Finding Italian Prosecco In An Asylum

Located in the Veneto region of Italy, Asolo is a town and commune that is also known as the "city of a hundred horizons" and the "pearl of Treviso." The term "asolo" derives from the Latin word for "asylum," referring to a place of refuge. The area of Asolo is also well known for Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine.

Prosecco is seeing a surge in popularity, and outsold Champagne in 2013, selling around 307 million bottles compared to 304 million for Champagne. For Prosecco, this was an increase in sales of about 16% and an increase in volume by about 11.5%. Obviously, one of the reasons for Prosecco's popularity is that it generally is much less expensive than Champagne. You can find plenty of Prosecco priced at $10-$15, and it certainly sells well at the wine shop where I work.

There were a number of legal changes to Prosecco around 2009 and 2010, including the creation of a broad Prosecco DOC. Two Prosecco DOCG were created too, one for Asolo and the other for Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. In addition, the name of the Prosecco grape was legally protected so that anyone outside the DOC using it must refer to it as Glera, an old synonym for the grape. Roughly 20% of Prosecco is from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG while only about 0.5% comes from the Asolo DOCG. So, Prosecco from Asolo is one of the least available.

Recently, I received a media sample of a Prosecco from the Asolo DOCG, the Montelvini Venegazzu Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato ($15). I believe it might also be my first Prosecco from this DOCG. Extending back to 1881, the Serena family has been involved in wine making in the Veneto near Asolo. Currently, they have about 35 hectares of vineyards, in four different estates, and produce around 3 million bottles annually. This specific Prosecco only started being imported to the U.S. in December 2013 by Wine in Motion.

I haven't enjoyed a Prosecco as much as I did this one in a long time. With a pale golden color, the Prosecco had an appealing nose of fruit and flowers. On the palate, it was dry, crisp and clean, with pleasing flavors of peach and apples, with floral accents and some minerality. It was refreshing, with a clean and tasty finish. It possesses more complexity than other inexpensive Prosecco and is perfect for the summer, as well as all year.

Not all Prosecco is the same, and this is an excellent example of its potential. At this price point, it is a very good value too.

Rant: Put The Bunny In Your Mouth

Two years ago, I wrote an article on Celebrating the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, stating that an excellent way to do so would be to eat some rabbit. This past week, the Los Angeles Times ran an article, noting "rabbit appears to be going through a renaissance of sorts." It was interesting to learn that rabbit was considered a patriotic food during World War II, but consumption nearly vanished after the war.

I am pleased to see that rabbit may be making a comeback, and in honor of the LA Times article, I am bringing back my previous rabbit article, with only a couple minor revisions, which remains as relevant now as when it was first posted.

"Put the bunny back in the box."
--Cameron Poe, Con Air

Yes, there will be plenty of people who will recoil at the idea of dining on rabbit.  How can anyone eat a cute, fuzzy bunny? Some people may have had a rabbit as a pet, keeping it in a small hutch, and thus feel squeamish about eating something they once had as a dear pet. But people should be eating rabbit as it is one of the most nutritious and sustainable meats that exists. 

Around 1100 B.C., when the Phoenicians first came to Spain, they found rabbits there and it is probable that they then spread rabbits throughout the Mediterranean region. The ancient Romans enjoyed rabbit meat, and they even created leporaria, walled areas where they raised rabbits for later slaughter. There once was even a Roman law that all young women had to eat rabbit because it was thought it would make them more beautiful.

Rabbits have continued to be eaten as food throughout history, though consumption in the U.S. has apparently declined greatly at least over the last hundred years. Have you ever noticed that it seems almost every movie about the Middle Ages shows rabbit being eaten? Nowdays, Europeans are far more amenable to dining on rabbit and France is the largest producer and consumer of rabbit.  My first time eating rabbit was when I was in Spain over 15 years ago.

Why should we eat more rabbit?

First, it is an excellent sustainable choice, far more sustainable than beef, pork, lamb or poultry.  Rabbits eat grass and marginal forage, thus they do not compete for resources with people and are more easily fed than many other animals.  They will even eat food scraps, which would be a great use for all of our vast food waste. We all know how rapidly rabbits can reproduce and they are available year round.  Rabbits require little space, certainly much less than other food animals.  You could even raise rabbits at home, which is relatively easy to do. It is said that a rabbit can produce six pounds of meat for the same amount of resources which a cow needs to produce a single pound. 

The carbon footprint of raising rabbits is far lower than other common food animals, and thus much better for the environment.  As the demand for meat continues to increase, it may be impossible to meet that demand without causing significant environmental problems due to increased resource intensity. Beef may be the largest offender, requiring significant resources which could be instead used for other purposes which might better feed more people.  The increased consumption of rabbit could alleviate these issues, as rabbits require far lesser resources.  It is something that needs to be seriously considered.

Second, rabbit meat is very healthy and nutritious. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has even stated that rabbit is the most nutritious meat. Rabbit has only 795 calories per pound, compared to chicken at 810, turkey at 1190, beef at 1440 and pork at 2050. Rabbit also has the highest percentage of protein of any meat. In addition, rabbit has a lower percentage of fat and less cholesterol than chicken, turkey, beef, or pork.  Rabbit is easily digested, and has very high levels of Omega-3's and other good fats. Those are all good reasons to opt for rabbit.  

Third, and a very important reason, rabbit tastes good. It has a mild and slightly sweet flavor, in some respects like chicken, though it can also remind you of veal or even pork. You won't find it to have a gamey flavor, which can be offputting to some. Plus, nearly all of the rabbit is white meat, which appeals to many people.  It is generally lean meat, so be careful about overcooking it. In addition, different parts of the rabbit have different characteristics so you can get a variety of flavors within the rabbit.  If you tasted rabbit blind, you would very likely enjoy the meat though you probably would not realize it was rabbit. 

Rabbit can sometimes be found in local restaurants and some of my favorite rabbit dishes have been at Prezza in the North End. Dali serves a tasty braised rabbit dish. Stoddard's Fine Foods & Ale has a delicious balllotine of rabbit. Alden & Harrow offers a chicken fried rabbit, though I haven't tasted it yet but it sounds compelling. You can also find it at some grocery stores, including the major chains, though it often is presented as a whole rabbit. For example, Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet in Melrose sells rabbit.

The main resistance to eating rabbit appears to be primarily psychological. It is seen more as too cute to eat, too much like a pet. Yet those who actually eat rabbit find out how delicious it can be. Plus, as it is so sustainable and nutritious, more people should be eating rabbit. Break through that psychological wall and try some tasty rabbit. It is good for you, good for society, and good for the environment.

For more information, and some cool butchery shots and a rabbit recipe, check out The Leather District Gourmet's rabbit post, Of Rabbits and Roller Coasters - Dread, Thrills, and Calm for a new Butcher.

Direct Wine Shipments Getting Closer in MA

Massachusetts stands in a tiny minority of states that do not allow direct shipment of wines from out of state. Like many other wine lovers in Massachusetts, I wish I could get wine shipped to me from wineries and wine stores all across the country. There are wines I cannot obtain in Massachusetts that I wish I could order. Fortunately, there are positive signs that there may soon be some relief, though the potential new law doesn't go far enough.

Seven years ago, in 2006, a law was passed that barred many such shipments from entering Massachusetts but it was later ruled unconstitutional, a decision affirmed by the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Since that appeals decision on January 2010, several efforts have been instituted to create a legal framework allowing out of state winery shipments. To date, despite some passionate advocacy, all such efforts have failed but recent efforts are hopeful.

In November 2013, I urged my readers to support House Bill 294, which was authored by Representative Theodore Speliotis and introduced in January 2013. It was in the committee on Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure and received a public hearing. The Bill wasn't perfect, but it least was a step forward. Just last week, there was some good news on the direct wine shipment front, though a little unexpected as it didn't involve H294.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives has submitted their proposal for the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget. Attached to that budget, they have added two wine-related Amendments, one dealing with direct wine shipments. The amendment must still pass the Senate and be signed by Governor Deval Patrick, though as far back as December 2011, Governor Patrick indicated his support for direct wine shipments, noting he would approve such legislation. So, the Senate remains the biggest hurdle.

The direct shipment amendment was primarily sponsored by Representative Bradley Jones, Jr. as H230 though the final, approved amendment differs some from the original proposed bill. H294 is similar in many respects to the original H230 bill. I am going to explain a number of elements of the new amendment, as well as indicating the differences from the original H230 bill.

First, the Amendment begins by defining “direct wine shipper” as "any person who sells, delivers or exports wine to consumers in the commonwealth." That would include not only wineries, but also wine shops, online wine retailers, auctions houses, and more. It seems very hopeful except we quickly learn that not everyone who meets this definition can obtain a "direct wine shipper license." This definition was not a part of the original bill so maybe there was discussion of expanding the scope of these licenses in the future.

Second, essentially only wineries, those involved in the "business of manufacturing, bottling or rectifying wine," can obtain a direct wine shipper license. That means that wine shops, online wine retailers, auctions houses, and others cannot directly ship wine to Massachusetts consumers. I want to see this aspect changed too, and to allow all such entities to ship wine to Massachusetts. This amendment is a step forward, but more steps are needed as well. This is similar to the original bill.

Third, the fee for a direct wine shipper license is $350 for the first year, with an annual renewal fee of $150 renewal. That is greater than the $100 annual fee in the original bill. However, the original bill also required a bond from the winery and the amendment has no bond requirement.

Fourth, a winery may only ship up to 12 cases of wine, no more than 9 liters each case, per year to "a resident of the commonwealth." The original bill would have permitted up to 24 cases. This will mean that wineries need to maintain good documentation on their shipments to Massachusetts. Fortunately, the limit is also per resident, so multiple residents at a single house each could order 12 cases from the same winery. For example, a husband and wife could together get 24 cases from the same winery.

Fifth, the wineries must provide an annual report on the "total number of gallons of wine shipped into the commonwealth for the preceding year." That is much better than the original bill which required monthly reports.

Sixth, the amendment lists all of the penalties for violation of the new direct shipment law. The basic penalties include fines and/or license suspension, with potential revocation after three violations. There are additional penalties for shipping to minors. What is most interesting though is that the amendment states that violatiors "shall be deemed to have engaged in a deceptive act or practice under chapter 93A." This is the infamous Consumer Protection Act, which means violators could be open to additional civil penalties, as well as potential double and treble damages. Violating this amendment can have serious consequences. This was all in the original bill too.

Seventh, the original bill created a definition for an “Alcoholic beverages expert,” which is "an individual who is recognized for their written contributions evaluating alcoholic beverages in trade publications, newspapers, magazines, websites, newsletters, and other media for public distribution." That would apply to many wine writers, bloggers, etc. The original bill then created a special license for these individuals, allowing them to receive wine samples. However, all of this was omitted in the amendment and that was a mistake which should be rectified.

So, there are reasons to be happy, though we need to understand that further steps will be necessary. Massachusetts needs to leave the Dark Ages and allow wine lovers the freedoms they are granted in many other states. We want and deserve the ability to get wine shipped to us from wineries, wine shops, online wine retailers and others.

As I mentioned near the beginning, two wine-related amendments were attached to the proposed House budget. The second Amendment, sponsored by Representative Bill Straus of Mattapoisett, essentially allows Massachusetts wineries the ability to offer free samples of wine. In this amendment, no sample can contain more than 1 ounce of wine, and no more than 5 such samples can be served to a patron. Though I thought such a law already existed, it appears it was not part of the existing law. It is a curious exception as wine stores are legally permitted to offer samples, and wineries which attend farmers' markets are also legally permitted to serve samples.

Mount Gay Rum & Barbados, The Birthplace Of Rum

“The chief fudling they make in the island is Rumbullion, alias Kill-Devil, and this is made of sugar canes distilled, a hot, hellish and terrible liquor.”
--An anonymous author writing about Barbados around 1651

As I have written before, this is the first written mention of rum, which lends some credence to the theory that rum was invented on Barbados. The island of Barbados was likely discovered by the Spanish in the early sixteenth century, and the Portuguese also landed on the island soon after, yet neither decided to colonize the island. They didn't find much on the island to appeal to them. It appears though that they did name it, calling it Los Barbados, allegedly a reference to the "bearded" fig trees they found.

Around 1625, a British ship landed on Barbados and claimed the island for the King. Within a couple years, permanent settlers arrived to colonize the island. The settlers first attempted to grow tobacco but soon discovered it didn't do well. Instead, they opted to try sugar cane, emulating the Portuguese in Brazil, and it thrived. In time, Barbados would even come to dominate the sugar trade. And with all that sugar cane, they eventually created rum.

Mount Gay Rum is the oldest, continuously operated rum distillery, with written evidence extending back to February 20, 1703, making it over 300 years old. Around 1747, John Sober inherited what was then known as the Mount Gilboa Distillery. He hired Sir John Gay Alleyne to manage the distillery, which turned out to be an excellent choice. Gay improved the production process, introduced new strains of sugar cane, and improved crop yield. In addition, as Gay was antislavery, he found that he derived better rum if he paid his workers. Upon his death, Sober decided to honor all of Gay's great work by renaming the distillery after him, thus launching Mount Gay Rum.

Recently, I attended a media dinner at Forum, showcasing Mount Gay Rum and hosted by Scott Fitzgerald, their brand ambassador and "inhouse rum depletion expert."  We got to taste a couple of the rums on their own, as well as in several cocktails. During the dinner, Scott spoke about rum and Mount Gay, answering our questions, and proving to be a personable and down-to-earth host.

First, Scott set the stage, noting that he considers rum to be the most underrepresented of spirits. In many respects I agree, as there are plenty of other spirits which have claimed the spotlight. Though rum features in a number of cocktails, you rarely see anyone ordering rum on its own. For dark spirits, whiskies get far more attention, especially on their own. The perception of rum does need to change, and higher end rums need to be embraced for their complexity and taste.

Scott also mentioned that rum is not about where it comes from, but how it is made. Terroir is not really important for rum. Instead, the key elements are distillation and maturation, though I think the quality of the sugarcane is important as well. Terroir might not be important, but that doesn't mean the quality of the ingredients is unimportant. Due to the climate, Caribbean rum ages about three times faster than it would elsewhere. That means Caribbean rum will taste differently than similarly aged rum from cooler climate regions.

I was impressed with the Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum ($30), which is distilled in both a column and pot still. It is aged in ex-whiskey casks and later finished in deep, charred ex-bourbon casks. The "black barrel" refers to the black char in these barrels which enhances purification, allows a deeper access into the wood, and provides more spice notes. It is supposed to be the only rum that is finished in charred, ex-bourbon barrels. Some of the rum used in the final blend may have been aged for up to seven years.

The Black Barrel has a dark, amber color, like a fine whiskey, and if you tasted it blind, it would remind you far more of a rye whiskey than a rum. On the taste, there is a deep spice taste, caramel notes and a mild hint of vanilla. Layers of complexity, a lengthy finish (which has a touch of cinnamon), and a smooth, compelling taste. I could easily savor this rum on its own, though it would also do well in a craft cocktail. For example, we had a Black & Stormy, Black Barrel and ginger beer, and I enjoyed it very much. And at $30, this rum is an excellent value too, providing a spirit you can enjoy on its own, or in a cocktail. I think I have found a new, everyday rum.  

And as Scott said, "Rum is a social drink. It is about fun." So, buy a bottle or two of Black Barrel and invite some friends over to drink it with you.

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting wine and food items that are upcoming. **********************************************************
1) MokSa is bringing All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Mondays beginning April 28. Starting at 5pm, guests can enjoy a few or all of MokSa’s sushi rolls for $29 per person. With options including the Spicy Tuna Roll, made with avocado and tempura flakes, the Maimo made with sweet potato tempura and the Salmon Avocado Roll made with avocado and spicy remoulade, diners will be able to indulge in their old favorites and discover new ones.

Guests will receive two rolls the first round followed by one roll order at a time. No sharing, no substitutions, not available for take-out. Guests must clear plate.

All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Menu:
Spicy Tuna
Shrimp Tempura
Salmon Avocado
California Roll
Philadelphia Roll
Seaweed Samba
Cucumber Avocado
Maimo Roll

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 617-661-4900.

2) Consider Bistro 5 to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11, from 10:30am-2:30pm, for a special Mother's Day Brunch. They are offering a 3 course Prix Fixe Menu, costing $49 per person (tax and gratuity not included). A Children's Menu will also be available.

Brunch Menu:

Appetizer
--Spring Pea Soup, Butter-Poached Lobster, Leeks and Moroccan Lemon Yogurt
--House Cured Salmon, Potato Crisp, Crème Fraîche, Pickled Onions and Capers
--Grilled Polenta, Farm-Fresh Egg, Bacon Bits, Ramps, Pecorino Sienese and Mushroom Ragu
--Mixed Greens, House-Pickled Vegetables and Basil Vinaigrette
Entree
--Soft Shell Crab Benedict, Wrapped in Prosciutto and Panko, Soft Poached Egg, and Black Garlic Hollandaise Sauce
--Steak & Egg, NY Strip Loin, Potato, Fried Egg and Asparagus
--Gnocchi, Fava Beans, Baby Carrots, Fresh Peas, Wild Ramps and Goat Cheese
--Berkshire Pork Loin, Wrapped in Pancetta, Toasted Pistachios, Mint and Rhubarb Sauce and Swiss Chard
Dessert
--Doughnuts, and Dipping Sauces
--Angel food cake, with Fresh Fruit and Sorbet

For reservations, please call 781-395-7464