With all the rain we’ve had lately, the weather has been unusually humid and sticky. With a delicate meal of pan sauteed veal cutlets, I couldn’t bring myself to open a red, so I “unscrewed” the 2009 Planeta La Segreta Bianco.
Planeta may be Sicily’s best wine producer. Their entire line is solidly crafted and reliable and the “La Segreta” bottlings (both red and white) are excellent value wines. The Bianco is a unique blend of 50% Grecanico, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier and 10% Fiano. Grecanico is indigenous to Sicily, and since I’ve never tried one before, I can’t speak to what a Grecanico is supposed to taste like. That being said, this medium golden colored wine had appealing aromas and flavors of citrus fruits, lemons, white peaches and subtle floral aromas. The Chardonnay in the blend seemed to contribute some body to the wine, but I didn’t sense that varietal as being overbearing. Done in stainless steel, this wine is crisp and refreshing. 87 points, about $12.
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| Sicilian White: 2009 Planeta La Segreta |
The La Segreta paired nicely with my Vitello con Porcini. Yet another simple recipe to introduce to you. Notice a theme here?
1-2 pounds nicely thin veal cutlets
8 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small vidalia onion, chopped
2 pats butter
chopped parsley for garnish
Re-constitute the dried porcini by covering in boiling water. It takes only about 15 minutes of soaking before you can use them, but the longer you soak them, the more intensely flavored the liquid will become. Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Once softened, add the butter and saute the veal cutlets in batches, removing cooked ones to a serving platter. It will take only about 1 minute total to cook each cutlet. Once the meat is done, remove the mushrooms (reserve the liquid) chop, and add to the saute pan. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the La Segreta Bianco and scrape up all the nice flavorful brown bits. Add the mushroom soaking liquid to the pan and bring to a boil. Pour all juices over the veal and serve.
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| Vitello con Porcini – Picture before Parsley Garnish |
It's been several years since I've had this one, but I liked it.
I'm a big fan of Italian whites, largely because they can be a nice change from the more popular white wines. I recently brought a Fiano to a party, & it was funny to watch people looking at the selections & not pick up the stranger. It was also nice (& funny) to hear those that did say they'll try it because I brought it & they've never been let down. So yeah, funky Italian whites are not only great, but highly amusing!
Hi Claire,
Yes, this was really nice. I've had the Segreta Bianco in the past, but can't recall that grape in the mix. That's what made me buy it.
Roero Arneis is a great white to try. From Piedmont. Giacosa makes the best one I've ever had, and it is a little pricey ($25 maybe) but it's unique and very nice.
J