Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza, we will taste a new wine, the “Heba” Morellino di Scansano DOCG  ($21.50, 13.5% ABV) from the Fattoria di Magliano in the Maremma area of Toscana. Morellino is the local name for the Sangiovese grape. Emily and I tasted this red wine with our rep and unanimously agreed it would be a great addition to Piazza’s collection. 

As an architect, I always look out for eye-catching label design like this wine’s image of an ancient Etruscan head that was found during a dig in the Pyrgi archaeological zone near the winery. In ancient Etruscan times, “Heba” was the name for the town of Magliano and connects the winery to its history in the Maremma region in this southern coastal area of Toscana. Each year when Firenze’s summer heat began, the Medici family escaped to summer homes in this southern coastal area of Toscana, even though malaria plagued the region. After several family members succumbed to malaria, Grand Duke Fernando I ordered drainage projects but it wasn’t until the 20th century that the area was fully drained. Now Maremma is once again sought after for its ancient ruins, beaches and hills.

The winery is located in a picturesque landscape with vineyards gently sloping down to the Tyrrhenian Sea, Giglio Island and Monte Argentario. The estate totals 97 hectares, 45 of which are devoted to viticulture in three vineyards including Magliano; the other 52 hectares contain the winery, agritourism facility, olive groves and woodlands. 

Fattoria di Magliano is a relatively young winery that was founded by Agostino Lenci in 1997,  when the footwear magnate  took a quantum leap to fulfill his dream of becoming a winemaker. His son Nicola is now co-owner. Lenci began planting the region’s signature indigenous grapes of Sangiovese and Vermentino in 1998 and other grape varieties soon  followed, as well as rave reviews by consumers and critics. After the winery transitioned to organic viticulture, it was certified in 2106. The wines are now grown from both indigenous and international grape varieties. Lenci’s son Nicola is now co-owner.

Fattoria di Magliano continues to evolve with renovation of the original estate cottage and a new building with 30 guest rooms, a swimming pool overlooking the Tuscan landscape, a restaurant where one can enjoy local cuisine and estate wines and a tasting room. 

“Heba” is 95% Morello and 5% Syrah, which results in a wine with bright cherry notes, concentrated fruit and soft tannins. Pair with pasta with  meat or vegetable ragu, Piazza’s cured meats, pizza or medium aged cheeses and roasted meats. 

Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a delicious taste of Tuscany- 

Cin!

Jenn

Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St., suite 23, in Easton, MD

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Happy Mystery Monday! Can you guess what is pictured in photo #1?

The answer to last week’s mystery is the five-banded thynnid wasp, Myzinum quinquecinctum, pictured in photo #2.

The five-banded thynnid wasp, Myzinum quinquecinctum, is a solitary, late-Summer visitor to flowers across its range. With striking black and yellow bands, these wasps are often mistaken for yellowjackets—a helpful disguise that protects them from predators. Only the females can sting, and even then, they are virtually harmless unless handled.

Unlike social wasps, thynnids do not defend a hive. Females hunt larval scarab beetles, including Japanese beetles and May/June beetles. They use their stinger to paralyze their prey and, instead of dragging their prey away, they instead lay eggs on them where they are found. The males are slender and are often seen congregating on a single plant while the females focus on hunting.

During this time of year, their diet shifts from protein to carbohydrates (sugars), feeding on flower nectar. By preying on pest beetle larvae and visiting blooms for nectar, five-banded thynnid wasps play a quietly important role in our gardens and natural landscapes.

Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Barbera d’Alba DOC ($24.25, 14.5 ABV) from the Barale Fratelli winery in Barolo, Piemonte. Barbera is the every day wine of Piemonte and over the past years we have featured Barbera from other wineries. This Barbera has proven to be quite popular with our customers so it is long overdue for its debut at our wine tasting.

The Barale family traces its roots in Barolo back to the 16th century. They have been winemakers since the 1870’s, making them one of  Barolo’s oldest winemaking families. Their historic cellar is located in the Barolo Town Center and their thirteen hectares of eight vineyard sites grow Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Pinot Nero grapes, as well as Arneis and Chardonnay grapes.

The Barale family are serious organic farmers and I was impressed to learn they submitted 216 strains of native yeasts for molecular analysis to the University of Turin. They wanted  to determine which yeasts expressed the character of their unique terroir and narrowed their selection to the three best strains! 

The Barale family of father Sergio Barale and his daughters Eleonora and Gloria now manage the winery. In the future, Barale Fratelli (brothers) will become Barale Sorelle (sisters) that reflects the role of women in leadership roles in what was for generations a male dominated industry. Eleonora and Gloria respect and maintain the traditional  methods of viniculture while being open minded to modern technology.

The Barale Fratelli Barbera d’Alba has aromas of ripe red cherries, medium body, smooth tannins, with a flavor of tart cranberry-perfect for our mild fall days. If you have not yet tasted this wine, come join me on Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 and you just might make this Barbera your everyday wine too!

Cin Cin!

Jenn

Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St., suite 23, in Easton, MD

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Happy Mystery Monday! Can you guess what is pictured in photo #1?

The answer to last week’s mystery is Northern sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium, pictured in photo #2.

Northern sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium, also known as river oats, is a native grass found along streams and woodland edges in the eastern United States and northern Mexico. Growing in clumps 2–5′ tall, it spreads slowly by rhizomes and seed, thriving even in the shade of black walnut trees—something few other ornamental grasses can tolerate.

Its flat, oat-like seed heads dangle on slender stems, catching the light and fluttering with the slightest breeze. As the seasons change, the foliage shifts from green to copper with hints of purple in Fall, before fading to paper bag brown in Winter, when the sturdy stems continue to stand. The persistent seed heads not only add beauty to Winter landscapes and dried arrangements but also provide food for birds and small mammals.

Hardy to –30°F, deer-resistant, and ecologically valuable, northern sea oats serve as a larval host for the northern pearly-eye butterfly, Lethe anthedon, while offering year-round interest to both wildlife and gardens.

Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Vignarco Orvieto DOC Classico ($15.50, 13% ABV) from the Azienda Agricola Palazzone Winery in Orvieto, Umbria.  

Orvieto is famous for the dramatic geography of its site on a flat summit of sheer vertical walls of volcanic tuff that dates from the time of the Etruscans. The zigzag lines of Vignarco’s  abstract label design signify the ancient sea beds and tectonic shifts, clay soils, volcanic rock and clay soils that created Orvieto’s plateau that rises 492 feet above the valley floor.

The story of the winery  begins with the purchase of the property named “Palazzone” (large building) by the Dubini family in 1969. The building dates from 1300 AD, when Pope Boniface VIII asked Cardinal Teodorico to construct a hostel for pilgrims who would be traveling in the upcoming Jubilee year. The Dubini family renovated the building that is now a boutique hotel for the winery’s visitors. 

Patriarch Angelo Dubini planted 25 hectares of grapes and he was certain this unique terroir would result in great wines of significant character and complexity. In 1982, his two sons Giovanni and Ludovico produced the first wines from these grapes. Six years later, they constructed a winery building. 

Today, a Palazzone label is recognized as one of Umbria’s top wines. Their portfolio include wines made from Umbria’s indigenous grapes Grechetto, Procanico and six other wines. Giovanni’s son Pietro is now taking on more responsibility in management of the winery.

Vignarco is a dry white wine, light to medium body, with an aroma of green apple, melon, peach and citrus and a dry minerally finish. Pair with  appetizers, Piazza’s gnocchi with ragu, Porchetta, or fish dishes. It has been a customer favorite for some time but if you have not yet tasted Vignarco, come join me for a taste Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45.

Cin Cin!

Jenn

Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St., suite 23, in Easton, MD.

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.