On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 12:24:59 +0200, Ian Hoare >
wrote:

>Hi evereyone,
>
>The event is over and a great time was had by all.

Wish I was there. A big kiss to Jacquie


>>Champagne Franck Pascal Cuvée Prestige '93

I have also grown to love this champagne, very delicate and excellent
in the non-dose' version.


>And then the cake, a birthday cake of a plain génoise (sponge cake)
>with a praliné butter cream icing.
>
>Gorgeous, and exactly what Jacquie loves with plenty of butter cream icing
>and three layers of the lightest and most fluffy sponge cake imaginable.
>
>>excellent Bera Moscato d'Asti 2003, that we discovered in Lyon a couple of
>>years ago, and bought this January.
>
>Again, some of my friends thought I was mad serving a Moscato d'Asti.
>"where's the champagne?".

I have always wondered what to serve with Gianluigi's Moscato, or with
any moscato. I just saw him last monday, picked him up in Turin and
chatted during the hour long drive to his winery at Canelli, where we
had some local sausage, robiola di Roccaverano cheese and a glass of
his Dolcetto 2003, and if you ask me his reds are very good, even
better than his moscato. In a land devastated by heavy use of
pesticides and herbicides, his is an oasis of purity on top of a hill
with a breathtaking view, far above the cropdusting helicopters down
in the valley...

Sponge seems indeed the best choice to match Moscato, though I would
almost be tempted to serve a very plain sponge, maybe with some icing
sugar and some fruit (not at my 60th bday though, bring out the
praline!). The wine is quite pleasant, but still very very sweet.
Bera's is indeed very good, far better than most. BTW, we are talking
about the Vittorio Bera winery at Canelli, very small and organic, not
the F.lli Bera winery of Neviglio, far better known and not
necessarily bad, but not quite the same thing....

I am not a great fan of muscat, but here we have one that has none of
the heavines or gross aromas of so many muscats. I just wish that he
could keep the sugar down a litlle, in order to let the underlying
freshness come through, and to keep that nice persistence going. The
nose is superb, the balance could be improved.

Bera makes a great Barbera too.

Cheers Ian, and happy bday Jacqui !!!

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail