On Friday November 17, 2023, we will be holding a private tasting in connection with raising funds for a public charity. The wines to be tasted will be from various regions of Southern Italy. All wines are from producers that abide by organic or biodynamic and/or natural/low intervention practices.  See my May 5, 2021 blog post for a discussion of these different winemaking classifications. Here is the link: https://southernitalywine.com/natural-wines-low-or-minimal-intervention-wines-and-the-use-of-additives/. None of the producers of the wines included in the wine tasting use glyphosate in the vineyard as a means to control weeds. Here is an article on the controversy surrounding the use of glyphosate. https://darik.news/california/monsantos-roundup-linked-to-cancer-a-wine-controversy/721170.html Several of the producers belong to groups that promote independent wineries that abide by eco-friendly practices: RAW WINE, Triple A Movement, Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendti (FIVI) and Vinibuona Italia eco-friendly. A link for each of these groups is provided below.

Welcoming Wine

Il Fric Aglianico Rosato Paestum 2020 IGP – made with the aglianico grape by Azienda Agricola Casebianche, Torchiara, Salerno,  Campania. Il Fric is a dry sparkling wine from the Cilento area of Salerno (south of the Amalfi Coast and the City of Salerno). The winery is a short distance from the Archaelogical Park at Paestum. The Park features many Greek ruins including the two temples set forth below.

Il Fric is a 100% natural wine; there are no additives, not even a tiny quantity of sulfites at bottling unlike most natural/low intervention wines. There are no clarifying agents despite the second fermentation in the bottle. The only sulfites in the wine naturally occur; sulfites are about 8 parts per million {“ppm”). To provide a perspective: USA allows up to 350 ppm of sulfites to be included in wine. Organic producers per EU standards are allowed to add sulfites; but sulfites in EU organic wines cannot exceed 100 ppm, though most organic producers have ppm far below the EU standard.  Note that natural/low intervention winemakers add sulfites generally in amounts less than organic producers.  The husband/wife combination of Pasquale Mitrano and Elisabetta Iuorio, both architects, moved from Naples to assume ownership of Elisabetta’s father’s vineyard in the late 1990s. Casebianche, which is a member of RAW WINE (an association of natural/low intervention producers) https://www.rawwine.com/ and FIVI (an association of smaller independent producers) https://www.fivi.it/en/, has an annual production of about 30,000 bottles.

White Wines

Aliseo Tramonti Amalfi Coast 2020 DOC made with a blending of three indigenous grapes from 100 year old vines: biancazita, biancolella and pepella by Azienda Agricola Reale Andrea, Tramonti, Salerno, Campania. The vineyards, which have been in the family for over a century, are maintained by the brothers Luigi and Gaetano Reale. The name Aliseo refers to winds that bring good weather.

The phylloxera aphid insect that destroyed many vines in France and Italy in the mid to late 1800’s did not impact Reale’s vines.  Luigi is not sure why. It may have been the soil, which like that of many wine areas in Campania has been enriched by volcanic ash over the centuries, or it could have been Reale’s remote location in the mountains of the Amalfi Coast. As a result many of Reale’s vines are not grafted with American roots, unlike most vines in France and Italy.

Reale is EU certified organic and is natural/low intervention in the cellar.  There is minimal non-natural intervention; chemicals and machinery are not used in the vineyard. The brothers produce only 12,000 to 13,000 bottes per year. Only 2,400 bottles of Aliseo are produced per year.

Adjacent to Reale’s property is St. Michael the Archangel, a small historic church, originally built in the 5^th century. Originally named St. Mark, the name was changed

in the 1500s.  The church has an area where the priests performed the middle ages practice of “bloodletting” to the sick. This gruesome practice  resulted in blood spilled with no positive outcomes.  Today mass is celebrated every Sunday (sans bloodletting!). From time to time the church will host weddings – small ones because no more than 75 people can comfortably fit in the church. Think destination wedding!

The brothers operate an osteria at the vineyard. We have enjoyed many lunch and dinners at the osteria.

Il San Giorgo 2020 Campania IGT made with a 85% -15% blending of the greco and coda di volpe grapes, respectively, by Tenuta Vincenzo Nardone, Venticano, Avellino. Campania. Nicola Nardone, or Pupo as he is affectionately known, has been working in the family’s Venticano vineyards since he was 6 years old. His great grandfather purchased the land in 1908. At the outset, the family grew tobacco in addition to grapes.  As with many Southern Italian farmers, the Nardone family sold excess grapes not used for their family wines to other Irpinia

producers, including Mastroberdardino.  Pupo in 2014 produced the Tenuta’s first vintage for the commercial market. He is carrying on his family’s traditions, blending past and present to craft some of Irpinia’s best natural wines. Pupo, has a full time helper and seeks his father Celestino’s advice and assistance from time to time. Celestino was a renown teacher of agronomy in the City of Avellino. Pupo’s wife, Sarah Pompei, participates with the others in the harvest and pruning and is responsible for marketing. The Tenuta is named after Pupo’s late brother. Il San Giorgio is a 100% natural wine as there are no additives (including no sulfites at bottling used to stabilize the wine), no fining or filtering and the use only of indigenous yeasts. The grapes to produce he wine are from vines that are one hundred years old. Tenuta Vincenzo Nardone produces about 35,000 to 40,000 bottles per year, not including a small number of bottles that the winery produces with the renown Irpinia natural wine producer; Cantina Giardino.

Red Wine

Cuore di Marchese Etna Rosso 2016 DOC made with nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccino grapes by Azienda Agricola Papa Maria, Castiglione di Sicilia, Catania, Sicilia. The vineyard is located in Solicchiata, a town next to Castiglione di Sicilia. Pietro Di Giovanni, the owner of Papa Maria, produces Cuore di Marchese from a vineyard that is over 60 years old and located at 730 meters.  He is organic in the vineyard and natural/low intervention in the cellar. There is spontaneous fermentation and a 20 day maceration in selected open Tonneau oak barrels made from the French forest of Allier. The wine is refined in wood and amphorae for a minimum of 18 months and aged in bottle for three months. In his first vintage 2016 Pietro produced only 900 bottles of Cuore di Marchese. He currently produces under 2,000 bottles per year. Pietro is part of a newly established four member consortium, Produttori Etna Nord. The members are small producers located on the northern side of Etna, all committed to continuing the production of natural wine and extra virgin olive oil. Pietro is also the winemaker for Vini Quantico, a producer of 10,000 bottle per annum. Vini Quantico is located in Linguaglosa, but its Etna Rosso vineyard is rented from Pietro. It is through Vini Quantico we were introduced to Pietro, as Pietro’s winery is a tiny producer with little social media presence. Quantico’s Massachusetts importer also imports Pietro’s wines.

Ciro Riserva ‘Piu Vite 2015 DOC – made with the gaglioppo grape by Azienda Agricola Sergio Arcuri, Ciro Marina, Crotone, Calabria. It is spontaneously fermented in open palmento fermenters in the traditional non-intervention method used by farmers of past generations.

After fermentation the wine is moved to cement tanks by gravity (which lessens the stress on the wine) and ages for four years before bottling. Sergio and his brother Francesco own and manage the small 20,000 bottles per year production. The family has a long tradition of winemaking. Sergio’s and Francesco’s great-grandfather produced wine and olive oil over 120 years ago. But their grandfather sold the family vineyard. Sergio’s and Francesco’s father purchased new land from which he made “cask wine” for locals. In 2009 Sergio and Francesco modernized the cellar and converted the winery to bottling. Sergio is a founding member of the “Ciro` Revolution” which is a group of producers that protested the DOC change that allowed a percentage of international grapes to be added to the gaglioppo grape and still be included as a DOC Ciro` wine. The Ciro Revolution producers make their DOC Ciro` only with the gaglioppo grape. Sergio Arcuri is an EU certified organic winery that produces natural/low intervention wines and belongs to FIVI and to the Triple A Movement, which is a small group of natural/low intervention wineries dedicated to chemical free agriculture and who are artisans and artists https://www.triplea.it/it/.

Fervore 2017 Calabria IGP – made with the magliocco dolce grape by Terre di Balbia, Altomonte, Cosenza, Calabria. Giuseppe Chiappetta, an engineer from Cosenza, purchased Terre di Balbia in 2014 with the goal of replanting most of the 8 hectares of vineyard with indigenous grapes and building a cellar to vinify the grapes..  He promptly replaced the sangiovese and montepulciano grapevines with magliocco dolce and galioppo grapevines. Giuseppe did keep one hectare of 25 year old merlot vines. To assist with grafting Giuseppe hired Worldwide Vineyards, a French company specializing in grafting techniques. To assist with pruning, Giuseppe hired Somont & Sirich, a Fruilian based school that does not adhere to the pollarding system of pruning; rather it promotes a more “surgical” system that promotes the health and  longevity of the plants. Lastly, Gianfranco Fino, renown Pugliese winemaker from the Primitivo di Manduria DOC area, provides ongoing consultative advice. With the assistance of his consultants and his brother Nicola and his two sons, Terre di Balbia quickly pivoted to producing wines with local grapes. Today the vineyard consists of five hectares of magliocco dolce, two hectares of gaglioppo and one hectare of merlot grapes.  Fervore is vinified in a new cellar, Giuseppe utilizes a soft press to lessen the amount of tannins which also lessens the quantity of must. Together with his pruning technique which results in  a lower yield of fruit, Giuseppe is pursuing quality over quantity. Terre di Balbia produces about 25,000 bottles per annum. The wines are EU certified organic and contain a low amount of sulfites; 26 to 32 PPM. Terre di Balbia is a member of FIVI.

Torno Subito 2020 IGT Colli di Salerno – made with the barbera grape (the barbera from Sannio – Benevento, not the barbera from Piemonte; two different grapes which are not genetically linked) by Azienda Agricola  Casa di Baal Azienda, Macchia, a frazione of Montecorvino, Salerno, Campania. The patriarch of the Salerno family, Annibale, along with his father purchased the Casa di Baal farm in 1977. Originally, the farm produced extra virgin olive oil, fruits and vegetables. Casa di Baal produces more extra virgin olive oil than wine. Casa di Baal, which started the production of wine in 2006, produces natural/low intervention wines and is a member of Raw Wine. The entire farm is EU certified organic. As an example of a natural/organic method of controlling pests, Casa di Baal has bee hives, not for the production of honey, but to protect the grapes. The bees are predators of an invasive parasite that attack grapes that split in the heat. Once the parasite is eliminated the grapes self-heal.

Casa di Baal has an annual production of about 25,000 bottles. Daughter Francesca directs the wine production and son Mario directs the production of extra virgin olive oil. Torno Subito is an expression that Annibale will say before he goes to bed, or after a hard day’s work or when he decides to leave in a middle of meandering discussion – in English the expression means “I’ll be right back” and he adds “and you wait for me here”.

Ro, Serena (cousin), Francesca, Bob, Lauren, Joe in cantina

Salento Malbec Primitivo 2020 IGP made with a 55% – 45% blending of the malbec and primitivo grapes, respectively, by Azienda Agricola Morella, Manduria, Taranto, Puglia. The vineyard, which features old bush vines over 60 years old, is located between Manduria and the sea, in a zone of “terra rossa” on a bed of limestone. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in small open vats. After fermentation the wine ages in barrique barrels for bout 10 months followed by 5 months in the bottle before it is released. Morella is owned and operated by the husband wife combination Lisa Gilbee and Gaetano

Morella. Lisa is a trained winemaker from Southern Australia who relocated to Tuscany where she met her husband. In 1999 they returned to Gaetano’s home town to start the winery. Their first vintage was 2004. They have an annual production of about  32,000 bottles. Morella is a certified biodynamic winery that produces natural wines and is a member of FIVI. Biodynamic is organic plus, as it incorporates all the principles of organic farming, but in addition, considers the vineyard as an ecosystem and takes into consideration astrological influences and lunar cycles. Morella will complete construction of a new cantina which will be ready for the next harvest and will replace the “garage” cantina in the above photo.

Torre Rosano Grottino di Roccanova 2016 DOP made with an 85% – 5% – 5% – 5% blending of the sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, montipulciano and the malvasia nero di Basilicata grapes, respectively, by Societa` Agricola Vitivinicola Torre Rosano, Roccanova, Potenza, Basilicata, The family farm of fruits, olive groves, fig and walnut trees and grapevines consists of 26 hectares of which 8 are dedicated to grapes for wine. The farm has been in the family for four generations. From 1987 to 2012 Francesco Paolo Collarino managed the farm. In 2012 his daughter Sara Maria Collarino assumed the management of the farm. Torre Rosano is located in a tiny DOC; established in 2009. The three towns that comprise the DOC are noted for their caves and, in fact, Torre Rosano’s cantina is dug into a cave.

In a cave the temperature and humidity are constant year round. Torre Rosano uses several types of barrels for the aging of wines: chestnut, Italian oak and French oak. Torre del Rosano ages 3 years in Italian oak, then 6 months in French barrique, followed by 120 days in the bottle. Torre Rosano has been certified organic since 2002. Francesco is President of the Regional Association of Organic Agriculture a/k/a AIAB. A final note, the winery is less than a 45 minute drive from the town that my Grandparents are from – Corleto Perticara.

Ragis Costa D’Amalfi 2015 DOC  – made with a blend of  aglianico (60%) and piedirosso (40%) grapes by Le Vigne di Raito Azienda Agricola Agriturista Biologica, Raito (a frazione of Vietri sul Mare, the eastern most town on the Amalfi Coast), Salerno, Campania. The owner, Patrizia Malanga, purchased the terraced land in 2001. It took Patrizia six years before she produced her first vintage. To appreciate

the difficult labor to be encountered by her workers associated with maintaining a terraced vineyard,

Patrizia, herself, planted the vineyard. The aglianico and piedirosso grapes are vinified separately in stainless steel fermentation vessels where they macerate for over 15 days under controlled temperature. Then the two wines are transferred into 500 liter French oak barrels and assembled before malolactic fermentation begins. The wine ages in the barrels (25% new and 75% second and third passage) for 12 months before it is bottled. After some racking procedures and without any further interventions such as clarification or filtration, Ragis continues to age in the bottle. The winery, which features a spectacular vista from its tasting patio over looking the Gulf of Salerno, has a popular wine tour with lunch/dinner. Le Vigne di Raito  produces less than 5,000 bottles per year. It is EU certified organic and produces low intervention wines. Fun fact, our daughter-in-law Lauren and our son Joe had their wedding at Le Vigne di Raito in October of 2021.

Le Drude 2012 DOCG – made with the aglianico grape by Azienda Agricola Laluce, Ginestra, Potenza, Basilicata. Michele Laluce, with his wife Maria and four daughters, operates the winery. Caterina manages the finances of the winery, Maddalena, an enologist, is the wine-maker, Donatella, an agronomist operates the machinery and manages the farm animals, and Michela is studying culinary. The grapes are grown in volcanic soil near the extinct volcano Mt. Vulture. Since 1905 the Laluce family has produced wine, but only since 2001 has the wine been bottled for commercial purposes. Laluce, which produces about 40,000 bottles per year, is EU certified organic. Michele and Maddalena adhere to low intervention winemaking. When the conditions are conducive they they use exclusively natural yeasts in

the fermentation process. Only 10 ppm of sulfites are added at bottling. Le Drude is fermented in stainless steel, aged for two years in oak barrels and for one to two years in the bottle before release. Le Drude was the name that the Piedmontese army gave to the courageous Brigand women of the Vulture area that fought the Piedmontese armed forces post-unification (after 1861). To honor these women Michele named his top wine Le Drude. Another historical note: the town of Ginestra was founded by a community of Albanian exiles led by the condottiere Francesco Zhura, who in 1478 after receiving land from the ruling Aragonese, started the Albanian community. The Albanian origins continue to live on in the traditions of the people of Ginestra. The town is designated as an Arbereshe’ community and features street signs written in both Italian and Arbereshe`.

Uvanera Rosso Molise Riserva 2016 DOC – made with the tintilia grape by La Cantina di Remo, Ferrazzano, Campobasso, Molise. Roberto De Stefano, a self taught agronomist, manages the small family farm located 700 meters high.  In 1963 Roberto’s parents, Remo and Elisa, left Torino (Roberto’s birthplace) and returned to Ferrazzano, their land of origin, to farm 10 hectares of land. At first the family grew fruits and vegetables. Remo introduced the barbera grape (more than likely the varietal from adjacent province of Benevento, Campania) from which he made wine for family use. In 2005, Roberto repositioned the vineyard by replacing all grapes with the indigenous tintilia grape. This grape, which was the most widespread grape variety in Molise over 100 years ago, disappeared as a varietal post World War II due to the abandonment of farms. It was “re-discovered” in the late 1990’s. Many wineries now in Molise produce wine with the tintilia grape.

Roberto, who has a second job as a teacher of chemistry at a local school, produces only 6,000 bottles per annum at Cantina di Remo. He is organic in the vineyard; uses only copper and sulphur in the spring, and adds manure and fava beans into the soil as do many organic producers. Roberto has roses that act as sentinels to protect the grapes from disease. He

knows every plant in his eight hectare vineyard and that the northwest section of the vineyard produces the best yield. In the cellar his wines are non-filtered and only a small amount of sulfites is added after two days of fermentation. He ages the wine primarily in stainless steel, but his Riserva will age in oak for two years.  Cantina di Remo was designated as Eco-Friendly in 2018 by Vini Buoni d’Italia Touring Club. https://vinibuoni.it/premio-ecofriendly/

Taurasi Riserva 2009 DOCG – made with the aglianico grape by Azienda Agricola Perillo, Castelfranci, Avellino, Campania. Perillo has 5 hectares of grapes, 4.8 of aglianico and .2 of coda di volpe. Michele Perillo, the patriarch, with the assistance of his wife Anna and two sons Felice and Nicola, practices organic viticulture and is natural/low intervention in the cellar. Michele is patient as the Taurasi wines age for up to 8 to 10 years before they are released to the to the market. Michele is quiet and unassuming, He shuns the spotlight as he does not market his wine at dinners and tastings. He simply lets the wine do his talking. His demeanor and lack of self-promotional makes the 94 rating he received from noted wine critic Robert and the many awards for his wines, including the Tre Bicchieri award from the Italian wine guide, Gambero Rosso all that more remarkable.

Michele bottled his first vintage in 1999. In the early 1900’s there was a train station in Castelfranci and the locals, including the Perillo family, sent aglianico grapes north on the train. This was a common occurrence for many Southern Italian families in the 1900’s – selling grapes to Northern producers as the aglianico grape would “fortify” some of the Northern wines or selling to the Avellino based Mastroberardino family. Working in an oversized garage Michele produces between 15,000 to 18,000 bottles per year.