IN VINO VERITAS?

"The defence of terroir is not synonymous with a reactionary and stubborn attachment to tradition. On the contrary. It is rather a desire to move forward into the future while remaining firmly rooted in a collective past, but where this rooting can grow, evolve freely above ground, in the present, in order to create a well-defined and deserved identity. It is a way of fighting against the creeping homogenisation of certain global forces. (...) The fight for the defence of the individuality of wine, for the survival of individual taste against the levelling forces of impersonal power (...) is therefore a fight (...) that concerns us all."

Jonathan Nossiter, Le goût et le pouvoir, Grasset, 2007

Photographs: © Menhir Salento S.p.A.

At the first Poesia da Mangiare dedicated to wines, which took place in April, at Dante & C.ª in Alvalade, we had the presence of sommelier Matteo Cipollone. We tasted wines from Abruzzo, Le Marche, Puglia, and Sicily — respectively, white varieties Pecorino and Verdicchio and red varieties Primitivo and Nerello Mascalese.

The first producer highlighted was Umani Ronchi, which won the Producer of the Year award in the prestigious specialised publication Gambero Rosso (2024 edition) and also the Tre Bicchieri recognition for its Historical 2018 wine, a brilliant and rare Verdicchio that reveals itself after 5 years of ageing. Its white Pecorino IGT Terre Chiete (Abruzzo) and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico (Le Marche) shone in the tasting led by Matteo Cipollone.

The first red was the sophisticated, volcanic, and profoundly Sicilian Le Sabbie dell'Etna — Etna Rosso DOC 2021. The Spanish vice-royalty of Sicily coincided with the ascent of Charles V to the Spanish throne in 1516, and he is believed to be responsible for the spread of Nerello Mascalese, the predominant grape variety in Etna Rosso DOC. He decided to transform Piana di Mascali into a County, and one of the first measures he took was to make the lands belonging to the Curia available to winemakers. Nerello vineyards began to spread throughout the region and are now, thanks to their organoleptic properties and ageing capacity, an emblem of autochthonous oenology.

Le Sabbie dell'Etna is made with Nerello Mascalese grapes and, to a lesser extent, Nerello Cappuccio, grown in sandy volcanic soils on the northern slopes of the volcano, about 700 meters above sea level. The altitude and significant temperature variations between day and night allow the grapes to concentrate and preserve all their typical aromatic compounds. 

"Red and black fruits, with a persistent touch of dry, greyish minerals, as expected from grapes grown on the slopes of a volcano. Medium-bodied, with a savoury flavour profile and fine tannins that perfectly harmonise with the persistent minerality on the finish.A true Etna wine. To drink now or cellar."

James Suckling, August 2022, Le Sabbie dell'Etna — Etna Rosso DOC Firriato 2019 — 93 points.

Photograph: © Firriato

We left the Primitivo grape variety for last, one of the most famous in the world and highly appreciated by us. According to Haley Mercedes, a former editor at Wine Folly, Zinfandel — as it is known internationally, being widely cultivated in California — originates from Croatia, and is believed to have been brought to the USA in the early 19th century. The Italian name of the grape comes from the Latin word primitivus and the old Italian word primaticcio: "that ripens early" or "the first to ripen". In fact, its ripening is uneven — the bunches need to be left on the vine to ripen completely, which increases the sugar content in the grapes, resulting in high-alcohol wines. Zinfandel berries have a thin skin and are quite small, potentially leading to higher tannins.

The chosen Primitivo, Quota 29, is produced by Menhir Salento, a winery and rural estate located between Bagnolo del Salento and Palmariggi, in the heart of Terra d'Otranto, Puglia. Menhir Salento has a unique vineyard, located at an altitude of only 29 metres above sea level. Hence the name. According to the producer: nature in its purest form.