Abbazia Di Rosazzo - History in a glass

Located in the town of Udine, Abbazia de Rosazzo has a long history we could see in the architecture as we scurried in out of the rain.  The name translates to: Monastery of roses. Legend says it was started around 800 by a hermit monk named Allemanus, who started an oratory on the present day site.  It was such a culture of peace, that it grew to Abbey status.  When the Benedictines took over, they brought wine and olive oil technology.  These advances moved the Abbey forward economically and it grew  very powerful under the  protection of Rome.  Even the Venetian doge had them make him a special wine. Then Venetians fought to capture the area and the abbey became a fortress, which caused  spiritual decline as warrior monks took over and the peace was lost for many years.

 In 1533, the reconstruction was finished.  After it was rebuilt, an artist was engaged to create frescoes all about St Peter to whom abbey had been dedicated in 1070. The area suffered after World War II as the formerly peaceful lifestyle was disturbed.  People left the area abandoned.  Until Livio  Felluga, who couldn't bear to see the post war depression continue started to bring back viticulture, mixing new modern technology with hard work and a singular dedication toward rebuilding the wine culture in the area.  He is credited with bringing back the Friuli wine region and thanks to his dedication and passion, we can visit the beautiful grounds and taste the lovely wine. 

And the Wine tasted more lovely drinking it in situ with awareness of the history of it.

A blend of Friulano - Pinot Blanc - Sauvignon - Malvasia - Ribolla, it gave me a jolt of terroir.  The wine was pale gold with aromas of flowers and citrus.  It had round mouthfeel with flavors of something tropical and spice.  The finish was medium.  I marvelled at the taste of place it gave me, being able to look out on the terraced ronchi planted by monks, but restored by the visionary, Livio Felluga in 1979.

There is more than destiny of taste. Our guide told us the story of how the original rose of the Abbey present for so many hundreds of years disappeared after World War I.  Turned out, a soldier had brought a cutting to America. nurtured it and in 1929, when he heard of the rose's extinction, sent a clipping back and so the original rose of the abbey is there to this day.  

Pretty? "Slap yo Mama, we're in Italy"- pretty Vista

Make an appointment to visit:
La Cantina Dal Abbazzia Rosazzo
info@liviofelluga.it

Piazza Abbazia, 5, 33044 Manzano Udine, Italy

Phone:+39 0432 759091

Friuli, Venezia, Giulia - Little Pearls to Discover in these Great Wine Regions

Exciting things are happening to help you explore the three wine regions known as Friuli-Venezia-Giulia ---FVG for short.  The wonderful Chiara Tuppy from Vino e Sapori, spoke at the 2013 International Wine Tourism Conference that was held in Zagreb, Croatia. The theme for her discussion was the many ways her organization works to make it easier for visitors to experience what she termed, " Little pearls of discovery".  This coordinating center organizes information, events, disparate groups, etc to be able to help travellers design their own wine and food adventures.

From the logo you can see that wine, of course, is prominent.  But also art, history, agriculture, architecture and the wonderful culture that infuses the area with an indefatigable spirit of hospitality.

FVG Highlighted in red

Over the next few posts I will try to highlight some jewels of my own discovery, but here I wanted to highlight a great resource for you when you plan to visit this wonderful area.

The English site just came online.  You can explore for yourself here

There you will find collected all the information to match your available time and inclinations to the wonderful experiences that await you in FVG.  At Vini e Sapori,  they work with all the providers, large and small, and make sure that their operating hours are easily available to you.  You can search by your dates to find out what will be open. Or, you can easily locate the contact info for a place not listed to be open when you are there to set up an appointment.   Something wonderful they have done is set their members on a rotating schedule so that no matter when  you arrive, you will be able to find an interesting range of places to visit.  The larger places you would expect, but some of the most charming places are small and out of the way. Both are represented on the rotating schedule. And best of all: no reservations! Not just wine, but great agritourism hotels, delicious regional cuisine, fascinating farmhouses with cheeses and dairy straight from heaven.  Olives.  Did I mention wine? The site gives you tons of information.

You can tap into pre-designed itineraries whose stops are easily grouped to help you find your own way.  If this sounds like a lot of work, there are also links to tour operators who can make your trip easy, breezy with fun itineraries you can simply book online.  Either way (or both), the discoveries you make will be your treasures.

 I got to find out during my visit there earlier this year that Friuli, Venezia and Giulia all have wonderful climates for curing ham, growing grapes, making wine and living life in a lovely area as tasty as it is rich in culture.  I hope you get to see it with your own eyes...and by see I mean savor...and by savor I mean wine.  All this typing is making me thirsty!

Ca' Momi, Oxbow Market in Napa- A visit to Italy ...

...for your mouth!  We met with Dario De Conti for dinner at his restaurant Ca' Momi in Napa's Oxbow market several weeks ago, but every time my stomach rumbles, "Dinner time!"  I wish I could reach for a slice (or four) of that amazing, authentic pizza. If you are wondering how to make time for Ca' Momi, the good news , it is a space

that serves you on your time.  

Need a quick snack to fortify your wine trekking?  Hit the Enoteca for some good advice and better fuel.  

Need some pastries to bring to your Napan friend's dinner party?  Hit to To Go Counter and load up because you know you want to be asked back

But if you have time to experience the full service restaurant, prepare for a relaxing and tasty meal.  

Dario De Conti, along with partners, Valentina Guolo Migotto and Stefano Migotto have put together a charming spot with authentic Italian ingredients and seasonal bounty of California.  The Arugula, herbs, etc come from their garden at the old Copia space; it's hard to get more local than that. But most of the cheeses, flour etc come from Italy; it's harder to get more authentic than that.  And Local and Authentic aside, their focus and dedication manifests in deliciousness---and you just can't get better than that.

We were hosted at dinner by Dario and tasted through many of his delicious wines and amazing food.  It was fun to get to know him a little too.  Dario was born near Pordenone and went to school at the University of Padova.  While he was studying winemaking, he worked as a pizzaiolo at night and perfected the art of Neapolitan pizza.  The wood oven at 900 degrees cooks the pizza in exactly in 90 seconds.  The dough hits the oven and forms a crust which is important since it has to hold the cheese and the proper tomato sauce is thin.  The intense heat creates the perfect texture and just the right amount of char.  Thought goes into everything , including balancing the tomato sauce with buffalo mozzarella, whose stronger taste to stands up to the tomatoes.  Neapolitans certified processes to make real traditional Italian pizza.  Ca' Momi's pizza transported me to Italian vacation days.  Dario also explained the name "Margherita"  It came from the name of the Queen of Italy in the 1890s, where in her honor, flatbread was garnished with tomatoes, cheese and basil to represent the Italian flag,  Historical and delicious.  But don't try asking for Parmesan or chili flakes---Ca' Momi is religiously Italian and eschews these American tagalongs.

Some of the other dishes we tried were:

Farinata: Made with garbanzo flour typical of Liguria.  This dish has a rich taste and a richer history dating back to the 1400 's when Genova Tuscany Venice and Amalfi were continuously fighting on sea. A ship of captured Pisans had to use hull full of north African ingredients To survive they made bread out of the garbanzo flour.  

 

Involtini of Bresaola Cured thinly sliced beef is rolled around creamy Robiola cheese spiked with fresh chives. Like a Lombardy Piemonte plate. 

Sarde in Saor: Hardcore traditionally Venetian dish. Sardines marinated in white wine with onions, sultanas, pine nuts, and chives.  Freshness of the sea served cold. Vaporetto not included

Sarde in Saor

Spaetlze allo Speck: Caution: This dish will haunt your dreams.  Perfectly crisp salty , porky speck in a rich cream sauce with toothsome spaetzle. Not to be missed



Wine is the star

Gnudi: Bellwether Farms Ricotta made from the rich milk of Jersey cows gives this dumpling its pillowiness.  Organic spinach, the perfect seasonings, along with sage and parmegiano-reggiano cheese complete the dish.

And the Ca' Momi wines complete the experience.  We loved the expression of California fruit through Ca' Momi's Italo-centric lens.  Dario pointed out that the California growing season takes the limits off the fruit (from Rutherford, Mt.  Veeder and Atlas peak), so his  Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful while at the same time retaining a juicy complexity. We loved the 2012 Zinfandel, Napa Valley for its spicy red fruit and food friendly nature. More information on the Passion Wines here, but let me tell you the House wines were delicious as well.  BrixChick Heidi has a ton of notes on the wines we loved to love,  so stay tuned for updates from her. Before I forget, Ca' Momi boasts  a lovely list of Italian wines if you are feeling a little continental.

Italian culture on the plate.  

But the best was saved for last. Pastries are the first
things the restaurant cooks starting at 4 am.  Stefana focuses on this and is proud of the authenticity.  You can dart into the kiosk to grab any of these.  What many Italians do is buy a tray to bring to Sunday lunch.

You would make room at your table for a friend who showed up with these:
Latte Di miele
Almond cream puffs
Coffee cream puffs

Chocolate cream puffs

Niocciolata (hazelnut) cream puffs

Cannolo

Cream puffs!  Caramel and Tiramisu and more.  The caramel puff was just the right cross of sticky and crunchy, With caramelized sugar, burnt and sweet, forming a crackle over the top of the cream puff that meets your teeth with a satisfying crunch.  Followed by tender cream puff dough and creamy filing.  Each bite was more delightful than the next.  Two kinds of Tiramisu , both to die for.

Since the menu is seasonal, expect to see changes.  They were already planning a Summer salad of potatoes, octopus, and cherry tomatoes that will be up soon As well as  Ribollita, which I see already on the online menu.

Not trendy but traditional.  All the recipes are time tested and if you compare with Italian examples you will taste the similarity, so if you are jonesing for Italy come here:

Ca' Momi

Located inside the Oxbow Market

610 First Street

Napa, CA 94559

Many thanks for a wondeful meal.  We'll be back!