Wines of Lazio: Regillo Frascati Superiore

Regillo 

Frascati

D.O.C.

Superiore

2009

Tenuta di Pietra Porzia

   I've been on a Frascati kick lately.  The spring is here, finally, it is heating up, and I am working hard in my garden, so I like to enjoy a crisp Frascati at dinner most nights.  Tenuta di Pietra Porzia makes one of my favorite go-to table wines.  It is a bargain at €5 a bottle at the supermarket.  In fact, it is one of the only supermarket wines I will buy anymore.  It has an interesting name that evokes the pre-Roman history of the area.  In image on the label depicts the Dioscuri, the twins sons of Zeus.  The name refers not only to the ancient history, but to the terroir of the area. 

The Castelli Romani is most well known as an agriculturally rich area due to the now extinct volcanoes that gave the area its mineral rich soils.  The Regillo Frascati certainly does not disappoint those who want to taste the minerality in their wines.  

     Before the hills of Rome were finally assimilated by the Romans, a group of people known as the Latins held on for as long as possible to their lands and way of life.  But it was not to be.  Anyone familiar with ancient history knows that one can never escapes ones fate.  Rome had the hand of the gods on their side.  

According to their website: 

496 a.C, in a large amphitheatre with the lake Regillo in the middle, an hard battle took place between Romans and Latinos; in the crucial moment, descended from the sky the Dioscuri, the two twins born by Jupiter, and led the Romans to triumph!

The battle theater is today the Tenuta di Pietra Porzia, a small river that runs in the centre of the estate reminds of the ancient lake, the cave with her long passages, excavated in Roman Empire Age, testifies an agricultural tradition and on 1714 the estate was divided between the proprieties of Pope Clemente XI and the one belonging to Prince Borghese. 

The date 1892, engraved in the bricks, reminds the birth of the modern cellar, that replaces the ancient cellar excavated in the tuff in the Roman Empire time. 

Let's hope this wine lives up to its magnificent past!

     Regillo Frascati is made up of two aromatic white grapes, Malvasia di Candia and Malvasia del Lazio and also contains the grapes Trebbiano, Bombino and Greco. The color is a rich hay yellow.   It has lovely fruity and floral aromas at first which then lead us to more complexity with mineral and herbal notes.  The fruits are typical and rich.  I was at once reminded of apricots, citrus, and pears.   Spring orange flowers, nuts, and maple with notes of fresh cut grass.  

The wine is perfect for an late afternoon glass of wine, pre-dinner drink, or with a light vegetable rich dinner.  I love this with Pasta Fagioli and grilled veggies.  It is light and refreshingly crisp.  In a nutshell, a crisp, dry, medium bodied, aromatic and fragrant wine.  

Enjoy after a long day of gardening! 

    

Introducing Uva!

Uva is our new oldie but goodie. After Tiki Dance and Bumba died, we knew that we could not deny love to another old dog who has suffered so much. She comes to us from a dog pound in southern Lazio, in Frosinone. She is about 10-11 years old and spent 8 of those years in a concrete cell, and was let out maybe 20 minutes a month. She seems both pointer and wolf. She has a very timid personality, and she is very affectionate. She smelled like rotten feces and piss. She probably had 8 years of it encrusted into her fur. I doubt she ever had a bath before. We gave her a DEEP cleaning. She has rotten teeth and a bad case of gum disease, but we will fix that too. She doesn't get that cats are her friends, though she is not violent with them. And she doesn't come upstairs or sleep in a soft dog bed. She likes the bath mat I put down for her on the floor near the sofa. I doubt she has ever had a comfort in her life. Her name was ULTIMA which means last, because she was always the invisible dog that nobody ever came for or looked at so she was the last one. Uva means grape. She is part of our wine loving family now. Along with Chardonnay  and Bellone, our two boys I found abandoned as puppies.




UPDATE:  Uva now sleeps in a soft dog bed.  It took her a good 4-5 days to understand it was all hers all the time.  I can't wait for the summer to go to the mountains for two weeks with her and the boys.  I love Uva!

Uva with her first dog bed.  She has taken possession of it and it is now her favorite place in the world.  Simple pleasures are what makes old dogs a real joy.  Thank you Uva for bringing JOY back into out home.  

Adopting an old dog can be heart breaking because you do not have as much time, but they deserve it. If you can open your heart adopt an old dog. You may be their last chance. 

Goodbye My Dear Friends

Tiki Dance and Bumba

Bumba and Tiki Dance enjoying the sofa

I have not been cooking lately.  In fact, I haven’t been doing much of anything these days.  I do not want to be creative; I can barely get out of bed.  My purpose for getting out of bed is gone.  My family, devastated.  On the 18^th of February, I lost two of my best friends in the world, Tiki Dance and Bumba.  I am having a hard time coping these days, which is why there haven’t been updates or new recipes on my blog.  I miss my friends, and I can’t seem to move forward without them. 

     Bumba was a very special dog for us.  When we decided to buy the house we are living in now, the first thing I wanted to do was adopt an old dog from a dog pound.  I found Bumba online through Ulmino, and she seemed perfect.  She was about 13-14 yrs old and had been in a concrete cell for 12 years at the kennel of Rieti, one of the worst and most hopeless dog pounds in the Rome area.  I honestly have no idea how she survived.  At one time this kennel was sequestered because it broke welfare laws and all common decency.  Dog were left exposed to die, to live with dog corpses,  feces, waste and to brave the elements.  Bumba survived this.  We drove up to Rieti on May 1^st of 2010 and took her out of the hell.  And what a gift she was!  Bumba was one of the most spirited souls I have ever known.  She survived hell, and then, within two days of having a home,  it was as if that life never existed for her.  She lived in the now and forgave us.  She was a hurricane, vivacious, loving and patient.  We got only 9 months with her.  And every day of those nine months was a complete joy of life.  When we would take her on walks she galloped as if she were the wind, as if she had channeled Zephyr himself.  She smiled, integrated with our other boys and was friendly with the cats.  I remember when I first saw her photo online.  It was her in a cage, there was shit all over the place, and yet, she was smiling.  That is Bumba.   Bumba, hurricane and life lover.  She was force to be reckoned with.  Whenever we tried to tell her, “no,” her attitude was, “I don’t think so, lady.”  We didn’t want her in bed at first.  She would get in bed and we would try to kick her out.  She would hold fast and not budge until we finally settled for the two inch corner she left for us.  If she wanted something, she took it.  She was a fighter, but also lover.  She was the soul mate of Tiki Dance.

     At the beginning of February, I took all the dogs on a walk around the vineyards.  It was sunny, and Bumba was running like the wind as usual.  When we got home, Ettore and I noticed that she had difficulty breathing, the vet advised us to bring her in.  She never came back.  She developed edema of the heart and lungs and fought for 8 days.  We visited her every day, and she was warm and happy to see us, but her tenacity was no longer there.   Unfortunately she developed lung cancer due to exposure to asbestos in the dog pound.  Apparently very common in dog pounds in Italy.  During those 8 days we still lived our normal lives with our other 3 dogs, Tiki Dance, Chardonnay, and Benny Boo Boo.  Out home felt empty without her, but I think especially for Tiki. 

     Tiki Dance was a very special Yorkshire Terrier we adopted 2 years ago from a horrible situation.  He lived his entire life in a mechanic's garage, was found wandering the Appian Way, “rescued” by a girl who threw him outside on a balcony to brave the elements and to live in his own feces and to live alone.      When we went to take him, he came down the stairs, into the living room and did a tiki dance.  It was love at first site for Ettore.  We took him home, got him groomed, as he was full of dreads and conjunctivitis, and eventually he became the prince of the bed.  Talk about a couch potato!  Tiki Dance lived to be next to us.  He was the sweetest and most vicious dog I have ever known.  He had two personalities, Tiki, the mean growling one and Dance the sweet couch potato that occasionally allowed us to rub his belly.  He had a lot of psychological problems and trust issues.  He wasn’t like any dog I have ever known, he was my brother.  We never treated him like a child.  He was our companion, and sadly, he was just so old when we got him. 

When we brought Bumba home, Tiki Dance fell in love.  Anywhere Bumba went Tiki Dance was by her side.  And being the patient lady that she was, she tolerated him, and I think loved him as well.  It was a glory to see two previously abandoned, neglected and abused souls bond like that. 

     5 days after Bumba went to the hospital, Tiki Dance also started breathing badly.  So, of course, we rushed him to the vet.  At first they thought that he had been poisoned, but his heart valve was destroyed.  He had treatment for one day to ease the pain, and we brought him home on Thursday the 17^th.  He had the worst case of panting I had heard.  I guess I was in denial, I thought he was just sick with a cold or something but he was suffocating.  He came home after the last check with the vet who discovered he had spots all over his lungs, lung cancer.  He came home, we all went to bed and I held him all night.  At 7am, Ettore woke up, and so held him on his chest and Tiki Dance took his last breath at home, not alone, not in a clinic, but with his truest friend, Ettore. 

     The loss of Tiki Dance was shocking, and honestly, I do not understand how the world did not stop with him.  I am having a hard time going outside and seeing that the world goes on, life goes on, but not for us.  Tiki Dance was part of my being.  He wasn’t a pet, but a dear and beloved friend, and I was lucky to get at least 2 years with him. 

     We buried Tiki by 10am, and I had a very strong desire and urge to get over to the vet at once to see Bumba.  She was calling to me, I knew, for some reason that I had to get there, right away.  So we went to the vet, I saw Bumba, I took her out for a small walk, and then we went back into the clinic to have her checked.  When I arrived, I could see she was waiting for me, she was so happy to see us, she wagged her tail, and gave me a soft kiss.  She was exhausted though.  When we took her in for the sonogram, she collapsed.  But before she did that, I called her name to calm her, held her head, she wagged her tail, looked into my eyes, and then the vets took her away to revive her, but she didn’t make it.  I know she was waiting for us to say goodbye.  She fought a good fight, but in the end, the canile lagher won.  However, she had NINE glorious months of happiness, love, family, and freedom.  She changed my life.  Both of them did.  And I can’t believe that within 4 hours I lost 2 members of my family. 

     We are grieving.   I want to hold Tiki again.  I need to know if he was happy, if he knew how much we loved him, that we lived for him, and that without him our family is incomplete.  Tiki Dance and Bumba are buried side by side.  Both of them taught me so much about how to live.  I don’t know any people who have had to endure what they both did, and yet, they survived, lived and lived well when they were finally able to.  I wish I could have a few more minutes with each of them.   I wish Bumba could come home and take over my entire bed.  I want to hear Tiki growl and sneeze because he is desperate for caresses.  I want to enjoy all the idiosyncrasies that made each of them unique, but they are gone, and I cannot cope.  I am not hysterical anymore, I am not in denial, and I know that they are not suffering, but only I am.  I am suffering because I deeply miss them and their friendship and the lessons learned. 

Tiki Dance

     Tiki Dance, rescue boy, thank you so much for being in my life and loving me and Ettore.  You are the brightest star I have ever known.  You were the sunshine in our lives.  You will always be the most unique once in a lifetime friendship and most cherished being I have ever known.  Each day without you seems like an eternity, I think about what I am doing and whether you would enjoy it.  I miss you, I just plain miss you, and I hope that whatever there is on the flip side it is a place of comfort and joy.  Please know that you were loved beyond measure.  Thank you for all of your nuisances, your personality, the lack of fear, your resolve, and your unabashed desire for love.  You took life by the horns, my friend.  I love you so much. 

Bumba

     Bumba, my hurricane, my tornado.  You are missed and loved, and as much as I know your last 9 months were good, I need for you to know that I have never experienced the pure joy of living until I met you.  I always called you my Buddha, because you released yourself from suffering, you taught the power to forgive, to let go, and to be a warrior in life.  Thank you so much for sharing your life with us. 

Tiki Dance and Bumba loved in life and left this world together.  RIP my friends.  You are forever close in our hearts. 

   

I can't emphasize enough the importance of adopting old dogs like Bumba and Tiki Dance.  The time together may be limited, but it is the most rewarding.  Please open your heart and home to an old dog, they deserve their last few months or years with a family.  

Super Yummy Aromatic Garlicky Green Beans

Maybe some of you are like me.  You love greens beans.  I love green beans.  They were always my favorite vegetable at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I love when they are fresh, but I will eat frozen.  I love their texture and when they freshly cooked but still crisp and the green, clean, and fresh flavors burst in my mouth.  They are quite neutral at times, and when fresh have a slight sweetness.  Unlike some of the other green vegetables I enjoy, they are not one bit bitter. 

My husband hates green beans.  I am the cook in this family.  I hate to make food that someone might not like, but I also do not want to deprive myself of one of the greatest vegetables on the planet.  Dilemma?  Yes.  Insurmountable?  No.  Unless there are allergies involved, with some creativity we can get our loved ones to share in our passion for green beans.  With this in mind, I had to get a little bit crafty.  I know that Ettore loves garlic and red Calabrian peppers.  I also happen to know that greens beans are one of the only vegetables his mom does not cook well.  That is saying a lot, I might add.  She is an excellent cook, and some of the best vegetable dishes I have had have been in her kitchen.  However, knowing this weakness and knowing that this is what Ettore is basing his prejudice on, I created these super delicious garlicky green beans.

Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans

5-6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

6-10 cloves of garlic, crushed

1-3 tsp of crushed calabrian red peppers (depending on how hot you want them)

½ cup crushed almond or almond slivers

1 vegetable bouillon cube

5 tbs olive oil

Splash of white wine

1/2 of Celtic sea salt

1-2 cups of water

Directions:

    In a large deep pan pour in the olive oil and white wine.  Add salt, garlic, and red peppers.  Sauté together on medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Then add the chopped sundried tomatoes almonds, stir and sauté well until the almonds become slightly toasted.  Add one cup of water and simmer all the ingredients together as water with medium heat.  As the garlic begins to soften and break down, mash it down into smaller pieces.  Now throw in the green beans and the rest of the water.  Makes sure to stir well and makes sure the green beans are moist and covered with mix.  Stir and sauté for about 2 minutes on medium heat.  Make sure water is not totally evaporated.  Turn heat to low and allow the beans to simmer for about five minutes, stir occasionally until water has evaporated and the sauce is more like a thick sauce than a soup.  It is important to not allow the beans to become soggy and overcooked.  Beans should stay crisp.  I like to serve this on a bed of farro (Spelt) or Quinoa, which I boil with a bouillon cube and some salt.  Enjoy with an aromatic wine like a Riesling. 

Buon Appetito!!

P.S. My husband said they were the best green beans he had ever eaten. 

   

Insatiable appetites for meat and milk may ultimately cost us the planet

GLOBAL WARMING
The United Nations FAO report,
Livestock’s Long Shadow, states
that: “The livestock sector is a major
player, responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2
equivalent.  This is a higher share than
transport.” (Transport causes 13.5%).
LAND
25% of the world’s land surface is
given over to grazing more than 1.25
billion cattle. Grazing is often said to be
the only use for such land but, in many
cases, a more efficient and sustainable
use would be to grow trees for timber,
fuel and food – such as nuts and fruits.
More than 1/3 of the world's agricultural
land suffers desertification through:
clearing forests for grazing; overgrazing; overcultivating croplands to feed
farm animals as well as people; using
poor irrigation techniques.  A vegan –
who eats only plant foods and products
based on them – requires just 1/4 of
the land needed to feed a meat-eater.
ENERGY
Farm animals convert only a fraction of
their food into meat, eggs, or milk. The
fossil energy input to produce a day’s
food for a vegan is only one-third that
for a meat-eater and half that for a
vegetarian.  Much of the land now
wasted in feeding farm animals could be
used to grow ‘industrial crops’ – for
example, to make renewable fuels and
fibre (hemp, flax, etc)
WATER
Farm animals are voracious consumers
of water. A day’s food for a meat-eater
requires over 5,000 litres (enough to take
100 baths) – compared with 2,600 for a
vegetarian and a mere 1,900 for a
vegan.
WASTE
Farm animals produce large quantities
of urine and excrement – 23 kilograms
per day for each cow.  The ammonia
and nitrates from this waste leach into
the ground and surface water, polluting
wells and rivers.  Such pollution causes
algal blooms, removes oxygen from the
water and kills fish.  Ammonia from
farm waste also contributes to
atmospheric pollution.
HUNGER
Nearly one billion people are undernourished or starving, despite the world
producing enough food to feed twice its
human population of 6 billion.  Yet 1/3
of the grain we grow is fed to farm animals.  Nobody seriously suggests that
animal products (eg meat, eggs and
milk) are essential for health.
Animal farming represents a
squanderous misuse of scarce natural
resources and is a major contributor to
environmental destruction.  Vegan diets
use less land, water and fuel and are
gentler on the planet.

Source:  The Vegan Society

The Wine Lover: A Wine Bar in San Diego

     One of my favorite wine bars in San Diego is The Wine Lover in Hillcrest.  I have been frequenting this place for years and have always been very happy with the wines I have tried and the overall atmosphere compared to places like Wine Steals or Wine Encounter.  Both of those places should be called bars that serve wine rather than wine bars.  The Wine Lover is very intimate, small, and offers a lot for both this discerning palate and the complete wine novice.  They have changed their wine menu and wine consultants many times over the years, but the ambiance always stays the same.  An intimate and quiet corner tucked away from sometimes noisy Hillcrest. 

     The last time I was in San Diego I made plans to have a glass of wine with an old friend, so we planned to meet at the Wine Lover for a glass of wine.  However, I was stood up for reasons of family emergency, but I barely noticed.  The latest, and so far best wine concierge at the Wine Lover, Serge Chablè, kept me on my feet while we had an interesting conversation about wine and wine styles.  He is making a huge effort to include natural and authentic wines on the wine list, but not always having the best results from clients.  Not everyone wants to smell rust in their wine.  Some people are just plain happy with oaky vanilla and cherries.  It is interesting to note that even if we have a particular style we adore  in wine, not everyone has the same taste.  Not everyone enjoys gamey barnyard wines like I do, but I am happy he is making an effort.  To boot, he had New Order playing through Pandora and so lots of other darker 80s music came through the soundtrack.  My kind of bar!

     I tried 3 different wines and came home with one bottle.  I tasted a very interesting citrusy and crisp organic Chardonnay, a California Trebbiano that smelled and tasted of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and the star of the evening for me, a Saint-Joseph, bottled by Equis AOC 2007 from the northern Rhône.  It was full of depth and character, and I fell in love with it.  What Syrah should taste like.  It was green and full of mustard seed, had a nice tannins.   Of course, the notes will come later.  The emphasis was that Mr. Chablè listened to me as a client about my love for natural and authentic wines, how I love to smell minerals and the earth the wine comes from and he said, “Hey why don’t you try this wine.” And it suited me. 

     Why this place is always half empty I can’t figure out.  It is a friendly and relaxed place that offers board games for those just interested in an after work glass of wine and time to relax as well as a weekly meet the Sommelier wine lessons for those who want to get more serious about wine.  Try the wine flights for an added bonus and then decide what is your own personal wine style.  There are tables, couches and an outdoor patio with heating in the winter.  You’ll not find a friendlier wine bar in all of San Diego. 

The Wine Lover

3968 5^th Ave

San Diego, CA 92103

(619)294-9200

2010 and Moving Ahead

     2010 has been an interesting year.  So much has happened this year in my personal life, in my Animal Rights Activism, and in the world.  I think the biggest lesson for me this year is that I have finally learned to trust my heart and intuition when it comes to fellow human beings.  If my heart tells me someone is scum, fake, and not worth it, I now listen.  If my husband backs up this opinion, than I don't want to waste my time on people.  Often we can tell if a person is a backstabber by the company they keep, or what they value in life. I value nature, the simple life, amazing food, great wine, my family and friends and I don't value boob jobs, vanity, name dropping or social climbing.  I want my life to be guided by good deeds and good people with true hearts.  I guess it just takes awhile.  I jump into my 7th year of life in Italy with better prospectives, better language, and better friends...out with the old, in with the new.    This year has taught me I can be a gourmand without exploiting animals.  When people ask, "What do you eat?"  I have to laugh. 

In Rome, the Animal Rights community lost a true Angel, Miss Maya.  She was a colleague of mine, and whenever we saw each other we only spoke about animals.  She would always talk about her dogs and cats and we would complain about how violent humans are as corpse eaters.  She always said, "They are better than us."  She gave her life for a fellow sentient being, trying to save a cat from a train.  She taught me a lot about how to care for a feral cat community, and I will really miss our random meetings at the pizza spot near the Vatican.  Her death is a true loss, because we need more veg people and people who respect the lives of other sentient beings.  It is sad for those she leaves behind and a real loss for non human animals.  Maya was a glittery eyed firework.  I remember the first time I saw her at the Vatican she was putting her clients in a Taxi at a Taxi stand where there was a long line, and some priests just cut the line and got into the Taxi.  She had none of it.  She practically pulled them out of the Taxi so her clients could have it, after all why shouldn't they wait in line like the rest of us?  Maya lived her life to the fullest, and I want to as well.  I can no longer waste my energies where they are not needed, and I need to have a louder voice for all sentient beings.  I am dedicating my year of animal rights activism in 2011 to Maya.  I hope she works through me.

To honor her, I am going to do more for animals this year.  My activism is going to be peaceful.  I know that the only way to have peace on earth is to go vegan.  Veganism is the only way to love yourself, fellow sentient beings, and the earth.  If you love animals, and you still consume their bodies and products, please stop.  Get informed on why animal agriculture is violent, polluting and unhealthy.  Animal products are killing us and the earth.  If you support meat and dairy you support exploitation of both animals and humans.  The workers in these industries are exploited.  The industry is the most polluting of any on earth and produces more pollution than all transportation(cars, trucks, trains, boats and planes) worldwide.  Do it for the animals, the planet, and for fellow human beings.  If you believe in peace and a non violent future, GO VEGAN in 2011!!!!!!

Please do not buy pets, adopt at a shelter.

Here are some links:

The Vegan Society


Abolitionist Approach

Why don't  I eat meat, eat animal products, wear animals or exploit them?  They feel, have complex social lives, and deserve LIFE.   All Sentient beings deserve to live out their natural life in a way that is natural to them.  Not as our property, food, labor,  entertainment or clothes.  I don't eat meat, animal productss, buy animal skins like leather or fur, wear wool, go to Sea World (one of the most evil places on earth).  You are what you eat, so don't eat dead animals!!  GO VEGAN!  It's the compassionate choice. 

Which image is more peaceful?  Animals alive or animals killed so you can chew on them?

Gary L. Francione: The Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights Make the world a more just and less violent place in 2011: go vegan and talk with your family and friends about veganism.