Ribolla gialla and smoked goose ham: perfection from Friuli

What? You asked me for three foods I can't do without? Very easy: oysters, cheeses (especially blue cheeses) and goose (prepared in all ways, from foie gras to cured meats). These are my 'gastronomic fetishes' and with them all the wines that create combinations of enhancement that excite me. Last Sunday we were out and about in Milan and we stopped at a Patanegreria in the Brera area that gave me an inspiration: what if we passed by Eataly for dinner and bought a goose ham? Said and done, the chest also came with us, all produced by Jolanda de Colò, a historic company in Friuli that was founded in 1976 with a small goose farm wanted by Alana De Colò. In the fridge I already had the Ribolla Gialla di Ronco dei Tassi... and as soon as we returned home, the magic of an all-Friuli dream combination was born!

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I met Enrico Coser of the company Ronco dei Tassi a year ago now and I really fell in love with his wines, so much so that I consider it a Friulian excellence that you should definitely discover. Another thing not to be underestimated, his wines are too cheap for how good they are, so I advise you to call him and take home at least a carton of Fosarin, one of Malvasia and one of Friulano before he listens to my advice and raises his prices! 😄 [I also recommend reading Ronco dei Tassi: 5 reasons to fall in love with its wines e Fosarin: tasting notes of one of Collio's best white wines] Of course, if you are a Ribolla Gialla lover, I recommend that too... he also managed to make me appreciate this famous grape variety that I never understood before! A few evenings before New Year's Eve, in excellent company, I uncorked his Friulano 2019: a spectacle!

Tasting notes: Friulano 2019, Ronco dei Tassi

It is a beautiful intense and brilliant straw yellow, consistent. The bouquet is spectacular: very elegant and fine. The nose is distinctive with brackish notes of acacia flowers and magnolia, spring herbs. In the mouth it is fresh, saline, warm, harmonious, consistent, enveloping and with a very long almondy finish.

Tasting notes: Ribolla Gialla 2019, Ronco dei Tassi

It is a beautiful, intense and brilliant straw yellow, consistent. The bouquet is distinctive, but with that intensely mineral note that characterises all Ronco dei Tassi wines. Floral notes, candied citron, orange zest, green tea and fresh almonds stand out. In the mouth it is soft, warm, balanced, savoury, fresh, with great structure and persistence.

It particularly convinced me with the smoked goose breast because the sweet tendency of the fat enveloping the meat balanced well with the savouriness of this wine.

And now no more Ribolla Gialla!

Let's talk about Jolanda de Colò's smoked goose ham!

If you like raw ham, the good kind, you should try smoked goose ham at least once in your life. The production technology is actually similar, only it is made from goose leg and not pork, and the processing time is shorter, also due to the different size (300/400g versus 7/9 kg). The salting of the goose leg is done dry with a curing mixture of salt, spices and other ingredients, followed by drying, cold smoking with beech wood and maturing for about three weeks. 

It is externally an inviting deep dark red, a colour characteristic of the curing and smoking process, with residues of spices. I cut it by hand with a special knife and the slice is soft and firm, with fat that melts in the mouth. The smell and taste are characteristic of goose meat... a delight!

Between ham and goose breast I have a hard time choosing... I found them both exquisite. Maybe I prefer ham... but I would need to taste them together again! 😄

Cheers 🥂

Chiara

All my notes on wine and food in one book.