from the Nebbiolo in Neive chronicles...
Finally, I can get into the vineyards! After
nine straight days of tasting, usually from 9:00AM until 6:00PM, followed by lengthy dinners and a long drive back to a room, I am in the Langa. Two quick days to make a few rounds, visit some friends. I am staying with a long-time friend and man, if that isn't the sweetest view outside a window I don't know what is.
After visiting Lageder and the Summa alternate conference, where I tasted Giacosa, deGresy (in anticipation of today) and a whole range of Lageder, Marco Felluga, some amazing Rieslings and some wacky Austrian wines, I am calibrated. A four hour drive got me into Valdivilla just in time to catch the magic bus to Neive to have, what else, pizza and Nebbiolo in Neive.
One street over from Giacosa is the famous Pizzeria Il Camino. I had heard about this place from a friend, but never got a chance to make it there. Last night we finally made.
 |
| Now that's a by the glass program! |
And it is a Produttori del Barbaresco lover's wine list made in heaven! Take a look, two whole pages devoted just to Produttori wines:
 |
| Two full pages of Produttori |
 |
| Did I say Two full pages? and served at the right temperature too! |
 |
| The 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo was devilishly good with the Diavola |
And the pizza? I had the Diavola, the archetype to the strip-mall pepperoni ones in the states, but this one had flavor and texture and tasted like food, not cardboard. Seriously the pizza was off the charts!. And although the list was one for the books, we started with the simple Langhe Nebbiolo, which was the perfect choice with the pizza.
I'm on the run and heading back to Barbaresco and Castiglione Falletto today. Just a little postcard from one of my favorite places on earth. And yes, finally, I am back on the wine trail in Italy.
