March Italian Wine Club

This month we are visiting the Le Marche (The Marches in English), a region on Italy's eastern, Adriatic coast, nestled between Emilia Romano to the north, Abruzze to the south and Umbria to the West. In the east, the Le Marche coastline is lapped by the warm waters of the Adriatic Sea and in the west is protected by the Sibillini Mountains, part of the Appenine chain.

Lande Lacrima di Morro dAlba Gavigliano Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is one of the most exciting new grape varieties to emerge from Central Italy.

Only recently available in North America, it is a round, fruity, aromatic grape that produces an approachable but intensely flavored red. A great food wine. Lacrima means tear drop in Italian - due to the "tears" that this grape shows in hot summer months when the skins of some berries split and the grapes cry. Morro d'Alba, not to be confused with the township of Alba in the Langhe, is a township in Le Marche where the grapes are grown and the wine is made.

One whiff of this wine and you'll know that you're smelling something unique. Rosepetals? Violets? It almost smells like a Gewurtztraminer; it is nearly that floral and over-the-top, with rose petal aromatics and a host of fruits, tropical and citrus. On the palate, this unoaked red is dry and medium bodied, quite like a well-made Cru Beaujolais. Characterized by its intense bouquet with hints of berries, violets, vanilla and roasted coffee, it is a typical expression of the Lacrima grape. Soft, velvety, and full-flavored, this wine is best served with pasta and rice dishes, grilled red meats or roasted white meats.

Bonci Verdicchio di Castello di Jesi Brut. They've been making sparkling wine out of Verdicchio since the 18th century, and it's easy to see why. As a still wine, Verdicchio is bright and lively, with plenty of native acidity. Verdicchio's name is derived from verde, meaning green, referring to the yellowish-green skin of the grape, which gives the wine a subtle, greenish hue. It produces crisp, dry wines of naturally high acidity and often with hints of citrus fruits and almonds.

Recipes
For the Sparkling Verdicchio Acquacotta di Verdure or Cooked Water with Greens
Acquacotta, literally cooked water, is peasant food with a vengeance, greens cooked in water and ladled over toasted bread, and you will find variations on the theme in many of the poorer sections of Italy.

1 loaf of day-old bread
2 1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 pound chicory, well washed and chopped
Herbs minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

The secret to its success lies in the selection of the herbs and greens used. Use chicory, borage, and other wild herbs, together with marjoram, thyme, and parsley. Don't be stingy with the herbs or the soup will be tasteless. The above ingredients will serve 6. Fill a fairly large pot 3/4 full of water and add the vegetables and herbs. Season with a little salt and cook for about 40 minutes. When the vegetables have finished cooking, cut the bread into thick slices. Dip each in the pot, let it drain, and put it in a bowl. Spoon some vegetables and a bit of the vegetable broth over the slices, drizzle some olive oil over them, and serve them with freshly ground pepper.

For the Lacrima: Braised Pasta with Ramps and Tomatoes
Carol and I flipped for this recipe, which uses a new (to us) technique of cooking the pasta like a risotto!!.

Ingredients

1 lb Penne
1 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
6 Ramps (or spring garlic), stems cut into 3 pieces and leaves cut into 1½-inch strips
12 Plum Tomatoes
1 cup Homemade tomato sauce (recipe below)
3 Cups Chicken Stock
12 Basil Leaves
1 Shallot, minced
1 Cup White Wine
Salt and white pepper

Rinse the ramps (or spring garlic) in cool water and pat dry. Trim the root and discard. Slice the ramp stems into 3 pieces and cut the leaves into pieces that are roughly the same size as the penne. Place the stems and leaves in a bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Cut an X into the bottom of each tomato and drop the tomatoes into the water. After 30 seconds remove them with a slotted spoon and then immediately plunge them into ice water. Pull away the skin, cut each tomato in half and gently squeeze out the seeds. Divide each half into 3 pieces. Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium-size saucepan and season lightly with salt.

Place ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sweat until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the penne and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce until it has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups chicken stock and, bring it to a simmer. Cook the penne in the broth for 5 minutes, then add one cup of the tomato sauce Bring back to a simmer gently stirring from time to time and slowly add the remaining chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time. Stir occasionally, as you would with risotto, until the penne is al dente about 10 - 15 minutes in total.

Meanwhile put the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and the garlic in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle add the tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add the ramps and cook for 1 minute more.

At this point the penne should be tender and there should still be a little cooking liquid in the pan. Pour the tomatoes and ramps into the saucepan with the penne. Adjust the heat to medium-high and heat the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the basil leaves and serve immediately.