Bistecca

Good full red. Captivating aromas of ripe red cherry, mocha and violet complicated by an herbal nuance. Sweet, dense and juicy in the mouth, displaying bright flavors of dark cherry, flowers and spices. Finishes very smooth, savory and spicy, with outstanding energy and focus and plenty of early appeal. This complex, multilayered wine strikes me as the best I have ever tasted from Feudi del Pisciotto.

93 points Ian D'Agata, Vinous Media

Cerasuolo. If I had to use one word to fully describe Paolo Panerai’s excellent wine ‘Giambattista Valli’ that would be it. Cerasuolo means cherry like. This wine is so chock full with bright cherry, pomegranate and strawberry flavors I had to wonder if my wife didn’t swap the wine with fresh cherry juice to fool me.

The wine is named after noted designer Giambattista Valli as part of a collection meant to celebrate Italian fashion. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is the sole Sicilian DOCG wine and is made from two native Sicilian grape varieties, Nero d’Avola and Frappo.

The thin skinned Frappo grapes give the wine it’s beautiful iconic cherry flavors, aromatics and acidity but are notoriously low in tannins and structure. So, as a contrast, winemaker Alessandro Cellai adds a slightly larger percentage of Nero d’Avola, the famed black grape, to provide Cerasuolo with the body and structure needed to transform this blend into a cellar worthy powerhouse of a wine. He ferments the juice in stainless steel using natural yeasts for ten days then ages it in used French barriques for 12 months before bottling.

I don’t want to appear like all I know how to cook is Italian dishes. But when you serve such a beautiful wine that captures the very soul of Sicily it seems almost a crime not to eat the food it was born to marry with. Owner Paolo suggested beef as a perfect complement. I ran with that and even perhaps got a bit carried away in the excitement. I started with beautifully cured bresaola (air dried beef) rolled around a peppery salad of arugula and fresh shaved 24-month old parmesan dressed in a hint of fruity Italian olive oil and thick aged balsamic vinegar.

When I first tasted the wine alone I wondered if it might be too acidic and young to drink now. Any questions of its youth disappeared with every bite. The ruby red wine danced with the cured bresaola and arugula in my mouth. This is an elegant wine that will age gracefully for years, if not decades. We nibbled on a fresh pizzetta of shaved mortadella, taleggio cheese and caramelized sweet onions as the wine continued to soar and come into its own.

For the main course I prepared an earthy grilled bistecca I felt would complement the wine beautifully. I accompanied it with a melting pot of French and Italian rustic flavors. Rapini quickly stir fried with olive oil, hot peppers and shaved garlic. Ricotta gnocchi tossed with the season’s first green garlic and cherry tomato confite and a plateful of chickpea Socca, a flatbread/crepe hybrid typical of Southern France. Meat is the foundation upon which greatness is built. It never loses its meatiness but acts as a base that supports a multitude of other flavors. I left the traditional world by dusting my ribeye with powdered chaga mushrooms instead of porcinis. Chagas, foraged off of birch trees in Northern Alaska, are known as the ‘gift of God’ or ‘mushroom of immortality’ by Siberians because of their healthful benefits. They have been used as a powerful herbal remedy for well over 5,300 years. Better known for their anti-oxidant qualities rather than their edibility they score an astonishing 1104 orac units per gram compared to 165 for acai and the paltry 24 units for blueberries. Their flavor is best described as earthy with vanilla overtones.

In a crazy way the Giambattista Valli reminded me of a heartier pinot noir with its bright cherry flavors. It cozied up perfectly to the grilled beef and Mediterranean fare. This is a rustic dish will become an integral part of your grilling repertoire.

Bistecca

A perfect meal for a Sunday Lunch

• 36- ounce ribeye in one piece
• ½ cup finely powdered chaga
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Espelette peppers
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
• rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano
• 8 garlic cloves (chopped)
• fruity finishing olive oil
• aged balsamic vinegar

1. I like to let my meat macerate in all the flavors for two hours before I grill it. Lay the ribeye on a baking sheet and heavily dust with chaga powder. The meat will absorb the mushroom powder imbuing it with earthy vanilla flavors.
2. Season with both coarse ground black pepper and Espelette peppers.
3. Mix the olive oil, fresh herbs and garlic together. Massage deeply into the meat and let sit at room temperature for two hours.
4. Prepare a charcoal or wood grill. Cook meat over a direct high heat till charred on one side then flip over and repeat. I usually finish cooking on less direct heat on the edge of the grill.
5. Let meat rest for ten minutes before carving.
6. Slice thin and serve drizzled in a fruity finishing olive oil and even an aged balsamic vinegar.

A note about ingredients

We can never surpass the quality of our ingredients. Start with high quality items and half the battle of cooking is already won. I work for a company that forages and provides the countries best chefs with high quality wild foods foraged/fished from forests, oceans and streams. Feel free to contact me for chaga mushrooms and Espelette peppers.

This article is reprinted from one I wrote previously. I started writing a weekly column for my friend Massimo Marinucci’s excellent wine shop in Pound Ridge, New York. Opened in 1993 he has grown and expanded into the cellars and hearts of serious wine drinkers around the world. Check out his amazing offerings.