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Of the half-dozen or so wine dinners which Lauren and I have attended, it would be difficult to select the one that was head-and-shoulders above the rest...  Having said that, last night's wine dinner at Francesca's Famiglia in Barrington was akin to sitting in the box seats in Wrigley Field during the World Series and watching Ron Santo hit a home run.  Only last night we did not watch, we actually participated.  OK, OK.  So the analogy may be a slight stretch.  However, Francesca's and its staff put together one very fine evening that featured the wines of Michele Chiarlo (pronounced "Mee-KELL-a  Kee-AR-lo", as close as I can tell) from the Piedmont region of Italy (in the upper northwest corner). 

As you can see from the map (click on the map for a larger view), this region is nestled in the shadows of the Alps and is not far from the Mediterranean... the soils available, along with the climate, make the area a natural for growing grapes.   We hadn't realized that Piedmont -- also known as Piemonte in Italian, which literally means "at the foot of the mountain" -- is one of the most famous wine regions in the world; they are renowned for boutique wineries.  And from what I can tell after dinner last night, Michele Chiarlo likely produces some of the best wines from that region; more on that later.

The evening started with an introduction to "Stosh" (GM Eustacio Duarte) and an interesting, hand-shaken pre-dinner cocktail of that consisted of  -- I believe -- Belvedere Black Raspberry vodka, Chambord, and floated with blueberries.  I know there were other ingredients... but the drink was bright and piquant; a great start to the evening.

Gino Catalano was the Italian Wine Specialist provided by Kobrands; he got things going with a brief background of the winery and the wines which would accompany the dinner.  I must admit that, even considering some Italian heritage, I knew next to nothing about Italian wines other than the Chianti that I love to have with my seafood Lasagna.  I have always been a fan of French and California wines.  That has now officially changed...

The First course was Ostrica Crudo: exquisite little Kumamondo oysters (they originated in Kumamoto Bay, Kyshu Japan, but are now cultivated in the U.S.) topped with tiny cubes of fresh pear, with lemon and basil.  I also detected a subtle hint of Pernod that really put these bivalves over the top, flavorwise.  They were perfectly paired with a 2010 Gavi: "Le Marne".  Pale straw in color, this white wine was crisp and light, with the nose showing hints of sea air; on the palate there were flavors of peach, followed by a spritz of lime in the finish.  The acidity and lime were a perfect accompaniment to the oysters

Course number two was an eye-popping salad, Polpo Grigliato: Grilled Octopus, fagioli Gigantic, and a marinated, oven-roasted tomato topping crisp, green frisse that was gently kissed with a superb lemon-oregano vinaigrette.  I would never have guessed that a red wine could go so well with a salad, but the 2009 Barbera D' Asti was an incredible match.  The Barbera grape variety accounts for more than half of the Piemonte region's total annual production of red wine; Asti is said to produce some of the best Barbera wines. Chiarlo's "Le Orme" -- meaning "footprint" -- could be the best of the best. With a ruby/garnet color, a slightly floral nose and hints of fruit, this wine is light and lively; it is probably due to the fact that it undergoes an induced malolactic fermentaion and then is aged for almost a year in oak.  With very little tannins and a high acidity, the result is an extremely drinkable wine that goes quite well with everything from seafood to pizza and pasta marinara.

A note from kobrandwineandspirits.com: "Michele Chiarlo is credited with being one of the first producers to introduce malolactic fermentation to Italy, thereby achieving wines of greater stability, lower acidity and easier accessibility in their youth."

A 2007 Barbaresco "Reyna" (meaning "The Queen") was aptly paired with our next course, Coniglio Cacciatore: Braised Rabbit, crushed San Marzano tomato sauce, cipolini onions, celery root puree, sautéed oyster mushrooms and herbs.  Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, but this preparation was nothing like the "normal" way to make cacciatore; it was more of a "pulled" version and the sauce was closer to a broth.  In any case, the result was a magnificently-flavored dish that was a joy to the palate.  The Barbaresco was a joy as well.  Grown on limestone-rich marl soils in a slightly warmer, drier and milder version of a maritime climate, Barbaresco is 100% Nebbiolo grapes that ripen a bit earlier, resulting in a wine with less tannins but still plenty of acidity.  With a nose that is slightly floral -- almost rose petals -- with hints of a forest floor, the aging in French oak has created a wine that is complex yet refined. There is ripe, red fruit and a long, polished finish that complimented well the cacciatore.

Unbelievably, we had yet another course before dessert!  It was Filetto di Manzo e Tartufo: Roasted Tenderloin of Beef, sliced over truffled risotto, along with a red wine reduction.  It was a fork-tender fillet and an almost-sweet risotto with white truffles... Of course this would be natural, since the Piedmont is the region where the white truffle (actually a mushroom) grows underground and generally harvested at this time of year.  A slightly "bigger" wine -- the Barolo "Tortoniano" ("The King") accompanied the tenderloin.  Barolo is something of a cousin to Barbaresco, in that both wines are made from the Nebbiolo grapes and grown only about fifteen miles apart.  But whereas the Barbaresco vines grow in soils that are underlain by limestone and clay, the Barolo vines are planted in soils rich in magnesium.  This creates a subtle but significant difference in the two wines.  Two years in oak.  Full, dry, rich and velvety is the Barolo.  Reminiscent of perhaps a good Zinfandel, there are slight earthy and musky undertones, combined with a floral quality.  It stood up to the beef and made friends.

Amazed that I was not stuffed to the gills (although quickly approaching it...), we were served Chiacchera al Limone for our final course of the evening: Fried Dough, ricotta dolce, lemon curd and acacia honey.  A soothing and tart raspberry sauce was also served wit it.  The perfect partner? A 2010 Moscato d'Asti "Nivole" ("lighter than clouds").  I had expected an overly-sweet dessert wine.  Au contraire.  Oops, I meant anzi.  The wine was vastly different than what I had expected.  A slight effervescence added the zing to this low-alcohol treat.  Soft and light on the palate, it was fragrant with an almost fruity bouquet and only slightly offset by some musky notes with hints of orange peel.  It was an excellent finish to an incredible evening.

Aside from great food and wine, I was most impressed by several very obvious highlights on the evening.  The service was casually elegant yet quite professional, the plating was well done... and the evening seemed as if done in the "slow food" style reminiscent of what is said to take place in the Piedmont region of Italy.  I was amazed too, at the really reasonable price charged for the evening.  And it wasn't just the price, it was the whole package; I have had lesser experiences for twice the price.  My only small distraction was a live band that played.  They were good, but just a tad too loud, as the music forced the conversation to an unnecessary decibel level.

Were it not for the drive-time (about fifty minutes for us), I would visit far more often.  But I do promise to return -- possibly for Famiglia's next wine dinner.  I would highly recommend that you call and make a reservation for it!

Combining some Latin with a tiny bit of Italian, what I can easily say is: Veni, vidi, Ho mangiato: I came, I saw, I ate.  And boy did I enjoy it!  Ciao for now...    

Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com

Special thanks to Francesca's Famiglia Executive Chef Salomon J. Alvarez for preparing an excellent repast, Lisa Mango for some outstanding wine pairings...