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Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

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Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by JoePerry » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:20 am

In no real order, here are some photos from Amy and my honeymoon in Italy.

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Meat Flower

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Villa La Favorita

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Rabaya

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The cellar at Rabaya (good thing I didn't have my corkscrew!)

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1990 Cappellano

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Amy doing an Italian pose

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More Favorita

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Marta and Beppe

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La Morra

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I did this a lot in Venice

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Babies are the new "must have" accessory for the coming season.

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Venice

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Amy took 300 pictures of me eating; this was number 299.

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Me and Maria

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That's a lot of oak.

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The view of Falletto from La Morra

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The Vaperetto on a rainy day with people pushing and yelling in 8 differen languages... (Amy weathers it better than I)

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Nieve?

Highlights of the trip included:

Staying at Villa La Favorita, a small agritourismo on the slopes above Alba. Roberta, the hostess there, spoke English and helped us find excellent restaurants in the area, as well as set up key appointments with producers. The Villa itself was as beautiful as they come; with it's own vineyard, peach trees, fig trees, and a hot tub just below the Nebbiolo vines. Inside the Villa everything is classy and yet comfortable. Each morning was met with a complimentary breakfast of 7-9 courses - most of which was made from ingredients grown on the property. I can't recommend it enough.

Dining was interesting. Many places were closed strange hours, and dinner doesn't really begin until 8pm. Lunch is hard to come by, and your best bet is to pick up some meat and cheese and make yourself a sandwich. I ate Spech and cheese sandwiches most of the time (not that I'm complaining!). While meat and cheese for lunch is cheap, dinners were rather expensive with most places we ate costing over 120 euro. In Alba itself, we ate at one of the Slow Foods-endorsed restaurants, Osteria dell'Arco. Sadly, the food and atmosphere were sorely lacking. Excellent gnocchi was about the only thing they had going for them. In Barolo, we ate at a cozy spot called Osteria la Canti Nella. Most of the food was solid, if a bit on the predictable side. Tajarin (local pasta) with black truffles was the best we tasted here. We did get an outstanding bottle of wine in 1985 Barale Riserva. A bit on the masculine side, and still not giving much in secondary notes, but amazing weight and promise.

In Venice, we had a fantastic meal at Corte Sconta (A Thor-endorsed restaurant). They only cook seafood, and they perfect it. The recommendation is to order a slew of appetizers based upon whatever is freshest (which we did). Spider crab, some kind of crayfish, cuttlefish, shrimp and more were served after being expertly prepared. The highlight of the meal was black pasta with mussels, the likes of which I have never experienced. The pasta with tuna was the one downer. Desserts (while not seafood) were amazing as well. One of the top 10 meals of my life. An excellent white wine list is featured, though they keep shoving complimentary Prosecco in your hand. We ordered a bottle of the 2005 Emidio Pepe Tebbiano, which was absolutely killer.

Back at Villa la Favorita, Roberta suggested a restaurant in Roddino called Gemma for truly traditional fare. On Wednesdays (the day we were there) all the old women from the town gather at Gemma to cook. Three hours of strange courses both enjoyable and revolting ensue. Until you have seen 3 pounds of raw ground veal mixed with olive oil dumped in front of you, you don't really know what fear of food is (insalata di carne cruda). The roast that came out last was the best of the evening, so save room.

The best experience we had (food+atmosphere) came in Barbaresco in the Rabaja vineyard. My books list the restaurant name as Rabaja (like the vineyard), though the sign spells it Rabaya. As I said, the location of this restaurant was in the Rabaja vineyard: literally inside it. I have never encountered a more amazing view while dining as at this restaurant. When the sun goes down over the hills of Barbaresco, it’ll take your breath away. Surprising uncrowded, Amy and I dined outside on the terrace which was covered in vines that suspend grapes and lanterns over your head. The wine list was very reasonably priced, and we enjoyed a fantastic bottle of 1990 Cappellano Barolo. The meal itself was fantastic. An (almost) carpaccio of beef with fresh parmesan was so good that we wanted to skip the rest of the meal and just order 5 plates of it. The rabbit braised in Barbaresco for my main course might have shown a tad too much terroir, though Amy’s lamb was delish. Dessert was composed of fresh peaches, from our waiter’s garden.

As you may suspect, Amy and I also visited a few local winemakers. We actually intended to visit more than just Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi and Giuseppe Mascarello, but I had already bought more wine than I could transport home so we skipped Cappellano, Vietti, Brezza and Brovia (not wanting to bother them if we weren’t going to buy anything). Rinaldi was the toughest to get into. I’ve heard that he is a bit gruff, and he said that he was too busy at first, but Roberta was able to win him over by telling him we specifically came to the Piedmont to visit him. Beppe doesn’t speak any English, but his daughter does, so she gave us the tour of their very small facility beneath their house. Though shy, the young (22) Marta is very well learned having graduated from two schools of oenology. Already very traditionally minded, the future of Rinaldi seems secure. I’ll also add (and Amy doesn’t mind) that Marta is HOT! I wish I had a better picture, but… (I assume it won’t be long before Yaniger and Larry are buying a lot more Barolo). After the wedding, I decided to take some of our left over ESJ “Shadow” with us to give to the winemakers we visited. I wasn’t sure how novel this practice is (it’s not) until I gave a bottle to Marta which was placed on a wall with the other wine gifts they have received. It’s obvious that none of the gifts have ever been opened, as there are almost as many gifted wines in Rinaldi as there are historical bottles of Barolo. I got a bit of a chuckle imagining giving the pretty girl in high school a bouquet of roses who responds “Lovely! I’ll put them with the rest…”

Not thrilled with their 2003 Barolo, preferring the more stable 2001, Rinaldi still made a fine effort which, I felt, was even more successful in San Lorenzo Ravera (being a bit more “normal”). The 2005 Dolcetto produced by Rinaldi is a brute, but the 2005 Barbera is absolutely fantastic. Giuseppe Mascarello, Vietti and Giuseppe Rinaldi are about the only Barbera I find worth drinking. Judicious use of oak allows the fruit to express some of the finer elements of the grape. Sadly, almost all of the Rinaldi Barbera is sold locally. Even most of the Barolo never leaves the area. Rinaldi, along with Cappellano and Maria Theresa are a bit of local heroes in Barolo; which is interesting since G. Conterno and Giacosa gets most of the acclaim from traditionalists in the States, while Rinaldi and Cappellano are not as highly regarded. Amazingly enough, I only saw a handful of G. Conterno wine in the Piedmont, and the only person who mentioned either Conterno or Giacosa was Mauro Mascarello’s son, Guiseppe.

Speaking of Mauro Mascarello, it took Amy and I hours to find where the Guiseppe Mascarello facility is located. A good distance from any vineyards, Amy and I drove by Guisseppe Mascarello at least four times during our feeble search for it. Despite being two hours (!) late for our appointment, we were still welcomed into the more industrial (though still small) winery. Giuseppe Mascarello (the youngest) conducted the tour, and what a source of information he was! Giuseppe will ramble on without stopping in his flat monotone about every aspect of Barolo. Genuinely nice and more interested in the finer points of his wines than anyone we met with, Guiseppe tasted through his wines with us. Tasting his two Dolcetto side-by-side was interesting to see the differences in expression. Of his two Dolcetto, the Santa Stefano is the winner (and one of the better Dolcettos I have tasted). His Barbera was excellent as I expected, and the 2003 Scudetto is a missile that will explode your notions about 2003 being unable to make good wines. In fact, Giuseppe likes his 2003 and says he finds it to be one of his favorite recent vintages with 2001 (interesting!). Unlike Rinaldi, Giuseppe was thrilled by the gift of the ESJ Shadow. He informed us that he loves to try new things and said that we could take any of his wines in exchange. Amy’s favorite was the 2003 Scud, so we took a bottle of that. Unlike some of the more political comments that come from producers not wanting to upset their peers, Guiseppe was very open in his feeling about other Barolo (even traditional producers). I won’t get him into trouble by repeating his words, but it was great to be talked with honestly. Giuseppe really made you feel like he wanted to tell you everything about everything, rather than just answer your questions. In his opinion, G. Conterno is the best of Barolo. Certainly the recent release of Ca’d’Morissio from Mascarello would lead you to believe that they would like to emulate the success of Monfortino (though with a very different wine). We talked about the youth of the vines used in Ca’d’Morissio, and Guiseppe explained that Nebbiolo vines mature faster than other vines, but that quality will continue to go up as the vines age.

Near the end of the week, Amy and I were able to visit Maria Theresa at Bartolo Mascarello. Certainly the visit that I was most excited about, Maria Theresa did not disappoint. While Guiseppe Mascarello was interested in the actuality of his wine, Maria Theresa is much more interested in the philosophy of her wines. Tiny, but full of energy, Maria Theresa continues her father’s legacy of being the leader of preserving traditional ways. Right in the center of Barolo, the facilities of Bartolo Mascarello are beautiful, with her father’s artistic touches everywhere. We spent some 2 hours with Maria Theresa, and when it looked like she would be interrupted by work, she asked us to come back again to talk some more later. Genuinely happy to spend time with us, this was a real treat for me. I brought a bottle of 1979 Bartolo Mascarello to drink with Maria Theresa, but unfortunately it suffered from the weaker vintage and possibly some storage issues. The palate wasn’t spent, but the nose was dirty and showing a lot of reductive notes. As I told Maria Theresa, even drinking poor bottles of Bartolo Mascarello with her was a dream come true. We also drank her 2003 Barolo, which despite Maria Theresa’s claims that it is for early drinking, it’s still a powerhouse of tannin and good acidity. For our tenth wedding anniversary, Amy and I sprung for a Magnum of 1989 Barolo *grin*. As we left, Maria Theresa gifted us a bottle of her special Barolo Chinato which she only makes 200 bottles of for gifts to family and friends.

That’s about it for PG or wine-related events from the honeymoon. As usual, I had rental car troubles that involved me trying to find rubbing compound (try translating that into Italian!) and nail polish. Also, I learned that a diesel rental car will still run if you fill it with unleaded fuel.

It was a great trip.

Best,
Joe
Last edited by JoePerry on Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:11 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Bob Ross » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:41 am

Great shots, Joe -- thanks for sharing. Amy looks fantastic ... and you look very, very lucky.

Best to you both. Regards, Bob
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Re: Honeymooners!

by David M. Bueker » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:44 am

Nice photos Joe. But what happened to you near the end? Too much fun?

I hope you post a note on the 1924. :wink:
Last edited by David M. Bueker on Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Howie Hart » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:54 am

Great pics Joe & Amy! And, once again, congratulations and best wishes.
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Re: Honeymooners!

by JoePerry » Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:27 pm

David M. Bueker wrote:Nice photos Joe. But what happened to you near the end? Too much fun?

I hope you post a note on the 1924. :wink:


One of those pictures was the 300th that Amy took of me eating food, the other was taken from the vaperetto which was packed so full that people began to yell and fight in 8 different languages.

The '24 wasn't mine (sadly) I found it in the cellar of the Rabaya restuarant which they welcomed me to explore on my own. They're lucky I didn't have a corkscrew on me!

Best,
Joe
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Bob Henrick » Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:05 pm

JoePerry wrote:The '24 wasn't mine (sadly) I found it in the cellar of the Rabaya restuarant which they welcomed me to explore on my own. They're lucky I didn't have a corkscrew on me!

Best,
Joe


So Joe, do you have any idea of the price on the 24? under 4 figures?
Bob Henrick
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Re: Honeymooners!

by JoePerry » Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:15 pm

I don't think it was for sale. Most establishments, from great restaurants down to little cafe's, use old bottles of Barolo as decoration. As was the tradition in Barolo, these bottles have been kept standing up and one can only guess about the contents... In the case of Rabaya, they had a large cellar, but at least half of it was likely just for looks or special occasions.

Best,
Joe
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Cynthia Wenslow » Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:48 pm

A wonderful report, Joe. Thanks for posting for all of us!
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Re: Honeymooners!

by James Roscoe » Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:58 pm

Bob Ross wrote:Great shots, Joe -- thanks for sharing. Amy looks fantastic ... and you look very, very lucky.

Best to you both. Regards, Bob

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Re: Honeymooners!

by SteveEdmunds » Sun Sep 02, 2007 3:01 pm

Nice post! Nice voyage des noces! Cornelia and I also ate at Corte Sconta, at lunch one day, on our honeymoon, 21 years ago. We loved it. We didn't even order; they just kept bringing out all these brilliamt little plates of sea creatures, and fresh pitchers of Prosecco! I'll never forget it.
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Ian Sutton » Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:28 pm

Joe
Congratulations and thanks for going to the effort of writing all that up. Villa La Favorita seems to get consistently good write-ups on tripadvisor et al, so it seems there's general agreement that it's high quality.

We're heading over there for a few days in October (mixing in Cuneo and Torino as well). Having been (briefly) to Alba last year, we're planning on majoring around Barolo and would be interested in any tips, especially for making appointments for tastings.

regards

Ian
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Re: Honeymooners!

by JoePerry » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:25 pm

Steve Edmunds wrote:Nice post! Nice voyage des noces! Cornelia and I also ate at Corte Sconta, at lunch one day, on our honeymoon, 21 years ago. We loved it. We didn't even order; they just kept bringing out all these brilliamt little plates of sea creatures, and fresh pitchers of Prosecco! I'll never forget it.


Neat! It was certainly a place for foodies to eat. I'm such a seafood guy that I was thrilled to try the fresh local catches prepared so well. Actually (I assume freshwater?) the crayfish was amazing. It had a six inch tail with some of the tender and sweetest meat these lips have tasted.

Best,
Joe
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Re: Honeymooners!

by JoePerry » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:32 pm

Ian Sutton wrote:Joe
Congratulations and thanks for going to the effort of writing all that up. Villa La Favorita seems to get consistently good write-ups on tripadvisor et al, so it seems there's general agreement that it's high quality.

We're heading over there for a few days in October (mixing in Cuneo and Torino as well). Having been (briefly) to Alba last year, we're planning on majoring around Barolo and would be interested in any tips, especially for making appointments for tastings.

regards

Ian


Get someone who speaks Italian to do it for you. E-mails didn't work very well, but phone calls got same day service. Also, I assume the season will be in full swing for you in October, but many restaurants were closed Sunday, Monday and even other weekdays so check before you go! Shopping usually doesn't begin until 4pm and even the non-tourist shopping is closed everyday from 12-3pm.

You must eat at Rabaya too.

Best,
Joe
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Dale Williams » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:39 pm

Nice post.
I'm glad
a) you posted
and
b) I wasn't person after you at rental car agency
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Re: Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by Hoke » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:45 pm

Who! Great photos, Giuseppe. Good narrative too.

But where's the shot of Amy when it finally dawned on her what she had agreed to put up with for the rest of her life????

The Villa sounded great.

Glad you guys enjoyed La Serenissima. It's a wonderful place. We never got to Corte Sconta (the couple we were with wanted to do other stuff, so we went along with their plans). Next time. Roxi was just the another day musing about how it was time to go back to Venice...
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Re: Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by Isaac » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:08 am

Wonderful! I'm green with envy! I so want to go back to Italy.
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Re: Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by JoePerry » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:05 am

Hoke wrote:
But where's the shot of Amy when it finally dawned on her what she had agreed to put up with for the rest of her life????


You mean when I put a skittle up her nose while she was sleeping on the plane? Sadly, no photos.
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Re: Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by James Roscoe » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:28 am

JoePerry wrote:
Hoke wrote:
But where's the shot of Amy when it finally dawned on her what she had agreed to put up with for the rest of her life????


You mean when I put a skittle up her nose while she was sleeping on the plane? Sadly, no photos.


You have told us just enough about Amy for me to realize that you will pay for that little trick. Life is all about balance and compromise. You two seem to have found it. Congratulations! Keep up the good work.
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Re: Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by Hoke » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:04 pm

After reading the bit about the rental car, and remembering the rather incredible story of your auto escapades during your trip to California, I think the moral of this story is to avoid any rental car agency that Joe Perry has used.

Aren't you at least on some blacklists somewhere???
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Re: Honeymooners! (Pics, Tastes and Tales of Italy)

by JoePerry » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:18 pm

Hoke wrote:After reading the bit about the rental car, and remembering the rather incredible story of your auto escapades during your trip to California, I think the moral of this story is to avoid any rental car agency that Joe Perry has used.

Aren't you at least on some blacklists somewhere???


Australia was not without some trouble, too.

Thankfully rental car agencies number as the stars and I can keep moving to a new one.
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Re: Honeymooners!

by Ian Sutton » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:13 pm

JoePerry wrote:
Get someone who speaks Italian to do it for you.

I didn't realise you'd heard my attempts before :wink: :oops:

Seriously though, I tend to prefer to write (my thought process is slow at the best of times and much worse when I'm applying my limited Italian language skills). However I'll maybe risk the odd phone call to see how I get on - or at least fire the emails off early and follow up with a phone call at the places I really want to get to.

We might not make it to Barbaresco, as we're planning to stay on the Barolo side of Alba (and traffic around Alba is pretty shocking at times in October), but will keep it in mind for this time or next. It sounds fantastic and we had a great walk through Rio Sordo and one of the other vineyards last year.

Many thanks

Ian

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