Italian Winestyle: March 2014

Monday, March 24, 2014

Lido Palace, Riva Del Garda, March 8, 2014

On our way home from Madonna di Campiglio we decided to make a detour and go for lunch in Riva del Garda.

Riva Del Garda

dock, Riva Del Garda

the locals

my creme di Fagioli (cream of white bean soup)

It was an absolutely splendid day and also La Festa della Donna (Women Day) here in Italy.

We lucked out and just stumbled upon this place called Lido Palace. They allowed Beatrice to sit with us too.

Beatrice was fascinated by the ducks

Graziano's Orecchiette

Being such a warm sunny day, we got to sit on the nice wooden deck, which had a slight lake view.

Lido Palace, since 1899

the deck of Lido Palace

during the day it's Tremani Bistrot,
at night Il Re Della Busa Ristorante
and after hours Balì Bar
a creative use of one place
in 3 different ways

The waiter was young, pleasant and enthusiastic.

We just ordered upon his suggestion the simple local white wine by the glass. The food was delicious and presented quite nicely.

the bread

Place setting at Lido Palace

The water was way over priced though, €5,50 a bottle for Acqua Panna is stretching it a bit.

Trota Tartar

There was no coperta (cover or table charge) but still, too much.

where the river meets the lake

Three of the 5 tables were occupied by Russians, must be a popular place in their guide books.

espresso & cookies

Friday, March 21, 2014

Il Gallo Cedrone, Madonna di Campiglio, March 2, 2014

Of all the great meals and memories of our 2014 winter vacation the dinner at Il Gallo Cedrone was on the top of the list.

The food is truly amazing. Each preparation is a work of culinary art. Each mouthful is to be savored. Each sip of wine, paired perfectly with each course, is unforgettable. I wish this place was closer to home.

Giuseppe Greco,Wine Director & Expert Sommelier
of Il Gallo Cedrone

Giuseppe Greco is a picture perfect sommelier. If you ever want to see how this job is done go and watch him work and it will make you want to follow in his footsteps. We watched him go back and forth between tables, offering distinctive wines for each dish, decanting big Tuscan reds, coating each glass with the wine before each pour, then pouring without dropping a drop, using the service table, leaving the corks for the clients, just everything you’re suppose to do, right. He puts so much care into every pour and is truly a wine aficionado. He’s also very nice, with a great warm mischievous smile. Bravissimo!

A local after dinner digestive drink

a wine I dream of someday drinking

some super Tuscans

Giuseppe doing what he does best

some special bottles

some vintage wine in the
red wine cellar

details of the Private Room

a little pink grapefruit
granita palate cleanser

details of the cellar

After dinner he took his time to take us on a tour of the 2 cellars, downstairs were the whites and upstairs were the reds, along with a desert wine room in process. What a collection there was! Ok, if I were to be locked into a room I wouldn’t mind being locked in there.

In my opinion a true sign of a really serious wine list is when there is a choice of vintages available. This means a “COLLECTION”. Many Italian wineries have been scrutinized for not building a wine library. It is really important to do this so that you have a reference point of the evolution of each wine.

homemade bread

a souvenir of a wonderful evening

back label

The Wine we choose, which was
also the suggested pairing
on the well thought out menu

I noticed that Giuseppe asked which vintage would you prefer? What a wonderful option. These days commonly in restaurants and Enotecas’ the choice is the current vintage and that’s it. If you can afford to build a collection, do it by all means. It’s important and shows a sign of growth and patience. I’m working on practicing what I preach.