Il Giornale Del Posto

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Summer, I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss not wearing socks and warm nights and corn on the cob. I'll miss the beach and watching my daughter learn to body surf and play in the sand. I'm going to miss camping. I know, I know....you can still camp in the cooler weather. Maybe you can but I don't. I'll miss my Hawaiian shirts and not wearing pants - wearing shorts, that is. Here are some songs to make you miss summer. See you next year....

-Dred Scott

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Matthew Orawski has spent the past 18 months working at Del Posto. In his time here he introduced innovative educational techniques that have gotten the staff much more engaged and excited about wine. He recently had to return to Canada but gave us the gift of a thoughtfully written essay reflecting his passion for Italian wine. 

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Trends can be found in all aspects of life, and they often move in circles: being out of fashion one year, and coming back years later as favorable again. Wine is not excluded from this phenomenon, especially in Italy, a country that is considered one of the oldest homes of the vitus vinifera grapes. Italy is where we now see a renaissance in wine.

1861 marks the birth of Italy, but wine and winemaking has existed in this region for much longer. Until recent times, Italian wine had taken a back seat to many other countries in the world. France casts a strong shadow on most European wine. Additionally, Italy has had to battle the palates of the New World with the rise of Australian and Californian wine. After the Judgment of Paris in 1976, Californian wine proved that it has a place amongst the best in the world, while Italian wine continued to struggle to find its audience outside of local consumption.

Until nearly the 1970’s, wine making was regarded as peasant farming and not a lucrative career.  As a result, many people ripped up their vines to plant olives or other fruits, or just abandoned their vines all together, but Italy has had its moments with wine trends such as Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. As the world market started to take note of these wines, so did the people who were able to make and sell them. At this point, winemakers did as most would: they took advantage of the trends and over produced the wines. This assisted in getting the attention of the world, but like all trends, it was short lived.

Even with these struggles of its history, there is no country in a better position than Italy. The wine world is changing. People are more educated and willing to experiment with their wine selections. The search for Chardonnay and Cabernet wines is being replaced with the search for rare/indigenous grapes from new regions in the world. A new generation of “Foodies” have taken over restaurants, internet reviews and blogs, and their desire for food friendly wines is a must. With wine being more accessible, the search for value is of utmost importance as the world of wine becomes increasingly expensive. Italy is in a unique position for those seeking to have the utmost connection to terroir and the history of wine.

Everyone is familiar with Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, but there are a lot of alternatives to both. Franciacorta, a small region in Lombardia, produces sparkling wines in the same traditional methods as Champagne. Using the Champagne Method, or in Italian known as Metodo Classico, Franciacorta has a depth and complexity that Prosecco cannot achieve. Alternatively, the varietals Friulano, Vermentino and Nas-cetta offer unique and competing alternatives to Pinot Grigio, while Aglianico from Taurasi, or Montepulciano from Abruzzo can rival Cabernet Sauvignon.

Although not grand in mass, Italy is a country that spans from the cool climate in the north that is influenced by the Alps, which border countries and cultures such as France, Austria and Slovenia, to the volcanic mountains of Vesuvius and Etna in the south, which are only moderated by Atlantic breezes and elevation. With 20 different regions, all producing their own indigenous grapes in 20 very different microclimates, soils and elevations, there are plenty of incredible and different wines from which to choose. Wine pairings and the use of Italian wine in tasting menus is endless: Barbera from Alba and Asti with high acid and fruit flavors of blueberries and field strawberries; Teroldego from Trentino-Alto Adige with velvety textures of plums, hints of anise and the freshness of pomegranate; Rossese from Liguria with light body and herbaceous sage and rosemary spice; Nerello Mascalese from Sicilia with blackberry notes and a hint of dried tobacco from the volcanic soils.

With all of the regions and styles, very few tend to carry with them an expensive price tag. The regions with the highest prices are the well known Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella, Brunello di Montalcino, and Super-Tuscans. Beyond those are regions with enticing value and incredible diversity that are just waiting to be discovered. Barolo has many wine making neighbors such as Gattinara and Valtellina. Both grow the same Nebbiolo grape found in Barolo, but their regions’ wines tend to be lighter, less tannic and fresher in their youth. Around the town of Verona in the Northeast of Italy the production of Amarone della Valpolicella dominates. Amarone wines offer rich and ripe fruit coveted by the New World palate. For an alternative to these wines, the hot Southern climate of Puglia can give clusters of Primitivo such ripeness they are bound to produce velvet texture and rich red fruit tastes. Brunello di Montalcino carries with it a great name and history of important Italian producers. Wines to match the flavors and structure of Sangiovese are simply that: Sangiovese. Whether it comes in the form of Rosso di Montalcino from the same region but with a shorter aging requirement, or the nearby Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. And lastly, Super-Tuscans are a style of wine with very little restrictions on the grapes required. This freedom allows for more creativity in the vineyards and in the winemaking. One thing is for certain, the wines carry with them a reputation for being bold. Other wines that are not shy would easily be those of Umbria, and more specifically the dark, extracted and spicy wines of Sagrantino di Montefalco.

The educated wine world has also become obsessed with the ideas of terroir, which comes from Old World winemaking and exists within the stories of the families that own the vineyards. In Barolo, the idea of terroir has been understood for a long time. The differences between a Nebbiolo from the Cru of ‘Bricco dell Viole' in the commune of ‘Barolo’ on higher elevated soils of Tortonian Epoch that were formed by glaciers 7-12 million years ago and the Cru ‘Francia’ in the commune of ‘Serralunga d’Alba’ on lower level soils of Helevatian Epoch that were formed by glaciers 11-16 million years ago is tremendous, even if both hills are a short distance from each other. The ‘Viole' wine is lighter and fresher with notes of violets, crushed rock, and sour red cherries, while the ‘Francia’ wine has higher tannin and notes of dried roses, brandied cherries, tar and dried plums. Barolo Crus and the Nebbiolo grape are not that dissimilar to the wines of Burgundy. There are also regions such as Chianti who broke through to international markets decades ago but continue to evolve. The idea of Chianti Classico as a neutral Sangiovese based wine is null and void. Chianti, too, can break down into Communes and Crus. People can now see and understand that an elegant Chianti can come from the Commune of Radda, while earthy and richer styles exist just slightly south of Radda in the Commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga.

Italy is experiencing another renaissance. There truly is no other country that can rival modern Italy in accessibility of price, availability of styles, and history of vines and varieties. Regions like Barolo will please the Burgundy lover, Bolgheri will please the Bordeaux lover, and it can challenge the New World palate with Frappato from Sicilia, or Pecorino from Abruzzo. This is proven by the movement of New World producers planting Italian varieties such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo in California, Oregon and Australia. And with this movement, yet another point is proven: you can plant Sangiovese and Nebbiolo in the New World, but they pale in comparison to the wines of Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Barolo, and Barbaresco. For Italy, the grapes of the region are not only important for making wine, but they represent the regions identity like the monuments that define the country itself.

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Del Posto's wine list is expansive and deep. A world class multi-award winning superabundance of wines and champagnes that complement a romantically sumptuous Del Posto meal. This week's Soundcheck gets delightfully tipsy celebrating the joys of the magic in the grape! Cin cin! - Kurt Wieting

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The charcoal afterglow upon us, we lie down on the couch, gaze at the ceiling and contemplate a walk. That was a lot of great meat - the marinated skirt steak, the hot sausage, the broccoli rabe sausage, the Nathan's cheese dogs, the burgers, the chicken thighs, legs and wings and someone brought some salmon for the vegetarians. It's easy to take for granted just how good we have it. We are free to overindulge, loosen our belts, get drunk and shoot off fireworks. But freedom isn't free. People have fought and died for the right to be independent from their oppressors since the beginning of time...And very often, they sang about it.

This song, written by Sergio Ortega, was an anthem for the resistance against the Pinochet coup and subsequent regime in Chile in 1973. In 1975, American composer, Frederic Rzewski composed these 36 variations based on the theme.

-Dred Scott

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The service at Del Posto is second to none. It's quite true that the cuisine is the star, but the waitstaff brings that magic to the table with invisible sleight of hand, accompanied by deft elegance. This week's Soundcheck celebrates their accomplished wizardry! The music that comes out of the kitchen expertly delivered in perfect time! - Kurt Wieting

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I never went to camp when I was a kid. I wasn't interested. I was playing tennis all the time on a career trajectory that flamed out when I discovered music. To me, camp was Meatballs, Little Darlings and Friday the Thirteenth. It was cliques I didn't fit into and sports I was no good at - archery, for example. It was where you learned to smoke cigarettes and drink beer and engage in awkward, adolescent couplings - the latter, important life skills I was learning in different venues - a hotel room in Des Moines with some of the kids from the tournament we were all playing in. That's what summer was to me, tennis and tennis tournaments.

Music can be very evocative, especially during formative years. Certain music takes me back to a specific place and time - a time of feathered hair and 'Charlie's Angels' - disco, new wave, what was left of rock n roll and the wet, hot, American summer I never had. -Dred Scott

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The bar at Del Posto is a wonderful place to have a drink! The inviting and super talented staff and gorgeous surroundings are the perfect complement to Del Posto's inventive specialty cocktails. This week's Soundcheck celebrates head bartender Estelle Bossy's masterful elixirs! Whether you're up for a cool classic or a knockout original, this musical homage will get you right in the spirit! - Kurt Wieting

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It's summer again. And for most of us that means it's time to drink some cold ones, fire up the barbie and listen to some Yacht Rock. Like a Budweiser, Yacht Rock goes down easy. It's smooth and inoffensive. Whether you’re in your backyard or at the beach or driving around with the top down or actually on a yacht, this is the playlist of summer - a yachty, rocky summer. - Dred Scott

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This week's Del Posto Soundcheck Playlist celebrates Mother's Day! Although the festivities honoring motherhood can be traced back to the Ancient Greek and Romans who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, this musical ode to mom is far more current! So without further adieu, let's roll out the red carpet and give mom the grand treatment she richly deserves! - Kurt Wieting

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I’m out in Montauk for a little R&R, and it's that time again. I know because I forgot and got a friendly email reminder. It's my turn. So from the Montauk Manor I look back east across the great mass of Long Island from the southern ending point and think....Long Island. The music of  Long Island. Lots of great musicians came from Queens and Brooklyn - technically Long Island. So I did a little research and beyond the obvious Long Island icon, Billy Joel, discovered there are a lot of acts that once hailed from Nassau and Suffolk counties. Brian Setzer is from Massapequa. Dee Snyder from Baldwin. Pat Benetar from Babylon. And though he would try to hide it, Flava Flav is from...Hempstead. And BOC are all from Stony Brook . 

So here's a playlist from the end - the end of Lon-GUY-land. - Dred Scott

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The music and poetry that is April is summed up harmonically in this week's Del Posto Soundcheck. And who better to introduce us to the poetry that is April than one of history's finest observers. 

 "April hath put the spirit of youth in everything" - William Shakespeare

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When I saw Emerson, Lake and Palmer in '77, Keith Emerson blew up a patch bay just like the one in the picture. He had a keyboard that shot sparks out of one end. He stabbed his Hammond B3 organ, then he sat down at a grand piano and played a long solo piece to a completely silent audience - in an arena. All the while chugging a bottle of whiskey. I was 13 and wanted to be him. I never quite made it - except for maybe the whiskey part.

In case you aren't aware of ELP, they were one of the first of the so-called Prog Rock groups that would have included YES, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd. These bands were about displaying great musicianship but also about bringing some high concepts to rock and roll, all of them recording side-long songs and album length works to be listened to in one sitting. Listen to the very famous song, 'Roundabout' by YES and tell yourself THAT more than 8-minute song was not only on the radio but a huge hit. That song kind of epitomizes all of the Prog Rock elements, which to me just means, why can't we do that? In ELP's case, that meant mixing in the classical influences of composers like Mussorgsky and Ginastera and Copland. – Dred Scott

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Begorrah!!! It's almost time to celebrate St. Patty's Day! And this week's Soundcheck is 'green with envy' for those who are fortunate enough to romp through velvety clover on a fine Spring day! Time to break out that Irish tweed and saunter down this grassy musical lane with a lovely melody whistling from your lips... - Kurt Wieting

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Mmmm....Did you notice that somebody snuck an extra day into this particular month of February? Well, it turns out that Monday, the 29th, is a 'leap day' - a mathematical sleight of hand that enables us to sync up to the interplanetary perfection known as the cosmos. The Solar Calendar rules! (That's how long it takes the Earth to go around the sun.) So every four years we Earthlings have to adjust our Gregorian Calendar to be in step with the galaxy. This week's Soundcheck is a time traveling trip through the stars and planets! So buckle up now for this warp speed enterprise! All music and scenery are provided by - The Universe.

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There have been a lot of popular music icons passing on in the last month but a major force in contemporary music passed away last month, also. His name was Pierre Boulez, and he was 90. Now when I say, 'contemporary' music, that is exactly what I mean. Boulez was a champion of the new, the challenging, of exploring and reaching boundaries of what music even is. He was a composer of very demanding piano music, as you will hear from the last selection and a great pianist, as well. But it was for being a conductor that he was perhaps most famous for. His interpretations of Igor Stravinsky's ballets, The Firebird, The Rite of Spring and Petrouchka are legendary and every serious student of music has heard them. I chose more dining friendly selections here - beautiful interpretations of Ravel and Debussy and my favorite movement from my favorite Bartok Piano Concerto. There are 3. Bartok composed this concerto in the last years of his life for his wife, a fine pianist, to give her something to play after he died. The first two are very difficult and not nearly as famous as the 3rd turned out to be.- Dred Scott

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In honor of the man often referred to as “il Commendatore (the Commander),” “il Grande Vecchio (the Great Old Man)” and “l’Ingegnere, (the Engineer)” this week’s Tuesday Tribute goes to Enzo Ferrari, who would have been 118 years young this Thursday.

We are so inspired by the race car driver/entrepreneur/engineer that was Ezno Ferrari, we’ve added vintage prints of Ferrari cockpits to our restroom walls!

Click here to learn more about the fascinating life of Enzo Ferrari. 

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Chef Matt Abdoo took the stage for Culinary Kids Weekend at the New York Botanical Gardens! The youngsters had a hands-on opportunity to learn how to make Chef’s Orecchiette with Grandma’s Gravy & Meatballs, the perfect meal for a bone-chilling day. Many thanks to all the kids who participated in this year’s food celebration at NYBG!