Spring 2020

To Our Customers:

Happy Springtime and Spring Holidays to All. Darrell Corti

COLOMBA: THE EASTER CAKE

Much as panettone is the emblematic cake for Christmas in Italy, COLOMBA, a similar cake in the shape of a flying dove, is the cake for Easter. Its origins are masked in remote history, yet it probably originates in the Renaissance period. A mother sponge raised dough--with various candied fruit, raisins, and almonds--the Colomba is just slightly lighter and less buttery than panettone. It is the cake for the Easter tradition. From LOISON, in Italy’s Veneto region, we again have these delicacies. And delicacies they are. The Colomba holds up very well and can be used during the spring and summer as bases for fresh fruit compositions which extends its usefulness.

Here is our Colomba Selection for Easter 2020: Unless noted, all are one kilo in size.

COLOMBA:

CLASSICA: with candied Sicilian orange peel and almonds on top, unfilled, wrapped $26.89 (#4900)

SENZA CANDITI: without candied fruit, just almonds and sugar topping, wrapped $25.99 (#4901)

LIMONE: with a lemon cream filling, wrapped $29.99 (#4902)

ALLO ZABAIONE: with zabaione (sabayon) cream filling wrapped $29.99 (#4903)

A.D. 1552: with Sicilian orange peel, almonds, box design of Easter eggs, 750g boxed $24.99 (#4904)

PESCA e NOCCIOLE: with candied peach bits and hazelnut topping, boxed $31.29 (#4905)

AL MANDARINO DI CIACULLI: with Palermo’s mandarino peel, boxed $30.99 (#4906)

AMARENE e CANELLA: with Amarena cherries and cinnamon, boxed $29.99 (#4907)

CAMOMILLA e LIMONE: NEW: Roman chamomile flower, Sorrento lemon peel, boxed $29.99 (#4908)

A.D. 1552 LATTA: in collector’s box, Faberge egg design $31.99 (#4909)

REGAL CIOCCOLATO: mono-origin chocolate and chocolate cream, boxed $29.99 (#4910)

CLASSICA MAGNUM: cellophane wrapped, ribbon, 2 Kilo size $48.99 (#4911)

The VENEZIANA: Venice’s “year-round cake” similar to the Colomba, traditional all year in the Venice area.

VENEZIANA:

CLASSICA : with butter, almonds, four spices, boxed, 550g $20.99 (#4912)

ALL’ ALPIANE: with raisins plumped with Vignalta’s passito Alpiane, wrapped, kilo $27.99 (#4913)

AL MANDARINO DI CIACULLI: with Palermo’s mandarino, boxed, 550g $16.99 (#4914)

AL PISTACCHIO DI BRONTE: with Bronte pistachio cream filling, boxed, 550g $22.99 (#4915)

ALBICOCCA e SPEZIE: with candied Po valley apricots, ginger, and spices, boxed, 550g $21.99 (#4916)

FOCACCIA MANDORLATA: no candied fruit, with almond topping, wrapped, ribbon 750g $19.89 (#4917)

2019 HARVEST CALIFORNIA EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OILS:

Coratina, Picual, “ Frantocino”and Frantoio

Our Corti Brothers label is on four extra virgin oils for the 2019 harvest. All were made with the innovative Giorgio Mori system developed by Marco Mugelli. But there are some differences.

Corti Brothers Picual and Coratina were milled by Pablo Voitzuk at Apollo, the first Mugelli mill in California. The Frantocino and the Frantoio were produced using the mill on “The Olive Truck” a Mugelli system in a transportable mill brought to the olive grove, milled by Samir Bayraktar and Gian Luca Grandis. All of these oils were produced with basically the same SYSTEM, different millers, and olives from different growing areas. They should please the most exigent of tasters! All are in 500 ml, dark glass bottles.

PICUAL: Yolo County fruit, Pablo Voitzuk, miller; milled and bottled at Apollo, Oregon House, CA.
(Won a Gold Medal at the L.A. International E.V.Oil tasting, 2020)
$19.99 500 ml (#4918) $107.00 Case 6 (#4918C)

CORATINA: Yolo County fruit, Pablo Voitzuk, miller; milled and bottled at Apollo, Oregon House, CA.
(Won a Gold Medal at the L.A. International E.V.Oil tasting, 2020)
$19.99 500 ml (#4919) $107.00 Case 6 (#4919C)

FRANTOCINO: Petaluma fruit, milled by Samir and Gian Luca in “The Olive Truck” at the grove, co-milled with a small percentage of Leccino olives, hence its name. Bottled by Pablo Voitzuk.
(Won a Silver Medal at the L.A. International E.V.Oil tasting, 2020)
$19.99 500 ml (#4920) $107.00 Case 6 (#4920C)

FRANTOIO: Petaluma fruit, milled by Gian Luca Grandis and Samir Bayraktar in “The Olive Truck” at the grove.
(Won a Silver Medal at the L.A. International E.V.Oil tasting, 2020)
$22.99 500 ml (#4921) $124.00 Case 6 (#4921C)

(Complete Disclosure: I am the Chairman of the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Oil competition. I do not taste the oils. I select the tasters and do not have anything to do with selecting which panels taste which oils. In case of necessity, I adjudicate, but do not taste.)

CORTI BROTHERS FIVE CITRUS MARMALADE
MARMELLATA DEI CINQUE AGRUMI

For the second year, the Five Citrus Marmalade has been made for Corti Brothers by The Good Stuff, here in Sacramento. The five citrus fruits, Citron, Bergamot, Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, and Chinotto are from trees in my backyard. They are not sprayed or over watered, but mulched and looked after. Ingredients are the classic: citrus fruit, sugar and water. Nothing else.

This marmalade met with great success in 2019, selling out in two months. With an increased production, hopefully more customers can enjoy it.

MARMELLATA DEI CINQUE AGRUMI FIVE CITRUS MARMALADE $9.99 11oz jar (#4922)

CORTI BROTHERS CITRON MARMALADE

This year, for the first time, we are making a CITRON (Citrus medica) marmalade. Normally citron is produced to be candied–this done when the fruit is still green. If you allow the fruit to ripen to a yellow color, it becomes very mellow and aromatic. So we are trying citron by itself as a marmalade. I believe it is unique.

We do not think much about citron except as a candied fruit for fruitcake or in Sicily for cassata. The fruit’s peel is very aromatic, not exactly lemon, but similar. There is very little juice to citron, but it looks like a giant lemon. The Romans had citrons, but not lemons, which were a gift of Arabic culture in Sicily. Our Citron marmalade is light amber in color, with a delicate scent and delicate bitterness typical of the fruit. Mouthwateringly lingering, it will enhance your breakfast toast. Ingredients: Citron, sugar and water. Nothing else.

CITRON MARMALADE $9.99 11 oz jar (#4923) Limited Supply!

TWO DELICIOUS WINES FOR $100 THE CASE: Pinot Noir and Dry Riesling

These are two delicious wines meant for drinking, both from the 2016 vintage from Germany. They are the HOOKED wines from Rudi Wiest, a German specialist importer in California, who has now retired. Both of the wines are from prized German growing regions. The riesling is from the Rheinhessen and the pinot noir from Baden.

You might wonder as to their origins. The Riesling is labeled dry and is. The Pinot Noir is from Baden, a newish area for this variety, and shows the effect of climate change since Germany is now making some outstanding pinot noirs that rival some Burgundians. Jancis Robinson is very fond of them. There is a certain delicacy of flavor to German Pinot which we don’t get in California.

Both of these wines are under the “HOOKED” label created by Rudi, and we bought them as delicious wines for everyday drinking–even for special occasions–because they were, well--so delicious. We can offer them at $100.00 the case of 12 bottles plus tax. At this price they are awfully hard to beat. With sales tax and shipping, if you want them shipped, they are a very good deal. Enough said! They can be mixed in the case if required.

HOOKED DRY RIESLING (12%) 2016 $9.99 750ml (#4924) $100.00 cs/12 (#4924C)

PINOT NOIR (14%) 2016 $9.99 750ml (#4925) $100.00 cs/12 (#4925C)

MIXED CASE 6 bottles each variety $100.00 cs/12 (#4926C)

FOR MIXOLOGISTS ONLY (not really): The Grand Book of Vermouth (2019) and Futurist Mixology: The Italian answer to cocktails of the 1930s (2014). EXCLUSIVE TO CORTI BROTHERS

FUTURIST MIXOLOGY is the name of this fascinating, bilingual work (English/Italian) produced by Robert Bava of the house of COCCHI in Asti, Italy, which makes products that are much in line with the notions of this work. What is Futurism? Many would not know that it was a social system set up between the years 1925 and 1935 in Italy where poets, writers, and artists worked on notions that wanted to bring something new to the world after the shock of World War I. There was also some sense in it of what in the U.S. would be called “Modernism.” This work is for barmen, written by a barman–(I really do prefer this term to that of “bartender”!) His name is Fulvio Piccinino. There are elucidated 18 Futurist cocktails, called “polibibite” meaning a “drink made of many things,” the exact notion of a cocktail. There is a general history of the Futurist movement in art, food, and drink. It is enlightening--and for barmen--a real opportunity to look at what was being created and thought about during this period between two wars.

Italy is not much considered in the cocktail world, but just look at the idea of a “Negroni.” In Futurist Mixology, you have ideas about other similar drinks which should cause even more ideas, and so on. For barmen and the adventuresome drinker, this is a book to keep in the bar and also next to your bed. It is a terrific read.

FUTURIST MIXOLOGY LA MISCELAZIONE FUTURISTICA 2014, 324pp $58.00 plus tax (#4927)

THE GRAND BOOK OF VERMOUTH DI TORINO is exactly that. It is a very good English translation of the Italian original which sets out everything that there is to know about Vermouth, especially the one made in Piemonte called “di Torino.” Published in 2019, it is the last word on vermouth, now very much on drinkers’ minds and palates.

Rich with full color labels of historical products and copies of historical recipes, The Grand Book of Vermouth di Torino could be the last word on the subject for our times. Everything is described. There are 27 pages just on the various herbs and spices commonly added to vermouth along with their color photos. The wormwood, which is the basis for vermouth, is explained in two chapters on its growing, use, and chemical composition since wormwood (Artemisia species) gave its name, “wermut,” to Vermouth.

Vermouth and its entry into the cocktail world is well described. As are the “polibibite” of the Futurists. Everything notable and some things not so notable about Vermouth are described in this one of a kind work. The collection of graphic art from generations of Italian artists used as publicity material for Vermouth is worth the price of this work alone. It is a fundamental work on a delicious product, now returning to the fore. This is a unique book.

THE GRAND BOOK OF VERMOUTH DI TORINO, 2019, 271 pp., large quarto, $75.00 plus tax (#4928)

CARCAVELOS: A wine which will become extinct in our lifetime

CARCAVELOS, is the smallest wine appellation in Portugal, located just west of Lisbon at the mouth of Tagus River where it meets the Atlantic. It was created by the Marques de Pombal in the 18th century because he had a palace in the area. Now other “palaces” called developments, are going to bring ruin to the wine. The vineyards are inexorably being built on. Hence, the wine will disappear.

What is Carcavelos? It is an “oxidative” wine much like Madeira or Tawny Port, a fortified wine, a “ vinho generoso,” but with its own character and its ability to age and develop in bottle, providing a lot of flavor. It is this kind of wine, made from very different grape varieties, some nine in all, both white and red, aged for a long time in partially filled barrels that give the wine character and almost imperviousness to time. If you are looking to give someone a bottle of birth year wine, it is this kind of wine that gives the best results. Unopened it keeps very well.

It is aged standing up, not laid down like most table wines with corks; and once opened, has the ability to last in the opened bottle until you finish the bottle.

This collection of Carcavelos represents the sum total of wines currently available on the market. The wine has been bottled in 500 ml size just to make it go further. You should try it and then cellar some. Soon, it will be like drinking history.

There is basically one active producer, Villa Oeiras, a partnership between the Potuguese Ministry of Agriculture and the city of Oeiras begun in 1983. The vineyard is 12.5 hectares, half of the appellation. Carcavelos became famous since it was gifted to the Chinese emperor in Beijing in 1752 by José I, King of Portugal. British officers stationed in Portugal during the Napoleonic Peninsular war, took it to London. Officially it was demarcated in1908, recognized as one of the four fortified wines of Portugal, the others being Port, Moscatel de Sétubal, and Madiera.

The other wine available is that of Quinta Dos Pesos, where wines from three hectares of vineyard have been produced, aged, and ultimately bottled in 2018.. They have lain undisturbed in cask and hopefully will continue to be bottled in small amounts until the vineyard is no more.

Villa Oeiras NV, 18.5% $29.99 500ml (#4929)

Quinta Dos Pesos 1987 21% $38.79 500ml (#4930)
1988 21% $44.99 (#4931)
1989 21% $46.59 (#4932)
1990 21% $44.99 (#4933)
1991 20% $41.99 (#4934)
1996 20% $39.99 (#4935)
1997 20% $38,79 (#4936)
1998 21% $41.99 (#4937)

BOETJE’S MUSTARD AND SEA SAUCE

BOETJE (pronounced boat-chee) is the name of a wonderful mustard, a stone ground mustard, made in Rock Island, Illinois since 1889. Now in the hands of the third family to own the company, the quality is the same, and it is one of the most delightful American made mustards on the market.

Stone ground means that the Canadian sourced brown mustard seeds are coarsely ground, showing their granular texture and pungent character. This style is a “Dutch” style mustard, not the brilliant yellow of say, French’s mustard, nor the ochre color of Dijon mustard, but mottled brown and dull yellow color of the stone ground seeds.

Pungent, yet not overwhelming, Boetje’s is savory, yet not dominant, when put on a sandwich or used as the base for grilled cheese on toast. There is nothing added to this mustard other than the natural ingredient of water,vinegar, mustard seed, salt, and sugar. No preservatives, ever.

BOETJE SEA SAUCE is a recent addition to the line and is made with the same stone ground mustard, tomato sauce and horseradish. It is startlingly pungent, yet harmonious with a nice flavor kick that lets you know it is present. Really remarkable in flavor, it can be toned down by the addition of good mayonnaise or sour cream to make a delicious creamy dressing, but right out of the jar, it has a sharpness that improves any seafood. Boetje Sea Sauce and shrimp are made for each other. A crab salad with a dollop of Sea Sauce is a delight. Both come in 8 ½ ounce jars and should be refrigerated after opening.

BOETJE MUSTARD $4.99 (#4938)

BOETJE SEA SAUCE $5.99 (#4939)

MIXED CASE 6 each variety $59.00x (#4940)

CLASSIC KI NO BI COCKTAILS: The KI NO BI Gin Book from the World’s Best Bars

This is a very limited printing of a wonderful book on a gin: KI NO BI GIN from Kyoto. It shows detailed photos of the raw materials and the distilling process used to make this most elegant gin. All the elements come from Kyoto, Japan or grown in the prefecture. The recipes for cocktails using KI NO BI come from noted bars from varied places, such as London, Tokyo, New York, Amsterdam, Brooklyn. Some are inventions, others, new takes on old classics.

Launched in 2016, KI NO BI has become a gin highlight on the world scene. It is truly the “distillation of location.”
The Classic Ki No Bi cocktails book, by Dave Broom, did not see the light of day until 2019. I wrote about the gin in our Fall 2019 newsletter. The Cocktail book did not come out until later, produced by the prestigious KYOTO JOURNAL. A bi-lingual edition, English and Japanese, this should be in every gin lover’s library.

CLASSIC KI NO BI COCKTAILS, 125 pp $25.00 each plus sales tax. (#4941)

And as a reminder: KI NO BI GIN from Kyoto 45.7% $69.99 750ml (#4942) $377.00 case of 6 (#4942C)

Note:The un-linked items in the newsletter are not available for purchase on our website. If you are interested in any of those items, please phone or email us your request. 916-736-3800 or 800-509-Food cortibros@sbcglobal.net

A NEW CORTI BROTHERS COFFEE SELECTION: NICARAGUA PACAMARA

Once again, using our old friend Jeremiah Pick, who selected this coffee for us, we offer a rarely seen coffee whose bean size is called “Elephant Bean.” This coffee varietal, MARAGOGIPE, was discovered as a sport in Bahia, Brazil in the late 19th century. Now grown in small quantities in Central America, it has a unique sensory profile.

PACAMARA, is a hybrid of Pacas and Maragogipe. It is the result of 30 years of research in El Salvador. Pacas is named after a family that discovered a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety growing on their farm in 1956. The variety Pacamara was released in 1980.

A Modesto, California, coffee company, Don Tomas Coffee, grows this Pacamara in the cloud forests of Jinotega, Nicaragua at 4,500 feet. Shade grown, and harvested only as ripe cherries, the family company has been growing coffee since 1890. They deliver to their roasting facility in Modesto about 10% of the best beans grown for their own roasting. Having this coffee is the result of a seed to cup experience--a perfect image of an Estate Coffee.

The large bean size produces a unique visual image with a complex flavor, medium to dense body, with texture and elegant acidity. If you like great coffee, here is a unique experience.

CORTI BROTHERS NICARAGUA PACAMARA, Rare Bean Selection, $12.99 12 oz bag (#4943)

GERMAN WINES IN MAGNUMS: A Selection of some wines that will make you very happy

The magnum size was never much desired in German winemaking, but now some producers are bottling magnums of wines meant for longer aging. The bottles themselves are quite a sight. The magnum size bottle looks impressive and is, especially when left to mature. It takes very little imagination to think of two bottles of Mosel or Rhein wine being drunk at a meal. The magnum bottle serves this purpose and--as has been described many times with magnums of red wine--the resulting wine is usually better than that of a bottle. Trials have been done with half bottles, bottles, and magnums of the same wine, same vintage; yet in most, if not all instances, the magnum comes out the best.

Corti Brothers can offer these magnum bottlings in the following wines:

2016 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese, SAAR $109.99 (#4944)
2013 Schloss Schönborn, Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Spätlese, feinherb, RHEINGAU $166.99 (#4945)
2017 Wirsching Iphöfer Kalb Silvaner, Erste Lage, FRANCONIA $47.29 (#4946)
2016 Wirsching Iphöfer Kalb Silvaner, Erste Lage $64.99 (#4947)
2016 Schäfer-Fröhlich, Felseneck Riesling Kabinet, NAHE $84.99 (#4948)
2016 Schäfer-Fröhlich Felseneck Riesling Spätlese $99.99 (#4949)
2016 Schäfer-Fröhlich Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese, Grosses Gewächs $166.99 (#4950)
2016 Schäfer-Fröhlich Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling, Grosses Gewächs $165.99 (#4951)
2014 Schäfer-Fröhlich, Felsenberg Riesling, Grosses Gewächs $149.99 (#4952)
2014 Schäfer-Fröhlich Halenberg Riesling, Grosses Gewächs $149.00 (#4953)
2014 Schäfer-Fröhlich, Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling, Grosses Gewächs $149.00 (#4954)
2014 J.J.Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese, MOSEL $349.49 (#4955)
2014 J.J.Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese $432.00 (#4956)
2014 J.J.Prum Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett $220.49 (#4957)
2014 J.J.Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese $216.00 (#4958)
2015 J.J.Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese $239.99 (#4959)

TERMS OF SALE: This list supersedes all others. All taxable items, such as wine, beer, spirits, books will be taxed at the rate of 8.75%. This is for all sales since we sell in California. Foodstuffs are not taxable. Shipping will be charged at prevailing rates. PLEASE NOTE: In extreme weather, either hot or cold, please give us a shipping address where your order may be properly received and stored. Corti Brothers cannot be responsible for items left without protection.

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