La Pizza Fresca Ristorante and Prunotto Wines
La Pizza Fresca Ristorante (Union Square) has long been considered a wine and food industry hang out spot that very few people know about. We had the luxury of celebrating the debut release of Barolo Colonello Riserva from the historic Prunotto estate. We were the first in the US to taste the new single vineyard release (brought to fame by Aldo Conterno).
The grapes derive from the benchmark and classic vintage of 2008 and a small one hectare plot in the prized Colonnello vineyard. For Prunotto, it is a return to the glory years of when pioneering winemaker Beppe Colla crafted cru Barolo and Barbaresco that became reference points for the noble wines during the sixties and seventies. We also tasted multiple Ba
rolos, Barbaresco, and Barbera.The wine was paired with several amazing dishes which included three amazing brick oven pizzas and several homemade pastas. The two pairings that really stood out were the Tagliolini all Antatra e Capperi (handmade pasta,shredded duck, ragu, and capers) with the Prunotto Barbareso 2
010 and the Barbaresco Bric Turot 2010. I thought life could not be any better until the Agnolotti del Plin (handmade filled pasta, Veal, and Porcini mushrooms) with the incredible Prunotto Barolo 2009 and Bussia 07 simply amazing!We finished off the night with some assorted cheese and the Prunotto Barolo Riserva,Colonnello 2008, Prunotto Barolo 94 and the Prunotto
Barbaresco 1995 of which the Riserva 08 really stood out amongst the intense flavors of the cheese. La Pizza Fresca in its own right has an incredible wine list (which I pride myself on the fact that I have very good eyesight...even after several bottles :) but I would highly recommend bringing a magnifying glass to read this incredibly deep wine list.My
friend Chris Deas likes to call La Pizza Fresca "the secret institution of Italian wine" and this wine list reads like War and Peace....so bring your magnifying glass, an incredible appetite, and a pair of sneakers because I have "heard" Pete's Tavern is not far away (2 blocks) and its a great way to cap the night at one of the oldest taverns in New York City. Salute!Cheers!