Rome, if you want to*

*With apologies to the B-52s

Two months ago in this newsletter, I was lamenting missing the travels of the Before Times, when I had the opportunity to explore wine regions in far-flung corners of the world.

If I’ve learned anything since then, it’s to be careful what you wish for.

Mere hours after that issue of Dish landed in mailboxes, I had an invitation land in my inbox about visiting the Abruzzo region of Italy, located about a 150-kilometre drive northeast of Rome… and, well, I leave tomorrow.

CNSItaly’s Abruzzo region is known for its saffron, seafood and its wines, which are often very well priced. (Photo by Ralph Plath/Special to Ottawa Citizen)

Only days after that invite arrived, I was asked to return as a judge for WineAlign’s National Wine Awards of Canada, taking place this year in Ontario’s Niagara region starting on June 19. Suddenly, despite the still-questionable state of things pandemic-wise, a flicker of normalcy has returned to my wine-writing world.

Incredibly, a week later came an invite to an event called Montlouis on the Rock, a food and wine event taking place in the Montlouis-sur-Loire region, located some 220-plus kilometres southwest of Paris. I was originally invited to attend in April 2020, but the event was cancelled because, you know, COVID-19. Now taking place in early July, it means I’ve got three trips scheduled in the space of about six weeks — a monumental (and almost certainly unwise) undertaking given my required tasks for the Free Press and general life commitments.

For the Italy and France trips, I tacked on an extra day in Rome and Paris, respectively, to acclimatise, poke around, see the sights, eat some good food/taste some nice wines, etc. If anyone has any hot tips on out-of-the-way spots in either city, do let me know. I’ve been poring through episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, scouring his posthumous book World Travel and rifling through Stanley Tucci’s memoir Taste: My Life Through Food in between episodes of his Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. (I’ve found research needs to be done in short bursts, or right after eating a meal, so as to avoid feeling famished.)

For Rome I had plans to sip a negroni, track down some cacio e pepe or maybe some pizza and wash it down with a nice glass of red on a patio. But with temperatures on Sunday (my arrival date) currently forecast to be 36 C in Rome, the drink of choice might have to be ice water and the location somewhere with air conditioning.

TNSCacio e pepe is a simple pasta dish that translates to “cheese and pepper”; rather than add a sauce, a splash of pasta water is often added to the pan and heated up to melt some of the cheese. (Kathleen Purvis / Charlotte Observer / TNS)

Food-wise, Italy’s Abruzzo region is known for its saffron production, so I assume there’ll be plenty of the spice sprinkled into the many seafood dishes the region also produces. Wine-wise the area’s best known for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (red) and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (white) wines.

Most of the examples we see in Manitoba are of the well-priced “entry-level” variety (think Citra… decent stuff for the price but not earth-shattering). I’ve been told by pals in the local wine trade who have been to the region, however, that there are some stunning hidden gems made there that must be tried. Stay tuned.

Closer to home, there are also signs of a return to near-normalcy. The second night of the Winnipeg Whisky Festival takes place tonight at the Fairmont Winnipeg, and the Flatlander’s Beer Festival returns to Canada Life Centre on June 17 and 18. (After having popped into the whisky fest last night, I’m hoping cask-strength bourbon helps prevent me from catching COVID.)

Then, of course, in the fall comes the return of the big one — the Winnipeg Wine Festival, taking place Sept. 17-24, with the public tastings going down Sept. 23 and 24 at the RBC Convention Centre. Argentina is the theme region for 2022, so expect the Malbec to be flowing freely.

The thought of milling around with thousands of other folks, swirling, sniffing and sipping away, droplets flying everywhere, is still a little overwhelming. But, as they say, when in Rome…

Ben Sigurdson, literary editor and drinks writer

Iced drink with lime on a wooden surface's beside the Savour Manitoba magazine cover.

Tasty tidbits

● With Caesar Week having recently wrapped up, it’s now time to turn our attention to (checks notes) Taco Week & Margarita Madness, which starts today and runs through to June 12. The website lists 36 eateries taking part on the taco side of things, with 21 spots in town mixing up margaritas for the fiesta. One dollar from each taco and margarita sold will go towards Winnipeg Harvest and CanU.

● Stella’s Bakery is getting set to move into its new digs at 1699 Corydon Ave. next to Mona Lisa, while their newest eatery, located in the Courts of St. James on Portage Ave., is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a patio addition. Setting up shop in the old Stella’s Bakery location at 110 Sherbrook St. is Good Neighbour Brewing Co.’s brewery, conveniently located next door to One Sixteen, where Good Neighbour is pouring their beers.

● Speaking of food festivals and baked goods, Sugar Rush, Winnipeg VegFest’s vegan dessert celebration, is right around the corner. From June 18 to 25, local restaurants and bakeries will be vying for the title of top cruelty-free sweets. Applications closed this week, with participating vendors to be announced at a later date. Proceeds from this year’s event will go towards Kismet Creek Farm, a volunteer-run animal sanctuary near Steinbach.

● Low Life Barrel House, which Ben wrote about in great detail in early May, just released their first batch of wines made from organically grown Ontario grapes. The five initial offerings are all available by the glass or for takeaway by the bottle from the Daly St. facility, and include a white wine made from Riesling and Geisenheim grapes, a sparkling rosé made from Cabernet Franc and Vidal and an orange wine made from Vidal and Gewürztraminer.

Recommended fare

Ben: Alex Morozov, winemaker of Nova Scotia’s (excellent) Benjamin Bridge, was recently in town, and after an industry tasting I joined him and a few others at Deer + Almond on Princess St., who recently rolled out their new four-course menu. There are options for all tastes; particularly delicious was the starter made of local beets and blueberries, poblano zhoug, avocado and quinoa, as well as their potato gnocchi main, served with brown butter, porcini mushrooms and sage.

On the home front, on one of our more recent rainy days (who can say which one? There have been so many) my partner made this black lentil soup recipe from Food & Wine and it was an absolute home run. We made it without onion, as my partner has an intolerance, and added some chopped spinach at the end. And I’ll pat myself on the back for my drinks pairing; Stone Angel’s The Pirate Queen Imperial red, a collaboration with the Quality Inn beer store near Pembina and Grant, brought malty notes and a relatively punchy nine per cent alcohol that worked brilliantly with the earthier, modestly spicy notes of the soup. The beer’s available at both the brewery and the Quality Inn vendor.

A mediocre photo of a fantastic lentil soup, paired with Stone Angel’s The Pirate Queen. (Ben Sigurdson / Winnipeg Free Press)

Eva: The Beer Can, located next to the Granite Curling Club, opened over the long weekend with a revamped food program created in collaboration with chef Michael Robins of Two Hands. I stopped by with a few hungry girlfriends and we worked our way through most of the menu. My favourite bites included the crispy veggie burger, charred cabbage honey slaw and the hot fries (essentially a southwestern poutine with pickled jalapeños). If you order the cornbread stix, be prepared for something resembling a sweet and savoury cookie rather than a soft breadstick.

I’ve been getting back into podcast listening after a brief hiatus and blew through Sympathy Pains from Wondery. It’s a six-part series about a medical con artist who scams people for sympathy (if you’re a Dr. Phil watcher, you may already be familiar with the story). What I like: the show is hosted by Laura Beil, who manages to report on wild stories without being too sensational. What I don’t like: ad breaks that are four minutes long. Seriously, when did this become a trend? Keep your finger on the “skip ahead” button.

Homemade

Recipe submissions for the Free Press community cookbook are now closed. Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in a dish! We’ll be announcing prize draw winners and book details in the next few months. Until then, you can join our Facebook group for updates or get in touch at this email.

This week, we have a recipe for Arroz con Leche, or Salvadorian rice pudding, submitted by Neria Barrera.

Three Savour Manitoba magazine cover's promoting a food, drink, and lifestyle publication.

Rome, if you want to*

Tasty tidbits

Recommended fare

Homemade

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