Monday 29 April 2013

off to Friuli - part 1

I meant to post about our weekend trip while away but completely forgot that there was no wifi available during our stay.... here's what I wrote when we were gone:

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Traffic traffic and more traffic awaited us, as it did everyone, on the Italian motorway system Thursday morning. Every time there's a public holiday anywhere close to a weekend (that being any day except for Wednesday) Italians take 'il ponte' or 'the bridge', effectively meaning that they decide not to go to work on the offending Monday or Friday in between the beloved weekend and the freebie day off. That way instead of one day off for gardening or lounging around you get a full 4 to escape the city and have a long-weekend adventure. And, similarly to everything closing down come August, everyone does.

This weekends bridge is due to the liberation from German occupation at the end of World War Two.

Sera slept for most of the cars ride, and we stopped at a rest area sometime after noon to consume the picnic lunch I had packed. Deli meats, bread, mustard packets, fruit, salad (though I forgot the dressing), juice, chips, olives, cheeses.... I got a little carried away at the supermarket since it had been so long since I've had a picnic. We spread a blanket out on the grass and afterwards Sera collected the small windflowers surrounding us.

There was more traffic after our stop and we didn't actually reach La Subida until around five. Our room turned out to actually be a two story cottage house on the hillside with a gorgeous garden and adorable kitchen with a central fireplace. There was still sun and so we sat on the grass and waited for our friends to arrive.
playing on the grass outside our cottage



But now, onto the wine... We opened the bottles that they had left for us in our rooms for a pre-dinner aperitivo starting with a Fruilano Anzelin 2011; simple, honest and clean as wines go but surprisingly strong at 14%. Accompanied by olives and bruschettini we moved onto another Friulano by Carlo di Pradis with aromatic undertones of medlar fruits, and yellow plums; not at all floral but with a hint of linden berries; definitely a single step up from the Anzelin and clean on the pallet in every way.

afternoon wine tasting with friends and family

We booked dinner at La Subida's Trattoria  itself to be able to take advantage of our location and to learn for ourselves if the reviews were true. On trip advisor they ranked number one and have over 86 'excellent' reviews. The atmosphere was lovely with a nice large fireplace upon entering. We had a table in the back room in the corner and were promptly served gigantic Parmesan cheese 'lollipops', which were delicious and which of course, Sera enjoyed thoroughly.

As a starter we had the prosciutto crudo which was gorgeous, the equivalent of crispy bacon but in salumi form. I had a pasta and followed it up with a beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious tagliata di vitello. Yum!

The wait staff was friendly and very considerate to all our needs. They provided Sera with coloured pencils and a dominoes set (most of which we found in her shirt when we got back to the rom later on... little thief!).

The wine was quite nice too. We switched to reds and tried a 2008 Scioppettino di Prepotto byViarte and the Borgo San Daniele 2006 Arbis Ròs.  The Sciopettino was a ruby-violet with hints of blueberry, blackberries adn raspberries and the the ArbisRòs was a beautiful ruby red with flavors of cherries, raspberries and strawberries.  Two very fruity but not too feminine, clean wines.




To come in part 2: An awful restaurant, visiting cantinas, a cool dip in the pool, a wonderful restaurant....


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