Cognà - Grape pickle
Armando Monte (1968), Alba

Cognà - Grape pickle Ingredients
2kg Dolcetto grapes
500g renette apples
500g figs
500g Marine pears, or small, very sweet, tasty pears
10g cinnamon, 15 cloves
300g walnut kernels and toasted hazelnuts

Crush the grapes and pass them through a sieve to separate the must (juice) from the skins, stalks and seeds.
Bring the must to the boil, and simmer until it reaches a good consistency.
Add peeled apples, cut into segments, whole, not over-ripe figs, peeled, whole pears, pieces of cinnamon, and whole cloves.
Continue cooking until the fruit is cooked and the juice becomes syrupy.

Wine Suggested: The cognà is a preserve of fruit that was used to be cooked during the harvest, with the result of the work in the vineyard. Finished pressing the grapes usually was given to the workers, from the youngest to the oldest, a sandwich with this jam, warm and still liquid. After some rest into the fruit can you can use it to go along with the cheese, the typical toma of mixed milk of our hills. A passito wine would be perfect. Like also the eiswine or, of course, the more famous botrytis. This time I propose a Tocai, Borgo del Tiglio, 1999.

Photo Credits by Bottiglie di Barolo