A Night of Fantastic Italian Cuisine in Sisters, Oregon

November 1, 2007

By Leigh Brown
Leigh's Wine Buzz

I lived in Florence, Italy, one summer in college, learning about art and culture. Study soon dropped low on the totem pole when I discovered Italian food and wine. On weekend trips to small restaurants in Tuscany and other parts of Italy, we feasted on boar, pasta, rabbit and rich desserts, washing it all down with Grappa and Limoncello.

During too many trips daily to the gellateria down the street from our pensione, I closed my eyes from the sheer joy of hazelnuts, melon, strawberry and coconut in cream. At summer’s end, though ready to go home, I despaired that I might never taste such exquisite food again. A food-fussy child, I had never imagined eating rabbit, especially since I had a pet one. Italy was an awakening.

Each sip of Chianti, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo startled my taste buds into life. Even though I didn’t know what I was drinking, I just knew that I liked it and that it tasted even better with prosciutto and cheese on a roll from the local butcher. My palate is wiser now. It doesn’t have to live on memories. Good things are close to home.

This past Sunday, I went to Sisters, Oregon, for a feast. Although the Duomo was nowhere in sight, I was taken back the moment I stepped into Cork Cellars Wine Bar and Bottle Shop and was handed a flute of Prosecco. Cork Cellars is settled nicely in the town of Sisters where it opened its doors only a few years ago and became the neighborhood hot spot in no time. I was invited to a private dinner at their shop by my good friend Earl Cramer- Brown, an Italian wine specialist with a heavy hand when it comes to Italian wines. He was co-hosting the evening with shop owners Emily and Mark Pellitie and chef, Juri Sbandati. The compact wine shop enlarged the moment I had Soligo Prosecco Millesimato 2004 in hand. The shop is quite darling with a small bar and comfortable seating. One can order wines by the glass or do tastings along with a tapas- style menu Tuesday through Sunday. Emily is not only beautiful, she has an eye for style and is wine savvy to boot. Mark, her husband, also makes custom made wine cellars. Such craftsmanship could be seen in their side room of their store, where you can buy wines by the bottle. This lovely shop was not only worth the visit for dinner and good wine but for its warm surroundings. I felt as though I was in a good friend’s home. And in a sense, I was. On the invite list were mostly locals and their friends. I felt I was back in Italy dining in a café, sharing your table with others so as to fill up every seat in the restaurant. It was like family. And what better way to feel at home than to eat?

My formal Italian quickly dwindled in Florence due to late night bantering at the bar with the Italians. Italian and English melded as one but my vocabulary for cuisine grew by the second. Cherries, cured meats, cheese, focaccia and melon replaced peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. For me, cheese, proscuitto and crackers are the best way to begin an afternoon. To start our meal in Sisters, the bar not only had bubbly but an anitipasti selection of imported cured meats and cheeses. Juri’s wife, Kinley guided us through the selection of prosciutto, mortadella, Parmigiano – Reggiano, pears drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar, fig jam and Pecorino Toscano sheep cheeses. And dinner was yet to come. Temptation was strong but we switched to a Barolo library tasting starting from 1995 through the vintage year of 2001. Earl brought in an incredible sampling from Oddero Vineyards and Cellars, La Morra. Nebbiolo is a wondrous grape and probably the most important grape from Piedmont. Nebbia means “fog” because during harvest, fog sets in. Often a very tannic and acidic grape, it’s used to make Barolo. I was surprised that I was fonder of the younger vintages. The ‘95 was meaty and as the years progressed, there was caramel, figs and strong smells of cooked fruit. Tannins were big, not surprisingly, but my favorite was the 1999. Truly a well-balanced wine with supple tannins, rich dates and figs spinning with spice in the nose and in the palate.

Juri and Kinley Sbandati own a personal chef business unique to the area. They not only will cook for private parties but will also cook weekly meals for those too busy to cook and more importantly, for those who appreciate traditional Tuscan food. Most often in Italy, the tradition is to start the meal with pasta or risotto. Luckily, we had the luxury to eat both. With multiple first and second courses waiting, I was ready to dive in. Kinley expertly explained each course starting with the “Risotto al Barolo,” Risotto cooked in Barolo wine was simple and elegant. It matched perfectly with the ‘01 Barolo and was creamy, though not rich. It went down in a pinch. My most favorite dish of the evening was next: “Gnocchi ai Funghi Porcini con Pecorino Tartuffato.” I don’t often order gnocchi due to its heavy weighted punch to the stomach, but this was unlike any I had had in the States. The potato dumplings were light and were not swimming in a heavy cream sauce but rather a rustic sauce made of heavenly Italian porcini mushrooms and truffled Tuscan sheep cheese. The rising chatter was all white noise to me. Now deaf, I couldn’t eat fast enough for the pleasure in every bite. While the ‘99 vintage was my favorite, the ‘98 Barolo was another lovely vintage and its rich earthy flavors paired excellently with the dish. Juri, the chef, told me he had the gnocchi imported from Tuscany and it was well worth the order. One could easily fall in love with this jovial and sweet man, looming over his pot of cannellini beans. I could tell he took pride in his heritage just by eating it.

Our first main course, Maialino in Porchetta, a traditional Tuscan delicacy, was something else. Boneless pork is rolled with spices and drizzled with its own juices. Parts of it were almost like pork crackling. Even more incredible were the beans sweating with fresh sage. Aromatically, this dish blew me away and the caramel notes of the ‘96 Barolo brought fall to mind. I felt warm in this place, surrounded by good food and plates practically being licked clean. I’m now comatose after the Peposo del Brunelleschi, a succulent black peppered beef shank cooked in a garlic red wine sauce for hours. This dish was created by Fillipo Bruneleschi, the architect who designed and built the Duomo. I feel I’m dreaming as Earl pours the Icardi Nebbiolo 2001. This decadent wine only made the dish more perfect. For dessert, the classic tiramisu was absolutely incredible. I thought I made fabulous tiramisu until I tried Juri’s. Earl paired it with Braida Brachetto d’Acqui that tastes of raspberries and all of the good things one hopes for at the end of such a meal.

I want to live in this town forever just to be a regular at this shop. Strangers soon become friends in an intimate setting with such welcoming hosts. That evening I was back in Florence romanced by the city and in love again with the food. But to be in Oregon and feel well-traveled again is just as wonderful.

For more information on Oregon's wineries, please visit our Attractions section.

Editor's Note: Leigh Brown works for Urban Wineworks in Portland and will be bring to life Oregon's wine scene in her bi-monthly column, Leigh's Wine Buzz.

add to del.icio.us | digg this

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Newsletter

Sign up for news:


Add to Technorati Favorites


Order your free Travel Oregon magazine

Travel Oregon features unique travel ideas and information that can inspire your own Oregon adventure. And it's free!