Craig Camp

Raccolta: a weekly Italian wine harvested by Craig Camp Click Here for :2000 Sagrantino di Montefalco Perticaia

Sipping on it now and I'll say it again - damn good. This is the kind of wine that makes you remember how you got interested in wine in the first place. Damn good.

I can assure you that almost all Italian families use instant polenta at home - even when they have the time to cook real polenta. The best "instant" brand is Valsugana which is in every store. It is quite acceptable quality-wise when you don't have an hour to cook your polenta on a week night after work. I save the the real stuff for Sunday's when I have more time or when friends come from Friuli where polenta is a religion. Without a doubt the real slow cooked polenta has a better texture and a richer taste. I don't now anyone making either with milk - just water and salt.

Here is a link to a thread with some Montilla/Sherry discussion: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=24&t=25751& ...and a link to a sherry article where PX is discussed. http://egullet.com/?pg=ARTICLE-campsherry

According to Veronelli it is pretty middle-of-the-road stuff. They do give the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Il Tralcetto and San Clemente 2 stars so they should be quite nice.

Thanks - I can't find the one in Abruzzo anywhere. Where did you find it? Never mind I found it in Veronelli. I can't see without my glasses anymore!

Thanks - I can't find the one in Abruzzo anywhere. Where did you find it?

Given the very cursive nature of the script on the bottle, yes, it could be Zaccagnini. Zaccagnini is in Marche not Abruzzo.

Zaccagnini is in Marche. I don't know Laccagnini.

and HERE is another good Friuli Tocai.

I had an incredible Bourbon Stout at Goose Island in Chicago. It was served in snifter like fine Cognac. It had the complexity of an old Cognac or Single Malt Scotch. Truly a beverage for "meditation".

Please stay on topic and refrain from personal comments.

Okay now that we found Apple Mostarda (thanks to mudbug) You too can make Tortelli di Zucca

Bad timing NeroW. Drink Beaujolais nouveau after New Years when it is half-price. Now is the most expensive time to by it - bad value. Drink some montepulciano d'abruzzo would you!

I am not ignorant!

Most are ready to drink upon release up to 3 or 4 years. The best examples, like Borgo San Daniele can easily age for 5 or more. Tocai show much more complexity after at least a year in the bottle. These wines are about fruit and balance. That means they are short term agers, but do develop into much more interesting wines with a little patience.

Never had the "pleasure" of having had a Napa CS sparkler. Are they on par with Australias "wonderful" sparkling shiraz? Neither have I. My guess is pleasure is indeed the wrong word.

There are too many good wines being made today for all of them to be famous - maybe too many for even 25% to be famous. There are deals and discoveries everywhere for those that want to have fun with wine instead of making it into some kind of competition. I would also echo the insightful comments of Carema and Echezeaux above.

Perhaps it's worth noting threads like THIS in relation to this topic.

Very true. Good point. We are discussing restaurants claiming to be authentically Italian. Not good old-fashioned Italian-American restaurants - at least the ones that claim to be Italian-American instead of pretending to be authentically Italian. It is a bit irritating to go to a restaurant claiming to be "northern Italian" and getting an Italian-American menu inspired by Sicilian cooking.

Ribollita is reason enough.

It doesn't take many meals in Italy to change your perspective on Italian restaurants outside of Italy. They are choice targets for newly returned tourists who trash their food with the zest and pleasure of the newly converted. Often it takes only one trip to Italy to turn your favorite local Italian hang-out where you ate every week into an object of scorn What can we expect from Italian restaurants outside of Italy? Can you replicate the experience with different raw materials and customers? What makes an Italian restaurant outside of Italy a great Italian style restaurant? Please name names.

(Bill hasn't responded yet because he's jealous that Lombardia's got good bread which doesn't travel to Piemonte and we can buy all the Piemontese wines we want because they travel over here just fine)

albiston - after a few more phone calls they were probably tortellone.

Not sure I would trust a list that includes the heading "Cabernet Zauvignon"! And, um, sparkling cab? You guys are frightening me! I have missed this on the list, I guess (entirely possible -- I'm home sick with a fever and desperately trying to entertain myself here on eGullet). Can someone point me directly to this, so my suffering can be complete? Thanks, Squeat Melkor found it HERE