Friday, January 4, 2008

Happy new year!

Here i am to say happy new year to everybody, after some days missing.

Around Christmas, we spent some days between Adamello park and Stelvio park, with some time spent to Trentino too, visiting Christmas markets, hikings, restaurants and nights spent in the warmth next to the crackling fireplace.
We found wonderful weather, even if very cold (enough to find, at the arrival, the water pipes clogged with ice untill the day after - fortunately the heater plant was well working!).
We spent Xmas Eve at home. Since in Italy it's custom to eat fish, we honored the tradition with a wonderful bagna caoda cooked by the wifey. For who doesn't know, it is a sauce made out of anchovies, garlic and olive oil, presented boiling in special bowls under which a candle is burning. The sauce is collected soaking vegetables (row or steamed). Although technically it is a fish course, the strong taste of bagna caoda draw an enough full-bodied red wine. We matched it with a Nero d'Avola Rapitalà.
We spent also Christmas dinner at home, and also in that occasion R. gave vent to her gastronomical art, cooking a wonderful polenta with gorgonzola cheese, simple and country, but savoury and well matching the mountain environment. Matching with a good Chianti.

5 comments:

Rowena said...

A nice xmas indeed, even if took an entire day for the water to start flowing properly!

What's the plan for Christmas 2008?

tychecat said...

Happy New Year Dario
I thought I knew Italian wines pretty well, but never heard of that one. I must admit about the only Sicilian wines I've tasted much of are the various Corvo wines and Marsala, of course. Sounds good - I'm mostly into the Northern wines like Barolo and Friuli - but I think Italian wines are a much better buy than French or indeed any of the "in" wines here in the US

dario said...

Rowena: uhm.... for Christmas 2008? What about Patagonia?

Tychecat: Never heard about Nero d'Avola? It is a particular type of grapes that gives strong wines. It can produce good wine (Nero d'Avola IGT) or to cut other wines (as Cabernet or Syrah) in order to increase their body.
I am more expert in Italian wines, obviously, since over here you can have a better quality for smaller price, but i also appreciate foreign ones (especially French, Californian and Australian wines). Wines is one of my favorite subject, so, if you like the subject too, stay tuned!

Rowena said...

Check this link:
La magia del Natale ridotta a 160 caratteri

It's a poignant, yet beautiful idea!

Aaron Abitia said...

Ah, a belated Happy New Year to you, Dario! I'm new to reading your blog...it appears you live in northern Italy. Alas I've never been to that part of the country, but would really like too sometime. Would you recommend flying into Milan and then visiting that area via car? Or, is train better? What are the best months, considering there's snowy weather in that region? Ciao! -Aaron ("Blogiorno")