This month,  we present wine from opposite ends of Italy, a red from the Val d'Aosta in the far northwest, and a white from Salento in the far southeast.

First up is Alticelli Fiano Cantèle, a medium bodied white from Salento in Apuglia.  This is east coast Fiano, grown in Salento as opposed to Campania where it is more commonly found.  Medium weight with a nice fruit/acid balance, with stone fruit, floral and grassy notes on the nose and a nice round palate with good acidity and a long finish.  Highly versatile and a born “food wine”, Alticelli isat its best with fish , with Mediterranean-spiced vegetable dishes of all kinds and young cheeses.

Di Barro Petit Rouge hails from the val d'Aosta (home of Fontina, a great complex mountain cheese).  Reminiscent of a cru Beaujolais, but with higher toned aromatics and a great fresh and minerally infused flavor. The grapes used to make this wine come two vineyards, Château Feuillet and Boné, located between 2,100 and 2,600 feet above sea level. No oak, nothing to obscure the dark fruit, forest floor and a touch of cola and smoke. Lovely with cheese.

Recipes:

For the Fiano:  Tuna with Rigatoni Pasta and Salsa Verde Serves 4

This is a dish I love to throw together when pressed for time. Easy, tasty and with loads of briny, citrus and salty flavors, it will go quite nicely washed down with a few glasses of this month's white!

1 pound high quality canned tuna in oil, such as Ortiz
1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch basil
3 sprigs mint
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup capers, drained
6  anchovies
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
Drain the tuna, reserving the oil and flake into a bowl.
Finely chop the herbs and place in a food processor with the garlic, capers and anchovies and chop until fully combined. Slowly add the tuna oil, olive oil and Dijon mustard and blend until the texture of pesto. Stir in the vinegar and add to the tuna. Toss gently and add to the pasta with th zest and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

For the Petit Rouge:  Roasted Veal Breast with Shallot Caper Stuffing Serves 6

Veal breast is akin to beef brisket, but while a brisket must be braised to become tender, roasting a veal breast (which comes from a younger animal) renders it juicy and flavorful. A boneless veal breast is a long and floppy cut, so it's best to order it "rolled and tied"—this way all you have to do is unroll it to stuff it, and roll it back up the way the butcher did it.

3⁄4 cup dried currants
2⁄3 cup madeira
6 tablespoons butter
1 1⁄2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 large shallots, finely chopped
3⁄4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1⁄4 cup capers, drained and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 trimmed boneless veal breast (about 4 lbs.)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup Beef Stock

Heat oven to 300°. Put currants and half of the madeira into a medium bowl and set aside to let soften for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add thyme and shallots and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer shallot mixture to bowl of currants; add breadcrumbs, capers, and salt and pepper. Stir well. Set the shallot-caper stuffing aside.
Lay veal breast flat on a cutting board and using a meat mallet pound the breast to tenderize and thin the cut. Season all over with salt and pepper. Top with the stuffing; spread out evenly, leaving a 1" border around the edges. Roll up veal breast and tie snuggly with butcher's twine down the length of the roast at 1 1⁄2" intervals.

Heat remaining butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add veal and cook, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown all over, 10–12 minutes; transfer veal to a small roasting pan. Add half of the wine to skillet and cook, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute; pour over veal. Roast, basting every 20 minutes or so with any pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast registers 165°, about 1 3⁄4 hours.

Transfer roast to a large platter, cover with foil and set aside. Set roasting pan over medium-high heat on stove. Add beef stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, for 2 minutes. Transfer pan juices to a small saucepan; skim off and discard any fat. Add remaining madeira and wine and cook over medium heat until just thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
For easy carving, leave butcher's twine on and cut veal into thick slices. Remove twine and serve with pan juices.

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