Daily Loaf

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Wednesday, October 21: The NoHo Bistro
A Palette for Your Palate. The bistro’s ingenious culinary team pairs five tapas tastings with a new wine each week. Tonight’s Pinot Grigio palette promises to be lip-smackingly lovely. $15. 5-8 p.m., 1714 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa (813-514-0691)

Wednesday, October 21: Rigatoni Tuscan Oven
Wild Tuscan Wednesdays. Indulge in decadent seafood at dirt-cheap prices on high-end items like all-you-can-eat Alaskan snow crab and oysters, along with beer and pasta specials. $7-$22. 5-10 p.m., 3437 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa (813-879-7000)

Thursday, October 22: Michael’s 717 South
Wine and Music Series. Winemakers Dan Whitaker and Ben Benvenuti host tonight’s installment in the samping series, and offer Mairena’s wines of Argentina –like Malbec, Bonarda and Sauvignon Blanc — paired with assorted cheese. Half Circle and Friends provide live tunes. $10. 7-9 p.m., 717 South Howard Ave., Tampa (813-250-1661)

Thursday, October 22: Carrollwood Cultural Center
Teach and Taste Wine. Wine guide Charles Visalli leads this series of workshops on wine etiquette, how to sample wine when dining out, wine varietals, the art of pairing food with wine and more. This week’s focus is “the art of blind tasting.” E-mail timeforwine@tampabay.rr.com to reserve a spot. $25, $20 for CCC members. 6-7:30 p.m., 4537 Lowell Road, Tampa (813-269-1310)

Many more events after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Pedigree:
Ubriaco — Italian for drunken — originated in the Veneto, when wine and must (the crushed grape leavings after juice has been drained out for wine) from local wineries was an easier and cheaper way to preserve cheeses. This particular version of the cow’s milk cheese is soaked in must and wine from local moscato production for few days and then aged for around 8 months, giving the previously soft cheese a firmer texture and a golden rind flecked with dried grape skins.

Taste:
This ubriaco starts with a surprisingly sharp bite that immediately mellows into a tropical sweetness that tastes markedly of pineapple. Near the rind, the intensity of that fragrant fruit is almost overwhelming, while the center of slices from a wheel of Ubriaco al Moscato Read the rest of this entry »