This year’s tasting includes wine and extra virgin olive oil from both new and old friends. The number of bottles of wine (15) and extra virgin olive oil (7) to be tasted has increased over last year. For more information on the extra virgin oil to be tasted please review my post of January 1, 2018 or follow this link:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tasting

Both the wine and extra virgin olive oil are produced by small independent growers of grapes and olives. All the producers are either organic, biodynamic, natural, sustainable or ecofriendly. Some have multiple designations. These products are made without chemical interventions, only natural or organic interventions. There is clarity with cultivar and estate bottling. The producer’s name is clearly identified on the bottle of  wine or extra virgin olive oil, he/she grows the grapes/olives and produces the bottles of wine/extra virgin olive oil in his/her cantina or mill (or in the case of small extra virgin olive oil producers at a nearby mill). These producers do not purchase their grapes or olives.

The Wines

Sparkling

There are two sparkling wines from Casebianche: 2016 Il Fric Aglianico Rosato Paestum and 2016 Spumante La Matta Fiano. Both wines are natural; sugar, yeasts or sulfites are not added. They are purposefully not disgorged (a process of removing sediments from sparkling wine and champagne). Casebianche is located in the Cilento area of Salerno (south of the city of Salerno and Amalfi Coast) in the town of Torchiara. We visited Casebianche for a second time this past year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiano

Compare and contrast two fiano wines produced in two different areas of Campania. Casa di Baal 2014 Fiano di Baal, Montecorvino Rovello, Salerno and Case d’Alto 2016 Fiano di Avellino, Grottaminarda, Avellino. Both produce extra virgin olive oil that will also be tasted. The Salerno family from Casa di Baal is an old friend that has been featured several times in this blog for its wine and oil, but also for its use of bees as a protector of grapes from a parasite. Case d’Alto is a new friend; the fiano is the clearest that we have seen and the extra virgin olive oil is award-winning.

 

 

 

Aglianico/Piedirosso

There are two wines made with the same percentage of aglianico grapes (80%) and piedirosso grapes (20%) but from different areas of Campania: Galardi 2014 Terra di Lavoro,  Sessa Aurunca, Caserta near the extant volcano Mt. Roccamonfina and Le Vigne di Raito 2011 Ragis, Vietri Sul Mare, Salerno the furthest eastern town on the Amalfi Coast. We visited Galardi in 2011 and its Terre di Lavoro was served at Krokidas & Bluestein’s 35th anniversary celebration. We have visited Le Vigne di Raito seven times; we are hooked on Patrizia Malanga’s hospitality, wine and view! Compare and contrast the volcanic influence versus the warmer Amalfi Coast climate.

 

 

Gaglioppo

We visited Calabria for the first time this past year and we were overwhelmed with “Southern Hospitality” and the quality of  wine made with gaglioppo grapes. We visited Roberto Ceraudo and will be tasting the 2011 Dattilo Val De Neto, Strongoli, Crotone; and Du Cropio and will be tasting the 2012 Damis Riserva, Ciro’ Marina, Crotone (in addition we visited  three other cantine whose wines I am still trying to find in the USA – not an easy task). We spent three nights at Ceraudo’s agriturismo, Dattilo, and enjoyed two dinners at Dattilo’s Michelin rated restaurant; and we had a multi-course lunch at Du Cropio. The organic/natural produced gaglioppo based wines are on the verge of becoming an internationally highly sought after wine.

 

 

Primitivo

There are two regions in Puglia that produce large amounts of quality primitivo based wines: Gioia del Colle in the Province of Bari and Manduria in the Province of Taranto. In 2016 we visited Pietraventosa, Gioia del Colle, Bari and in 2017 we visited Fabiana, San Giorgio Ionico, Taranto. We toured both vineyards and Fabiana served us a multi-course lunch. 2010 Pietraventosa Riserva and 2013 Fabiana  Kalema will be served at the tasting.

 

 

 

Aglianico

Aglianico grapes are grown throughout Campania, Basilicata and to a lesser extent Puglia. Two of the premier aglianico DOCG are Taurasi and Aglianico del Vulture. Three Taurasi and one Aglianico del Vulture will be tasted. We have visited Salvatore Molettieri, Montemarano, Avellino each of the past six years. In 1983 Salvatore was one of the first farmers to stop selling his grapes to large producers; instead he made his own wine for commercial use. His 2006 Vigne Cinque Querce Taurasi is from a long line of stellar Molettieri Taurasi wines. Perillo, Castelfranci, Avellino, we have visited one less time than Molettieri. Michele Perillo’s vineyard is on a hill across from Molettieri separated by a valley. His 2006 Taurasi Riserva also is from a long line of stellar Perillo Taurasi wines. Two Taurasi wines from the same vintage grown from grapes from vineyards separated by a valley; which do you prefer? We have visited the brother/sister combination of Francesco and Chiara Romano only twice, but we have fast become good friends. Their winery Antico Castello, San Mango sul Calore, Avellino has produced wine for only ten years. Their 2010 Taurasi is an impressive wine, particularly for such a young winery. Lastly, we have visited Elena Fucci, Barile, Potenza two times. We were able to see the start of the construction and the completion of Elena’s ecofriendly cantina which is made with recycled products and the heat and cold are controlled by a natural process. Elena produces one wine; Titolo, an Aglianico del Vulture. Her 2011 Titolo will  be served at the tasting.

 

 

\

 

 

 

 

 

T

 

 

 

 

 

Pallagrello Nero/Casavecchia

No Krokidas & Bluestein wine tasting is complete without the 2011 Piancastelli wine from our dear friends Maunuela Piancastelli and Peppe Mancini. Terre del Principe, Castel Campagnano, Caserta, is one of a few wineries that cultivate only the ancient grapes; casavecchia, pallagrello nero and pallagrello bianco. Peppe “rediscovered” the ancient grapes about 20 years ago as they had disappeared from commercial use in the 1860’s. A few local farmers, including Peppe’s grandfather, continued to make home made wine with the ancient grapes. Through Peppe’s and Manuela’s efforts wine made with the casavecchia, pallagello nero and pallagrello bianco grapes are now available for all to enjoy.