< >

 

Home New Products in BC Booze Reviews Past Events News Road Trips Upcoming Events Photo Gallery Where to go Tonight

 

 

Day 7, September 16

Marco Talamini

Chef de Cusine, La Torre di Spilimbergo, Spilimbergo, Italy

 

As in karate, it’s important to have a good finish.

I like Biscotti.  I particularly like Biscotti when the WGF is on and there’s a talented Italian chef in residence.  The room buzzes. You can feel the fun that people are having.   So, there was little debate in my mind on the final meal. It had to be Marco Talamini.

 

Fantinel Vino Spumante Extra Dry Spumante N.V.

Sea Bass Tartar on Warm Zucchini Cream, Tomato Caviar

Faninel Borgo Tesis Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave, DOC, 2005

Mosaic Terrine of Octopus served with a Warm Potato and Celery Salad

Fanitnel Vigneti Sant Helena Sauvignon, Collio, DOC, 2004

Black Ink Ravioli with Vegetable Ragout, Sweet Red Capsicum Foam

Fantinel Vigneti Sant Helena Refosco Dal Peduncolo Rosso, Friuli Grave, DOC, 2003

Small Tuna Bite Wrapped in Bacon, Confit Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives

Fanitnel Vigneti Sant Helena Cabernet Sauvignon, Friuli Grave, DOC, 2000

Melon Frappe with Asino Cheese

Tiramisu Scomposto Della Torre

Fantinel Borgo Tesis Verduzzo Friuli Grave, DOC, 2005

 

I was prepped.  I was upbeat.  I was looking forward to a really good meal.  I was six beers in, having met up with my Peace Corps friends over at the Londoner and having caught up on what was happening upcountry, in their lives, and generally discussing everything else, including the availability of Beer Lao. But, I was in a great mood.  Not only was M there with her aunt, but one of my other dining friends, D, who I’d met on the first night of my first WGF four years ago.

 

D’s my role model.  He’d had enough of a well-paying job he didn’t like, and was one of the few people I’ve met who’s smart enough to say “I’ve got enough” and get out.  I hope I can be that wise (four years, eleven months, and 7 days to go).

We gossiped in the lobby for ages.  Finally they had to drag us into the restaurant.  Another bonus here at Biscotti is that both D and I are reasonably well know (I’ve been out drinking Beer Chang roadside with the staff in previous years), so they can anticipate when to come out and drag us to our places.

 

You know, this is a difficult dinner to write up.

  1. I’ve already covered half the menu in Marco’s cooking class.

  2. We were having so much fun eating and talking, that my notes are atrocious.

So, out of character, I know, I’ll be brief. 

The Fantinel Extra Dry was indeed extra dry.  I wonder if this migh not’ve been a better wine for Yoshii’s dinner the other day.  Anyways, I believe I’m already down on record for my appreciation of what the Italians are producing for sparklings.

The sea bass tartare tasted even better than before, and the zucchini cream continued to smooth out the flavours.

 

 

The pinot griogio Friuli Grave that came with the tartare was very dry, and quite appropriate, and contrasted the the Vigneti Sant Helena Sauvignon that followed, which was a very good Sauvignon.  Now, the Sauvignon came with a beautiful octopus terrine.  I wish I could take a decent photo, as the presentation on this, with the circles of red and white meat of the octopus sitting with the  colours of the drizzle was a thing of beauty.

 

 

However, in the flavour, something wasn’t quite right for me.  I found that the octopus was lacking that little squeeze of retained brine I like, and that, with the potatoes and celery underneath, left me gasping for salt.  I know, I know, it’s a horrible thing to call for salt at your table, but in this case I had to relent.  That little bit perked it right up, and it was a wonderful dish.

 

With this we’d now brought in the Sant Helena Refosco al Peduncolo Rosso, Friuli Grave 2003, which made a marked impression on D.  His comment was “this is a serious wine”.  Myself, I thought it tasted quite good, too.  The nose was very nice, and got better and better.  I would keep it at the side after the octopus, and just breathe it in from time to time.  Not as full as a a good Barollo that’s been open for awhile, mind you, but very pleasant.

 

Then another beautiful dish.  The ink ravioli stuffed with a vegetable ragout and surrounded in a sea of red bell pepper foam - although the colour comes out as orange, it’s still pretty.

 

In three bites they disappeared.  The ravioli themselves, with only the ragout for stuffing, were helped a lot by the texture and taste of the foam.

 

And then our familiar tuna bites from the class.   Wrapped in pig fat, how could you go wrong?

 

 

The Sant Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 came with this.  Good, solid, and in competition with the Refosco, but I’d still give my choice to the Refosco. I called for more of both.  And for some of the Sauvignon while they were about things. 

 

As a table, we’re very happy with the Friulis.  This area, east of Veneto, borders the Adriatic, Austria, and Slovenia has a wine history going back to Rome.  Friuli as a name comes from Forum Iulii, “Julius’ Forum”.  See, I can look things up!

 

As with Ruth’s dinner the night before, what we’re benefiting from here is a chef who knows the wine very well.  Marco himself is from the extreme North of Italy, bordering Austria, and he did his schooling in Belluno.

 

The melon frappe arrives, and satisfies as it did in class.  And then there’s a tiramisu to follow.  What would dinner be without a tiramisu, I ask?

 

 

With these we’ve been putting back the Borgo Tesis Verduzzo Friuli Grave 2005.  A good finishing wine, I could say, except I’ve got four other glasses at my setting that I’m working over.

 

And then, of course, we must have chocolates.  How could we not.  I call for more of the reds.  I like red wine and chocolate.

 

 

Marco came by the tables, and sat with us for awhile.  I asked about the octopus, and he agreed, without the internal brine the plate would benefit from a few small pilings of sea salt. Overall, it was a great meal.  Good food, good wine, good company, and we snatched a dozen or more of the whiskey chits from the confused looking girls in black.

 

This of course led us to the lobby, and the end-of-the-party atmosphere that creeps in as we come to appreciate that it’s all, pretty much, over.  I would have a plane to catch the next day, requiring me to be up at 6 a.m.  Most of the chefs would decamp for Chiang Mai, one or two remaining for the brunch, but really, the event was done.

 

We discussed the sorry state of wine taxes in Thailand (they’re abusive, even worse than Canada), and touched on local politics a bit (which is to be found in my coup write-up from last month), and then, for some reason, one of the wine representatives and I decided that the lobby of the Four Seasons at midnight was just the right place for a martial arts demonstration.

Just so you can rest easy, no furniture was harmed in the making of this demonstration.

 

A good week.