Sometimes incredible wine and food experiences have to be shared. And, sometimes it is the sharing itself that makes the experience so incredible. I recently found a limited-release Valpolicella by Roberto Mazzi ("Vigneto Poiega") in my cellar -- ok, in my basement -- and wanted to share it with a fellow oenophile.
But, just quaffing the wine to celebrate yet another Friday would not have done justice to a producer that rates very high on my personal list. I had to think what food might pair well with this classically styled Valpolicella.
A quick visit to a well-stocked cheese shop led me to the section marked with a hand-drawn Italian flag. In yet another confession, my cheese knowledge is limited to soft vs. hard, white vs. yellow. So, I trusted that the cheesemonger-turned-artist with the flag and selected a healthy wedge of "Sottocenere" because it was 1) soft and 2) white. But, truthfully, I selected it because the ingredient list included truffles!
The Mazzi "Poiega" (2003) opened up beautifully, yielding an initial but very faint rustic aroma marking it as Old World followed by violet floral notes, anise and then mushroom-y earth tones on both the nose and palate. If this wine could have tasted better, it did when partnered with a chunk of the truffle-spiked cheese on a slice of simple Italian bread. The balance was incredible, alternating between the multi-layered flavors of the wine and the rich, melt-on-your-palate cheese. The experience put my mind somewhere near Verona, sitting at an old and weathered picnic table under an olive tree, listening to the breeze as it moves through the grape leaves.
Please excuse me while I check airfare to Milan...
Salute!
-Steve
