b5media.com

Advertise with us

Enjoying this blog? Check out the rest of the Lifestyles Channel Subscribe to this Feed

Behind the Vines

Bringing It Home, Italian Style

by Farley on July 2nd, 2008

homemade lasagnaLast week I posted about the ricotta cheese I made from scratch.  My fellow b5 blogger, Marye, made hers another way.  Cheese however you can find it, I used mine to create my first-ever lasagna, along with a quick version of my nana’s tomato sauce and her famous meatballs on the side. Of course, I couldn’t leave out the salad she always made with oil, vinegar, and garlic. Mom and I reminisced over the time Nana almost poisoned us when she failed to see the label her brother had put on the old vinegar container, indicating its dangerous contents.

2003 Bosco Montepulciano d'AbruzzoSeeing as how we were getting back to our Italian roots, it was only right that we drank a bottle from the old country.  I had picked up the 2003 “R” Bosco Montepulciano d’Abruzzo not too long ago at Wine Thieves to help increase our old world supply.  The nose was a little plastic at first, but that quickly floated into licorice.  My mom perked up at that because she loves black jelly beans.  We also found cherry, black currant, and cedar.  There was a fair amount of tannins, but the richness of the cheese subdued them.

An interesting note: Montepulciano (made in Abruzzo, central Italy) is both the grape and the name of the wine.  (It is not connected to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from Sangiovese).  Known for a long time for “house wines,” recent years show the region moving away from mass production and closer to the enjoyable, interesting arena it can be….

Image source:Farley Walker

Tags: , , ,

POSTED IN: Italian wine, especially good meals

1 opinion for Bringing It Home, Italian Style

  • sara
    Jul 2, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    Montepulciano is a favorite for my family, becuase my parents spent a summer there one year. A fantastic choice to pair with yoru lasagna Farley! Have you recovered from your families visit yet?

Have an opinion? Leave a comment: