Autumn vibes and magic with Italian wines

The most beautiful moments are the ones we share with our loved ones while enjoying a good wine and serving dishes that will delight our taste buds and make us think of the beautiful and sunny Italy. We had the great pleasure to enjoy the wonderful wines belonging to the two wineries, Antonutti and Collefrisio, together with the dishes prepared with passion by chef Antonio, in the Buongiorno – Cucina Fiorentina kitchen.

I admit, it was the first time visiting this location I had heard of, but until the moment of the wine tasting I had not somehow managed to get here. It was the first official tasting of this year and I felt overwhelmed by emotions and a pleasant feeling that seemed to whisper in my ear that the current situation with the pandemic will have an end and everything will return to normal. Together with Herbert Szasz, who shared all the details about the tasted wines during the evening and who always manages to maintain the atmosphere and take us on this wonderful wine journey, we managed to create beautiful moments with these wonderful wines associated of course with Italian dishes.

The evening began with a sparkling wine, belonging to the Antonutti winery in the Friuli region. Antonutti is currently at the fourth generation of winemakers, and the winery will celebrate 100 years of existence next year. Ribolla Gialla On the Move is obtained 100% from the type of grape native to the Friuli region, Ribolla Gialla. The vinification is done by gently pressing the grapes, the second fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks at a controlled temperature of 14C for three weeks. The wine is kept on yeast for a period of 90 days, followed by bottle aging. The grapes are harvested early and retain the delicate scent and persistent pearl, a special freshness and a perfect balance. A delicate symphony with 12.5% ​​vol, dominated by fresh aromas, minerality, which successfully contributes to a beautiful evening in the right ambiance and company. Ribolla Gialla was associated at the beginning of the evening with an aperitif consisting of coccoli with prosciutto crudo and burrata.

I have already told you about the wines of the Collefrisio winery in some previous materials. Collefrisio was born in an area known for its wine culture, in the Abruzzo region, right on the hills of Frisa in the province of Chieti, with an extremely favorable geographical context with influences from the mountains and the sea, thus obtaining an ideal climate for vineyards and grapes, because, we know very well, the quality starts from the vineyard and ends in the wine glass. Collefrisio is currently at the third generation of winemakers and today the winery is managed by Amedeo De Luca and Antonio Patricelli.

The evening continued with Collefrisio Passerina, associated with octopus and purple potatoes purée. Passerina is a delicate wine with subtle notes of citrus, bergamot and white flowers specific to the Mediterranean area, it has a pleasant acidity and a persistent aftertaste.

The third white wine of the evening was Collefrisio Confronto Bianco, a blend obtained from Pinot Grigio and Pecorino, with subtle notes of apples, bananas, chamomile and mulberry, but with a well-balanced acidity and which harmonized very well with risotto with seafood.

We continued the evening with a red wine, Apassimento, one of my favorite wines by the way. We are talking about a blend obtained from 60% Montepulciano dʻAbruzzo, 20% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot – three varieties that perform this love dance in a wonderful blend. The intense ruby red color is noticed in this wine, persistent notes of ripe cherries, black cherry and plums, at the end having slightly spicy notes. The wine was paired with Angus beef and baked potatoes.

The last wine of the evening was a special one that I had the opportunity to taste in the past, Collefrisio Sotto Sopra, a sweet wine, traditional in the Abruzzo area, a wine obtained from Montepulciano dʻAbruzzo but to which a nice twist is added, sour cherry liqueur, being at the same time a wine that is to be served cold. For this special wine we had the opportunity to combine a vanilla tart, prepared in the kitchen of Buongiorno – Cucina Fiorentina.

The beautiful moments spent at Buongiorno – Cucina Fiorentina will remain in my memory for a long time and I hope that those who want to serve traditional Italian dishes will dare to visit this wonderful chic and intimate place where you feel the magic of Italy from all points of view and indulge in wines and special dishes.

Pics and text by Yle Balaceanu