Erba Luce” come on down!

Erba Luce” come on down!

Who can pass up an invitation to pass a few hours chilling at Isola dei Pescatori on a summer afternoon? Certainly, not this creature! The weather was humid with cloud cover tingeing the lake a dead, gray hue.  Nonetheless, Lago Maggiore is always beautiful; so peaceful watching the sail boats, the birds and hearing the water lap against the rocks. Having scoped out the island, we realized the far side is always the least traveled and so we chose a little wine bar with a terrace, La Malghera to help us pass the time. Mr "Piglet" presented lil’ Miss SnowWhite a nice refreshing white wine that would be perfect to offer at parties as cocktail wine. This white was called Erbaluce (err-bah-loo-chay) and originates north of Torino (part of the Piemontese region), and needs to be consumed within three years from harvest; in other words, drink up and do not age. ;-)This wine packs a whopping 13% vol. so make sure when drinking you are eating as well, something we managed to do quite well. Ordering a "cutting board" of cheese and sliced meats, we cleverly whiled away a few hours; how much better can it get? There were samples of prosciutto della Val Vigezzo, Bresaola, Pancetta Coppata, a dark prosciutto like bresaola seasoned with porcini mushrooms and spices, little tiny cacciatore salami, various cheeses, toma, and one type encrusted with fennel and other herbs.  Who said we were taking the ferry back to the mainland? Nope we were going to have to swim after that feast! 

(July 23, 2008)