A very special evening with Isabella Dusi and Brunello and more!

 

Isabella Dusi  is one of the more famous voices of Montalcino today. She is author of two books, Vanilla Beans & Brodo and Bel Vino, that tell the story of Montalcino and its wines. An adopted Montalcinesa, she is now one of the leading citizens of the town. One of her passions is the restoration of the church of San Pietro in Pianello Quartiere in Montalcino. While Montalcino has funds to restore the building, the restoration of its contents including the old pipe organ, are not yet secured. Isabella is conducting a US tour and staging fund raising dinners to help in this effort. We feel lucky to have been chosen for the Washington DC portion of the trip. May 20, Dino will host a five course meal featuring the wines of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona and our special guest Isabella Dusi. The church will install a plaque after its restoration commemorating the role Dino and its customers played in the renovation!

 

This is a rare chance to meet one of the great proponents of Montalcino and to taste the wines of one of its great producers. Here is a quote from Alessandro Faneschi, Presidente, Quartiere Pianello, Montalcino:

 

“I met Isabella and Luigi Dusi in the early 1990’s and, like a good Montalcinese, I looked with circumspection and suspect at the new comers who spoke a strange Italian with a strong English accent. This is because Tuscans, and particularly Montalcinesi, are jealous of their history, of their territory and of their customs and before anyone is able to enter their “clan” they must pass a type of exam made up of personal opinions, sideways looks from top to bottom, and the chatter and gossip of the locals.

 

And Isabella and Luigi have amply passed this exam, so much so that they are fully integrated into the life of Montalcino and contribute in various initiatives within our village.

 

They are so integrated into the life of Montalcino that they have taken our small Quartiere outside the four walls enclosing our little village, projecting us to the world so that our project can be shared over the ocean.

 

They have given greatly of themselves, and because of our modest resources, never, and I say never, would we be able to reach our objective, even if today we still lack many of the resources we need.

 

I don’t know how much Isabella’s programmed presentations will return at a financial level but the fact that people have made themselves available to help find the funds to invest and reinstate a church on the other side of the ocean, a church that many perhaps will never see, has a moral value that exceeds any sum of money and that urges us to continue our project.”

 

For more information on the church, please click here.

 

The Dinner will be Tuesday May 20. Seating is very limited. We will have 60 seats and that is it! We will have at least 5 wines and a wonderful menu to accompany them. As you already know, we always do things a little differently at Dino. So, that evening, we will not have a single large seating, but we will have you seated at tables of 4 to 8 people. Seating will be available at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 & 8:00 pm. Isabella and I will circulate the room to answer your questions and tell you a little of the story of Montalcino and its wines.  There will also be a silent auction for a week at a farmhouse in Montalcino as well as  a walking tour of Quartiere Pianello in Montalcino.  Kay & I are so looking forward to this special event, buth for the food, the company and to give to our adopted home away from home: Montalcino.

 

The Menu

Chef: Dean Gold, Chef di Cucina: Taurino Chavez & Robert Frank

Crostini con Lardo & Crostini Toscani
Grilled breads with cured pork & Tuscan chicken liver pate

Antipasti di Verdure

An assortment of fresh seasonal veggies

Ciacci Piccolomini Poggio del Fonte Rosso 2005 {Sangiovese Blend}

 

Sformata di Pecorino con Ramps e Funghi
Pecorino cheese flan with fresh ramps and wild mushrooms

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Rosso di Montalcino 2005

 

Pasta con Bricole
Traditional Montalcino pasta of breadcrumbs, excellent Montalcino olive oil, herbs & roasted garlic.

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Rosso di Montalcino 2004

 

Agnello
Thick lamb chop with an anchovy caper salsa verde, roasted potatoes & baby carrots

Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino 2003

 

Pecorino di Pienza
An assortment of sheep’s milk cheese from the Val d’Orcia

Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino 2001
Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino 1999

   

Cantucci
Hard Tuscan biscotti

Marolo Grappa di Brunello

 

The cost of this evening is $200 per person, including gratuity and tax. $75 of this amount will go to the restoration of the Church. Please call the restaurant directly to reserve. Reservations will require a credit card. We will not be taking reservations for this even via Open Table. Please understand that due to the nature of this event, your reservation will be non refundable unless we have a waiting list at the time of cancellation and we can rebook the seat. We can easily accommodate vegetarian diets. Folks with other special needs should call, and we will let you know if we can accommodate you.

 

Tuesday May 20
Seatings at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 & 8:00 pm