The Italian road trip continues south, down the long and winding coast towards Abruzzo and Puglia [Vespa Art Photo Attribution: -wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons]
With the sun now beating down and the overpowering glare from the Adriatic making me wish I'd remembered to pack my sunglasses, I pulled over at a nearby service station for refreshments. A quick check led to a purchase of a smart pair of designer, black "Ray-Ban" (might as well look the part), and some delicious Pizza dolce Abruzzese. Nothing to do with normal pizza, this is actually a locally made, multi-layered cake containing coffee, rum, and cherry liqueur with chocolate-almond and vanilla custard in between the layers. Perfect with an iced coffee.
A short ride from Pescara on the east coast, into the foothills of the Maiella National Park, is the small town of Orsogna. Surprisingly, located at about the same latitude as Rome, on the opposite side of the Apennines, the Cantina Orsogna is the winery to visit if you want to learn everything there is to know about biodynamic wine production. The cornerstone of biodynamic agriculture is keeping the soil alive and fertile. Soil life is crucial for plant nutrition: fertile soil is rich in micro-organisms that convert nutrients into forms that can be assimilated by the vine roots. Biodynamic wines are linked to the strength and health of the vineyard that produces grapes rich in yeasts capable of restoring the authentic flavours of the land to the wine. As a result, these wines have no requirement for artificial stabilisation using either added sulphites or artificial temperature control. They're "terroir" driven wines which are truly "alive". The co-operative, in the province of Chieti, was started back in 1964 with just 35 members. Today, there are 300 members producing the largest amount of organic grapes in the whole of Italy. The winery controls 1500ha of Ecocert certified organic vineyards with 50% of the production also being Demeter certified biodynamic. 2.5 million bottles of wine are made here each year under a wide range of labels incorporating different aspects of naturally inclined viticulture and vinification methods. Organic since 1995, with the first biodynamic "Lunaria" wines being launched in 2010, these are superb examples of how good wine should taste! My first experience of this winery was their exceptional Lunaria Ruminat Primitivo red and this is now matched with a fruity white La Belle Malvasia. Natural biodiversity and bees are a big thing at this winery with numerous hives situated in the vineyards. Wild fermentation with yeasts selected from the pollen of the local flora, zero added sulphite wines, and sustainable farming are all part of the philosophy at BIO Cantine Orsogna. There's even a range of natural "orange" wines and a selection of "ancestral" method sparkling wines. Who said wine wasn't healthy?
All this technical stuff is making me hungry for some grilled arrosticini (Abruzzo lamb skewers) and a hearty glass of red. Let's try some locally made Montepulciano with this street-food speciality.
The final part of this long distance trek involves travelling the rest of the way from central Italy to the southern "heel", Puglia and Salento and the historical town of Lecce.
The region is known as the bread-basket of Italy with durum wheat producing countless styles of bread and pasta handmade by the "nonnas" of the area. I can't wait to get there as the wines are going to be a brilliant match with the regional cuisine. As always in Italy... keep it local.
Keeping to the SS16 route via Foggia I was soon approaching the province of Apulia (Puglia) and overlooking the beautiful coastline of the region once again. My next stop was the city of Bari where I was stopping briefly to search out a recommended alternative to the world famous Neapolitan pizza - the focaccia barese. Using finely ground semolina flour and “00” flour, along with mashed potato, the dough is then topped with fresh uncooked plum tomatoes and olives, sprinkled with oregano and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. I asked in the bakery for some other suggestions and was told that I should try a crispy, fried panzerotti filled with veal ragu, or the ever popular version with mozzarella cheese and tomato. Both were consumed with great satisfaction!
After leaving Bari, I decided to take a slight diversion inland to check out the amazing "trulli" houses in Alberobello and visit some wineries in nearby Locorotondo and the Valle d'Itria. Matching the white-washed limestone "trulli", the region is known for its minerally Verdeca based white wines. If you like Spanish paella, try these whites with the Puglian tiella barese version, using rice, potatoes and mussels. Don't be shy with the pecorino.
Now firmly into the Salento peninsula, approaching the port city of Brindisi, it was time to visit the winery at Serranova. One of three estates owned by Vallone (known for their amarone style Graticciaia red wine), I was looking forward to tasting their Susumaniello. I'd previously only tried one example of this rare grape from another shipper in the UK, so it would make an interesting comparison. This grape was "rediscovered" at the property in 1998, so the 10ha of vines are now over 20 years' old and producing quality fruit. Managed organically, the property also grows Ottavianello (Cinsault), alongside Fiano and Negroamaro vines. The winery had laid on a barbeque which included bombetta (a wonderful combination of herbs, pork fillet and Caciocavallo cheese, all wrapped in slices of Pancetta), my new favourite, which rivalled the great British "pigs-in-blankets"! The herby/brambly flavours of the wine were a winner with the bombette. Another bottle to squeeze into the pannier on the Vespa.
With the final destination of this epic wine journey approaching, I thought it was time to do a bit of sight-seeing in the baroque city of Lecce before heading off across the peninsula to Manduria and Taranto on the western side of the "heel".
I had two wineries to see in Manduria. The first, Felline, had a bustling tasting room which was more like a bar in appearance. I think a coach party had arrived for a tour, so it was pretty packed. Their Giravolta was excellent, but they only had tasting stock available, so I had to hope for better luck at my second winery stop in Taranto.
Varvaglione had a smart shop in the centre of Taranto city where their full range was on display including large plastic kegs of wine (similar to those used as catering packs of cooking oil), but my interest was for the vastly superior, top brand names: 1921 and Papale Oro. The wine with the "gold strip" on the label is the better cuvée of two very similar looking bottles. Don't get them mixed up as the price gap is around £10 between the different bottles. The multi award winning Papale Oro is well known in restaurants and is sold all over Europe. I can see why. Long established, they're one of the oldest wineries in Italy and they work with 150ha of vineyards. That's not a "boutique" size producer, but it doesn't really matter as the quality shows in their best wines. Cherries, plums and decadently rich, chocolate depth of flavour, the Oro will be the perfect wine for all meat lovers and carnivores. The wine has a touch of sweetness to it, so it's far too easy to drink by itself. None of those nasty, drying tannins to get in the way of all that fruit!
So that's it. My Italian road trip is complete. Shipping the wines back home won't be a problem, but I need to decide whether to take a break whilst in Italy. Head north to Naples and Rome, or catch a ferry to Sicily for a mooch around? Decisions!
