Corti Brothers Newsletter for February 2006   Page 4 

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In the spring of 2003, we introduced our customers to Marcona Almonds from Spain’s Catalan region. They have now taken off in popularity and have skyrocketed in price. Marcona is a special almond with a hard shell, a large, very wide, flattish shape and a delicious flavor. In 2003 there was no thought to growing them in California, but now in the Central Valley there is a planting of some 500 acres. We should be seeing some California production in a couple of years.

I have found a new source for Marcona almonds from Spain. The producer is Coselva, the producer of 10% of all the Marcona production in Catalunya. Not oily (this is one of the faults of some of the Marconas found in our market) the Coselva Marcona Almonds are lightly fried in vegetable oil, lightly salted, and packed in a nitrogen flushed 300g can with an easy open top.

Marcona almonds are very special, not to say habit forming. Their flavor is fuller than the usual Nonpareil almonds found on the market and are the best for enjoying as a tapa before lunch or dinner as is done throughout Spain.

Due to the terrible drought in Spain in 2005, stocks of Marcona almonds are limited. But right now we have these very good ones.

Coselva Marcona Almonds  300g can (#1316) Sold out.

We keep enticing our customers with the excellent tuna from the Azores produced under the As Do Mar label. Corti Brothers has just received a small shipment of tuna filetti, packed in glass, which are exceptional. We have sold for some time the filetti packed in tins, but these filetti in jars are special.

Light, whitish pink in color, there are four pieces of tuna, literally “sticks” cut from line caught tuna and processed from fresh fish and packed vertically in olive oil. Recently produced, 2005, they have a use by date of 2010. A lot of customers like to buy fresh packed tuna to keep it for several years, turning the container over from time to time so the tuna develops more flavor. Since it improves this way, you might want to try some of this packing of As Do Mar filetti tuna.

This quality of tuna is splendid as the main “meat” for a first course or even main course. One piece per person should suffice and if accompanied by a composed salad of seasonal vegetables, possibly avocado also, a flavory vinaigrette, a loaf of good bread and a glass of good wine, one can make a delicious meal. With a jar, you have a meal for four.

As Do Mar Filetti di Tonno Tuna in Glass  250g/182g drained (#1317)

I even hesitate to list this product since we never know when we will get it again--or even if we will ever get it again. This is Ventresca or Tuna Belly.

When Japanese sashimi experts deal with the most prized part of tuna, the belly meat, they define three categories of Toro: O Toro, Su Toro, Chu Toro. As Do Mar Ventresca tuna is the chu toro of a tuna. It is the richest part of the fish, the most delicate to handle, and not to everyone’s taste.

It is extremely rich and is eaten as a great specialty, served with cooked cannellini beans and finely chopped onion or shallots. Corti Brothers has a very limited supply of Ventresca tuna. If you like tuna and have never tasted Ventresca tuna, you owe it to yourself to try it. At least once!

As Do Mar Ventresca Tuna  125g tin (#1318)

Even if you wanted to, you could not have given this wine as a gift at Christmas. Just released, it is one of, if not the first, Vermentino wine produced in California.

The wine was made by Jim Moore, whom I have known since he worked for Wally’s in Los Angeles, and who, having been bitten by the wine bug, went to Davis and worked himself up as a specialist in Italian varietals at Robert Mondavi in Napa Valley. Together with Mel Knox, American agent for the famed Burgundian cooper François Freres, Jim crafts nicely priced, delicious Italian varietal wines from grapes grown all over California sold under the difficult to pronounce brand of L’Uvaggio di Giacomo, now shortened to just Uvaggio. “Uvaggio” in Italian means a blend of grapes, or the grapes that go into a blend. Vines grown in Lodi produce this vermentino wine.

Vermentino has an unclear etymology. Its history is also clouded. What is certain is that it was sold by the Genoese who grew it in the Cinqueterre in the 13th century. We still don’t know if it came from Spain to Italy or went to Spain from Italy. We know that it was brought to Sardinia by the Spaniards, but varieties with other names, Favorita in Piemonte, Rolle in France and Pigato in Liguria are now all known to be the same Vermentino.

Sardinia has two Vermentinos, grown on the western coast of the island, different between them and the others. It might be a case of changes that happen growing the variety in particular areas. However it is, Vermentino is now in California and you can enjoy it. If you tasted it in the Cinqueterre, now you can enjoy California’s version.

Pale green gold in color, it has a fresh fruity aroma, lightly citrusy and flowery, with a good acid structure and a fine flavor. Slightly neutral, it can be enjoyed young, but will age for several years, rounding out in flavor.

An historical note: Favorita (Vermentino) was sent to the University of California in 1895 by Italy’s most renown ampelographer, Count Rovasenda, in that period when the University was looking for the best varieties for California. The variety was tried with little success. Even in Italy, it almost disappeared, remaining through the 1970s and 80s as a local table grape until recently revived for winemaking.

Uvaggio Vermentino Wine, Lodi 750ml (#1323) Sold out.

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