We left Rome by train and arrived 70 minutes later in Naples (142 mile trip, two & a half hours by car) where we were met by our friend, wine expert and tour guide, Gaetano Petrillo, owner of The Wine Bus. Our ultimate destination for the day was Maratea, but first we had an appointment with Salvatore Magnoni at his cantina located in Rutino, Salerno.
I will write more detail about this wine and winery when I return to the US, but here’s a taste (pun intended). The Magnoni family has owned the estate for over 500 years. In the 1700’s a family member, a priest, served as a consultant to Joseph of Austria who then named him a count, giving the Magnoni family nobility status. Salvatore indicated both pride and amusement telling this family history. Salvatore’s grandfather immigrated to the USA, where his father was born, but the family returned to the estate in Rutino. Both his father and grandfather were physicians, but Salvatore took a different career path. He sold records and was a DJ in Naples for 25 years. In 2002 he made a career change and decided to plant the vineyard in Rutino. His first vintage went to market in 2008.
Salvatore is an ardent follower of organic viticulture. He does not add sulfites to the wine. We tasted his 2013 Rosso del Ciglio, which ages one year in barrique oak barrel. This wine features red fruit and has a tingling sensation when contrasted with the second wine we tasted, Primalaterra. This elegant wine has hints of cherry and has a long, smooth finish. Rosso del Ciglio is a “wild” wine when compared to the regal Primalaterra.
During the tasting we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of local goat cheese and dried sausage (see photo on right), bread with Salvatore’s olive oil, zucchini quiche, escarole pie, and fusilli with tomato — an unexpected treat from a generous and welcoming host.
Gaetano drove us to Maratea. The spectacular views along the way were similar to the Amalfi Coast with narrow, winding roads hugging the cliffs overlooking the sea. We arrived at dusk, walked down 100+ steps to the center of the quaint village where we wandered and checked out shops and restaurants. Later we had dinner at Il Sacello restaurant. We shared an appetizer of grilled vegetables and cheese. For our main courses Ro had green and white pasta with Maratea sausage, tomato, and senise pepper and I had ambraccio di mare – a medley of prawns, branzino, and salmon over local grilled vegestables . We enjoyed our dinner with Paternoster’s 2005 Don Anselmo (an Aglianico del Vulture wine). For dessert we had fresh fruit with gelato.
