Simple but Spectacular: Grilled Top Sirloin + Attilio Ghisolfi 2018 Sbardajà Nebbiolo #ItalianFWT

This month the Italian Food Wine Travel group headed to their grills. Jen of Vino Travels, the group's founder, said, "In the heat of the summer let’s celebrate with some BBQ dishes and Italian wine."

The #ItalianFWT Grill Party

• Chicken and Shrimp Skewers with Poggio della Dogana Romagna Albana by Vino Travels

• Chicken Spiedini and Il Sorriso from Sicily by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Discover Abruzzo: Five Masciarelli Wines and Smoked Wild Boar Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

• Elio Filippino 4 Amis Lange Rosso from Piedmont and a Filet, mushroom and brandy on the grill by Vino Tripping

• Fresh from the grill: fish and pizza with wines from Sicily by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley

• Savor the Flavors: Exploring the Perfect Pairing of Italian Wine and Barbecue with Speri Amarone 2018 by Our Good Life

• Simple but Spectacular: Grilled Top Sirloin + Attilio Ghisolfi 2018 Sbardaja Nebbiolo by Culinary Cam (you're here)
  

Grilled Top Sirloin and Tomatoes

I decided to make the dads grill their own Fathers' Day dinner. So, it was super simple for me. Really. I bought the sirloin and tomatoes. For the meat, I seasoned it simply with salt and pepper. And Mike grilled it as an appetizer for the group. After resting and slicing, we were just grabbing off of the cutting board! The tomatoes were just as simple. I rolled them in olive oil and he tossed them on the grill. Done!

The Dudes

They were good sports about having to cook their own appetizers. Then I did the heavy lifing with paella for our main dish!

photo by Pia Garneau

After they grilled, they puffed on their candy cigarettes. Hilarious.

photos by Pia Garneau

2018 Attilio Ghisolfi Sbardaja Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is one of my favorites grape varieties. It is on my table often during the winter because it's usually rich, full-bodied, and has all of those food-friendly acids and tannins. It is also a gorgeous match for meat...so, perfect for a grill event!

This bottle come from the Langhe. Langhe is a hilly sub-region in the Piedmont (Piemonte); its name Langhe is the plural form of langa, a word in the local dialect for a long, low-lying hill.

In 1985 Carlo Ghisolfi purchased nine acres of land in what is now known as Cru Bussia. His son, Attilio, added twenty-one more acres to their holdings, but that included many different kinds of fruit. Then, Attilio's son Gianmarco joined the company in 1987 and the father-son duo decided to focus solely on grapes and wine. 1988 saw the first vintage of the Ghisolfi-labeled wine.

I was intrigued by the word Sbardajà on the label as I had no idea what it meant. After some research I discovered that Sbardajà is a word from a local dialect that means 'scattered' and refers to the fact that the grapes for this wine come from a wide range of vineyards...so, not single vineyard which is what I originally thought. But it is still a single varietal, made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes from vineyards from Monforte, Monteu Roero and Priocca. All of the grapes are cultivated organically without the use of chemical fertizlizers or herbicides.

After the grapes are gathered and crushed, the winemaker allows spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. It's then stored in small oak barrels for a year before bottling.

Unlike many of my favorite Barolo wines which are a ruddy, brick color, This Nebbiolo poured a bright ruby color. Its nose was floral and intense - think garden roses and honeysuckle - with hints of licorice and warm spices. On the palate the wine was simultaneously velvety and bright with a lengthy finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed this pairing - Simple but Spectacular: Grilled Top Sirloin + Attilio Ghisolfi 2018 Sbardajà Nebbiolo. That's a wrap for my #ItalianFWT offering.

The combined wine writers group will return on the second Saturday in August with a theme of 'On the Road Again.' Linda of My Full Wine Glass is hosting. She wrote: "Most wine bloggers love a chance to visit wineries, walk the vineyards, and meet the people who grow the grapes and make the wine. So, with apologies to Willie Nelson, let's use this World Wine Travel time together to write and talk about a wine road trip you've taken recently. What's your style on the road? Do you plan ahead or go where the road takes you? Do you go alone or with a traveling buddy? Do you have a designated driver? How many visits do you fit into a day? Any tips?" Now to put on my thinking cap...