2014 DEI Rosso di Montepulciano

2014 DEI Rosso di Montepulciano

Where: Montepulciano, Tuscany

Who: Catherina Dei and her family

What: 90% Sangiovese 5% Canaiolo 5% Merlot

Tastes like: Juicy, very balanced, medium to light body red

What to pair with: Red sauce and meatballs, margherita pizza, pork chops, cured meats

A word about “Montepulciano”:

This wine is from the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany. It is “red OF Montepulciano.” There is also a relatively common grape with the same name, most famously from Abruzzo, the region to the East of Tuscany. That wine is “Montepulciano OF Abruzzo”.

Back in 1964, Alibrando Dei, a wine-growing enthusiast, recognised in the area of Bossona,splendid for its exposure and pedological characteristics, lands predestined to produce great red wines,and promptly purchased them and planted the first vineyards.

Later, during the course of the 70s, the family acquired the Martiena property with the attached manor - restored in the 1930s by the architect Piacentini -surrounded by a vast age-old garden and situated at the foot of the village of Montepulciano.

In the first years, the grapes that were produced were sold. However, considering the quality of the grapes picked, the family soon decided to embark upon the path of their own wine-making tradition and in 1985 -an exceptional vintage year -they decided to produce the first bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Dei, renting an old winery in the historic town centre.

In 1989,the family built its own winery, beside Villa Martiena, in the heart of the vineyards.

At the beginning of the 90s, Catherina Dei decided to move back to Montepulciano to devote herself with loving care to the vineyards and her land. She took in hand the winery founded by her grandfather yet continued, every so often, to dedicate herself to music and singing by recording her first CD thanks to the cooperation of professional musicians.

Forever in love with the nature and architecture of her 16th century village, she immediately understood that her wines were made to heighten and convey the peculiarities of a land that is unique for its charm and history.

Her main goal, shared by wine-making expert Paolo Caciorgna, technical director of the winery, has always been that of producing excellent and elegant wines that represent the terroir, by making the most of native vine species and the undisputable quality of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Red Sauce: Fusilli, Torta Rustica

Fusilli alla Vodka
San Marzano, Creme Fraiche, Pancetta
This is a really classic take on a traditional vodka sauce. We're using puree'd san marzano tomatoes, along with our crushed tomato sauce (san marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil basil) along with pancetta, additional garlic, chili flake, vodka, and creme fraiche (classically you would use heavy cream but the creme fraiche brightens the dish up a bit). The sauce is finished with Parmesan, basil, and olio verde. 

Torta Rustica
Escarole, Taleggio, Mortadella, Salami Genovese
A classic Sicilian Easter dish this 'pie' is made using pizza dough as a base. The dough is used to line a small cast iron skillet, and is then filled with ricotta cheese, basil, taleggio, salami genovese, mortadella, mozzarella, and escarole (cooked with garlic and chili flake). Then torta is then capped with more pizza dough and baked. It is served whole, garnished with Parmesan, oregano, and fennel pollen, along with a side of crushed tomato sauce (san marzano tomato, garlic, olive oil, basil).

NV Jeio Cuvee Rose Brut

NV Bisol Jeio Cuvée Rosé Brut $10/40

Where: Valdobiadenne, Veneto

Who: Desiderio Bisol

What: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Glera (aka Prosecco)

Tastes like:

What to pair with: What do you think? Fried foods, smoked meats, celebration

The Bisol family, whose historic winery is located in Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene, manages 308 acres of vineyards in the DOCG area, spread over 35 plots in premier locations. The feather in their cap is their seven acres holding on the summit of the Cartizze hill, the most precious vineyard in Italy. Over 21 generations of the Bisol family have overseen and expanded the Bisol winery and vineyards. Today, Bisol is owned by the two brothers, Antonio and Eliseo (president and vice-president), and their sons, Gianluca (managing director), Desiderio (technical manager), Claudio (production manager) and Alberto (administration manager).

Bisol pursues the highest levels of quality and seeks to elevate the notoriety of the entire Valdobbiadene appellation. Their integrated approach to production begins with a careful selection of vineyards and continues with direct management of each phase of viticulture and vinification right up to the final bottling. The owners of some of the steepest hills in the area, Bisol’s vineyards are worked by hand and cared for using sustainable techniques. Sitting on the cutting edge of tradition, Bisol continuously studies the best techniques for this historic region. Each year the family tests at least six new vinification techniques in order to better understand this unique terroir.

New Lunch Sandwiches: Prosciutto & Braised Beef Shoulder

Prosciutto Sandwich
Red Wine Poached Quince, Fennel Mostarda, Stracchino
Sliced prosciutto with melted stracchino cheese, arugula dressed with salt pepper and olio verde, quince poached in red wine poached quince (quince, orange, ginger, red wine, red wine vinegar, water, salt), fennel mostarda (fennel, onions, garlic, white wine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and pickled mustard seeds).

Braised Beef Shoulder
Gruyere, Pickled Shallots, Horseradish, Au Jus
For this sandwich we will be using baguette from iggy's, not ciabatta. It will be heated to order with sliced Gruyere cheese. In the sandwich will be braised beef (we are using primarily should but some oxtail as well, braised with mirepoix, white wine, stock, bay leaf and thyme). The meat is shredded after braising and stored in the cooking liquid, the veg is discarded. To order it is reheated in the cooking liquid, then placed in the sandwich with additional cooking liquid (au jus) served on the side. Also on the sandwich are pickled shallots (red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, sugar, water, salt), and an onion and horseradish soubise (onions, butter, horseradish). 

Potato Gnocchi, Hudson Valley Duck, Pizza Bianca

Potato Gnocchi
Locally Foraged Mushrooms, Smoked Apple, Brussels Sprouts
We are be making the gnocchi in house using potato, flour, and egg yolks. The potatoes are cooked, passed through a food mill, allowed to cool and then mixed with the egg and flour before being shaped and frozen. To order we will be pan searing a variety of locally foraged mushrooms in olive oil, deglazing with white wine, adding mushroom stock (mushroom stems, mirepoix, bay leaf, thyme). The sauce will be finished with smoked apples, charred brussels sprouts leaves, charred Cippolini onions, butter, lemon juice, parmesan, sliced chives, and olio verde. 

Hudson Valley Duck
Roast Breast, Confit Thigh, Salsify, Chestnuts, Turnip
We are using Rohan Ducks from the Hudson Valley in New York. Each order will be a quarter of a duck. The plate will have half of a duck breast which has been brined for an hour, seasoned with salt and pepper, poached in duck fat to medium rare, to order we will score the skin and roast it in a pan to crisp the skin and heat through. The legs and thighs are seasoned with salt and pepper and allowed to rest for 24 hours before being confited in duck fat for 9 hours. Once cooked the bones are removed from the thighs and dusted with meat glue then we press two of them together. To order the thighs are seared on both sides and warmed through in the oven. Additionally on the plate is salsify puree (salsify, milk, butter, salt), leeks cooked in duck fat, chestnuts poached in milk and finished in duck jus (roasted duck bones, mirepoix, red wine, thyme, garlic), shaved raw and pickled white turnips, and chicory tossed in a little of the warm fat and finished with salt and banyuls vinegar, salsify chips, and salsify roasted in brown butter and fresh marjoram.  

Pizza Bianca
Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Cauliflower, Provolone, Capers
This is a white pizza with an olive oil base, topped with shaved brussels sprouts along with brussels sprout leaves, roasted white cauliflower, mozzarella, provolone, capers, chili flake. and rosemary. Out of the oven the pizza is finished with olive oil, salt, parmesan, and lemon juice and zest. 

Menu changes

Abbaye de Belloc,

This is a pasteurized sheep's milk cheese from the pyrenees in southwest france. It is a more rustic farmhouse style cheese with a natural rind. The cheese is made by the monks of the Abbaye de notre dame, and produced only using the milk of the local Manech sheep. Aged for 4 months the cheese is rich and creamy with notes of brown butter and caramel.

Shropshire Blue

This is a pasteurized cow's milk cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy in england. Aged for four months, this cheese is unpressed giving it a more delicate crumbly texture. The cheese is colored with annato (the seeds of a achiote tree) which gives it a distinctive orange coloring. Rich, and sharp with a soft creamy mouthfeel. Not ok for a penicillin allergy.

Cottechino

Red Wine Poached Quince, Lentils du Puy, Chicharron

Cottechino is a traditional umbrian sausage made from pork and pork skin, along with warming spices. To make ours we cook the pork skin for 12 hours, then freeze it and grind it together with pork, cinnamon, clove, coriander, and urfa chili. The mixture is ground, paddled, stuffed into a casing and cooked. To order it is seared then heated through, and served with lentils du puy (mirepoix, rosemary, ginger), garnished with chicharron (think pork rinds) tossed with a caper powder (dehydrated capers), and finished with a salsa verde (capers, garlic, ginger, rosemary, parsley, lemon zest, shallots, olive oil).

Pork Tasting

Honey Nut Squash, Ras el hanout, Swiss Chard, Rye

Regularly rotating cuts of pork are served with pan roasted delicata squash finished with a house blended ras el hanout (a north african spice blend, cumin, caraway, black cardamom, cinnamon, white pepper, and sunflower pollen made in house), rye berries (thyme, bay leaf, water, pork stock, caraway butter), honeynut squash puree (squash, olio verde, salt, pepper, ras el hanout), sauteed swiss chard, pickled chard stems, and autumn olives (poached in simple syrup with white wine vinegar, black pepper, bay leaf, and orange peel). The dish is garnished with a rye bread crumb.

New Lunch Items 10/11/2015

Roast Pork Shoulder

Taleggio, Belgian Endive, Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Kohlrabi

Pork shoulder is brined for 24 hours then trussed and seasoned with thyme, coriander, sage, fennel, oregano, and black pepper then roasted to an internal temperature. To order it is heated in pork stock. On the bread is also melted taleggio, shaved apples, pickled kohlrabi (cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt), and belgian endive tossed with an apple cider vinaigrette (reduced apple cider, apple cider vinegar, mustard, grapeseed oil, xanthan gum). 

Smoked Turkey                                                                          

Radicchio Pesto, Gorgonzola, Shaved Pear, Chicories 

Turkey breast is brined for 24 hours, trussed, seasoned with salt and pepper, and hot smoked. It is heated to order and served with radicchio pesto (blanched radicchio, walnuts, gorgonzola, olive oil, salt and pepper) along with sliced pear batons, mixed chicories and more gorgonzola, dressed with lemon juice and olio verde. 

Baby Kale Salad

Smoked Trout, Sauce Gribiche, Mixed Baby Beets, Granola

The baby kale is dressed with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice, along with shaved raw candy stripe beets. The greens are plated along with roasted beets (olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, bay), pickled beets (cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, thyme), smoked trout, and sauce gribiche (aioli, hard boiled eggs, cornichons, capers, whole grain mustard, lemon juice and zest). Garnishing the salad is a granola made from pistachios, puffed rice, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, honey, olive oil, and aleppo chili, as well as popped sorghum.