&#x2026;WZQ _QTT VW\ TMI^M \PM M[\I\M O]IZIV\MMQVO I [UWW\P transition, and will be working with the new head, FedMZQKW <ZW[\ [\IZ\QVO WV )]O][\ Âš?M _QTT JM PMZM NWZ I _PQTM Âş /TWLMZ KWVKT]LML Âš?M IZM VW\ XTIVVQVO IVa other adventures.â&#x20AC;?

EXPORT. UNDER PAR PERFORMANCE BY ITALIAN WINE IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 2017. LEADERSHIP IN THE USA, SWITZERLAND AND NORWAY AT RISK. FRANCE COULD OVERTAKE ITALY. ket. In Switzerland, another country in which Italy ZQ[S[ TW[QVO W]\ \W .ZIVKM \PM OZW_\P QV \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ Ă&#x2026;^M months of 2017 compared to the same period last year stopped at 1%. (France was up 39.1% and the average for bottled still wines was +10.3%). The total value for imported Italian wine was 144 million euros, compared to 138 million for the French. Another more imminent position loss might take place in Norway. Italy risks losing its leadership position to France here as well. Made in Italy exports to Norway amounted to 36.4 million euros, compared to 33.9 million for the French. The only countries (from the seven available at the moment) where bottled still wines from Italy performed well were China (+11.6%) and Brazil (+43.7%).

The United States, Switzerland and Norway are three key countries for Italian wine, but Italy risks losing its leadership position to its arch rival, France. Data from Osservatorio Paesi Terzi of Business Strategies, in colTIJWZI\QWV _Q\P 6WUQ[UI ?QVM 5WVQ\WZ KWVKMZVQVO imports into the principal markets, updated their cus\WU[ [\I\Q[\QK[ NWZ \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ Ă&#x2026;^M UWV\P[ WN <PM data include USA, China, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil, Norway and South Korea). The greatest concern, naturally, is with the USA where imports of Italian wine for January through May are down, not only compared to the French (+14.2%) but also relative to overall wine QUXWZ\[ _PQKP OZM_ QV Ă&#x2026;^M UWV\P[ \W JQTTQWV dollars. For Italy, all indicators are below average. Sparkling wines slowed to +5.2% (average global imports in dollars in the sector are up 6%, with French champagne up 8.5%). Bottled reds went down 1.2%, compared to +16.7% for France and a +2.1% import average. Bulk wines were stable, but their share of export to the United States is very marginal (1.5%). The overall value of Italian wine imports was about 727 million dollars, compared to the 674 million dollars imported from France. If the trend continues, by next fall the French could be ahead in Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principal market. The brake on bottled Italian still wines was not only felt in the American mar9

JULY-AUGUST 2017

EVENTS ABROAD

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

FRANCIACORTA PLAYS GROWING ROLE ON INTERNATIONAL TABLES

ranciacorta’s entire production amounts to 17 million bottles annually – a small number on the world’s sparkling wine scene. Consider that Champagne turns out 350 million bottles and Prosecco has topped 600 million. Moreover, about 80% of Lombardy’s bubbly is consumed within Italy. But something is changing, and after years of work, .ZIVKQIKWZ\I Q[ ÅVLQVO Q\[ XW[Q\QWV QV \PM _WZTL¼[ UIZkets. This season saw Bellavista, the Erbusco winery celebrating its fortieth anniversary, win the Gambero Winery of the Year award. The Terra Moretti group, which besides Bellavista includes Contadi Castaldi in Franciacorta, Petra and Tenuta La Badiola in Tuscany, and the recently acquired Sella & Mosca in Sardinia, went around the world with Gambero Rosso, meeting journalists, encountering different palates and great Italian chefs on the globe. 10 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TORONTO

11 JULY-AUGUST 2017

HONG KONG

LONDON

BORDEAUX 12 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TOKYO WINE OF THE MONTH

AUSTIN

NEW YOR

13 JULY-AUGUST 2017

WINE OF THE MONTH

by Lorenzo Ruggeriri

Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2014

CAMPANIA SURPRISE

Luigi Tecce ex-cellar price: 25,00 euros+taxes This month’s wine introduces us to one of the most unexpected and authentic characters on the Italian wine scene: Luigi Tecce. Southern Italy, Campania, Irpinia, Paternopoli. The two striking aspects of his wines are personality and unpredictability. We had to climb up high on \PM PQTT[QLM \W ÅVL PQU QV PQ[ 8I\MZVWXWTQ ^QVMyards, where the clayey nature of the terrain increases the impact of limestone and sand. <MKKM¼[ _QVM[ IZM VMQ\PMZ KTIZQÅML WZ ÅT\MZML IVL []TN]Z TM^MT[ ZIZMTa OW IJW^M UQTTQOZIU[ XMZ TQ\MZ >QVQÅKI\QWV IVL IOQVO ^IZa LMXMVLQVO WV \PM ^QV\IOM aMIZ J]\ \PMa KITT WV IUXPWZIM open chestnut casks, barrels and a long stay on lees. Production yields are extremely low and only two wines are made, both in small quantities: a Taurasi and an Irpinia Campi Taurasini. The latter impressed us deeply during our last tasting of Campania’s wines. While we were blind-tasting dozens upon dozens of wines, we [\WXXML _PMV _M ZMIKPML \PQ[ ?M KW]TLV¼\ resist – we drank it. The more we swished it IZW]VL \PM OTI[[ \PM TQ^MTQMZ \PI\ LMTQKQW][ LIZS fruit became. Notes of black tea and pepper MUMZOML <PM XITI\M OI^M ][ [ITQVM ZMIK\Q^M [MVsations, honest and direct, opening the stomach and stimulating appetite in an amazing way. We imagined it accompanying generous tagliatelle _Q\P TIUJ [I]KM IVL I [XZQVSTM WN KIKQWKI^ITTW cheese – dreaming while wide awake. 14 JULY-AUGUST 2017

C:41 M:0 Y:94 K0

Lingotto Fiere Turin November 17th - 19th, 2017

Gourmet Food Festival Making, Tasting, Learning, Buying A square full of taste that fits real foodies 15

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www.gourmetfoodfestival.it

SUM PAIR

PAIRING

drawings by Chiara Buosi

Caprese salad

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO

Octopus and potato salad with Taggiasca olives

VITTORIA FRAPPATO (SLIGHTLY CHILLED)

Prosciutto and melon FRIULANO 16 JULY-AUGUST 2017

MER ING Pasta salad with tuna, cherry tomatoes, capers and olives LUGANA

Beef carpaccio, arugula and grana Padano cheese

OP CRUASÉ (SPARKLING ROSÈ)

Strawberry crumble with whipped cream

MOSCATO D'ASTI

17 JULY-AUGUST 2017

DESIGN

by Francesco Seccagno

DESIGN FOOD Tools. Let’s talk a bit about those objects that are indispensable in the kitchen but not always admired for their aesthetic appeal. We look at glamorous wine glasses from a famous Austrian glassmaker and at humble mono-use paper containers and immersion blenders. Even these can be handsome as well as functional. And finally, we discover that a hardworking garbage disposal unit, seldom seen in Italy, can be a beautiful object.

INFINY FORCE ULTIMATE | MOULINEX | GROUPE SEB ITALIA | MILANO | VIA MONTEFELTRO, 4 TEL. 02 4882955 - 02 457751 | WWW.MOULINEX.IT This is the immersion mixer par excellence. Its 1,000 watts make it the most powerful of the immersion UQ`MZ[ NZWU 5W]TQVM` \PM TMILQVO ÅZU QV \PM /ZW]XM SEB. Its technology is called ActivFlow, consisting of 2 internal straight blades for extreme blending, 2 external curved blades for gathering everything, and 25 speeds plus Turbo. Its soft-touch covering makes it more comfortable to use, as does its ergonomic shape. The mixer features anti-splash protection and a 500 ml container with an anti-slide base. Its handsome design looks good on the kitchen counter.

LINEA PASTICCERIA CON LUCA MONTERSINO | CUKI | VOLPIANO (TO) | S.DA BRANDIZZO, 130 | TEL. 011 98281 | WWW.CUKI.IT | WWW.CUKICOFRESCO.COM After the revolution of single-use aluminum, here come single-use oven paper pans, nonstick, and requiring no fat. They have been designed by Cuki in collaboration with world-famous pastry chef, Luca Montersino. These disposable containers are perfect for oven-baking tarts are perfectfor W^MV JISQVO \IZ\[ U]NÅV[ XW]VL KISM[ IVL UWZM I[ _MTT I[ [W]NÆu[ IVL \MZZQVM[ J]\ KIV IT[W be used in the micro-wave. These are handsome and useful kitchen helpers, and are perfectly suitable for bringing to the table as well.

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DISSIPATORE EVOLUTION 250 | INSINKERATOR | ST. LOUIS (USA) | TEL. 800 331 800 - 039 205 7501| WWW.INSINKERATOR.IT After its great sucKM[[ QV /ZMI\ *ZQ\ain and the Americas, InSinkErator, the world leader in the production of garbage disposal units, presents its brand-new Showroom Collection in Italy. It revolutionizes the very concept of kitchen \WWT /IZJIOM LQ[XW[IT ]VQ\[ IZM the most immediate and simple system for eliminating food waste. The scraps are ground down to a fine pulp that is easily washed away in the kitchen sink. The Evolution 250 model is not only the most powerful version, but it is also good to look at, elegantly housed in black, satin-finish stainless steel

FATTI A MANO | RIEDEL | KUFSTEIN (AUSTRIA) | WEISSACHSTRASSE, 34 | TEL. +43 5372 64896 | WWW.RIEDEL.COM The new line of crystal glasses from Riedel is called “Fatti a mano”, meaning ‘hand-made’ in Italian. Produced partly by hand and partly by sophisticated machines in the historic factory of Kufstein, they are precision instruments for tasting wine. Designed to bring out the characteristics of different varietals, the glasses are light and elegant, perfectly balanced on their long, slender, colored stems. Yes, colored (black, blue, green, red, yellow and white) to emphasize the link between classic and contemporary glassware. Riedel also offers a special edition of “Fatti a mano” with a black and white spiral stem that requires extraordinary skill and precision on the part of the glassmaker.

19 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

by Gerardo Antelmo

Washington DC The Best Italians in America The American capital is not only the political heart of the country, but it is also a sophisticated city where the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cuisines are especially authentic. The best Italian tables are here. Even home food shopping is aimed at direct contact between consumers and farmers.

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

t’s not surprising that restaurants in Washington, the country’s capital, offer what is probably the best Italian cucina on the continent. Quality is high, considering that we’re on the other side of the Atlantic, and is supported by ingredients coming either from Italy or from American farming states such as nearby Virginia or distant California. Excellent summer tomatoes are abundant in Eastern Market, which has been open since 1873 with both fixed stalls and improvised ones manned by small farmers. Supplies of quality produce are abundant and an increasing number of restaurateurs are buying directly from the growers. Abraham Lincoln, who established the Department of Agriculture, called it “The People’s Department”. Its home is near the National Mall. The culture of good agriculture and good cuisine has a daily presence in Washington, and the population boasts a high percentage of careful consumers from around the world, including Japanese, French and Italians. Shoppers focus on the sensory characteristics of their purchases, rather than on the guide from the Department of Agriculture. This publication, focusing on health, furnishes statistics on fats and sugar but the department allows GMOs, foods from genetically modified organisms, often deplored in Europe. Washington shows its romantic side during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, when 3,000 cherry trees, donated by Japan 110 years ago and cared for religiously since, bloom around the Capitol. Italian cucina is popular in the city and quality is generally high, thanks to Italians who cherish, maintain and update their culinary traditions. Washingtonians eat less cedar-plank salmon every year and more Italian risotto. They drink more Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Cannonau and Aglianico del Vulture and down fewer French bottles. Many Italian restaurateurs deserve reviews in our guide, interpreters of the extraordinarily complex Italian cucina. Here are the best. 22 JULY-AUGUST 2017

Top Italian Restaurants

2017

.i t www.gamberorosso

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN OVER 30 COUNTRIES. THE GUIDE WILL BE AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER IN EBOOK FORMAT

Fiola. Fabio Trabocchi, the Best

ike a gold-seeker in the middle of the 19th century, Fabio Trabocchi, from Osimo in the Ancona province of the Marche, sought his El Dorado. After studying with Gualtiero Marchesi, he bounced between London and New York before finding gold in Washington D.C. In homage to his home territory, he named his restaurant Fiola, which, in Marchigiano dialect means ‘daughter’. Although it began as a regional restaurant, today it serves the best all-around Italian food in Washington. With extreme elegance, summa cum laude service, and a recordbreaking wine list, Fabio Trabocchi serves authentic cucina. Many of his fixed price menus open with glamorous Kumamoto oysters paired with Sorrento IGP lemon granita and delicate caviar. The rich saline of the oysters blends with the refined savor of caviar, both cleansed by the granita. Next are tepid tortellini with ossobuco, pesto and sweetbreads, in which the delicate, typical flavor of the sweetbreads blends well with the savory pesto. The meal ends with fireworks, a selection of desserts from different regions of Italy reinterpreted by the pastry chef. Among them is an unforgettable Sicilian pistachio soufflé tart. “Washington’s restaurant sector is in ferment. It has diversified thanks to restaurateurs and chefs coming from other cities like New York or from other countries. Italians have a special place in the hearts and minds of gastronomically mature Americans. Despite the important role played by the French and Spanish, ours is still the star,” declared Fabio Trabocchi. 23 JULY-AUGUST 2017

FIOLA | WASHINGTON DC | PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW | TEL. +1 (0)202 628 2888 | WWW.FIOLADC.COM

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

Assaggi. The Osteria that politicians love

omenico Cornacchia has been in the United States for 25 years. He opened his Osteria in 2009, a fresh, modern restaurant with an outdoor terrace, a few blocks from CIA headquarters. The place is a favorite with politicians, lobbyists and diplomats from around the world. Service is careful and professional, entrusted to well-trained young Italians. Dinner at an Assaggi table leaves a pleasant memory, such as of salmon trout marinated with fennel, green grapefruit and intensely fruity extra-virgin olive oil. It is a marvelously simple dish with clean flavors in which the natural fattiness of the salmon contrasts with the sweetness of the fennel and the mild acidity of green grapefruit to cleanse the palate. The oil lends aromas of grass and fresh olives. Pan-fried calamari (cooked briefly over high heat) take on a bittersweet note that lobster mushrooms (typical of Canada and New England) render particularly pleasant, conferring a contrasting sensation on the palate. Excellent zucchini blossoms are stuffed with crisp sardines, cherry tomatoes, capers and Cetara anchovy colatura. The wine list covers all Italian regional production with interesting deviations from the classic names. The selections show careful research and thought that is often missing from even the most respected restaurants in other cities. This summer, Assaggi Osteria opened an adjacent Neapolitan-style pizzeria.

24 JULY-AUGUST 2017

ASSAGGI OSTERIA | MC LEAN, VA, 22101 | 6641, OLD DOMINION DRIVE | TEL. +1 (0)703 918 0080 | WWW.ASSAGGIOSTERIA.COM

Al Tiramisu. Introducing goat from Lucania to Americans.

iramisu is one of those restaurants where the personality of the chef stands out above everything else. There would be no Tiramisu without the volcanic, romantic verve of Luigi Diotiaiuti, who landed in Washington twenty-five years ago intent on creating a true Italian restaurant. The identity of Lucania in each dish is clear, an identity that Luigi also tried to pass on to the staff of the Department of State during Barack Obama’s terms. Luigi was born on a farm in the countryside of Lagonegro and studied at the hotel school in the resort of Maratea; he has always been a true ambassador for the Lucania zone. His devotion was such that the region of Basilicata starred him in a documentary called Beauty of Basilicata produced by the James Beard Foundation. The restaurant, located near Dupont Circle, 300 meters from the World Monetary Fund and the World Bank, offers top quality cucina, using ingredients imported directly from Italy. Contact with producers is important for Luigi. He returns to Italy every year to accompany Lucanian shepherds in their biannual transhumance, the moving of their herds between summer and winter pastures. Tiramisu is a temple to pasta, presented in a satisfying array of guises. Luigi is an atypical innovator: he uses modern techniques and serves ancestral foods, starting with goat meat. “Only 3% of Americans know that goats exist, can be eaten, and that their meat is good. Goat is the future of healthy human nutrition. I grew up in the country in the company of 250 goats. I want others to share that experience. The success has been astonishing. That’s what’s beautiful about America – there are enormous, extraordinary, pristine culinary paths to explore.” Tiramisu’s wine list is wide-ranging and deep. 25 JULY-AUGUST 2017

AL TIRAMISU | 2014, P ST NW | WASHINGTON DC 20036 | TEL. +1 (0)202 467 4466 | WWW.ALTIRAMISU.COM

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

Lupo Verde. Romantic Cucina italiana

LUPO VERDE | 1401 T ST NW | 20009 WASHINGTON, DC | TEL. +1 (0)202 827 4752 | WWW.LUPOVERDEDC.COM

ntonio Matarazzo, thirty-eight years old, has been showing the American capital city a kind of cucina italiana that rejects the desire for modernity at all costs. Instead, he affirms a romantic model that is beginning to win over American tastes. His amazing selection of ingredients arrive from Italy every day and he produces an impressive variety of pasta in-house. Fusilli ‘con il ferretto’, made with a knitting needle, as Irpinia’s tradition demands, is topped with meat sauce, half pork and half beef, that simmers over low heat for at least eight hours. The Cheese Room is overseen by an expert that offers almost one hundred Italian cheeses, ranging from the classic to the rare: pecorino alla grappa, l’ubriaco del Piave, Moringhello made from Lombardy’s buffalo milk, Accasciato, from a mixture of cow and buffalo milk. All the selections can be paired with honeys and chutneys from around Italy. Italian artichokes marinated in ice with lemon and orange peel are breaded in a mixture of flours. Crisp outside and delicately tender inside, the earthy flavor of the artichoke is enhanced by the “bagna cauda rivisitata”, a warm garlicky dip based on Cilento’s fatty anchovies. Pork chops, marinated in apple vinegar for four days and then grilled, are crunchy outside and wonderfully tender inside. They are served with a marmalade made from salt-preserved Amalfi lemons that fuses perfectly with the meat’s caramelized vinaigrette. The pork is slow-raised for Lupo Verde by Pig Crafters of Goochland in nearby Virginia. The farm specializes in heritage breed pigs fed on distillery and brewery mash. Lupo Verde’s wine list represents all Italian regions, is not limited to the classics, but offers interesting novelties from the Italian wine scene. 26 JULY-AUGUST 2017

Meno Male. The pizzaiolo’s nativity scene

aster Neapolitan creche artists created the traditional animated nativity scene exhibited in this authentic pizzeria – the nativity itself set in a miniature ancient Neapolitan pizzeria. This plus the KMZ\QÅKI\QWV NZWU \PM )[[WKQIbQWVM >MZIKM 8QbbI 6Ipoletana, represented in the United States by Peppe Miele, helps create the feeling that Naples is all around us, even before we sit down. Ettore Rusciano’s pizzeria, near the Catholic University and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, is also dependably authentic in its use of ingredients that come directly from Naples and Italy. These products are sold in his adjacent grocery store as well. The pizza is properly leavened, with the perfect texture that comes NZWU M`XMZ\ SVMILQVO -I[QTa LQOM[\ML IVL ÆI^WZN]T Q\ Q[ baked in the artisanal oven built to order on site. The MENO MALE PIZZERIA | only shortcoming here is a wine list that measure up to WASHINGTON, DC | \PM XQbbI IT\PW]OP I ÅVM [MTMK\QWV WN KZIN\ JMMZ[ UISM[ 2711 12TH ST NE | up for it. Each one is paired with a different pizza. TEL. +1 (0)202 248 3946 | MENOMALE.US

27 JULY-AUGUST 2017

VINO E TERRITORIO

William Pregentelli collaborated

7 Ć§ 7 Hymn to P A Y

nature

In this part of Tuscany, a few kilometers from its renowned art treasures, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wilder nature shows itself: woods, pasture land and Mediterranean scrub prevail. The Ferragamo family, in a villa on their estate, shows off works ranging from Mantegna to Warhol. Located between Florence and Arezzo, the regal farm that once belonged to Duke Amedeo di Savoia-Aosta is a paradise of biodiversity and sustainability. Its wines benefit.

THE RELAIS 360° OF BEAUTY IN THE NAME OF THE NATION “Since 2013, Il Borro has been part of the prestigious Relais&Chateaux circuit. In the same year I also was its ambassador,” Salvatore Ferragamo told us. “We became part of a welcoming, warm, gourmet world whose members share a passion for their enterprises and for the territory they are part of.” Set in a pristine Tuscan landscape, Il Borro, besides being a working farm, also offers guests the opportunity to stay in one of the many buildings that have been elegantly restored over the years. La Dimora Il Borro is the central nucleus of the estate, a villa built in the mid-19th century that houses luxurious suites. Down from the villa and across a little stone bridge, we come to a medieval village, a place suspended in time, a hotel complex set in perfectly preserved cobblestone streets and romantic piazzette. The estate also has comfortable villas IVL NIZUPW][M[ \PI\ Å\ XMZNMK\Ta QV\W \PMQZ Z]ZIT [M\\QVO <PM [XI [_QUming pools and top-quality food complete a full experience. “Tuscany, Italy and Made in Italy are values in which my family has always believed. In many different ways, we have always sustained and promoted our region,” Ferragamo explained. “Today, more than ever, with travelers _PW IZM TWWSQVO NWZ PQ[\WZa I]\PMV\QKQ\a OMV]QVM ÆI^WZ[ IVL I XZQ[\QVM setting, we see that my father’s vision was ahead of its time.”

29 JULY-AUGUST 2017

here are few Italian farms where you can admire vineyards that stretch away into pristine hills, see a herd of free-ranging Chianina cattle, and immediately afterwards, look at lithographs by Picasso, silk screens by Warhol and engravings by Mantegna. To put together such elements requires not only a marked entrepreneurial gift, but also a unique sensibility. These are characteristics that the Ferragamo family has always demonstrated both in the fashion world and the hospitality sector. A few years ago, they entered the universe of wine. Il Borro is an agricultural enterprise in the area of Valdarno Superiore, run today by Salvatore Ferragamo. It is a microcosm of vineyards, olive groves, woods, prize cattle, an organic vegetable garden and an elegant Relais. Its history can be reconstructed from medieval documents. Salvatore told us its modern story. “It all depended on my father Ferruccio’s love for this land. This was where we spent our summers.” In 1993, the Ferragamo family bought the 750-hectare estate of Duke Amedeo di Savoia-Aosta and began its renovation. By 1995 they JMOIV XTIV\QVO \PM ÅZ[\ ^QVMaIZL[ Today vines cover 45 hectares of the Valdarno di Sopra territory, a zone that was already recognized in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III dei Medici, in a document that regulated the Tuscan areas of greatest importance for winemaking. A change of direction came in 2012 when the Ferragamos decided to make the entire estate run as an organic farm. They put enologist and agronomist Stefano Chioccioli in charge. “That was the most wonderful challenge I ever faced,” he told us. “It called for the total transformation of a conventional farm to an organic one.” The rebirth of Il Borro coincided with a philosophy that Salvatore Ferragamo aimed to carry out in every farm activity. He stated, “The love for this land means, above all, respect: renewable energy, natural fertilizers, no pesticides.” Thanks to a solar en-

VINO E TERRITORIO

ergy installation, Il Borro has negative carbon dioxide emission. Chioccioli M`XTIQVML Âš?PWM^MZ Ă&#x2020;QM[ NZWU 4WVdon to Il Borro produces CO2 emissions that will be balanced out by the end of the second day here in our Relais&Chateau. We can describe our farm as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;autocraticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. We produce the seeds of the legumes and barley that we use to fertilize the vineyards. Our Chianina cattle furnish us with the manure we need to JZQVO JIKS UQKZWĂ&#x2020;WZI \W \PM [WQT *]\ we also use it in biodynamic practices such as the cow horn manure method to increase soil fertility.â&#x20AC;? Other techniques include implementing sexual confusion, introducing antagonistic QV[MK\[ \W Ă&#x2026;OP\ XIZI[Q\M[ IVL ][QVO small quantities of copper to control downy mildew. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We mix organic and biodynamic approaches,â&#x20AC;? Chioccioli said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our only goal is to increase the complexity of the vineyard ecosystem and reduce environmental impact to a minimum.â&#x20AC;? Cellar work also uses a low-intervention strategy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The role of the enologist changes from actor to spectator. We verify that everything proceeds according to natural processes, integrated with the correct doses WN \MKPVWTWOa >QVQĂ&#x2026;KI\QWV Q[ \ZILQtional, with long, delicate maceration on skins. Then the wine ages in amphorae or in small and large barrels. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what it amounts to, attention and respect for the terroir.â&#x20AC;? Salvatore Ferragamo added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The estate is in continual evolution. We have many projects that will involve us in the near future. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re continuing with our franchising of Il Borro Tuscan Bistro. Organic farming will bring new products to the marketplace. Our honey is already a reality. Inside the estate we continue to work to guarantee the standards of the services we offer and increase the opportunity for visitors to have a memorable experience at Il Borro.â&#x20AC;? IL BORRO | LORO CIUFFENNA (AR) | FRAZ. SAN GIUSTINO VALDARNO | LOC. IL BORRO, 1 | TEL. 055 977053 | WWW.ILBORRO.IT TEL. 055 977053 | WWW.ILBORRO.IT

ART FROM MANTEGNA TO WARHOL A GALLERY OF ENGRAVINGS IN THE WINERY From Mantegna to Goya, from Rembrandt to DĂźrer, even Picasso and Warhol â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are only some of the great names that look down from \PM _ITT[ WN \PM /ITTMZQI >QVW )Z\M WV \PM 1T *WZZW M[\I\M <PM M`PQJQtion space emerged from an idea of Ferruccio Ferragamoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Salvatore \WTL ][ Âš?Q\P \PM XTIV\QVO WN \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ ^QVMaIZL[ Ua NI\PMZ JMOIV \W J]a rare engravings, etchings and other works of art on the theme of wine. Over the years, he also received many as gifts. They express the deep connection between art and wine, something that has inspired artists in every era.â&#x20AC;? The space is dedicated to Bacchusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nectar and its importance in daily life, a journey that takes the visitor to sections about the Bacchanalia, Christian traditions, and domestic life even including considerations about the abuse of wine and the addiction that can come from drink. The exhibition, curated by Martina Becattini, represents â&#x20AC;&#x153;the estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jewel in the crown,â&#x20AC;? according to Salvatore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and a perfect introduction to a visit to the cellars underneath it.â&#x20AC;?

THE LABELS NEW: A 100% ORGANIC DOC Âš;QVKM ITT W]Z TIJMT[ LQ[XTIa WZOIVQK KMZ\QĂ&#x2026;KI\QWV <PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ NW]Z \W [PW_ \PM WNĂ&#x2026;KQIT XPZI[M IZM :W[I\W LMT *WZZW NZWU [IVOQW^M[M OZIXM[ Lamelle, a chardonnay, Borrigiano and Petruna,â&#x20AC;? Stefano Chioccioli told us. These last two labels also represent a further change, having been designed to complete the range of labels and to continue down the organic road with even more commitment. BorriOQIVW Âź Q[ \PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ *WZZW _QVM \W PI^M \PM >ITLIZVW LQ ;WXZI denomination on the label, the only Italian DOC requiring organic cultivation of its grapes. It is a blend of merlot (40%), syrah (35%) and sangiovese (25%), aged in large wooden casks. The wine is expressive and fresh, fragrant with ripe dark berry aromas, with hints of pepper rendering the bouY]M\ M^MV UWZM QV\ZQO]QVO <PM XITI\M Q[ [UWW\P _Q\P Ă&#x2026;VM tannins, and taut, thanks to balanced acidity. Spicy sen[I\QWV[ ZM\]ZV WV \PM Ă&#x2026;VQ[P 8M\Z]VI Âź Q[ I UWVW^IZQM\IT ;IVOQW^M[M ^QVQĂ&#x2026;ML QV IUXPWZI IVL IOML WV Q\[ skins for a year. On the nose, it displays cherries and ripe strawberries. In the mouth, although the vintage year was quite hot, it has little dynamism and seems slightly braked. We tasted the 2016 year as well, directly from the amphora, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure it will give great satisfaction.

L’OSTERIA EVOLVED TUSCAN TRADITION In this unique place in the Loro Ciuffenna )ZMbbW bWVM \PMZM PIL \W JM M`KMTTMV\ MI\QVO places. L’Osteria del Borro, the Tuscan Bistrò IVL >QVKINv IZM \PM \PZMM WX\QWV[ WNNMZML \W guests on the estate and to outsiders by chef )VLZMI +IUXIVQ <PMa MIKP XZW^QLM I OZMI\ culinary experience, his idea of cucina. L’Osteria del Borro is the gourmet soul, with dishM[ QV _PQKP )VLZMI TWWS[ LMMXTa QV\W <][KIV tradition and renders it more evolved, cleanMZ IVL UWZM ZMÅVML [XW\TQOP\QVO Q\[ QVOZMLQents. Many products are grown organically on the estate itself. Campani doesn’t deviate WZ J]QTL \WW U]KP WV \PM[M KTI[[QK[ >QV+INv instead, is more informal and adapted to Y]QKS TQOP\ UMIT[ )VL ÅVITTa \PMZM¼[ <][can Bistrò, a blend of restaurant, wine bar and bottega, in which Tuscany’s most genuine and traditional wine and food is celebratML )TZMILa XZM[MV\ QV .TWZMVKM I JZIVKP WN the bistro recently opened in Dubai, inside \PM T]`]ZQW][ )T 6I[MMU 5ILQVI\ 2]UMQZIP Hotel. Here authentic, product-based cucina carries the banner of Italian food, winning our prize for best Italian Restaurant in Dubai from our guide Top Italian Restaurants, coming out in the fall of 2017.

SALVATORE AND FERRUCCIO FERRAGAMO

GREAT VERTICAL TASTINGS

by Giuseppe Carrus Photography by Mauro Prevete

Vermentino di Sardegna Tuvaoes is thirty years old. In 1986, this variety first demonstrated the great potential of Sardinian wines. The most interesting vintage years from 1986 to 2016 tell the story and convey the commitment of the Cherchi family. Their meticulous work was begun in the 1970s by Giovanni Maria, the wineryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder. He was a true vigneron who was the first to bet on quality viticulture in the Usini territory.

TUVAOES The Vermentino that defied time

33 JULY-AUGUST 2 2017

GREAT VERTICAL TASTINGS

Located in the northwest part of Sardinia, Usini is a small town of 5,000 not far from ;I[[IZQ <PM ÅZ[\ ZMKWZL[ WN Q\[ agricultural superiority date back to the Pre-Nuragic era, to evidence of fertile lands suitable for cultivation and the presence of springs and rivers. In recent times, it has always been seen as a territory for vineyards, so much so that Usini has called itself the Paese del Vino, The Wine Town. The vineyards are planted at over 200 meters above sea level, alternating with olive groves, wild MediterraVMIV [KZ]J OZW_\P IVL XTIV\ML ÅMTL[ The vines enjoy the breezes that come NZWU \PM [MI IVL JMVMÅ\ NZWU [\ZWVO temperature swings. The soil is mostly calcareous and clayey. Giovanni Maria Cherchi, nicknamed Billìa, founded the winery is 1970, starting with two hectares of vineyard he inherited. He understood the potential of the territory immediately and focused on two varieties. Cagnulari is a red-berried grape that is found only in this area, and thanks to him, it has become a reference point for the islanders. Vermentino, which grows all over Sardinia, is a grape that offers very different sensations according to the terroir. His project was ambitions, but doable, a dream that became reality. He wanted to “produce quality wines that can convey the power and soul of an authentic territory,” he said. Today Salvatore Cherchi manages the winery together with his sister Grazia. The two hectares have grown to thirty. Besides vermentino (60%) and cagnulari (35%), there are also cannonau vineyards. “In 2000, we built new winemaking facilities, to handle the quantities we were producing,” Salvatore told us. “We have all the grapes located in two areas. In the northwestern part, the soil is clayey. In the north and southeast, we have limestone.” The wines are divided among three lines, according to the ages of the vines. The Billìa line is from the younger vines. The Classic line in-

VINICOLA CHERCHI | LOC. SA PALA ‘E SA CHESSA | USINI (SS) | TEL. +39 079 380273 | WWW.VINICOLACHERCHI.COM

cludes Tuvaoes, Cagnulari, Cannonau and also Luzzana, a blend of the two red grapes grown. The Speciale labels are the result of experiments continually going on in the winery. These are Filighe, a metodo classico from vermentino that is aged on its lees for 24 months, and Tokaterra, a dried-grape vermentino. “In this experimentation,” Cherchi explained, “we had the idea of producing a Vermentino with the potential of aging well. That’s already clear with the “30 Vendemmie” label (30 vintages), a blend of three harvests made to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Tuvaoes. But we’re thinking about a Vermentino, perhaps even Tuvaoes that will be released later, and not, as is usual, a few months from the harvest. We want others to understand that we invest and commit ourselves to the longevity of varieties 34 JULY-AUGUST 2017

in the Usini territory.” <]^IWM[ _I[ ÅZ[\ XZWL]KML QV ! with the word Vigna (vineyard) in NZWV\ WN Q\ J]\ [QVKM ! \PM VIUM has been simply Tuvaoes. <PI\ aMIZ Q\ _WV \PM ÅZ[\ <ZM *QKKPQeri award in Sardinia’s history. Today the name of the wine is Vermentino di Sardegna Tuvaoes. It’s too bad that in 2017 it isn’t possible to refer to Usini or use the word Vigna. There seems, however, to be a desire on the part of the municipality and its institutions, along with individual producers, to obtain a DOC Usini. It would be a great victory for this marvelous zone, and would honor the vision of Billìa Cherchi. He was already thinking of Usini as a true expression of a centuries-old wine culture when he started out in 1970.

GIOVANNI MARIA CHERCHI SALVATORE CHERCHI

35 JULY-AUGUST 2017

THE VERTICAL TASTING

VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA TUVAOES 2016 | 88

Brilliant straw yellow shade. Complex and expressive nose on notes of citrus fruit, anise IVL ÆWZIT \WVM[ <PM XITI\M is savory, with light sweetness, IVL I \I[\a TWVO ÅVQ[P <PM ZMsult of a very balanced vintage year, excellent for grape quality. The wine is notable for its cleanliness and freshness.

2015 | 84

The hot vintage year is evident right from the color, a very intense straw-yellow. The nose is initially yeasty, but opens QV\W ÆWZIT \WVM[ WN XWTTMV IVL a light sensation of honey. In the mouth, the heat of alcohol is noticeable, but is then wellbalanced by good sapidity. <PM ÅVQ[P Q[ LMMX J]\ [TQOP\Ta dried by alcohol warmth.

2014 | 90

An excellent vintage year, cool and constant, in sharp contrast to the vintage year in many other zones of Italy. The straw color presages a nose played on notes of bitter almond, anise and aromatic herbs. The palate is wonderN]TTa UW]\P ÅTTQVO [I^WZa IVL dynamic, offering excellent freshness, sapidity, and exemplary length.

2013 | 89

Four years later we already ÅVL W]Z[MT^M[ _Q\P I _QVM WN great complexity that seems to be aging very well. The nose is incredible for its richness and variety of aromas, beginning _Q\P _QTL ÆW_MZ[ IVL UW^QVO on to sensations of hydrocarbon. The palate is vibrant, slim,

tonic, long, savory and pleasIV\Ta NZM[P WV \PM ÅVQ[P

<PM ÅVQ[P Q[ IT[W IJW]\ I ZMturn to the smoky notes.

2010 | Not evaluated

2003 | 87

The bottle was not in perfect shape, and the nose was very evolved with degraded aromatic tones. The palate reacquired sapidity, but the evolved aroma remained dominant. The wine was fascinating for this reason as well – some bottles are less fortunate.

A very hot, muggy vintage year that nevertheless turned out a wine better than expected. The nose offers a very particular spectrum of wax, resin, pollen and honey. Then hazelnut emerges and oxidized notes that hint at candied orange peel. The palI\M Q[ _IZU UW]\P ÅTTQVO IVL rhythmic thanks to sapidity that is almost spicy and to a [TQOP\Ta \IVVQK ÅVQ[P

2009 | 82

The result of a particularly hot vintage year (clearly perceptible), the 2009 offers evident evolved notes on the nose, but also very fascinating sensations of dried fruit, ripe apricot and candied orange. The palate is savory and still fresh. Notes perceived on the VW[M ZM MUMZOM WV \PM ÅVQ[P

2002 | 85 A vintage year that’s all about an evolved, but very fascinating nose: notes of dried fruit, toasted almond and hazelnut. Its evolution doesn’t spoil its drinkability: in the mouth it is pleasantly savory, almost spicy, lightly tannic and with an as\ZQVOMV\ ÅVQ[P \PI\ ZMVLMZ[ Q\ austere, hard and clenched. Excellent depth with notes of hydrocarbon and smoke.

2008 | 91

One of the best bottles we tasted. The color is golden with few youthful straw-yellow highlights. The nose has incredible complexity and cleanliness, with tertiary notes of moss, noble resins and dried herbs which leave space NWZ [\QTT TQ^MTa NZ]Q\ 7V \PM ÅVish, hydrocarbon notes precede a sincere and honest palate, energetic and rhythmic.

1996 | 88

Going back twenty years can be fascinating, even more so if the nose offers notes of iron, almost rusty ones, that then make space for nuances of camphor, dried herbs, sandalwood, potpourri. The palate is saline and rhythmic. Here too it is slightly astringent and spicy, pushing the wine to_IZL[ I LMMX ÆI^WZN]T ÅVQ[P

2004 | 90 Another great bottle that provides fascinating sensations, especially on the nose, where it displays smoky aromas of saffron, mountain herbs along with marine and iodine notes. The mouth is fresh, energetic, ÆI^WZN]T TWVO IVL KTMIV

1993 | 92

Another of the most effective vintages in the series. The color is an intense, brilliant golden yellow that leads

36 JULY-AUGUST 2017

into a nose all about notes of wax, pollen, greens and noble resins. The palate is surprising in its freshness and sapidity, showing its youthfulness, aided by its depth and by a rhythmic, vibrant mouthfeel.

1988 | 95

We must mention the Tre BicKPQMZQ I_IZLML \W <]^IWM[ » \PM ÅZ[\ \QUM \PM >QVQ L¼1\ITQI guide recognized a Sardinian wine. Thirty years later, the wine offers an excellent nose, still varietal in some ways and all about green notes of celery, resin, wild herbs, curry plant and daisies. The palate seems almost to have sweetness in the background, alternating with savory and iodine sensa\QWV[ <PM ÅVQ[P ^MZa XTMI[IV\ and clean, is marked by aromas of candied fruit. A true masterpiece.

1987 | 90

Another unexpected wine that handles the passing years with serenity. On the nose,

SALVATORE CHERCHI AND GIUSEPPE CARRUS

complexity is classic, played out on notes of pollen, wax, resin and honey. The palate is wonderful, vibrant, savory, long, and still showing a good acidic backbone that lightens the mouthfeel and lends freshness and rhythm.

1986 | 93

<PM ÅZ[\ ^QV\IOM aMIZ 1\¼[ LQNÅK]T\ \W [XMIS JILTa WN >MZmentino di Usini, Selezione Billìa, the fruit of a single vineyard and the brainchild of Giovanni Maria Cherchi, the winery’s founder. The palate is very fascinating, starting with toasted and roasted sensations and moving on to savory, fresh and lightly tannic ones. The nose won us over for its complexity and variety, with sensations that alternated between tertiary aromas and still-youthful nuances. What emerges is a fragrance of authentic Sardinia, with notes ranging from curry plant and Mediterranean brush to aromas of iodine.

30 VINTAGE YEARS,

THE ULTIMATE TEST A tasting to which the Cuvée 30 Vendemmie was added, a blend of three different vintage years, (50% wine from 2013, 25% from 2012, and 25% from 2011), made to celebrate the great wine of Usini.

37 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

by Giuseppe Carrus

Oliena Where Cannonau is called Nepente

38 JULY-AUGUST 2017

“Oliena…is a marvelous town at the foot of the most beautiful mountain that God ever created. It produces a wine which embodies all the essences of our land – myrtle, strawberry tree, cistus, lentiscus.” These are the words of Salvatore Satta in his book, The Day of Judgment. Here is a corner of Sardinia to explore.

39 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

ur journey has to begin in the cooperative winery of Oliena. We can’t help reading, on the walls of the renovated building, verses from Gabriele D’Annunzio, Salvatore Satta, and Grazia Deledda in which these poets mentioned Oliena and Nepente wine. All who come to Oliena are impressed by Moute Corrasi, the extraordinary massive rock that looms over the town. The mountain dominates woods that alternate with vineyards, olive groves, and swaths of Mediterranean scrub. But Oliena is also an interesting historic town with eleven churches and an artistic patrimony of gold work and embroidery. We are about ten kilometers from Nuoro in the Barbagia zone of Sardinia. This little town, with a population of about 7,000, still exudes an atmosphere of history and culture. The streets are made WN KWJJTM[\WVM[ \PI\ Å\ WVM QV\W the next. They seem to elevate the houses, all well-preserved and connected to each other. Almost all the historic dwellings have an internal courtyard and an impressive granite staircase that leads to the second ÆWWZ _PMZM \PM SQ\KPMV LWUQVI\M[ Outside, along the village streets, wall paintings tell stories of hope. The surroundings are dense with archeological sites to visit. “Oliena is a fortunate town. It has a naturally beautiful environment that lends itself to top quality wine production,” explained Giovanna Congiu, one of the three founders of Galaveras, the tourist organization of Oliena committed to promoting the territory. “Our land gives us fabulous ingredients. Let’s start with extra-virgin olive oil. Most of the olive trees are grafted and produce Nera di Oliena. This product gives us an oil that is deeply important to the territory. The same is true for grapes and wine,

HÒRO THE ARTISTIC SWEETS OF

ANNA GARDU

She thinks of them as her children, children made from almond paste. She creates, models and gives them life. Anna Gardu, from Oliena, always watched her mother work producing traditional Sardinian sweets, above all those made with almond paste. In Anna’s head, though, it wasn’t about making sweets, but more like modeling clay, creating vases. Her hands began by shaping almond paste and in time, art began to emerge. Recognition and praise from politicians and even the Pope never transformed these creations into a business, despite requests from all over the world. Anna’s satisfaction comes from the fact that new almond trees are being planted in Oliena, guaranteeing a territorial process that generates long-term value. In the meantime, she continues to create: jewelry, amulets, coral, paintings inspired by the Nativity or by other religions, merry hens (a recurring theme in Sardinian handicrafts), traditional masks, shawls and representations of Sardinian costumes. Everything, everything is edible, created in almond paste, sugar and other household inOZMLQMV\[ -I\QVO \PM[M KZMI\QWV[ Q[ LQNÅK]T\ 4WWSQVO I\ \PMU [I\Q[ÅM[ ITT \PM [MV[M[

40 JULY-AUGUST 2017

for wheat and for pasta, for almonds and sweets. Traditions have been handed down for generations and have been preserved.” Oliena’s economy is based on small producers. There are no large companies, only family-run businesses _PMZM Y]IV\Q\QM[ []NÅKQMV\ NWZ \PM community are turned out daily. The restaurateurs treasure this fact. “Think about maccarrones de busa. It is a craft pasta made with knitting needles,” Giovanna Congiu pointed out. “Or maccarrones a bocciu. They are made with the reverse side of the grater which forms a little curl. We have cheese ravioli and casadinas salias, little savory cheese tarts. Among desserts are meligheddas (almond paste sweets shaped like fruit), apple butter (made with honey and almonds) “or the traditional Olianese biscotto” (called su pistoccu in sa cappa). “There are many traditional breads, too. Sas XIVMLLI[ IZM 7TQMVI ÆI\ JZMIL[ All this is set in a unique natural context, among rocks, forests, waterfalls and archeological sites.”Oliena is under Monte Corrasi. Coming from Nuoro, you see immediately how the massif dominates the town,” Giovanna Congiu reminded us. “Not far from Oliena is the source of Su Gologone, the largest origin of karst water in Sardinia and the symbol of this territory. From Su Gologone we come to the Valle di Lanaitto and the Nuragic villages of Sas Sedda and Sos Carros, where there is a sacred fountain with an elaborate water system. Sa Oche and the Grotta Corbeddu (see box) are remarkable. The valley is a starting point for a series of naturalistic itineraries that lead to Tiscali, towards Dorgali, and the route that goes from Monte Maccione towards Punta Corrasi, which starts in a forest and leads us to a lunar landscape.” The name Oliena is powerfully 41 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

linked to its wine, and during his stay in this area, D’Annunzio wrote in the preface to “Italian Inns” by Hans Barth, “You’ve never heard of Nepente d’Oliena? A pity. I’m sure that if you drank even a sip, you would never want to leave the shade of its white cliffs. You would choose for your hermitage one of the cells sculpted in the stone that the Sardinians call Domos de Janas so as to live like a sponge in ecstasy between large and small wine barrels. I only know it from its odor, and the odor is enough to intoxicate me.” If Oliena is known around Italy and the world, it’s also thanks to its unique Cannonau and the subzone Nepente di Oliena within the regional DOC. The cooperative winery has defended the good name of the winemaking town. Although it is small compared to other Sardinian cooperatives, it is solid, and supports an economic and cultural fabric tied to wine. “Our strength is in the vineyards which grow between 150 and 700 meters above sea level on many different types of soil – granite, limestone and clay. The winery,” enologist Daniele Manca told us, “depends on about 100 members who own an average of a hectare of property each. The true patrimony is represented by the old alberello vineyards. Some are more than 80 years old. Ninety percent of them are cannonau, but there is also a small part of granazza, an aromatic and indigenous white grape used for dried-raisin wines. The naturally low yields (50 quintals per hectare is the average) O]IZIV\MM \PI\ _M ÅVL QV \PM OTI[[ the unique quality and character of the territory. The subzone,” Manca continued, “is deeply felt by all. <PM ÅZ[\ UMM\QVO[ PI^M JMMV PMTL between the municipality, the winery and the contributing members to create a DOCG Oliena. 42 JULY-AUGUST 2017

I see it as a DOCG that concentrates more on the territory than the variety. If historically there are some small percentages of grapes that have perfectly adapted, then they should be included. To stigmatize that reality by introducing regulations means making rules that don’t correspond with what Oliena’s grapegrowers already do.” Nina Puddu is convinced that Nepente di Oliena should be showcased more and that it should become a true territorial brand. Nina, owner of the winery that bears her name, along with her brothers Paolo and Francesco, produces 70,000 bottles on 30 hectares entirely dedicated to cannonau. “Here the climate and the soil guarantee a particular 43 JULY-AUGUST 2017

habitat. That’s why we have a different product in our glass than they do in other zones of the island although both are cannonau. The ideal would be to have a DOCG. It would be the second in Sardinia and \PM ÅZ[\ NWZ I ZML _QVM ?M are working with other wineries and institutions to carry forward a project that would JMVMÅ\ \PM MV\QZM bWVM º The Puddu farm doesn’t only make wine. About ten years after the founding of the winery, in the 1980s, they opened a butchery business that produces top-quality aged cured meats. Their products range from a rustic, deboned prosciutto to guanciale and SarLQVQIV [I][IOM ÆI^WZML _Q\P wine. Naturally, Nepente.

TRAVEL

Cannonau, the sadness-destroyer T

o understand the origins of the name Nepente, you have to go back to ancient Greek. ‘Ne’ indicates a negative. ‘Penthos’ signifies sadness. So, ‘No sadness’, a word used since antiquity to describe wine or infusions that brought happiness and well-being. The cultivation of vines and winemaking became common in Oliena around 1500, thanks to the Franciscan monks. They owned a large vineyard in the area, and facilities for winemaking. A little later, the Jesuit fathers continued the work, with their efforts aimed at quality production and prestigious wines.

F.LLI PUDDU | OLIENA (NU) | LOC. ORBUDDAI | TEL. 0784 288457

CANNONAU CANNONAU DI DI SARDEGNA SARDEGNA NEPENTE NEPENTE DI OLIENA DI OLIENA RIS. ’10 CL. CARROS ’12 PRO VOIS In its 2012 version, Pro Vois is a major Riserva that fully embodies the territory of Oliena. Great complexity and richness on the nose, with notes of plum, ripe cherry and LZQML ÆW_MZ[ evident. The palate is rich and deep, with soft tannins and mouth-filling ÆI^WZ 1\ Q[ ideally paired with game.

everything is focused on the balsamic sensations of Nepente di Oliena Carros. The nose offers notes of ripe red fruit, among which strawberries and marasca cherries appear, along with notes of resin and forest ÆWWZ <PM XITI\M is rich but very fresh and easy to drink,with sapidity that leads each sip to a savory and fruitÅTTML ÅVQ[P

44 JULY-AUGUST 2017

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA NEPENTE DI OLIENA TISCALI ’14 Tiscali offers great drinkability and freshness, a Nepente di Oliena from the younger vineyards that have been grown organically. Aromas of roses and berries lead into a rhythmic, juicy mouthfeel, _Q\P ÅVM IKQLQty that balances nicely body, structure and alcohol. ) LMMX ÅVQ[P _Q\P soft tannin that never dries the palate.

GOSTOLAI | OLIENA (NU) | VIA FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA, 24 | TEL. 0784 288417

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA NEPENTE DI OLIENA RIS. ‘10 Seven years after harvesting, the Riserva made by Tonino Arcadu, the vigneron-owner of Gostolai, has no fear of aging. The aromas, although moving towards tertiary, are fascinating. They offer notes of LZQML ÆW_MZ[ alcohol-preserved cherries and noble resins, with tones of mushrooms and medicinal herbs. The palate is slim, the tannin silky. Alcohol is well-integratML IVL \PM ÅVQ[P Q[ ÆI^WZN]T IVL deep.

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA NEPENTE DI OLIENA RIS. D’ANNUNZIO ’06 Made from a meticulous selection of grapes from the oldest vineyards on the property, D’Annunzio is the Riserva dedicated to the writer who sang the praises of Oliena’s red more than once. The 2006 vintage offers notes of over-ripe plum, marasca cherry, candied orange peel and some ethereal sen[I\QWV[ <PM ÆI^WZ Q[ UW]\P ÅTTQVO slightly tired. Tannin is light and soft. A lovely deep, _IZU ÅVQ[P TONINO ARCADU, OWNER OF THE GOSTOLAI WINERY.

45 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

THESAURUS

BARREL CELLAR OF THE

OLIENA COOPERATIVE WINERY

CANTINA COOP. DI OLIENA | OLIENA (NU) | VIA NUORO, 112 | TEL. 0784 287509 | WWW.CANTINASOCIALEOLIENA.IT

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA NEPENTE DI OLIENA CLASSICO IRILAI ’12

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA NEPENTE DI OLIENA RIS. ’10 CORRASI

The use of the word Classico in the DOC Cannonau di Sardegna refers to a precise production zone, one that includes the subregions of Barbagia and Ogliastra. Irilai is the red that has been produced by the Oliena cooperative for a few years. It is fragrant with myrtle and Mediterranean scrub, red fruit and tobacco. Body and structure are well-balanced on the palate by acidic freshness and good sapidity that lends rhythm and length.

Corrasi is this winery’s most important label, the result of the most careful selection of grapes carried out by the various cooperative members. It is a wine of great character and structure, with notes of ripe red fruit, plum, alcohol-preserved cherries, forest ÆWWZ IVL PQV\[ of menthol. The palate is generous, developing [WN\Ta \W ÅTT \PM mouth. Tannin and sapidity balance well, and \PM ÅVQ[P Q[ I winner. 46 JULY-AUGUST 2017

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA NEPENTE DI OLIENA ’14 This is the youngest Cannonau released by the Oliena winery, but don’t imagine a simple, banal wine. From an excellent vintage year, Nepente 2014 displays fragrances of Mediterranean scrub and berries. In the mouth it is slim, dynamic and juicy. Tannin is perfectly mature, while body and structure are wellcalibrated, not overshadowing the aromatic nature of the wine. A good, KTMIV \I[\a ÅVQ[P

SPUMANTE ROSÉ OROROSA This is the outsider in the selection. Although the Nepente regulations don’t recognize a spumante, Ororosa is nevertheless the fruit of Cannonau di Oliena grapes, grown on weathered granite soil in the highest vineyards, 650 meters above sea level. The aromas are of wild strawberries, roses and even pastry. Fresh and fragrant in the mouth, Q\ Q[ ÆI^WZN]T and full-bodQML <PM ÅVish is clean, offering the aromatic notes already perceived on the nose.

WHERE TO SHOP

SA CORTE | OLIENA (NU) | VIA NUORO, 138 | TEL. 0784 1876131 | WWW.SACORTE.IT

RISTORANTINO MASILOGHI | OLIENA (NU) | VIA GALIANI, 68 | TEL. 0784 285696 MAIL | WWW.MASILOGHI.IT

OLEIFICIO GIULIANA PULIGHEDDU | OLIENA (NU) | P.ZZA COLLEGIO, 5 | TEL. 0784 287734 MAIL | WWW.AGRICOLAPULIGHEDDU.IT

AGRITURISMO CAMISADU | OLIENA (NU) | LOC. CAMISADU | TEL. 368 3479502 | WWW.AGRITURISMOCAMISADU.COM

COOPERATIVA OLIVICOLTORI OLIENA | VIA NORGHERI TEL. 3938524644 |

AGRITURISMO GUTHIDDAI | LOC. GUTHIDDAI | TEL. 0784 286017 | WWW.AGRITURISMOGUTHIDDAI.COM

CURED MEATS MADE IN THE FRATELLI PUDDU WINERY

DOLCI SARDI | GIANFRANCA PULIGHEDDU | OLIENA (NU) | VIA MAZZINI, 19 | TEL. 392 0944625

WHAT TO SEE VALLE DI LANAITTO (Grotte di Sa Oche, Su Ventu, e Corbeddu; Nuragic village and sacred fountain Sa Sedda ‘e Sos Carros). VILLAGIO NURAGICO TISCALI (Dorgali | Oliena): Nuragic-era settlement inside a grotto whose vault has crumbled. On top of Monte Tiscali. Two hours of hiking to reach it from the departure XWQV\ QV \PM >ITTM LQ 4IVIQ\\W CONTATTI: PRESIDIO TURISTICO GALAVERAS | TEL. 0784 286078 | GALAVERAS.OLIENA@GMAIL.COM SORGENTI DI SU GOLOGONE: Source of Su Gologone: impressive karst spring on the slope of the Supramonte, of great geological interest CONTATTI: TEL. 328 5649983 392 3925165 - 349 7128571 | LEFONTI@HOTMAIL.IT | WWW.OLIENA.NET/LEFONTI

INFO WWW.SARDEGNACLICKANDGO.IT

A DISH SERVED AT AGRITURISMO GUTHIDDAI

47 JULY-AUGUST 2017

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REGULATION N. 1308/2013

Amarone della Valpolicella Great family prestige from 5 generations

Via Costabella, 9 - 37011 Bardolino (VR) Lago di Garda - Tel. +39 045 7210022 - zeni.it

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

by Francesco Seccagno photographs by Gabriele Doppiu

Market-day cooking in Cagliari

o r u a M u d a L

A student of Cristiano Andreini and then Gualtiero Marchesi, Mauro Ludu cooks in the most effervescent and informal kitchen in Cagliari, Cucina.eat. Here he delves into Sardinian tradition and varies it in new forms, borrowing from others and proposing original dishes with sometimes unfamiliar ingredients 49 JULY- AUGUST 2017

WHEN IDENTITY INVOLVES

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

BETRAYAL

Born in 1984 in Mamoiada, a tiny town in the hinterland of Sardinia, Mauro Ludo had his ÅZ[\ M`XMZQMVKM[ I\ \PM [\W^M QV \PM 0W\MT ;KPWWT WN <WZ\WTz *]\ Q\ _I[ UMM\QVO KPMN +ZQ[\QIVW )VLZMQVQ QV )TOPMZW \PI\ KPIVOML PQ[ TQNM .QZ[\ PM NWTTW_ML \PM KPMN QV PQ[ 5W[KW_ IL^MV\]ZM and stayed there for two years. Then he returned \W 1\ITa \W [\]La I\ \PM )KKILMUQI 5IZKPM[Q QV 5QTIVW ) NMZ^MV\ ZM[MIZKPMZ PM TIVLML QV \PM _WZS[PWX WN +]KQVI MI\ QV +IOTQIZQ _PMZM PM KIV M`XZM[[ PQU[MTN KWUXTM\MTa QV IV QVNWZUIT J]\ [MZQW][ \MZZQ\WZQIT SQ\KPMV 0M PI[ IV I]LQMVKM \PI\ MVRWa[ LQ[K][[QWV IVL M`XMZQUMV\I\QWV 6M^MZ\PMTM[[ PQ[ KWWSQVO Q[ [QUXTM TILMV _Q\P I[[MZ\Q^M ÆI^WZ[ QV KWV\QV]W][ M^WT]\QWV IVL IJW^M ITT I]\PMV\QK 0Q[ \MZZWQZ Q[ \PM 5MZKI\W LQ ;IV *MVMLM\\W ZQOP\ VMIZ \PM establishment owned by Alessandra Meddi and /Q][MXXM +IZZ][ <PMa I[ ;IZLQVQIV[ WN \PM _WZTL MVKW]ZIOM PQU \W LMIT _Q\P \ZILQ\QWV IVL \PM Q[TIVL¼[ XZWL]K\[ QV IV ]VNM\\MZML _Ia <PM TMQ\UW\Q^ WN \PQ[ \PZMM _Ia IL^MV\]ZM Q[ \PM KWV\QV]W][ [MIZKP NWZ \PM QLMV\Q\a IVL K]T\]ZM WN ;IZLQVQIV K]KQVI J]\ QVKT]LQVO NWZMQOV IVL WKKI[QWVITTa M`W\QK MTMUMV\[ I[ _MTT 4QSM ITT [MIZKPM[ NWZ QLMV\Q\a Q\¼[ WN\MV JM\ZIaIT \PI\ TMIL[ \W UWZM I]\PMV\QK IVL QVVWÎ\Q^M KWVKT][QWV[ ¹1 KPW[M \W XZMXIZM ZMKQXM[ NWZ \PM /IUJMZW \PI\ QVKT]LML QVOZMLQMV\[ \PI\ MUJWLQML Ua TQNM I[ I KWWS º 5I]ZW M`XTIQVML ¹-MT [PW_[ Ua \QM[ _Q\P +IOTQIZQ IVL \PM 5IZSM\ WN ;IV *MVMLM\\W _PQKP 1 KIV VW_ ^Q[Q\ M^MZa LIa ;] ;]KK] ZMXZM[MV\[ \PM MVWZUW][ XI\ZQUWVa WN \ZILQ\QWVIT XI[\I[ Ua ;IZLQVQI [\QTT WNNMZ[ \WLIa 1\ Q[ I \aXM WN NZMOWTI [PIXM \PI\ Q[ XIZ\QK]TIZTa large, made by working durum wheat semola and water by hand until irregular little balls NWZU ?PMV \WI[\ML IVL [MZ^ML Q\ KIV JM KWWSML QV JZW\P NWZ [W]X WZ [MZ^ML »I[KQ]\\I¼ \PI\ Q[ LZa TQSM ZMO]TIZ XI[\I 1\ Q[ VW\ \PM [IUM I[ \PM ZMKQXM NZWU *][IKPQ I ^QTTIOM QV \PM 7ZQ[\IVW XZW^QVKM _PMZM \PMa KITT I TQ\\TM MOO \IOTQWTQVW »[] []KK]¼ ;PMMX IZM \PM [aUJWT WN \PM MV\QZM ZMOQWV J]\ IJW^M ITT WN \PM *IZJIOQI IVL WN Mamoiada, my town. Lamb is a great meat _PMV KWWSML XZWXMZTa J]\ Q\ Q[ ]VLMZÎT]ML Ja ZM[\I]ZIV\[ M[XMKQITTa ;IZLQVQIV WVM[ +I[] I`MLL] Q[ I NZM[P IKQLQK KPMM[M QLMIT NWZ [XZMILQVO WV 8Q[\WKK] JZMIL .WZ LM[[MZ\ _PQKP QV Ua IZMI Q[ KITTML ;MÎLI IVL VW\ ;MJILI 1 KPW[M I [_MM\ \PI\ RWQV[ W]Z LIQZa \ZILQ\QWV _Q\P W]Z ÅTTML XI[\I WVM 1 ZMQV\MZXZM\ Q\ _Q\P I \WX Y]ITQ\a ZMOQWVIT QVOZMLQMV\ I KQ\Z][ NZ]Q\ KITTML XWUXzI IVL _Q\P [INNZWV NZWU ;IV /I^QVW º

CUCINA.EAT | CAGLIARI | P.ZZA G. GALILEI, 1 | TEL. 070 0991098 | WWW.SHOPCUCINA.IT

50 JULY- AUGUST 2017

EEL,

ARTICHOKES , POTATOES AND HONEY SAPA

4 SERVINGS 1 KILO EEL

2 SPIKY SARDINIAN ARTICHOKES 1 POTATO 500 G SABA HONEY (SYRUP) 250 G MIRIN 250 G SOY SAUCE 250 G SAKÉ 1 CLOVE GARLIC

+TMIV IVL ÅTTM\ MMT[ +TMIV IZ\QKPWSM[ IVL K]\ QV\W [MK\QWV[ ;I]\u \PM IZ\QKPWSM [MK\QWV[ _Q\P WTQ^M WQT [IT\ IVL OIZTQK KTW^M )LL _PQ\M _QVM IVL ZML]KM +W^MZ _Q\P _I\MZ IVL [QUUMZ ]V\QT ITT \PM _I \MZ Q[ IJ[WZJML *WQT \PM XW\I\W QV IJ]VLIV\ [IT\ML _I\MZ ?PMV \MVLMZ XMMT IVL K]\ QV\W KU [TQKM[ ;I]\u XW\I\W [TQKM[ QV I PW\ XIV _Q\P WTQ^M WQT [IT\ XMXXMZ IVL \PaUM 1V I [MXIZI\M TQ\\TM XW\ ZML]KM \PM [IJI PWVMa _Q\P UQZQV [Wa [I]KM and saké.

WHITE WINE

6 SPRIGS WILD MYRTLE WILD

SARDINIAN THYME (ARMIDDA)

FLEUR DE SEL EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

51 JULY- AUGUST 2017

8TIKM WQTML MMT ÅTTM\[ WV I OZQTT IVL KWWS ]VLMZ I _MQOP\ \PI\ SMMX[ \PMU NZWU K]ZTQVO ?PMV LWVM UISM [IVL_QKPM[ _Q\P \PM MMT ][QVO \PM XW\I\WM[ IVL IZ\QKPWSM[ I[ \PM ÅTTQVO *MNWZM XTI\QVO XZMXIZM UaZ\TM I[PM[ ,Za \PM TMI^M[ KPWX QV I NWWL XZWKM[[WZ IVL [\ZIQV \W WJ\IQV I [UWW\P XW_LMZ 8TIKM \PM MMT [IVL_QKPM[ QV I XIV IVL [XWWV _Q\P \PM [IJI PWVMa ZML]K\QWV )ZZIVOM \PM MMT WV I ÆI\ XTI\M ÅVQ[P _Q\P ÆM]Z de sel, wild thyme and a dusting of myrtle ash.

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEF

SU SUCCU IN

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN , WITH A NOD TO THE SEA 4 SERVINGS 200 G SUCCU (A 1 ENVELOPE

TYPE OF FREGOLA PASTA )

OF POWDERED SAFFRON

G FRESH GREEN PEAS

G BABY FAVA BEANS

2 BELL 50

PEPPERS

G DATTERINI TOMATOES

1 ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM 1 LIME 8 SHRIMP 8 SCAMPI 1 SQUID 30

G CLAMS

1 CUP VERMENTINO

SARDEGNA

EXTRA - VIRGIN OLIVE OIL SALT AND PEPPER

4 MINT

SPROUTS

4 WILD

FENNEL SPRIGS

ORANGE ZEST

2 BASIL

LEAVES

5 G LIGHT

BROWN SUGAR

PEPERONCINO GINGER ROOT

1 BAY LEAF 2 PARSLEY STEMS

8]\ \_W TQ\MZ[ WN [IT\ML _I\MZ \W JWQT QV I XW\ and add saffron. When the water is boiling, KWWS \PM []KK] IVL LZIQV +TMIV \PM XMI[ IVL NZM[P NI^I JMIV[ *TIVKP QV PW\ _I\MZ NWZ [MKWVL[ \PMV KPQTT QV _I\MZ IVL QKM ,ZIQV IVL XMMT WNN W]\MZ [SQV[ ,ZM[[ _Q\P WTQ^M WQT [IT\ XMXXMZ IVL UQV\ +]\ LI\ \MZQVQ \WUI\WM[ QV PITN IZZIVOM WV I KWWS QVO [PMM\ LZM[[ _Q\P WQT [IT\ XMXXMZ OIZTQK KTW^M WZIVOM bM[\ JZW_V []OIZ IVL JI[QT *ISM QV XZMPMI\ML Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. W^MV NWZ ! UQV]\M[ *ISM \PM _PWTM JMTT XMXXMZ[ QV Â&#x2C6;. ! Â&#x2C6;. NWZ UQV]\M[ ?PMV XMX XMZ[ IZM KWWSML KW^MZ QV XTI[\QK _ZIX \PMV KPQTT QV _I\MZ IVL QKM :MUW^M [SQV[ IVL [MML[ [TQKM QV\W [\ZQX[ 8]ZMM QV NWWL XZW KM[[WZ ILLQVO WTQ^M WQT [TW_Ta <I[\M NWZ [IT\ +TMIV [PZQUX IVL [KIUXQ ZMUW^QVO PMIL[ IVL XMMTQVO \IQT[ ,ZM[[ _Q\P WTQ^M WQT [IT\ XMXXMZ OZI\ML TQUM bM[\ IVL _QTL NMVVMT +TMIV IVL R]TQMVVM \PM [Y]QL ,ZM[[ _Q\P WTQ^M WQT [IT\ IVL XMXXMZ ;I]\u \PM KTIU[ _Q\P XMXMZWVKQVW I XQMKM WN OQVOMZ ZWW\ JIa TMIN IVL XIZ[TMa [\MU[ )LL >MZUMV\Q VW IVL ZML]KM ?PMV KTIU[ WXMV LQ[KIZL [PMTT[ ,ZM[[ \PM KWWSML [] []KKW _Q\P WTQ^M WQT IVL XMXXMZ 8TI\M _Q\P KIVLQML \WUI \WM[ JMTT XMXXMZ X]ZMM NI^I JMIV[ XMI[ KTIU[ [KIUXQ R]TQMVVML [Y]QL [PZQUX \IQT[ IVL b]KKPQVQ JTW[[WU ;Y]MMbM \PM [PZQUX PMIL IZW]VL \PM XTI\M NWZKQVO \PM R]QKM W]\ _PQKP OQ^M[ M`\ZI UIZQVM Ã&#x2020;I^WZ \W \PM LQ[P +WUXTM\M _Q\P _QTL NMVVMT IVL I LZQbbTM WN WTQ^M WQT

52 JULY- AUGUST 2017

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

LAMB, CIVRAXIU BREAD, MASTIC OIL

INGREDIENTI PER 4 PERSONE 500 G DEBONED LAMB CHOPS 300 G CIVRAXIU BREAD 200 G ASPARAGUS 40 G DATTERINI TOMATOES 100 G CASU AXEDU (FRESH CHEESE) 50 G CANDIED POMPÃ&#x152;A FRUIT 1 L CANNONAU WINE 100 G HONEY 100 G SPRING ONIONS 300 G VEGETABLE BROTH 8 G ANCHOVIES 1 SHALLOT SARDINIAN THYME (ARMIDDA)

WILD

MASTIC OIL EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL PEPERONCINO

4 WILD FENNEL SPRIGS

55 JULY- AUGUST 2017

ASPARAGUS , POMPÃ&#x152;A , +Q^ZI`Q] Q[ I \aXQKIT VI\]ZITTa TMI^MVML L]Z]U _PMI\ [MUWTI JZMIL ;TQKM UWQ[\MV _Q\P I LZQbbTM WN WQT IVL \WI[\ QV \PM W^MV +]\ QV\W XQMKM[ +TMIV \PM [XZQVO WVQWV[ IVL R]TQMVVM \PMU ;I]\u \PM IVKPW^QM[ XMXMZWVKQVW IVL R]TQMVVML WVQWV[ )LL \PM \WI[\ML JZMIL +W^MZ _Q\P ^MOM\IJTM JZW\P )LL _QTL NMVVMT IVL [QUUMZ 8]ZMM IVL ILL M`\ZI ^QZOQV WQT ]V\QT aW] WJ\IQV I PWUWOMVMW][ JZMIL UQ`\]ZM *TMVL \PM KI[] I`ML] _Q\P Q\[ W_V TQY]QL ]V\QT KZMIUa +TMIV \PM I[XIZIO][ IVL [I]\u \PM \QX[ Y]QKSTa +]\ \PM KIVLQML XWUXzI NZ]Q\ QV\W TQ\\TM K]JM[ 1V I [UITT XIV ZML]KM KIVVWVI] _Q\P PWVMa IVL Ã&#x2026;VMTa KPWXXML [PITTW\ ]V\QT PITN ZMUIQV[ +]\ \PM LI\\MZ ini tomatoes in half, arrange on a baking [PMM\ LZM[[ _Q\P WQT [IT\ XMXXMZ OIZTQK KTW^M WZIVOM bM[\ JZW_V []OIZ IVL JI[QT *ISM QV XZMPMI\ML Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. W^MV NWZ ! UQV]\M[ 5IZQVI\M \PM TIUJ KPWX[ _Q\P WTQ^M WQT IVL [IT\ /ZQTT WV ITT [QLM[ ]V\QT ZIZM )ZZIVOM \PM XTI\M ?Q\P I \MI[XWWV NWZU JITT[ _Q\P \PM JZMIL X]ZMM IVL [XZMIL LIJ[ WN KI[] I`ML] KZMIU 8TIKM XWUXzI TIUJ KPWX[ IVL I[XIZIO][ WV \PM XTI\M .QVQ[P _Q\P [XTI[PM[ WN ZML]KML KIVVWVI] \PaUM IVL I NM_ LZWX[ WN UI[\QK WQT

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

MEMORY OF A RICOTTA AND SAFFRON SEVADA 4 SERVINGS FOR THE DOUGH: 500 G SEMOLINA 3 EGGS 3 TABLESPOONS 1/2

LARD

CUP WATER

1 PINCH SALT FOR

THE FILLING ( RICOTTA MOUSSE )

200

G RICOTTA

GRATED LEMON ZEST GRATED ORANGE ZEST

125 50

G SUGAR

G CREAM

CORBEZZOLO HONEY POWDERED SUGAR

3 MINT

SPROUTS

1 BUNCH FRESH 10

RED CURRANTS

G CANDIED POMPÌA

50 G SYRUP OF

CANDIED POMPÌA

FOR THE SAFFRON CUSTARD :

500

G MILK

5 SAFFRON

STIGMAS

LEMON ZEST

125

G SUGAR

6 EGGS TO GARNISH FRESH CURRANTS, HONEY

MINT , CORBEZZOLO

To make the dough: knead together sem WTQVI MOO[ TIZL I XQVKP WN [IT\ IVL [WUM _I\MZ \W WJ\IQV I PWUWOMVMW][ IVL MTI[\QK LW]OP 4MI^M \W ZM[\ QV \PM ZMNZQOMZI\WZ NWZ UQV]\M[ KW^MZML _Q\P XTI[\QK _ZIX 8ZMXIZM \PM K][\IZL" _IZU \PM UQTS _Q\P \PM [INNZWV IVL WZIVOM bM[\ \PMV [\ZIQV ;MXIZI\MTa JMI\ MOO[ _Q\P []OIZ \PMV ILL \W UQTS IVL ZMPMI\ \PM UQ`\]ZM VM^MZ OW QVO IJW^M + . [\QZZQVO KWV\QV]IT Ta +WWT <PM UW][[M" 5Q` ZQKW\\I _Q\P []OIZ IVL OZI\ML TMUWV IVL WZIVOM bM[\ *TMVL QV KZMIU IVL XWUXzI [aZ]X 5Q` QV NWWL XZWKM[[WZ \W WJ\IQV I PWUWOMVMW][ IVL KZMIUa JTMVL :WTT W]\ \PM LW]OP ]V\QT ^MZa \PQV ?Q\P I XI[\I K]\\MZ KZMI\M LQ[S[ KU _QLM .Za in abundant oil. ;XTI[P \PM [MZ^QVO XTI\M _Q\P \PM [INNZWV K][\IZL 8TIKM I NZQML XI[\I LQ[S QV \PM KMV\MZ IVL KW^MZ _Q\P ZQKW\\I UW][[M R]TQ MVVML XWUXzI IVL [WUM LZWX[ WN K][\IZL +TW[M _Q\P I [MKWVL XI[\I LQ[S /IZVQ[P _Q\P KWZJMbbWTW PWVMa IVL XW_LMZML []O IZ ,MKWZI\M \PM XTI\M _Q\P NZM[P K]ZZIV\[ IVL I NM_ TMI^M[ WN _QTL UQV\

56 JULY- AUGUST 2017

57 JULY- AUGUST 2017

An essential book for all who love Italian wine More than 60 experts spent months doing blind tastings in every region of Italy

2400 producers 22000 wines 429 Tre Bicchieri 88 Tre Bicchieri verdi

www.gamberorosso.it

PAIRINGS

EEL, ARTICHOKES, POTATOES AND HONEY SAPA

SU SUCCU IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN,

KARESIA ’11 | DAVIDE ORRO | TRAMATZA (OR) | WWW.FAMIGLIAORRO.IT

VERMENTINO DI GALLURA SUP. SCIALA ’15 | VIGNE SURRAU | ARZACHENA (OT) | WWW.VIGNESURRAU.IT

) UWVW^IZQM\IT >MZVIKKQI LQ 7ZQ[\IVW \PQ[ _QVM Q[ ^QVQÅML WNN Q\[ [SQV[ QV [UITT KPMZZa _WWL JIZZMT[ ¹/MVMZITTa XIQZML _Q\P \ZILQ\QWVIT ;IZLQV QIV LM[[MZ\[ PMZM _M []OOM[\ LZQVSQVO Q\ _Q\P I [I^WZa ]V][]IT LQ[P TQSM MMT º \PM KPMN M`XTIQVML ¹1\[ KPIZIK\MZQ[\QK W`QLQbML IZWUI[ ITWVO _Q\P [IXQLQ\a IVL NZM[PVM[[ MVPIVKM \PM LQ[P KZMI\QVO NI[KQVI\QVO [MV[I\QWV[ º

<PQ[ TIJMT PI[ JMKWUM I JMVKPUIZS NWZ >MZUMV\QVW LQ /ITT]ZI ¹;KQITI LQ ;]ZZI] Q[ I _PQ\M \PI\ M`XZM[[M[ \PM UIZSMLTa 5MLQ\MZZIVMIV VI\]ZM WN \PM TIVL Q\ KWUM[ NZWU 1\ XZM[MZ^M[ Q\[ MTMOIVKM IVL ÅVM[[M \PIVS[ \W UI[\MZN]T NZM[PVM[[ º M`XTIQVML \PM +]KQVI MI\ KPMN ¹?M XIQZ Q\ _Q\P I LQ[P _PMZM ITT \PM NZIOZIVKM[ WN \PM ^MOM\IJTM[ IVL [MINWWL IZM MVPIVKML Ja \PM [IXQLQ\a WN I _QVM WN OZMI\ []J[\IVKM IVL LMX\P º

PECORA, PANE CIVRAXIU, ASPARAGI,

MEMORY OF A RICOTTA AND SAFFRON SEVADA

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA CERASA ’15 | ANDREA LEDDA | BONNANARO (SS) | WWW.VITIVINICOLALEDDA.COM

ASSOLUTO | PALA | SERDIANA (CA) | WWW.PALA.IT

<PM 4MLLI _QVMZa KWV[Q[\[ WN \PZMM M[\I\M[ WVM QV /ITT]ZI IVL \_W QV 4WO]LWZW +MZI[I KWUM[ NZWU \PM TI\\MZ I +IVVWVI] LQ ;IZLMOVI NZWU I ^QVMaIZL I\ UM\MZ[ IJW^M [MI TM^MT WV \PM [TWXM[ WN 5WV\M ;IV\] 1\ Q[ IV QLMIT ^WTKIVQK \MZZQ\WZa NWZ KMZ\IQV ^IZQM\QM[ <PM ^QV\IOM [\IVL[ W]\ NWZ NZM[PVM[[ WN NZ]Q\ IVL UWLMZI\M IKQLQ\a UIZSML Ja [IXQLQ\a \PI\ MVTQ^MV[ \PM XITI\M ¹1\¼[ XMZNMK\ NWZ TMVLQVO PIZUWVa ÅVM[[M IVL MTMOIVKM \W I [I^WZa IVL I[[MZ\Q^M LQ[P TQSM OZQTTML TIUJ º

<PQ[ )[[WT]\W NZWU 8ITI Q[ I [_MM\ LZQML ZIQ[QV _QVM NZWU VI[KW IVL ^MZUMV\QVW OZIXM[ WVM WN \PM _QLM ZIVOQVO TIJMT[ UILM Ja \PQ[ ;MZLQ IVI _QVMZa ¹.ZM[PVM[[ IVL [IXQLQ\a UISM \PQ[ [_MM\ _QVM MI[a \W LZQVS VM^MZ KTWaQVO IVL IJW^M ITT · LMMX º M`XTIQVML 5I]ZW 4IL] ¹1\ PI[ IZWUI[ WN KIVLQML KQ\Z][ NZ]Q\ [INNZWV IVL [XQKM[ XMZNMK\ NWZ XIQZQVO _Q\P W]Z [M^ILI º

WITH A NOD TO THE SEA

POMPÌA E OLIO DI LENTISCHIO

59 JULY- AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

Text and photos by Massimiliano Rella

TURKU, THE NEW

Finland

CULINARY MECCA In Turku, after the sauna, the newest Finnish passion is all about food. Despite the lingering cold, on the Aura River the Finnish movida quickly gains speed after a winter slowdown. In July and August, the love of good eating and conviviality awakens along the riverâ&#x20AC;¦

CAFE QWENSEI

61 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

“MARGHERITA” (2011), BY JANI RÄTTÄ AND ANTTI STÖCKELL, AN OPEN-AIR INSTALLATION ALONG THE AURA RIVER, CREATED ON THE OCCASION OF TURKU 2011 EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

ittle by little, as summer approaches, dozens of blonde heads appear on the promenade, sit at the open-air tables and relax on benches in the sun. The heart of the season is in July and August, when the townspeople in western Finland takes their places at a long table, or rather, at 700 tables set in a row on the banks of the Aura. Everyone brings food and beverages to enjoy the pleasure of being together. This is Dinner under the Stars of Turku, scheduled for August 26. Try imagining it along the Arno or the Tiber – how lively the Italian rivers would be. Then, there’s Restaurant for a Day: twice, in spring and summer, everyone cooks their favorite dishes and invites perfect strangers to their homes. For gourmets, there’s Food Walk, five dishes

in five places chosen among 10 restaurants over three days. The price of a subscription is 44 euros. “We launched it in 2012, and it’s doing well,” explained Olga Henriksson of Visit Turku, the public tourist office. “There’s new interest in quality cooking. Many people buy it as a gift for friends and relatives. This year, Finland celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence, so the schedule of events is busier than ever.” “Ten years ago, there were no restaurants with important chefs here. Tourists didn’t expect much from food. The phenomenon grew a little at a time,” food journalist Heli Nieminen told us. She has written a cookbook, Turku on a Plate, 10 gourmet restaurants on the Aura River. “Restaurants are more affordable here, so many people come from Helsinki 62 JULY-AUGUST 2017

KAUPPAHALLI THE COVERED MARKET

L’ESCALE. MARINATED HERRING WITH OLIVES AND ROSEMARY, MARINATED HERRING WITH BLUEBERRIES AND BLACK CURRANTS, FRESH SALMON PASTRAMI, BOILED SHRIMPS, EGGS, BUTTERED, FRIED RYE BREAD EDIBLE FLOWERS

Kauppahalli, Turku’s covered UIZSM\ WKK]XQM[ I JMI]\QN]T ÅV de siècle building from 1896, an iron structure clad in dark brick. 1V[QLM IZM IJW]\ ÅN\a [\ITT[ KINu[ and restaurants that offer good local products ranging from many variations on dark rye bread to LMTQKQW][ [_MM\[ NZM[P Å[P \PI\ Q[ marinated, smoked and in sauce, and meat such as venison, elk and reindeer. The pastry shop Piece of Cake offers artisanal specialties made by Katia Nurmi, such as strawberry cakes or tarts with cream and seaberry icing, made from a yellow berry that grows in the Finnish woods. There’s even a museum corner to show off Finnish food products. KAUPPAHALLI | T TURKU | EERIKINKATU, 16 | TEL. +358 (0)2 262 4126 | WWW.KAUPPAHALLI.FI KATIA NURMI, PASTRY CHEF, PIECE OF CAKE

63 JULY-AUGUST 2017

TRAVEL

SMÖR’S CHEF JARNO SEPPÄ

ERIK MANSIKKA, ONE OF THE TWO CHEFS AT KASKIS RESTAURANT IN TURKU

to taste our food. The result is that there’s a great deal of pride in using local ingredients, the relationships with producers have become very good and young chefs share their experiences, enjoying competition in a healthy way.” Another event in this town of 180,000 is the Food & Fun Festival at the end of summer. This is the fifth edition of a culinary happening organized by Pekka and Jouni Kuru, father and son, ex-restaurateurs. From September 27 to October 1, the Finnish chefs and bartenders of Turku, their Icelandic colleagues from Reykjavik and a few other international cooks compete at their stoves with a pinch of creativity. At lunch and dinner, in the best restaurants and bars in the city, gourmet menus and inspired cocktails are offered at fixed prices. The event also involves two 64 JULY-AUGUST 2017

hospitals, a prison, schools and nursery schools. Food educates and, it appears, also re-educates. (foodandfunfinland.fi). Near the Evangelican Lutheran Church, the largest in Finland, or along the Aura River, where contemporary art also finds space, cooking is the new passion. “In recent years, quality has increased,” said chef Jarno Seppä from the restaurant Smör (the word means butter). “The difference between us and you Mediterraneans is that we use few spices. We try to enhance the purity of the ingredients, which here are mainly berries, seafood and fresh water fish, such as lake perch and whitefish.” Opened in 2013 and 2014, Ludu and Kaskis are also considered among the best restaurants in Turku, and are part of the Food&Fun Festival. The winning

THE WEAVING HOUSE IN THE HANDICRAFTS MUSEUM

THE HANDICRAFTS MUSEUM AN OLD RURAL VILLAGE 1V I ÅZM LM[\ZWaML ITUW[\ \_W \PQZL[ WN <]ZS] <PM UWVI[\MZa neighborhood was saved, and today it is an artisan’s museum, a rural complex with characteristic houses in wood, courtyards and internal gardens. After years of abandonment, today, the buildings each offer an old craft. There is a house for weaving, others for clockmaking, baking, clothing, book-binding and more. LUOSTARINMAKI HANDICRAFTS MUSEUM TURKU | TURKU | VARTIOVUORENKATU, 2 | TEL. +358 (0)2 262 0350 | WWW.MUSEUMCENTRETURKU.FI

A DISH FROM KASKIS: HONKILAHTI VEAL WITH SEASONAL CABBAGE AND CHICKEN SKIN

TRAVEL

A SELECTION OF CRAFT BERRY JUICES FROM BORNEMANNS MUSTERI

LUDU RESTAURANT. SALTED SALMON WITH SMOKED POTATOES, CUCUMBER MAYONNAISE AND CUCUMBER SAUCE

formula at Ludu is the alliance between Jonas Sippo, 41 years old, waiter and bartender, and Tomi Rosenberg, chef and school friend. “We work together on new ideas, and often we dream large. But my wife, who keeps the books, brings us down to the reality of the accounts,” joked Sippo, as we tasted a delicate salted salmon with smoked potatoes, sauce and cucumber mayonnaise. At Kaskis, energy comes from the two chefs, Erik Mansikka and Simo Raisio. Their idea is to make as much as possible in house, from delicious bread (rye, wheat, malt, and sugar) and herbs to vegetables grown in their own country garden. “Another Turku trend,” added Sami Piirainen, bartender of The Cow, where we went for a night66 JULY-AUGUST 2017

cap, “is to gather herbs and berries in the forest and include them in cocktails. That is developing alongside the evolution of our cooking.” Gin and tonic Napue, with cranberries, rosemary and raspberry juice, is only our first round, but it is immediately convincing. Sweden is nearby and many people are bilingual. We met a group who collected forest berries and made their own wine from them, ex-publicists who made fruit juice at homes on mobile presses, artists who raised sheep and made clothing from their wool. We found a number of exceptional people here in the north. This too is Turku, the city and province that decided to challenge Helsinki.

NATURAL JUICES FOREST FLAVORS

MARGOT WIKSTRÖM GATHERS AND SELLS A WIDE VARIETY OF BERRIES AT TACKORK BÄR

The little Tackork Bär specializes in the gathering and sales of forest berries and mushrooms. They produce jam, juices and housemade cakes. Everything is a proof of the owner Margot Wikström’s courage. A few years ago, this dynamic woman left her work in a bank to dedicate herself to the land in the village of Nagu, in the Turku archipelago. Her products are for sale in local markets or in her own shop, whatever the time of day. Customers leave their money in a drawer in the shop. Tove and her German husband Gunnar Bornemann left their jobs to work the land in the zone of Pargas. Both graphic artists, they were tired of the rhythm of their jobs. They purchased a mobile press on a truck and, founding their Bornemanns Musteri, make fruit juices at their customers’ homes, They move from orchard to orchard, pressing apples, strawberries, currants, blueberries, raspberries and other fruit that grows on the Turku archipelago. Besides moving around to the growers, they process the smaller boxes of fruit that families bring in, transforming them into delicious juices. INFO: TACKORK BÄR | NAGU | TACKORKVÄGEN, 31 | TEL. +358 (0)40 7350 593 | WWW.TACKORK.FI BORNEMANNS MUSTERI | PARGAS - KIRJALA | KÅRLAXVÄGEN, 234 | TEL. +358 (0)40 7188361 | WWW.BORNEMANNSMUSTERI.COM

A GUIDE TO THE LEADING 1100 COMPANIES PRODUCING FOODSTUFFS IN ITALY

An indispensable tool for foodies but even more so for industry insiders promoting the best of Made-in-Italy worldwide

www.gamberorosso.it

TRAVEL

CIDER AND SPIRITS NECTAR FROM THE BERRIES OF THE ARCHIPELAGO In the Tammiluoto Viinitila, red and white ‘wines’ are made from pressing and fermenting a wide variety of berries. The products are a white currant wine, a red from a blend of black currants and a small percentage of aronia, another local berry, and a wine from wild strawberries and black currants. The most recent label from producer Timo Jokinen is a sparkling green gooseberry white. From apples, Timo makes a pleasant cider. The company, located in Lielahti, welcomes small groups for tastings or typical lunches and dinners. Nearby is a sauna with a tub of hot water next to a pond, ready for a dip in cold water, Finnish-style. TAMMILUOTO VIINITILA | PARGAS - SUOMI | TAMMILUOTO, 261 | TEL. +358 (0)2 4586 899 | WWW.TAMMILUOTO.FI

MEAT AN ATELIER WITH SHEEP Heikki Vendelin and Jill Christiansen are two retired artists, husband and wife, who have been living in the woods of Pargas for over 30 years. Their home on one of the 25,000 isles in the Turku archipelago is in a beautiful wooden house from 1917. Their life is an unusual mix of sheep-raising and design. Stentorp produces wool and a craft line of clothing and house accessories, all made by hand by Heikki, a ‘peasant artist.’ The JZW_V _WWT KWUM[ NZWU IJW]\ ÅN\a Finnish Landrace sheep. They make sweaters decorated with Nordic embroidery, scarves, berets, vests, K][PQWV[ Z]O[ IVL LuKWZ Q\MU[ ITT sold in their home studio. STENTORP KY | KIRJALA | SKRÅBBONTIE, 222 | TEL. +358 (0)400 844 506 | WWW.STENTORP.FI

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69 JULY-AUGUST 2017

INFO FERRIES| WWW.TURKU.FI ARCIPELAGO TOURIST BUREAU | WWW.VISITARCHIPELAGO.COM TOURIST OFFICE | WWW.VISITTURKU.FI IN ITALY | WWW.VISITFINLAND.COM

GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it

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CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Gerardo Antelmo, Giuseppe Carrus, William Pregentelli, Massimiliano Rella, Francesco Seccagno, Loredana Sottile

PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS Chiara Buosi, Gabriele Doppiu, Mauro Prevete, Massimiliano Rella, Salvatori Vinci,

GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia

Advertising GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. via Ottavio Gasparri 13/17, 00152 Roma tel +39 06 551121 - +39 06 55112206 fax +39 06 55112260

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is a Registered Trademark used under license by GR USA CORP Copyright by GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. 2017. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. GR USA CORP is not responsible for loss, damage, or any other injury as to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork or any other unsolicited materials. July-August 2017