Bear with me.
It may be considered an aberration upon my character when I become a little deep and serious, but a recent outing to the shores of Jan Juc beach, prompted the following period of cogitation on the way of the world. Plus, I love when I can adopt the clichéd phrase, ‘metaphorically speaking‘.
Dear friends,
Whether you celebrated the birth of a Bethlehem-born bearded man or not over these past few days, is of no significance.
I at least trust that you have had a well-deserved break.
As for me? This is what I intend on doing, all the way up until after the new year anyway.
Best wishes for a safe and joyous new year. I look forward to sharing more of ye ol’ madness in 2012.
Un bacio,
La Donna del Vino
Sock it to me! / Sake to me!
The face actually says it all. It depicts my initial reaction post receiving an email from the lovely women at Fireworks PR to attend a Sake Masterclass with some ladies and gents at the newly opened Wagamama restaurant in Southbank.
Learn about something that I know very little about whilst devouring the delectable cuisine of the Japanese?
“Ohhh yeahhhh!” (And the face was made).
BIBEMUS
In Italy We Trust
Mount Etna is alive, will it erupt once more?
The air to be dust-laden and scorched
Hell could break loose within its core
Bringing havoc to everything it torched
The lava may flow over the mountain side
Destroying flora, fauna by its flood
Countless beasts may have bellowed and died
In forest-fires and the blazing mud
Beneath these dragon-like fires are sprung
New buds bursting for light
Vines all twisted in the baking sun
Crafting the vino we drink tonight
Interwoven by La Donna del Vino
Last week saw the inaugural tasting for an adoring Italian wine club called Bibemus. That’s Bibemus as in Latin for ‘we drink‘ and pronounced like an ol’ Scottish man saying ‘baby moose‘.
Initiated by Italophiles Matt Paul, Jane Faulkner, Anthony D’Anna and Krystina Menegazzo, the purpose of creating Bibemus was to act as an excuse to gather a group of Italian wine-adoring friends for an evening of entertainment via imbibing and dining.
That being our mission, the first evening held at Merchant in the Rialto…was a success. And the theme?
MOUNT ETNA
(Insert Tchaikovsky’s climactic ‘1812 Overture‘ music here)
Mount Etna eruption in 1989 - Photograph by Boris Behncke
What did you think this would be?
I dissertation that discussed the potential benefits in ‘To groom, or not to groom your nether regions?’
As much as I would like to venture into great detail on the topic (I kid), this is a blog that is read most eagerly by none other than my mother, which tends to prevent ghastly filth from pouring from my mouth and onto the keyboard. I have heard that it is probably a good thing to be tamed.
Continuing on, the play on words at least allowed me to demonstrate my cunning punning expertise.
I will call it my ‘cun pun‘, for short.
Love and marriage. A classically predictable combination.
But love and marriage and wine labels? Perhaps not so in most cases, but I shall highlight how one day, not so many moons ago, these three became inextricably linked.
I have never considered myself an artist by any means. I did grow up though with a creatively charged mother fostering my finger painting/plaster fun house/pottery talents, as well as falling for that appendage on Mr Squiggle and making sure the ABC’s other godsend Art Attack was a permanent fixture in my weekly television intake. The teenage years saw my high school offer us students every art medium possible. I gave life drawing a go. I read and began grasping the technique of Naoko Takeuchi’s manga, before dappling with waterpaints as shown by my mother for how best to capture a memory when travelling overseas. Despite the various creative outlets I was given the opportunity to trial, there was one style that stayed strong and true wherever I would go. Close friends and family, in particular colleagues from past places of work, have at one stage or another been the victim of random cartoon sketches by yours truly during my employment. The most memorable was during my five month stint at Henschke winery in the Eden Valley. At the end of the working day I would occasionally loiter in the winemaker’s office/laboratory, whiteboard marker in hand, waiting for my unsuspecting victims to leave, before then leaping onto their desk and beginning an elaborate caricature of one of the employees. I think I chose my first suspect well. It just so happened to be the unassuming Stephen Henschke who walked into the office bright and early the next day to analyse the work board, only to be confronted by a strange cartoon likeness of himself on the adjacent side. Suffice to say that I think he was impressed, considering that I got asked to continue working post-vintage to assist in the cellar long after that sketch had first appeared.
Phew.
CASTAGNA Allegro Rosé 2009
Beechworth, Victoria
RRP $34
“They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time…it works every time“
That may be a quote that I stole from the movie Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy [2004], but such a highly intelligent saying could also be applied to the wine style rosé. We are in the midst of a Rosé revolution that hosts events through the month of November. However according to my standards of rosé appreciation and ridiculously good mathematical calculations, it is actually a beverage that has the capacity to be consumed during two thirds of the year, if not more. Melbourne weather permitting, I am referring to the period from the end of October to the start of May. “60% of the time…it works every time”.
On November 10th, I celebrated the beginning of the revolution with this rosé from Castagna called Allegro, which easily confirmed its position as one of Australia’s top rosé wines. What can I say? It is difficult to dislike such a pretty peach, salmon, blush hued wine. Well actually no. That was a blatant lie because if the wine did not perform and do wondrous things in my mouth then I would not speak of it so highly.
Fear not, Julian Castagna has created a wicked rosé mistress of layered complexity like no other.
She beckons you forth by opening with a perfume of sweet pink musk followed by a gentle puff of smoke. Soft and playful on the palate, she kisses you with sugared almond lips dusted with vanilla icing. Texturally, Madame rosé has got curves in all the right places and in the right proportions with that final flavoured flush of rose water pinning you down for another glass. She brings an impressive 14.00% alcohol to the table, but with such a vivacious personality, it is no wonder that you are more than tempted to have a bit of a play with the alluring rosé.
Last week I found myself in the country town of Mildura for the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, or the AAVWS as it is perhaps more commonly known by the acronymphiles.
I was keen to participate so signed up as a Steward and attempted to prepare myself physically and mentally for the unexpected.
After all, this was the event they titled, “More than just a wine show“.
So I threw on one of my favourite David Bowie albums, Hunky Dory, and pushed play on Track 5 for a little inspiration.
“Will you stay in a lover’s story
If you stay you won’t be sorry
‘Cause we believe in you
Soon you’ll grow so take a chance
With a couple of Kooks
Hung up on romancing”
Track 5 The Kooks
David Bowie [1971], Hunky Dory
SUNDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2011
Here is my recollection of the enjoyable but competitive Chef’s Soccer Cup using photos and live footage that may not have anything to do with the particular games. It is also a homage to any closet Ricky Martin fans. Yes you.
All proceeds and donations went to the Starlight Foundation who organised the event.
Look out for lucky number 13. That’s me.
I once stumbled across a collection of words followed by a gorgeous photograph in a magazine that I used to find quite witty, but which has now fallen to that infuriating level of try-hard.
Hence, I subscribe to it no longer.
I may or may not have written them a letter reading,
Dear off-the-pulse editor of the magazine,
Farewell. You no longer fulfil me.
Signed,
Krystina
The point is however, that I believed in the motivational strength of these words so much that I applied it as somewhat of a philosophy for myself to work on in the year 2011 and beyond.
“Get out there. Share your ideas. Find your kinships. Start something new. Two heads are better than one.”
Edie Sedgewick and film director Ray Wisniewski in conversation at Andy Warhol
NARKOOJEE Pinot Noir 2009
Gippsland, Victoria
RRP $24
I sat there gazing at the Pinot Noir before me, which at first glance had the appearance and hue of a deep, unfiltered Burgundy.
“Won’t you take me to funkytown!“, I sung to myself.
This steers away from the more ubiquitous style of primary fruit-driven Pinot Noir that you tend to find at this price range. In fact, I’d almost dare to say that it’s a little naughty to be offering such chompy, boastfully-flavoured, savoury goodness so cheaply.
How very Mrs Robinson!
“What is art?”, I asked my Grade 6 Art teacher, the oh-so-appropriately named Mr Brushfield.
Mr Brushfield was momentarily flustered. For a twelve-year old, this bordered on the precipice of being a question almost as broad and curious as the existentialist’s classic, “What is the meaning of life?”
Art is specifically indefinable; a concept and product that is open for debate and interpretation by whomever has an opinion. However to look at it in its most simplest form, art is the product of creativity and imagination.
It evokes emotion.
It sparks passionate discussion.
It moves you.
It should leave you wanting more.
La Donna del Vino is certainly not an art blog. That is something I would leave to my wondrously talented artist of a mother who has enlightened and taught me the appreciation of art since I was little. However a blog allows one to probe occasionally into unexpected territory.
Art has traditionally been defined in the work of painting, sculpture, music, literature or even dance. For today only and for the purpose of relating my askew way of thinking to something more La-Donna-del-Vino-appropriate, I would like to trial the tolerance of inserting ‘Imbibing’ into that accepted spectrum of the art world.
You will have to excuse the use of the word ‘imbibing’ instead of something more commonly used such as ‘drinking alcohol’, but ‘The Art of Imbibing’ just sounded so much more appealing and enticing to read than ‘The Art of being a Damn Fine Boozehound’. Or am I just out of touch and should have rethought that?
Regardless, in the spirit of Julie Andrews:
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses
of wine…
I am under the impression that there is a song for everything.
The good.
The bad.
The happy.
The sad.
If someone were to observe my general behaviour over the course of 24 hours, they would soon come to the realisation that I am one of those really pesky people who constantly have random tunes winding their way through my brain, which then find themselves projectile from my mouth in the form of unbearable singing.
How the Beach Boys envisioned their "God Only Knows" track from the Pet Sounds album
Massolino of Serralunga d'Alba
Massolino, also known as Azienda Agricola Vigna Rionda, is the name of one of the small grape grower/wine bottling families in the Serralunga valley whose business is named after their most famed and popular vineyard, Vigna Rionda. The business began with Giovanni Massolino creating the estate in 1896, followed by his son Giuseppe subsequently building the cellar a number of years later. Today, the winery is still in the hands of the Massolino family with brothers Roberto and Franco Massolino along with Giovanni Angeli acting as winemakers for the estate.
Back in August 2011, the Australian wine importers for Massolino, Bibendum Wine Co., held a long-awaited masterclass to highlight the producers various vineyards. The event was held at the gloriously spacious and sea-view aligned restaurant The Stokehouse in St Kilda. Just to heighten the opportunity to make someone green with envy, see the menu below for what delights were in store:
The well-dressed Italian representative (because there always has to be at least one good-looking Italian at these events) was none other than winemaker Giovanni Angeli. Softly spoken, but groomed within 007 standards, he acted as our amiable host along with head of Bibendum, Robert Walters.
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment has arrived.
At last I have stepped into adulthood.
This is the time when you should be heartily clapping and cheering for me from your side of the computer screen. Go on, you know you want to.
Friends, lend me your ears!
Awaiting the grand announcement...
June 4 2011
One day I was asked by my Zio John and Fausto to assist them in their upcoming Salami Day. Clearly I said yes. Along with some of the finest and most respected salami makers of Werribee South, I went and spent half a day with my hands coiled around raw meat. An indescribable sensation in itself.
Where did the name The Pigfather come from, you ask? Need I mention The Godfather? I shouldn’t have to. The first twenty seconds of this film should quite clearly demonstrate the reference!
Filming was gratefully undertaken by my friend Ben who I was able to bring along to join in on the cultural festivities.
Produced by La Donna del Vino.
Quote: “I like my smallgoods well-hung.”
Written tale and photographs to follow.
"'Just living is not enough,' said the butterfly. 'One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.'" - Hans Christian Andersen
La Donna del Vino 