Extra Virgin Olive Oil – from right to left

Terradiva – Coratina olive, Azienda Agricola Vincenzo Labascio, Minervino Murge, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Puglia. The Waiting Table Cookery School located in Lecce, Lecce, on behalf of farmers in the Region of Puglia organizes national and international shipments of EVOO. Labascio is one of the farmers that works with the School. This effort promotes EVOO from Puglia to markets outside of Puglia.

Olio Extravergine di Oliva – Ogliarola del Vulture olive. Frantoio Passannante, Rionero del Vulture, Potenza, Basilicata. This past Januray we visited Michael Passannante, the patriarch of the family, at the family’s olive mill. Michele explained to process of producing EVOO. The company still makes EVOO in the traditional manner.

Primo – Carolea olive – Tre Olive, East Longmeadow, MA and Feroleto Antico, Cosenza, Calabria; Joe and Michael Maruca (both raised in East Longmeadow, MA) formed a partnership with their cousin Diego Fazio who lives in Feroleto Antico to produce EVOO from their family’s olive groves in Feroleto Antico. They have a robust Adopt a Tree program. We have visited both the olive oil mill in Feroleto Antico and the retail store in East Longmeadow. The Adopt a Tree program is legit – we saw the names of five people for whom we have “adopted a tree” posted on “their” tree.

Athena – Ravece olive – Antico Castello, San Mango sul Calore, Avellino (bottled in Paternpoli, Avellino), Campania; Francesco and Chiara Romano (brother and sister) produce the EVOO from the family farm, which has an extensive vineyard and fruit trees from which they also produce wine and jams, respectively. Because they are a small producer of EVOO, Francesco and Chiara do not own an olive mill. They producer their EVOO at an olive mill located in nearby Paternopoli. They rent time from the owners of the olive mill. This is a common practice of small producers.

Sparkling or Summer Wines – from left to right

Micidiale Rosato – Alicante Bonschet grape, a sparkling Pet Net (ancestral method – bottled before primary  fermentation ends) red wine produced by Poggio Cagnano, Monciano, Grosseto, Toscano. This is a low intervention wine; indigenous yeasts with minimal sulfites, far below permissible standards of the EU and the USA and very close to standards for what many consider natural wines.

Nustrale – Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasi grapes, a fruity natural wine (indigenous yeasts and no sulfites added) produced by Dei Agre, Felline, Lecce, Puglia. Marti Casi started the winery in 2001 In addition the winery, Marti owns and operates Marti Cosi Vite Colta Enosteria located in the Felline Piazzo Castello.

Asprinio Brut – Asprinio grape, a sparkling wine made with grapes on vines that grow upwards to 40 feet, thus creating a challenge for pruning and harvesting. The wine is produced by I Borboni, which is owned by the Numeroso family from vineyards located in Aversa, Caserta, Campania. The family began producing grapes to sell in the late 19^th century and started its winery in 1998.

La Matta – Fiano grape, a sparkling wine produced by Casebianche, Torchiara, Salerno, Campania. Betty Iurio and Pasquale Mitrano switched careers as architects living in Napoli to assume the operation of Betty’s Family farm in Torchiara in 2000. They were the first to introduce Pet Net sparkling wines in the Cilento area of Campania. La Matta, as are all of Casebianche sparkling wines are made with indigenous yeasts and no sulfites are added.

Arzillo – Primitivo grape, a sparkling wine produced by Cantina Pantun, Mottolo, Taranto, Puglia. Juta and Mimmo Caragnano switched careers as social activists and working with collectives in the agricultural field, respectively, to start the winery in 2012. Originally, they lived off the grid; no electricity until ten years ago. Arzillo is a natural wine – made with indigenous yeasts and no sulfites are added.

Red Wines – from left to right

Borgo di Gete – Tintore grape, a red wine produced by Azienda Reale Andrea. Tramonti, Salerno, Campania. Located in the mountains of the Amalfi Coast, brothers Luigi and Gaetano Reale operate the family winery. In addition, the brothers operate an osteria and a small B&B on the grounds of the vineyard. The Tintore grape is cultivated only on the Amalfi Coast. Borgo di Gete is a low intervention wine; indigenous yeasts and tiny amount of sulfites added at bottling – at a level far lower than permissible by the EU and the USA.

Fervore – Magliocco grape, a red wine produced by Terre di Balbia, Altomonte, Cosenza, Calabria. Giuseppe Chiapetta, an engineer from the nearby City of Cosenza, purchased the winery in 2014 and removed most of the grapes not indigenous to Calabria with the Calabrian indigenous grapes: magliocco and gaglioppo. Fervore is made with neutral selected yeasts and a tiny amount of sulfites are added at bottling.

Nero Ne` – Aglianico grape, a red wine produced by Il Cancelliere, Montemarano, Avellino, Campania. The Romano family in 2005 decided to stop selling their grapes to local wine producers and started to produce their own wine. The winery is operated by many members of the family. The town of Montemarano is considered one of the top areas for the production of Taurasi. Nero Ne is a natural wine – indigenous yeasts and no sulfites added.

Le Drude – Aglianico grape, a red wine produced by Laluce, Ginestra, Potenza, Basilicata. The Laluce family, headed by patriarch Michele decided in the early 2000’s to stop selling their grapes and to start producing wine. Michele is assisted by his four daughters in the management and operation of the winery. Note that the label includes the silhouette of a couple of women. This is a tribute to the courage and braveness of the women fighters of the Brigante during the Italian Risorgimento (1861-1870). This area of Italy was a stronghold of the Brigante. Le Drude is a low intervention wine.

Torno Subito – Aglianico grape, a red wine produced by Casa di Baal, Montecorvino, Salerno, Campania. Casa di Baal is headed by patriarch Annibale Salerno. In 1976 Annibale and his father purchased the land on which the vineyard is located. At first, Casa di Baal produced only extra virgin olive oil. In 2005, Annibale decided to produce wine from grapes that he had cultivated. Today his daughter Francesca heads up the winery, whereas as his son Mario heads up the production of extra virgin olive oil. Torno Subito, which is an Italian expression “I’ll be right back” is a low intervention wine.