Over the course of a few days, on special assignment in Italy, our travels landed us by the sea. And as anyone who follows this blog knows, I loves me some seafood. Whether it is live Dungeness crabs from Canada or an array of fish and shellfish from the Mediterranean, I’m always ready for a platter of seafood. Lately there has been talk on some of my pals blogs about the
right wine with seafood. And after I read through them, I was presented with the opportunity to make further evaluations on the subject.
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| Ya feel me, dawg? |
At
Marco Bacci’s estate in the Maremma,
Terre di Talamo, when we finished our work, we had a free evening. And Marco had arranged for us to enjoy fritto misto. I have really been enjoying his “Vento” Vermentino and his “Piano Piano” Rosato, a blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese. And we did start with those wines. But Franco, Marco’s consigliere and our co-host, brought out some Morellino and another odd red. The Morellino was fresh and delicate enough not to fight with the sweet meat of the shrimp and the various fish. All three wines really complimented the food. Who knew?
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| One of my favorite wines of the summer, the "Piano Piano" Rosato |
The odd wine, only insofar as it seemed out of context with the area, was a Petite Verdot, “Per Cecco”, a wine made in homage of a friend who is no longer with us. The wine really entranced me. And when Giovanni, who is originally from Sardegna, brought out a pile of Pane Carasau and this spreadable rich cream cheese, called Muflone (which is from the Mouflon, Ovis musimon, “thought to be the one of two ancestors of modern day sheep”). The crispiness of the bread and the creaminess of the spread married well with the spicy Petite Verdot. An odd pair, but it worked. And another rule broken, having a meal with fish and cheese, although not the same courses.
Well, that really pretty much sealed the deal for the night. We couldn’t go to bed without a shot (or two) or Mirto. My stomach was very grateful to Giovanni for bringing out the Sardinian digestive. So was Franco, seeing as it was he and I who finished off the platter to make sure none of the seafood's life was in vain. Yep, we done 'et it all.
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| an alternative to fighting traffic on the crowded coastal highways of the Maremma |
Hey, it was the weekend, after all. And I have a busy week ahead, finishing up on the mainland of Italy and then heading off, post haste to a rather large island. Probably one you would never guess. And so, if you are interested, you will just have to check back here in a few days and see where I will be, on the wine trail in Italy.
