Passion: The Memoir & Featured Wines
| Passion & Gift
Set for the Beginner |
Cost:
$146.97
Item
#GB0026 |
|
| Includes:
|
- Passion
on the Vine (Signed Hardcover)
- Sartarelli 2004 Verdicchio Tralivo
- Mascarello 2005 Barbera d'Alba
- Famiglia Anselma 2000 Barolo
Sergio dedicated Passion on the Vine to his mother,
Alma Tschantret, a woman whose own passion for family and
cooking nurtured the young Sergio’s acute connection
with food: He describes the kitchen as her “cocoon
and kingdom,” and recalls the impact of smelling his
mother’s lasagna: “my entire mood shifted. My
brothers took a sniff and walked on by, but I was momentarily
stopped.” In an understated, yet compelling manner, Passion evokes
Alma’s major role in Sergio’s story, capturing
a persona that is imbued with the festive, bountiful, and
joyous nature of the Italian table….and then some.
The wines featured in this first sampler would win Alma’s
approval, as none are quite themselves on their own. Indeed,
during a particularly lengthy seafood feast in Passion, Sergio
and his friends and family drink bottle after bottle of Sartarelli
Verdicchio—the chosen accompaniment of Le Marche’s
natives for the region’s signature seafood. Barbera
has long been esteemed for its food-savvy smarts, and consummate
traditionalist Mascarello’s restrained, high-acid style
has the verve to handle many of Passion’s multicourse
dining engagements. Anselma’s traditional Barolo, inspired
by Mascarello, celebrates the land of Piemonte and its past.
Sergio’s cooking session with its stylish creator provides
a tasteful suggestion for the perfect accompaniment…. |
| Passion & Gift
Set for the Enthusiast |
Cost:
$179.39
Item
#GB0027 |
|
| Includes:
|
- Passion
on the Vine (Signed Hardcover)
- Movia 2003 Veliko Bianco
- Biondi-Santi 2004 Rosso di Montalcino
- Mastroberardino 2003 Taurasi Radici
Sergio roots his mother’s culinary genius in the intuitive,
finding it hard to believe that she “ever followed a
recipe in her life.” Her command of the kitchen was
such, in fact, that she often gave the impression of “doing
nothing more than standing absently at the counter” when
preparing elaborate meals. Nonetheless, this almost casual
attitude is accompanied by an earnest and deep-rooted desire
to ensure that all members of her family have enough to eat
at every single meal….
This abiding need is the source of great comedy in one of Passion’s
chapters, though the scene in question shifts into the dramatic as Sergio and
his family proceed through a full line-up of Quintarelli’s wines, including
the Baby Amarone featured here. A master craftsman, Quintarelli remains largely
an enigma—a genius whose wines allow no point of comparison. Movia’s
Ales Kristancic is another spirit wholly unto himself, making wines that conform
only to his complex biodynamic principles. In Passion, he captivates
Stephany, Sergio's wife, with a comprehensive lesson on his philosophy, devoting
special attention to how he came to be struck by moonlight. His "Great White" (Veliko
Belo in Slovenian), a cuvée of Ribolla, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and
Pinot Grigio aged for three years in oak, redefines what it means to be a white
wine. And then there’s the patriarch of Brunello—Biondi-Santi—represented,
appropriately enough, by a Rosso di Montalcino that steadfastly rejects the textbook
Rosso paradigm, choosing to cast itself firmly in the character of a Brunello.
Divesting itself of all connection to the Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Biondi-Santi’s
Rosso defies you to call out its legal credentials. |
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