Welcome to the Insider Wine Tours Newsletter
We hope 2008 is off to a good start for you. It certainly is for us! Alfio celebrated a beautiful wedding for his son Fabrizio. John spent the holidays with his family in Colorado and, saving the best for last, Sabrina had a beautiful, healthy baby girl, Giada.
Our first wine tour of the year was a great success too. A wonderful couple from Chicago, who had traveled with us before in France, asked us to prepare a day of wine tasting and culinary delights in Tuscany for their families. The weather was perfect in Montepulciano, where we visited a small family-run olive oil mill and some exquisite Tuscan wineries.
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Luca and Daniela Gattavecchi, of the Poggio alla Sala Winery, hosted the pinnacle of the experience, treating us to a feast at their resort and spa in the Tuscan hills. Their distinctive wines matched course after delicious course. The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, especially the riserva, made a stunning match for the local Tagliata di Manzo, strips of local chianina beef, cooked to perfection, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The recipe is so simple, it just takes a few minutes to put together. But it's so good. We've included the recipe at the end so you can try it tonight. |
| Luca and Daniela |
Speaking of great pairings, in May we're teaming up with Raymond Campet, owner and chef of La Cote d'Or Café in Arlington, Virginia, for a spectacular Culinary Wine Tour of Burgundy and Champagne. The tour will start in Paris at one of Raymond's favorite restaurants. The next day, we're off to Burgundy for wine tastings and incredible meals. To top things off, we end with a couple of days in Champagne with visits and tastings at the likes of Pommery, Montaudon, and G H Martel. The full itinerary is posted at Champagne & Burgundy Wine Tour. There are a couple of spots left. Give us a call or send us an email and we'll tell you all about it.
While you're on our web site, you may notice some new improvements we've made. We've added a Resources Page, where you'll find helpful wine and travel information. Check it out!
Cheers, Santé, and Cin Cin!
Sabrina, Alfio, and John
TAGLIATA DI MANZO Ingredients:- Filet of Beef
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sprig of Rosemary
- Crushed Peppercorns
- Coarse Salt
- Brush the filets with the olive oil and sprinkle with a few leaves of rosemary and a little crushed black pepper. Let the meat sit for 30 minutes. The Tagliata can be grilled or cooked in a skillet. If you're grilling, start the grill so it will be good and hot.
- Place the meat on the grill or in the skillet to sear it, then lower the temperature and cook it to your liking (rare in Tuscany). Toward the end of the cooking, sprinkle on a little coarse salt.
- Cut the meat into slices and drizzle with some fresh olive oil. Delicious!
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