5 years later...pizza con sfilacci!! (with a sick flight of natural wines)

 

The first time I was introduced to horse meat in general was in 2006, when I was living in Firenze but visiting my friends Filippo and Giacomo Kratter in the northern most part of the Veneto, in Sappada. It was in the form of sfilacci (a dried and shredded horse meat, as seen above) and happened to be on a pizza... it was brilliant, but afterwards I didnt think about it.  Until the day when I was craving sfilacci and kinda freaked out when I realized you cant find it anywhere in Italy except the Veneto and maybe a few other select places.

The three famous American bloggers strutting through Padova.

After the COF2011 came to an end Friday, part of the magnificent six took a cruise to Padova.  Alfonso, Jeremy, Mcduff and I all relaxed, then got a tour of Padova from Jar himself and after visited with Italian Guitar legends, Ruggero Robin & Gabriele Inglesi.  5 years after my last pizza con sfilacci Do Bianchi made my dreams come true when he hooked up a pizzeria reservation that specialized in it.  His good friend Marissa suggested Pizzeria bar Piave, and she also brought an incredible flight of some natural wine.

My natural wine experience is pretty limited but man these wines were all bitchin'!  Jeremy had been carrying around the Angiolino Maule all week telling us how we had to taste this stuff.  We finally opened it in Padova and I'm damned glad we did.
Angiolino Maule - Pico Garganega del Veneto IGT 2009.  This 100% Garganega was just gorgeous, some skin contact, beautiful friut, thick with nice acidity.  Just straight up fun and interesting to drink.  It was nice shlugging these back in a shitty trattoria glass (as seen below), after spitting wines all week.
Zidarich - Vitovska Doc Carso 2008.  100% Vitovska, unfiltered. This was my second favorite, and my first time tasting the vitovska grape.  Just plain scrumptious.

Prato della valle, Padova.

What a fabulous week, thanks to Jeremy, my newly discovered zio Alfonso and all the COF2011!  Ci vediamo tutti quanti a Texas!