Italian Piedmont
/On my first trip to Italy in 1994, I drove across the Alps from Switzerland, entering the Piedmont in the Northwest corner of the country. My first night was spent in the small town of Orta San Giulio on Lake Orta. Cars are restricted in most of the town and I was immediately in love with Italy.
The island of San Giulio from the shore of Orta San Giulio. There are a few villas, a restaurant and a Benedictine nunnery on the island. Lake Orta is the smallest of the northern lakes in the famous Lake District.
The Piedmont is one of the few regions of Italy without a coastline, unless you count the shores of Lakes Maggiore and Orta. It’s a hilly and mountainous region containing the fertile Po River Valley which produces most of Europe’s rice. The plains along the Po provide lush grass for dairy cattle whose milk is used in buttery dishes, and for making Taleggio and Gorgonzola cheeses. The western edge of the region’s main city is Turin, where much of Italy’s sweet vermouth is made and where spumante was invented.
This list of Piedmont’s culinary gems is long: Crudo de Cuneo, White Truffles, Porcini Mushrooms, Polenta, Risotto, pears, pomegranates, hazelnuts (Nutella & Ferrero Rocher are based here) and one of the regions most famous dishes, Brasato al Barolo (beef braised in barolo).
The hills of Piedmont produce some of Italy’s most celebrated wines: Barolo and Barbaresco. Like the Super Tuscans and the Brunellos, you’ll need deep pockets to enjoy the best Barolos. If a $60+ Barolo isn’t in your pay grade, look for wines marked Langhe Nebbiolo. Barolos are made from nebbiolo, but only certain vineyards south of Alba are classified as Barolo.
The hill towns of Alba and Asti in the Langhe region are surrounded by vineyards planted with nebbiolo, barbera and dolcetto. Barbera is the most widely planted grape in the region. The next most widely planted would be dolcetto, which means “little sweet one”, but this is anything but a sweet wine.
The wines made with Dolcetto grapes are very dark in color with flavors of blackberry, licorice, and cherry. Because of their low acidity, the wine is best while young, but it has enough tannin to pair with charcuterie and pastas. It is simply a very tasty wine that pairs well with anything that you would pair with pinot noir or merlot.
Dolcetto cuttings were brought to California by Italian immigrants and it is planted sporadically in California, Oregon and Washington. The grape does well in cool climates which helps with the acidity (keeping them from being too sweet). The hills of Piedmont have the Alps to the north and the Mediterranean to the south which create the “diurnal affect”: morning fog, warm, sunny days, and cool nights.
The M’tucci’s Dolcetto is grown and crushed in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County in California. The diurnal affect in Sonoma is created by being in the center of the Pacific to the west and the warm interior to the east. Russian River is also known for producing high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
We think that this special climate and the location are what makes M’tucci’s 2019 Dolcetto a winner with most anything we serve.
We’ll dive deeper into the grapes of M’tucci’s Rosso and Bianco in future La Gazzetas.
All locations are accepting reservations, by phone only. Online reservations are not available at this time.
The bar menu returns to M’tucci’s Italian.
Weekend Specials
M’tucci’s Italian
12 oz Hand-Cut Herb-Rubbed NY Strip - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction $32
Pan-Seared Icelandic Cod - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Caper Sauce $25
Sunday Only: Half Rack of Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Salt Water Potatoes, House Made Cole Slaw and House BBQ Sauce for $18
M’tucci’s Moderno
12 oz Hand Cut Ribeye: Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Salsa Verde $31
Beef Short Ribs: Mascarpone Creamed Polenta, Sautéd Spinach, Braising Sauce $24
Pan-Seared Yellowtail - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $22
Saturday & Sunday Brunch (Moderno Only)
M’tucci’s Prosciutto Cotto: M’tucci’s Italian Style Ham, Poached Eggs, Crusted Eggplant, House Hollandaise Sauce, Parmesan Potatoes $12
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
7 oz Harris Ranch Hangar Steak - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Butter $21
Gelato: Cheesecake Strawberry
Sorbetto: Strawberry Lime
Weekend Cocktail
Bobbi’s Warm London Fog: Earl Grey Tea, Hayman’s Gin, Lavender, Bailey’s Cream and Lemon Zest.
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
