For three evenings during May ( 15th, 22th and 29th May) twelve restaurants within the Barbaresco production area are presenting the same list of Barbarescos to all fans of the wine. Each resturant would offer more than 20 different labels of Barbaresco per evening – a total of over 60 wines made by producers belonging to the Enoteca regionale del Barbaresco.

The restaurants will all be serving traditionel seasonal dishes to accompany their Barbaresco 2006, with plenty of choise for the customer. The prices for a dinner range from 40 € to 80 €. Several of the restaurants participationg has Michelin stars. Where else than in Piemonte can you have a dinner on Michelin restaurant for 80 € or less including wine?

At the beginning of September, vintage 2006 started with very healthy grapes and high sugar levels, thanks to the hot and dry summer. For the same reason, the ripening of colour and aromas proceeded very slowly. In September the weather was warm and summery with the exception of two heavy rainfalls. Therefore we let the grapes dry and started the harvest at the end of September under favourable climatic conditions.

2006 is a very good vintage for Barbaresco, with full-bodied wines, intense colour and good acidity; an excellent long living wine, in the wake of the previous 2004 and 2005 vintages.

The 695 hectares of wineyards yielded 4.190.767 of Barbaresco DOCG 2006.

Further information can be found on www.enotecadelbarbaresco.it.

“The interest for Piemonte seems to continue” says Henrik Koudahl, co-founder of Piemonte Wine Tours, “so I think that our day tours starting this spring will fill up quickly”. Henrik continues: “We are particularly happy that travellers have started to discover that springtime in Piemonte is also a good time for wine and food travel. There’s no harvest and the winemakers have better time for visits. Still there are plenty of things happening in the wine cellars.”

The day tours on the 2009 program are all classics: We continue our most popular tour to Barolo. The Barolo is one of the greatest wines in Italy and the world, thanks to its characteristic organoleptic features. Going on a Barolo Tour will give our travellers a good introduction to Barolo wines and show them how important Terroir is.

Another possibility is our day tour to Barbaresco. Barbaresco, more than most wines in the world, resembles a comet. After all, untill the last few decades who outside of Piemonte have ever heard of Barbaresco? On this tour you will get a good glimpse of Barbaresco history.

We want our travellers to have a unique experience that will stay with them for a long time after coming home. At the same time I hope they come home knowing a bit more about the wines and food in Piemonte. But most importantly I want to share some of my enthusiasm for the wine, for the food and especially for the winemakers we visit” says Henrik Koudahl.

Be aware that the secret behind this recipe is to use a good bottle of Barolo.

Ingredients

• brisket of ox
• Barolo wine
• tomatoes, meat broth
• lard
• carrot
• onion, celery
• rosemary, juniper berries
• thyme, garlic
• bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves
• olive oil
• butter, salt

Salt is unnecessary if using wine in the marinade and stock during cooking.

Insert lard and carrot into the boned meat and marinade for eight days in Barolo wine, onion, celery, rosemary, cloves, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon, juniper berries and a little salt. Should the wine evaporate, add more.

Dry the meat and brown it in oil and butter. Add the marinade and, as soon it thickens, add fresh tomatoes and if necessary a spoon of meat extract. Put the casserole in the oven, and as coocking proceeds add boiling stock.

Remove the meat, skim and strain the juices untill theu are reduced to a semi dense state add a little fresh butter.

Pour the sauce onto the sliced meat and serve. Remember that the meat must be covered with the sauce, not svimming in it.