Sicilian/Southern Italian Dinner

[Innkeeper]

Sicilian/Southern Italian Menu:

Conversazione:
Assorted Olives, White Bean & Sage Brushetta, Onion Flat Bread
Wine: 200 Sartarelli, Verdicchio, dei Castelli di Jesi, Classico (Marche)

Antipasti:
Calamari Salad, Sopprasata, Fresh Pecorino, Roasted Peppers
Wine: 1999 Cataldi Madonna, Ceresulo d'Abruzzo, "Pie delle Vigne" (Abruzzo)

Pasta:
Tagliatelle con Cozzee e Vongole
Pasta with mussels & clams in a saffron tomato sauce
Wine: 2000 Planeta, La Segreta Rosso (Sicilia)

Pesce:
Branzini Arrostita con alloro, mimone, e capperi
Sea Bass roasted with bay, lemon, & capers on a bed of Swiss Chard
Wine: 1999 Planeta, Santa Ceclia (Sicilia)

Carne:
Farsumauro
Stuffed (forcemeat) beef braised in red wine (and tomatoes), served with roasted potatoes
Wine: 1998 Ceuso Di Melkia, Ceuso Vigna Cutera (Sicilia)

Dolci:
Sweet Ricotta Pie
Wine: 1999 Colosi, Malvasia Delle Lipari (Sicilia)

This was served last night (11/28/01) at Jonathan's Restaurant in Blue Hill, Maine. Tariff was $45 per person plus tax and gratuity. We took our pastor with us and coughed up $171.45 total for the three of us. Absolutely fantastic.

The Verdicchio was lovely. All fruit and acid with no oak what-so-ever. Worked great as a an apertif.

The Ceresuolo d'Abruzzo could have been the best wine of the evening. It is billed as a "retro rose'." It is darker that a lot of pinot I've had. 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and wonderful.

The La Segreta Rosso was suprisingly approachable. It is a blend 40% Nero d'Avola, 40% Merlot and 20% Cabernet. As I understand it, it is grown in lower altitudes , is maloed but not oaked. Makes for a remarkably light wine that went fine with the pasta.

The Santo Cecilia is 100% Nero d'Avola, was still wound a little tightly, and as I understand it, very tightly allocated.

The Ceuso Vigna Custera is another blend 60% Nero d'Avola, 25% Cabernet, and 15% Merlot. It comes from high climbs, and is a much bigger wine than the La Segreta Rosso. It had a good dose of oak in it, and it matched very well with the rich beef dish.

The Malvasia Delle Lipari is a delightful white dessert wine. Unbelievable aromas emmanting from it. One could conjure up almost anything one could imagine just sniffing it.