Michele and I enjoy trying new wine and food combinations. Here are six wines that Michele paired with six different dishes and they all worked very well.
FIOL Prosecco DOC Rosé 2021 (Veneto, Treviso) made from 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir. The grapes are carefully handpicked during late summer or early fall with the perfect balance of sugar and acidity. They are then gently pressed and the extracted grape juice undergoes its first fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Yeasts convert the natural sugars into alcohol producing a still wine. The still wine is transferred to pressurized stainless steel tanks along with a dose of yeast and sugar. As fermentation occurs in sealed tanks, carbon dioxide is trapped, creating the delightful bubbles. This second fermentation which gives the wine its effervescence takes place using the Charmat method, also know as the tank method. After the second fermentation the wine is left to settle in the tanks for a few months allowing the flavors to blend and the bubbles to fully develop. It is then bottled and released for sale.
This is an elegant Prosecco with hints of raspberry, wild strawberry, citrus fruit, apple and pear with a touch of lemon and a note of wild flowers. $22
Note: FIOL is a term of endearment for a young man from the Old Venetian Republic language from the 1400’s.
Antipasto: Fresh salame with Neapolitan almond taralli and olives.
Principe G 2020 dei Principi Spadafora (Sicily) Terre Sicilia Bianco IGP. Spadafora Made from 53% Grillo and 47% Cataratto. The vineyard is at 350 meters and the exposure is west. The soil is sandy, clay and the training system is simple guyot espalier. There are 5,000 vines per hectare. Harvest is in mid September. Spontaneous fermentation on the pied de cuve of the grapes without sulfur dioxide at a controlled temperature in cement vats. The wine is aged for 12 months in vats and 4 months in bottle before release. Aromatic and fruity wine with hints of citrus fruit, a touch a lime and hint of lemon. It can age for a few years. The winery is Biodynamic, $15
Sardine Beccafico: Sicilian-style sardines stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins.
Etna Bianco di Sei 2021 Palmento Constanzo (Sicily) made from 90% Carricante and 10% Catarratto. The exposure is north/east and the soil is volcanic sand and rocks. Bush training with chestnut poles and the vines are up to 100 years old. There are 7,000 vines per hectare. Manual harvest the last week os September. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation is in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for 10 months in stainless steel tanks in contact with the lees and 8 months in bottle before release. This is an intense and elegant wine with hints of citrus fruit, aromatic fruit, white flowers with hint of sage and a note of mint. $45
Note: “Bianco di Sei” refers to “six”, which is the top designation for volcanic activity, and is the top tier white wine from this estate. The winery is at the foot of the Muntagna, the name the locals fondly use to refer to Etna. Eighteen hectares are divided into several contradas and hills. The small parcels are vinified separately because each plot is characterized by the lava flow that sedimented over time.
Pasta con le Sarde — Pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins and pine nuts, baked in a small timbale.
Barbera D’Alba Superiore 2021 Tenuta Cucco (Piedmont) made from 100 % Barbara from the 1.7 Roddi “Elia”vineyard which is 200/250 meters with a south-southeast exposure. There are 4,200 plants per hectare. The soil is chalky/clay and the training system is guyot. Harvest takes place the second week of September. The freshly harvested grapes are destemmed, pressed, and placed in vats at a temperature of 18 °C for 3 days to bring out their varietal aromas. Fermentation takes place at a temperature of 26 °C, followed by a 6/8-day period of maceration and then the drawing-off. Once the malolactic fermentation took place, the wine ages for 12 months in 25 HL barrels. The wine has hints of red roses, raspberries, black cherries, blackberries and a hint of red plum. $18
Note: In the local dialect “cucco” indicates the hilltop location of the oldest part of the vineyard, inside the Cru Cerrati.
Roasted chicken with potatoes
Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2019 Tenuta Calimaia -Frescobaldi (Tuscany) . Made from 90% Sangiovese (know locally as Prugnolo Gentile) and 10% complementary red grape varieties. Calimaia is found in the gentle hills between the Val di Chiana and the Val d’Orcia. Located around the winery’s hill, the vineyards sit at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level and are differentiated by exposure and soil type of vineyards thus helping to bring out the best in each variety grown. There are 70 hectares of vineyards. Soil is sand-veined illite clay. Manual harvest. The grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature (26 °C), and fermentation took place spontaneously. Maceration on the skins allowed for perfect extraction of the polyphenols, assisted by frequent pumping over in the initial stages of fermentation, délestage in the intermediate stage, and further pumping over in the final stage. The malolactic fermentation was completed in steel before winter. The wine matured in 50 hL oak barrels for 24 months. It then rested in the bottle for some months before release.
Aromatic and fruity wine with hints of citrus fruit, a touch a lime and hint of lemon. It can age for a few years. The winery is Biodymanic. The wine has hints of cherry, herbs, spice, and pepper, with a hint of chocolate and a note of licorice. $24
Pasta with meat and tomato sauce
Barolo Cerrati 2019 Tenuta Cucco (Piedmont) Made from 100% Nebbiolo from the Cerrati area in Serralunga d’Alba, the 4 hectare Vigna Cucco is at 260/395 meters. The exposure is south/southeast and the soil is shallow chalky/clayey. There are 4,000 plants per hectare and the training system is guyot. Harvest is in October. The freshly harvested grapes are destemmed, pressed and then left in small vats for 72 hours at a temperature of 10°C, for pre-fermentation steeping. In this way the characteristics of this vineyard are highlighted. This is followed by fermentation with gentle steeping at a temperature of 16°C. Drawing-off takes place when the product is fully dry, after an additional fermentation for 20-25 days on the skins. Then the malolactic bacteria transform the malic acid and the wine will be ready to be transferred for the ageing process. The wine remains for 12 months in small barrels of French oak and after that, it completes its ageing process in traditional barrels for a further 12 months, until it reaches its peak. It is then transferred to bottles, where it matures for at least 6 months before being sold.
The wine has hints of cherry, blackcurrant, blackberries and mushrooms. It is a wine that will age. $73
Prosciutto Wrapped Braised Quail with spring vegetable stew.
We were meeting a friend and arrived early so we had cocktails. Norma in Hell’s Kitchen has a full bar and is larger than the original Norma.
Caponata con crostini – a sweet and savory combination of eggplant, celery, green olives, capers, onions, and tomato, served with seasoned bread crostini.
Arancine Ragu – saffron rice ball with Bolognese meat sauce filling with green peas, served over tomato sauce.
Fritto Misto di Mare — made with shrimp, calamari and zucchini perfectly fried in a light coating is only available at the Hell’s Kitchen location.
Seafood Couscous — This is a specialty of Chef Toto’. He imports a special type of semolina flour, from which he makes his own couscous by hand. The seafood, including shrimp, calamari, fish and mussels, cooks in a rich broth flavored with a hint of sweet spices. This is a fantastic dish perfect for anyone who enjoys seafood and we scooped up every last bit. It is new on the menu at the Hell’s Kitchen location.
We also shared the Cabbucci Porchetta — a round of flatbread filled with roasted porchetta, arugula, provolone cheese, and spicy mayo. There are cabbucci with several different kinds of filling on the menu at both Norma’s.
Champagne Andre Clouet “Cuvèe “1911” Grand Cru Brut NV made from100% Pinot Noir – 50% from 2002, 25% from 1995 and 25% from 1997. The estate vineyards surround the village of Bouzy where the soil is chalk and clay. The farming method is conventional. Fermentation is in stainless steel and natural barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place. The wine is aged for 6 years on the lees. This is a complex Champagne with citrus aromas and flavors, a touch of peach and a note of brioche.
Homemade Ricotta and Basil Gnocchi in tomato sauce from Michele’s book, 
Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2004 “Beradenga”Felsina made from 100% Sangiovese located in Castelnuovo Berardenga with mostly southern exposure between 320 and 420 meters (the soil here is rock quartz and calcareous alberese mixed with alluvial pebbles. The vineyards are on different slopes. There are about 5,400 vines per hectare. The training system is bilateral cordon and simple guyot with a maximum of 5 to 8 buds per vine. Harvest is staged due to different altitudes of the vineyards, the first three weeks of October. The clusters are de-stemmed and pressed and the must is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Programmed punch downs and daily pumpovers take place. In March/April the wine goes into medium sized Slavonian oak barrels and French barriques of second and third passage. After 12/16 months of aging the final blend is assembled. The wine remains is glass for 2 to 6 months. The wine has notes of red and black berries with a touch of spice and mineral tones. It was drinking very nicely.
Potato Gatto’, a recipe from Michele’s book, 
Leg of Lamb roasted with garlic, rosemary and anchovy was our main course. 
In the dish
Barolo Riserva 1967 Giacomo Borgogno and Figli 100% Nebbiolo. The grapes come from three different cru vineyards: Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The winery is located in the center of the town of Barolo. The wine is aged at least five years in large oak barrels. This is a wine produced with traditional and natural wine making methods. Long fermentation and pumping over by hand takes place. Today the Farinetti family that also owns Eataly owns the winery. I have always had very good luck with older vintages of Borgogno. This is a classic traditional Barolo with hints of red fruit, tar, tobacco, violets, cedar and a touch of balsam.
A few Italian cheeses to finish the wine. 
For dessert, a friend brought a very good version of Pastiera, aka Pizza Gran, a Neapolitan style cheesecake cooked with grain and flavored with orange and cinnamon from his local pastry shop.
On the plate
Caponata – Sweet and sour eggplant, celery, green olives, capers, onions and tomatoes served with crostini
Foccacia — The warm focaccia is irresistible with Caponata.
Timballo di melanzane alla parmigiana – Eggplant parmigiana timbale with mozzarella ane Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, basil and tomato sauce
Arancine “Ragu” — Fried saffron rice balls stuffed with Bolognese meat sauce, green peas served over tomato sauce.
Pasta alla Norma- Paccheri from Gragnano with fresh tomato and garlic sauce, basil, eggplant, pecorino and ricotta salata cheese.
Pasta con Sarde in Timballo – Spaghetti alla chitarra “Setaro”, fresh Portuguese sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, and saffron baked in mold. There is an unbaked version of pasta con sarde on the menu as well. Both are excellent.
Porchetta Sandwich — Roasted porchetta, arugula, provolone cheese, spicy mayo
Pizza alla Norma — Pizza topped with eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella and ricotta salata
Barbera d’ Asti “Vigna Noce” 1999 Antica Azienda Agricola Trinchero. Made from 100% Barbera. The winery belongs to the Triple “A” Agriculture Artisans Artists, an association of wine producers from around the world that believes in Organic and Bio-Dynamic production, terroir and as little interference as possible by the wine maker. Only natural yeast is used, there is no acidification of the wine, clarification and filtration does not take place. Chemical treatments are not used in the vineyards; copper and sulfur are used but only when it is really necessary. The wine is aged for 7 years in large chestnut barrels. This is a traditional, classic Barbera that will last for at least another 10 years. I was very impressed with this wine.
Pistachio Tartufo — Pistachio gelato filled with caramel and rolled in Sicilian pistachios.
Charles Scicolone on Wine