Tonight’s supper. after a day of moving stuff from our storage unit to home assisted by Jeff Pfohl. was Penne Arriabiata. with Rustichella di Abruzzo Penne Rigate topped with Rao’s Arriabiata sauce with added basil, oregano, and garlic; with Cajun-style Smoked Duck Sausage, browned, sliced, and incorporated into the sauce. The pasta dish was very well accompanied by a 1996 Coppo ‘Camp du Rouss’ Barbera d’Asti. With all its age, it was still bright fruit, vibrant acidity; balanced mid-palate; with a long, fruity finish; all we could have asked for with the spicy pasta. We all - Jeff, Carollee, & I, enjoyed the lightly spicy pasta.
Then for dessert we had three grappas with a perfectly ripe Comice pear - good texture, bright fruit, good acidity; and very nice with each of the grappas. First was a Don Quixote Grappa di Malvasia Bianca - a local grappa, from Los Alamos, with amazingly good fruit and balance. Next was Jacopo Poli ‘Sarpa’ - good fruit, slightly hot, but with a good fruity finish. Then we had the controversial one - Banfi Grappa di Montalcino, which i think is fairly hot, but Carollee thinks the fruit balances out the alcohol. I finished with a little more of the ‘Sarpa’, to help recover my tastebuds. Jeff only had the Don Quixote and enjoyed it with the pear.