Xogorka, everyone!

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
Well, actually, no. Just another natty wine. This one happens to be cab sauv from Lledo but they all taste the same.

Back to your original program.
 
Xogorka sounds like the name of an outer space monster from an unmade Ed Wood film. I've recently stumbled upon a couple of natty and quasi-natty (but natty enough) wines that were way better than I thought they'd be. I mean, I'm not totally surprised because the winemakers took some chem classes at some point and have gone all-in with the concept of meticulous attention to hygiene in the winery.

Union Sacre is in Paso Robles and is led by a Frenchman who set out to be a chef but wound up making wine. Yada yada, but he's from Alsace and he does some really nicely balanced skin contact and orange wines usinb Riesling and Gewurztraminer and Chenin Blanc that are highly drinkable, even if there are chunks of lees floating around in the translucence. He makes a nicely balanced Paso cab too.

Right next door to Union Sacre is Giornata, owned by Brian Terrizi who tends to get obsessed with things and goes full-on with them. Like Italian grape varieties. His taste at least as Italian as their Italian counterparts. Traditional techniques (I first met him 20 years ago as he was foot-treading Aglianico). His Ramato is delicious, and he's been developing sources for all the interesting varieties around Paso -- it helps that his wife is an inspired vineyrd manager. On one of his trips to Italy, Brian became obsessed with dried pasta and spent the next five years perfecting it. He's got a pasta factory now called Etto and it's worth seeking out. Available in some Whole Foods and Cost Plus outlets around the country, or online. They also opened the Etto Pasta Bar there in Tin City and it's worth a detour should you find yourself trudging up Highway 101, visiting missions or wineries.

-Eden (Field Recordings is another winery in Tin City doing good work. The winemaker has seemingly never found a grape variety he didn't want to turn into wine and most of them work. Kind of on the natty edge of the bed too)
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
On one of his trips to Italy, Brian became obsessed with dried pasta and spent the next five years perfecting it. He's got a pasta factory now called Etto and it's worth seeking out. Available in some Whole Foods and Cost Plus outlets around the country, or online.
Thanks. I'll have a look around; anyway, you can buy direct from him online.

Speaking of dried pasta, just in case anyone has not listened to the original podcasts concerning the invention of cascatelli, they are here.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
On one of his trips to Italy, Brian became obsessed with dried pasta and spent the next five years perfecting it. He's got a pasta factory now called Etto and it's worth seeking out. Available in some Whole Foods and Cost Plus outlets around the country, or online.
Thanks. I'll have a look around; anyway, you can buy direct from him online.

Speaking of dried pasta, just in case anyone has not listened to the original podcasts concerning the invention of cascatelli, they are here.
For those in the LA area, I used to buy these mail order. The quality was excellent: https://ferrazzanis.com/collections/our-pastas
 
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