Barry, George, Giovi and Peter chiselled in the Leica.
Friends evolve, slithering through life with their own reality shows and punctuations. What is forever clear and revered are the cherished spontaneities and their delicious attributes when friends harness some time together. This was a Sunday in Georgetown, DC.
Enter the world of Peter Pastan. Most of you will do so only by visiting two of the greatest restaurants in the nations capital, Two Amys Pizzeria and Obelisk Ristorante. You will transcend the noteriety of great and actually click your heels and believe through taste that you are sincerely in Italia. It is so rarefied that I am lucky that it is not in my hood as I would be addicted, diluted of virtue, and entering the world of wall-e by weight and girth.
My fortuitous moment was literally driven by Barry Glovitch, the president of Vias Imports in NYC. Barry is a grade A mensch who has been a friend and advisor since we first met 17 odd years ago. We now work together and get to study the world of wine through similar sales glasses. We drove to the temple together.
I had requested a visit with the yoda Peter on a perky afternoon. I was in town visiting my girlfriend and also quietly celebrating the landing of Giovi by the glass in the pizzeria. This is the first sighting south of the CT. border so for me it is phat. A special art rendition was done in the bar section; it's merits were the size and truism, but also the Spanish touch brought by an in house server. We captured the game of laughter and luminosity over lunch and had to give over to a photo moment.
Lunch must be mentioned. Mind you, and anyone else making or serving foods, EVERYTHING was made in house. Beuatiful anchovies cast only with oil, sardines wirh a chew that makes you square up fish presence, amazing cod baccala croquettes, sublime cured meats, original open face sandwiches with homemade mustard and accoutremonts. Wine speaks clearly of the Italian varietals of the south and beyond, beers are off the hook for selection of Italia that are profound, even mineral water is head and shoulders above normal. The pizzas are a direct hit from Napoli; a crust perfect with chew, texture, burnt rim, the impeccable blance of moisture to meatiness. There are originals and the avante garde family to choose from. The foods are really superb, and the place is like Naples on any given night. Put it on your hit list.
Peter and I have known each other for a couple of decades. I will never forget that I used to fly from Providence to DC, grab the metro and end up at Dupont Circle in time for his masterful cappucino. For a minimum of two hours we would net volley on the geekiest of Italian wine matters as I pontificated the virtues of Winebow wines. Work then was a pleasure because we were on the hunt for discovery and perfection in the glass. In the middle of the room was an opulent display of another passion- grappa. I knew that eventually this would be a place to feature the wondrous spirts that come from Sicily.
When I put together my team of artists in my retirement dream paradise both of these guys are selected for starting positions. And while the weather remians a bit edgy wherever you are, please give yourself the time for a corrected coffee, aka grappa tuned, and the moment to savor friends and food.
Next foray: the Sicilian tabloid.............
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The path one takes to find inspiration, creativity outlooks, liquid nirvanas and reason to BE are pretty fascinating, if not down right quxotic revolutionary.
Would you ever want to distill a wet mash of pears or apples if you already were surfing so far ahead of the curve in your State and your field of expertise, fruit wines?
Enter Bob Bartlett and his wondrous world of magic in the zona of Scoodic Peninsula township Gouldsboro.
I first remember Bob for scoring well decades a go as he probed the cpapcities to make both dry and sweet blueberry wines. I was even flabbergasted to taste an older blueberry wine with 10 plus years kicking the ass of a revered Bordeaux in a blind tasting. If this happened in Europe with Steve spurrier he would have had his own appellation status in Maine and been heralded as a king. I was struck by this.
And the hits just keep on coming.
I recently visited him during my Big Night performance with the awe striking team of Ristorante Cleonice in Ellsworth; he now has a remarkably beautiful and talendted still called Lola that is producing eua du vies of apple, pear, peach, and soon to follow rum, gin, ginger infusions and Lord knows what else. his friends were even punching the notion of distilled donuts!
Would you ever want to distill a wet mash of pears or apples if you already were surfing so far ahead of the curve in your State and your field of expertise, fruit wines?
Enter Bob Bartlett and his wondrous world of magic in the zona of Scoodic Peninsula township Gouldsboro.
I first remember Bob for scoring well decades a go as he probed the cpapcities to make both dry and sweet blueberry wines. I was even flabbergasted to taste an older blueberry wine with 10 plus years kicking the ass of a revered Bordeaux in a blind tasting. If this happened in Europe with Steve spurrier he would have had his own appellation status in Maine and been heralded as a king. I was struck by this.
And the hits just keep on coming.
I recently visited him during my Big Night performance with the awe striking team of Ristorante Cleonice in Ellsworth; he now has a remarkably beautiful and talendted still called Lola that is producing eua du vies of apple, pear, peach, and soon to follow rum, gin, ginger infusions and Lord knows what else. his friends were even punching the notion of distilled donuts!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
I have had this gem of a tabletop still for almost twenty years; it has lived amongst rakes, chickens, hardware and even the goat. It has travelled to umpteen trade shows and now resides semi retired in my office with other shiny copper icons and tools of the trade.
It came to me smuggled off a container shipped to MRR Traders, a wholesaler importer formerly owned by the Berkowitz family of Legal Seafoods. The connection was the most demure and cunning maestro distiller Antonio Nardini. Not that Antonio really does any distilling at all, he is rather the heir currently in a long lineage of great distillations created at Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto. The work began and is listed on every bottle as 1779. This may not necessarily be all that important but for the doktor here after a few thousand investigations in this field I give the title of "platinum status" for this great producer and its range of products.
Antonio is a dear friend and also a bit of a mentor for the field of distillates. He showed me many parameters of production, enjoyment and resapect for spirits. Hishisrorical shop and distillery at the bridge in Bassano is a temple of the roots and the future sightings of appretiation in this field. It is a must visit if ever between Verona and Venice. He brought to the USA not only classic clear and super riserva grappas, but also amazing almond infusion, acquavite of cedro lemon oil, ruta infusion, an amaro of profound fun called Tagliatelle, and the unique Amaro Liqueur.
We have partied and waxed of ways to make the world a better place with the proper imbibing of quality spirits. We ate white aparagus during the VinItaly times and filled bowls of the classic risi e bisi, a pea infused risotto classic. I competed heavily in after hours studies of new fangled cocktails and shot grappas with no hands for speed and accuracy against the best from Turkey and Colorado.
Antonio scored 6 of these tabletop stills from like a FDS flower store near his home. Simple. In the day almost anything could go on a container in a samples box or carton of POS, point of purchase paper products. The stills made their way around the eastern seaboard. My dear associate Peter Pasten in DC of Obelisk and Two Amys mastered some fig concoctions and hums away in the art of distilling. An old linemate Skip Cribari also tried fruits and working over some hearty Nero d'Avola. My trophy seems to get higher bids in its virgin form, last time around $500.00 for a $25.00 tool. Two of them were sold and one gifted; I have no memory or followup on their destinies.
If you lived in the Veneto, Friuli or maybe even Trentino-Alto-Adige, and were of the past generation meaning born roughly between the wars it is very possible that you had one of these in your home for homeopathic propulsions. Many people distill herbs like chamomille and valerian for stomach and sleeping aids. Mine is inspiration and karma setting.
So in this NE weather of Janaury I set a pledge to wake up earlier, stretch harder, and when the sun hits my computer light the lamp for a corrected tea or coffee and praise the new generation of distillati in moonshine over Sheldonville.
It came to me smuggled off a container shipped to MRR Traders, a wholesaler importer formerly owned by the Berkowitz family of Legal Seafoods. The connection was the most demure and cunning maestro distiller Antonio Nardini. Not that Antonio really does any distilling at all, he is rather the heir currently in a long lineage of great distillations created at Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto. The work began and is listed on every bottle as 1779. This may not necessarily be all that important but for the doktor here after a few thousand investigations in this field I give the title of "platinum status" for this great producer and its range of products.
Antonio is a dear friend and also a bit of a mentor for the field of distillates. He showed me many parameters of production, enjoyment and resapect for spirits. Hishisrorical shop and distillery at the bridge in Bassano is a temple of the roots and the future sightings of appretiation in this field. It is a must visit if ever between Verona and Venice. He brought to the USA not only classic clear and super riserva grappas, but also amazing almond infusion, acquavite of cedro lemon oil, ruta infusion, an amaro of profound fun called Tagliatelle, and the unique Amaro Liqueur.
We have partied and waxed of ways to make the world a better place with the proper imbibing of quality spirits. We ate white aparagus during the VinItaly times and filled bowls of the classic risi e bisi, a pea infused risotto classic. I competed heavily in after hours studies of new fangled cocktails and shot grappas with no hands for speed and accuracy against the best from Turkey and Colorado.
Antonio scored 6 of these tabletop stills from like a FDS flower store near his home. Simple. In the day almost anything could go on a container in a samples box or carton of POS, point of purchase paper products. The stills made their way around the eastern seaboard. My dear associate Peter Pasten in DC of Obelisk and Two Amys mastered some fig concoctions and hums away in the art of distilling. An old linemate Skip Cribari also tried fruits and working over some hearty Nero d'Avola. My trophy seems to get higher bids in its virgin form, last time around $500.00 for a $25.00 tool. Two of them were sold and one gifted; I have no memory or followup on their destinies.
If you lived in the Veneto, Friuli or maybe even Trentino-Alto-Adige, and were of the past generation meaning born roughly between the wars it is very possible that you had one of these in your home for homeopathic propulsions. Many people distill herbs like chamomille and valerian for stomach and sleeping aids. Mine is inspiration and karma setting.
So in this NE weather of Janaury I set a pledge to wake up earlier, stretch harder, and when the sun hits my computer light the lamp for a corrected tea or coffee and praise the new generation of distillati in moonshine over Sheldonville.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Dicovery 101
Why bother?
Because grappa is an Italian culture and history in liquid form. This liquid needs an appreciative scope.
A grape is 85% water, 10% skins, 5% seeds roughly. The compounds are sugars, acids, minerals/vitamins.
A glass of wine is 82% water, 12% alcohol roughly. In this composition are 0.01-0.1% aromatic substances, 0.1-105 sugars, 0.4-1.0% acids, 0.2-0.4% mineral salts.
100 kilos of fresh grapes produces 2 liters of grappa. Or 1 bottle of grappa requires the vinaccia, the wet skins of the wine production process from 50 bottles of wine.
A glass of grappa is 99% water and ethyl alcohol. Ethanol is the most important sensory experience. It is a colorless liquid with a fine pleasant smell, fiery taste and inebriating effect. The amount of congeners, the tricky impurities of this alcoholic polemic range to a thousand perceptible aromas! The human vehicle is designed expressly to smell the magic; the inebriation clause is the taste that needs to be respected and mitigated, as in "correct your coffee, or align your gustatory gyroscope."
Why bother?
In the world of spirits the 44 million bottles of grappa produced are not all equal, certainly; the percentage of gasoline like products to artisinal beauties is dropping precipitously. Find something good and check it out. It may not make sense initially, there are many reasons to pledge allegiance. For today the picture is clear.
Respect, understanding, curiosity, lifestyle upgrades, refreshment with warmth, disgestion without zantac, and believe it or not, culinary pursuits beyond your wildest imagination.
Because grappa is an Italian culture and history in liquid form. This liquid needs an appreciative scope.
A grape is 85% water, 10% skins, 5% seeds roughly. The compounds are sugars, acids, minerals/vitamins.
A glass of wine is 82% water, 12% alcohol roughly. In this composition are 0.01-0.1% aromatic substances, 0.1-105 sugars, 0.4-1.0% acids, 0.2-0.4% mineral salts.
100 kilos of fresh grapes produces 2 liters of grappa. Or 1 bottle of grappa requires the vinaccia, the wet skins of the wine production process from 50 bottles of wine.
A glass of grappa is 99% water and ethyl alcohol. Ethanol is the most important sensory experience. It is a colorless liquid with a fine pleasant smell, fiery taste and inebriating effect. The amount of congeners, the tricky impurities of this alcoholic polemic range to a thousand perceptible aromas! The human vehicle is designed expressly to smell the magic; the inebriation clause is the taste that needs to be respected and mitigated, as in "correct your coffee, or align your gustatory gyroscope."
Why bother?
In the world of spirits the 44 million bottles of grappa produced are not all equal, certainly; the percentage of gasoline like products to artisinal beauties is dropping precipitously. Find something good and check it out. It may not make sense initially, there are many reasons to pledge allegiance. For today the picture is clear.
Respect, understanding, curiosity, lifestyle upgrades, refreshment with warmth, disgestion without zantac, and believe it or not, culinary pursuits beyond your wildest imagination.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
First and GOAL- all the time.
Catch this deluxe roadie for your next outing or inner adventure, aka pocket experience.
A beautiful 3.3 ounces of pure Carricante and Nerello Mascalese pomaces waiting to warm your winning ways. Get closer to all goal posts with one slug through the magic pouring cap.
This is the real deal Grappa. Fresh, floral, morbido to you in soft texture, firm authority in the backbone. Added heat without unnecessary layering.
The hip flask ends up being the perfect solution as a travelers aid. No need to find the bar, you are the BAR, and you set plays in motion on the spot. Sports, shopping, driving not at the wheel, loving life, or managing anger of life; the medicine is less than a foot from your pocket. Refillable and refundable for your lifestyle.
Where to Doktor elixir?
These beauties are found in Mass. at the following:
Curtis Liquor Store, Brix Wine Shop, Bauer Wines Ltd., Martys Newtonville, Vintages, Wollaston Wines and in Providence at Eno and Gasbarros. Or email.
A beautiful 3.3 ounces of pure Carricante and Nerello Mascalese pomaces waiting to warm your winning ways. Get closer to all goal posts with one slug through the magic pouring cap.
This is the real deal Grappa. Fresh, floral, morbido to you in soft texture, firm authority in the backbone. Added heat without unnecessary layering.
The hip flask ends up being the perfect solution as a travelers aid. No need to find the bar, you are the BAR, and you set plays in motion on the spot. Sports, shopping, driving not at the wheel, loving life, or managing anger of life; the medicine is less than a foot from your pocket. Refillable and refundable for your lifestyle.
Where to Doktor elixir?
These beauties are found in Mass. at the following:
Curtis Liquor Store, Brix Wine Shop, Bauer Wines Ltd., Martys Newtonville, Vintages, Wollaston Wines and in Providence at Eno and Gasbarros. Or email.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Rooftop Giovi for your consideration.
Doktor Distillato summons the audience to see the two bottles of Giovi arise to the roof. Here the genie of distillation is called upon to do the simple exercise of warming the throat, tummy and mind.
Two giants stand side by side waiting for customers to shake hands and coddle the glottis. It is the high season for grappa drinking and appreciation. Game on means glass up.
These beauties are the first debuts from George's search for dynamite spirits for the USA. Both are based on the freshest potent skins of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante from Etna. One is clear and the other infused with stinging nettles and lemon peel. Steam vaporization from the hands of Giovanni LaFauci, the Giovi father delivers richness, body and temperance worthy of many visits.
Coming to a theater near you; or contact the good doktor yourself at gschwartz3@comcast.net.
Prosit, and cherish warmth and digestivo moments!
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