Rich Flavors and Wines to Go With Them

This week in Titina's kitchen, the final of four regional Italian wine and food pairing classes.

Customers are always asking us how to prepare an easy Italian party, says Capri Flavors owner Costanzo Vuotto. And that's how the idea for Let's Party Italian was born.

The classes are a great value. Students sample 6 Italian wines ranging in price from moderate to expensive. But in Italy, wine is always part of a meal. Unusual cheeses, breads and quick pastas are also on the menu.

This Thursday night--Italy's Piemonte Region. Here's what lead instructor, wine distributor, and European-trained Chef Isabelle Sofras Edwards has to say about this rich land in northern Italy.

The Piedmont is Italy’s westernmost region with borders on Switzerland and France, is hemmed in by the Alps and the Apennines, which explain why its name means, "foot of the mountain." The Piedmontese uphold their heritage of food and wine with unequaled staunchness. The flavors of Piedmont reach peaks in autumn, when the harvest is in and wooded slopes from the Alps to the Apennines supply game, mushrooms and white truffles, whose magical aromas enhance pastas and risotto’s, meats and cheeses. Those foods call for full-bodied red wines such as Barolo, the King of Italian wine and Barbaresco, and the Queen of Italian wine. Piedmont boasts the greatest number of classified wines, with 8 DOCGs and 43 DOCs, including the region wide appellation of Piemonte to classify premium wines. The Nebbiolo grape reigns supreme in the Piemonte with a lot of different regional variations better known as Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme and Carema. The more popular reds are Barbera and Dolcetto. Notable whites are the dry Gavi and Arneis and the sweet, bubbly Asti Spumante and its relative Moscato d'Asti. In this tasting we will try some of the most interesting wines and cheeses from this very impressive area.

• Some seats are still available for Thursday. Call Capri Flavors 919-462-9255 for more information or click the link and book online. Chef Titina will return to her kitchen classroom next month. Let's Cook with Titina classes resume on April 5.

A Blind Taste Test and Some Surprising Cheeses

Great wines, foods and wealth of information in Thursday night's Let Party Italian class in the Capri Flavors kitchen. Taught by professional chef--turned wine distributor, Isabelle Sofras Edwards and Capri Flavors' own Raffaele Vuotto, the night was a big success--featuring 6 wines, 4 stunning and hard to find cheeses, 2 spicy meats and a elegant but easy pasta dish--All for just $40 a person

The food was wonderful. Many of the wines--very special. But this first in a series of wine and food paring classes had 4 big stars--

1) The Marzolino goat cheese was robust and delicious--a perfect pairing for it's Chianti Classico partner.

2) The San Felice, Vigorello was a run away winner in the Super Tuscan blind taste test. If you buy one expensive red, this should be it. A lovely vintage from old vines.

3) The Porcini Pasta--Isabelle's recipe was easy, elegant, and rich enough for a a great red wine.

4) And finally, Isabelle herself was a star. After more than a decade as a chef in European kitchens, she is an encyclopedia of Italian food and and wine, a wonderful teacher and a lot of fun in the kitchen. To watch her describe a famous Tuscan white and explain the term "Super Tuscan" click on the video below.



Next Week--the wines and foods of Veneto. On the menu--seafood, some very famous white wines and sparkling prosecco. Isabelle and Raffaele promise Bellinis and lots of other prosecco cocktails so their advice is bring your party hats. After all , Venice pretty much invented the party when it gave the world Carnival.



Go to Capri Flavors to book or call 919 462-9255 for more information.

Best Job in the World?

Isabelle Sofras Edwards may have the best job in the world. A locally based wine distributor specializing in the wines of Greece and Italy, she was opening three lovely Tuscan reds for tasting in the Capri Flavors kitchen one snowy day last week.

Isabelle along with Raffaele Vuotto, son of Capri Flavors owner Costanzo and Chef Titina, will teach a series of food and wine paring classes beginning this week. "Let's Party Italian" highlights Italy's 4 great wine producing regions--beginning with perhaps the most famous-- Tuscany, home of the newly popular Super Tuscans and long-time favorite Chiantis.

Isabelle is an expert in food and wine parings. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she worked as an international chef for more than a decade. "I turned my hobby (wine) into a career and my career into a hobby," she explains.

In last week's tasting a full-bodied red won out. Villa Pillo Borgoforte is a mixture of Cabernet and Sangiovese--the classic grape of Tuscany. It will be a last minute addition into the Thursday night class menu, beating out two baby Super Tuscans that were also very pleasing.

An average of 6 wines will be sampled in each class, along with Italian cheeses and other easy to fix food parings. For more information scroll down for the full menu, click this link http://www.capriflavors.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=74 or call Capri Flavors at 919 462-9255 to reserve your spot. Book this week and there's a special gift certificate promotion going on.

Tuscany -Chianti Menu
(March 4, 6pm)
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinzimonio Raw Vegetable Appetizer
Sesame Bread
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Carpineto, Vernaccia di San Giminiamo
Pecorino Toscano Chesse DOP "Pientino"DOP
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Castelli del Gravepesa, Chianti Classico
Marzolino Cheese
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San Felice , II Grigio, Chianti Classico Riserva
Pecorino Truffle Chesse
Mixed Cold Cut Meats
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Blind Taste: San Felice Vigorello, Super Tuscan vs Carpineto, Dojaolo Baby Super Tuscan
Tortellini con Crema di Funghi Porcini
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Campobello, Santo Desert Wine
Cantuccini, Almond Cookies