The name of the restaurant, Il Fiorista, translates from Italian to English as "The Florist," which is aptly appropriate with its proximity to the Garden District of New York City. This charming, light-filled restaurant has a floral focus that is apparent from Chef Rae Kramer's menus to the exquisite floral arrangements placed throughout the restaurant. Il Fiorista also has a floral boutique and is an education center with floral workshops. 

I had a wonderful and very educational luncheon at Il Fiorista on Thursday, December 8, 2022, where I learned about the award-winning Ottella wines from Lugana, Italy. While I am well-acquainted with Italian wines from other regions, I really did not know about wines from Lugana and was intrigued to learn more. 

About Ottella 

Founded in 1905, the Montresor family continues the Ottella tradition and legacy as fourth-generation wine makers. The 90-hectare estate in Lugana is located "between the municipalities of Peschiera del Garda, Pozzlengo, Lonato, Desenzano and Sirmione in an area with notable white clay and is bordered by the morainic "theatre" and Lake Garda." These factors contribute to its microclimate, to the soil which has white clay that is of morainic origin, sedentary rock, limestone, is rich in mineral salts, and is sandier in hillier elevations. Another factor is the Turbiana (also known as Trebbiano di Lugana) grape used in the creation of their wines. 

Mariano Sansone

The Ottella Portfolio includes Icon Wines: Molceo Lugana Riserva and Camposireso: Cru: Le Creete Lugana DOC; Best Sellers: Lugana DOC, Roses, and Gemei; Unconventional: Back to Silence Lugana DOC; Metodo Classico: Blanc de Blancs Brut, Roses Brut; and Last But Not Least: Prima Luce LGT. 

Ottella Wine Luncheon at Il Fiorista Menu
December 8, 2022 

The Ottella Wine List 

For the wine luncheon, Ottella presented four of their wines representing the various styles in their portfolio. 

Lugana DOC 2021
Le Creete Lugana DOC 2021
Molceo Lugana Riserva 2020
Back to Silence Lugana DOC 2021 

The luncheon began with a glass of the Lugana DOC 2021 to welcome guests. This was a lovely aperitif wine with 12.5% alcohol. Mineral driven without any oak aging, this wine was light straw colored with elegant pear, mineral, limestone, and citrus notes. 

The second wine, Le Creete Lugana DOC 2021, was deeper in color. Again, all stainless-steel aging, no oak aging, deeper layers of flavors on this wine, elegantly structured with hints of citrus, with 13% alcohol. This is a wine that while drinkable now, can easily age for 5-6 years. 

Le Creete Lugana DOC 2021 was well paired with the first course which included: Burrata delicata squash, Seckel pear, spruce, concord grape, puffed sorghum; Spicy trout tartare, Calabrian chili, mustard seed, labneh, horseradish; and Roasted carrot, lemon fritti, oil-cured olive, labneh, carrot top, urfa, sumac. The pairings really showed the versatility of the wine with the ability to complement various types of food. 

The third wine, Molceo Lugana Riserva 2020, had partial malolactic fermentation, with 18 months on the lees, mostly in steel and the rest in barrels and barriques to provide more "shoulder" and character. This wine paired nicely with the chicken, fish, and the crispy potatoes. This wine can last for 5-10 years. 

The fourth wine presented was a new to market wine, Back to Silence Lugana DOC 2021, which had a richer, deeper color with hints of orange due to more skin contact with maceration on the skins for at least 20-30 days and fermentation in amphorae, with layers of citrus and smoky flavors on the palate. For this wine, they bunch selected and handpicked the grapes with a late harvest in October. Back to Silence DOC 2021 paired nicely with the second course as well with the Dessert pairing of Chocolate semifreddo, prickly pear mousse, fennel, pollen; and Fruit salad. 

The wine luncheon at Il Fiorista provided the perfect opportunity to learn more about these very tasty wines from the award-winning winery, Ottella. After my "Ottella wine education," these wines will be a welcome addition to my wine cellar. 

Chef Rae Kramer

Il Fiorista Menu by Chef Rae Kramer 

Dessert

Until next time, mangia bene e saluti! 

Ottella Wine Information 

For more information on Ottella wines, please visit the website: www.Ottella.it/en 

OTTELLA do Francesco e Michele Montresor
Loc. Ottella 1
San Benedetto di Lugana
37109 Peschiera del Garda (VR), Italia
Telephone: +39-045-7551950
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.Ottella.it/en
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ottellawinery
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ottellawinery/ 

Il Fiorista Information 

Il Fiorista Hours: Dinner: Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm, Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm, for Brunch: Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm, and for Happy Hour: Tuesday through Saturday from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. The restaurant is closed on Monday. 

For more information on the restaurant, to make a reservation, or learn more about their floral boutique or classes or please visit the website: www.ilfioristanyc.com. 

Read Chefs' Recipes section  for the interview with Chef Rae Kramer and who graciously provides her recipes for Hibiscus Carmelized Onions  to temp your palate  for your next sandwich.  

Il Fiorista
17 West 26^th Street (between 5^th and 6^th Avenues)
New York, New York 10010
Telephone: +1-646-490-8240
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.ilfioristanyc.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ilfioristanewyork
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ilfioristanyc 

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