Italian Wine Club October 2024: Heel Turn

In a sense, Puglia - our destination this month - might be Italy’s most influential region. Stepping out from the southeastern coast into the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, it’s invariably described “the heel” of the country’s reputed boot; remove it and Italy is a flat footed peninsula resembling no specific type of footwear - and, who knows, maybe the history of global fashion plays out quite differently? While I can’t find any concrete instance of Italy’s cobblers cribbing from the cartographers, the historical record suggests that semi-accurate maps predated high heels by an epoch or two. In 75 AD, Pliny the Younger was comparing Italy’s shape to an oak leaf, “longer than it is broad''; the first reference I can find to Italy looking like a boot doesn’t come until 1695, when the Thesauras Geographicus: A New Body of Geography, Or, A Compleat Description of the Earth describes it as “stretched forth toward the South, as it were a Peninsule, in the form of a Boot..." Clearly the intervening years presented ample opportunity for would-be designers to find an atlas and imagine new ways to elevate the local piedi. 

Even if this isn’t how the future of shoes actually took shape, Puglia (Apulia in Latin) would still be responsible for a decent portion of Italy’s best quintessence. Geographically it’s mostly a flat plain and spectacularly fertile - hosting more than 50 million olive trees responsible for 40% of Italy’s (and 12% of the world’s) olive oil. Figs, wheat and almonds also grow in abundance here, and the regional cuisine is famed for spotlighting all this agricultural bounty. Puglia boasts ancient forests (Forestra Umbra in Gargano National Park) and ruins (the “white city” of Ostuni, its buildings coated with chalky limestone paint during the Plague for its antibacterial properties); the Baroque architectural splendor of Leccia (“the Florence of the South”); and a combined 500 miles of stunningly gorgeous Ionian and Aegean coastline that must be what people mean when they say “Ultramarine.” If and when I ever get to Italy, I am definitely going to Puglia. 

As for the wine, there is a lot of it as you might expect: Puglia ranks 2nd, trailing only Veneto, in terms of vino per annum by volume. The primary red indigenous grapes are Negroamaro (which translates to “black bitter”) and Primitivo ( which is genetically identical to Zinfandel) and they generally produce full bodied and fruit forward wines due to the long, hot summer growing season. White wine production is smaller, but there are a decent amount of crisp, easy drinking whites made from local varietals like Verdeca, Bombino Bianco and Greco Bianco. In general, Puglian wines are regarded as solid everyday table wines; not particularly expensive, not terribly distinguished, but well made and good with food. 

Our two selections this month are a little more interesting: the white wine comes from the new-to-me Fiano Minutolo grape, which was once known as Fiano Aromatico, and has been cultivated in Puglia since 1200. As its old name suggests, it is wonderfully aromatic, and also able to retain its acid and low alcohol even during the baking local summers. Masseria is one of a handful of wineries that has helped bring it back from virtual extinction in the last two decades. Though the selections for November will be made with an eye towards your holiday table, this bottling will make a solid Thanksgiving white as well. 

The red is pretty much the polar opposite of last month’s light-red (technically rose) selection. Made from the Nero Di Troia (Black of Troy) grape, a indigenous Puglian varietal that dates back to the Romans, it is lush, spicy and full bodied. If possible, open an hour before serving. 

• 1.5 kilos 3 lbs lamb (see Notes), cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 750 g 1-1/2 lbs peas, fresh or frozen
• White wine
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

To finish the dish:

• 2-3 eggs
• 25 g 1 oz freshly grated Pecorino romano cheese
• A few sprigs of fresh parsley minced

Instructions 

1. In a braiser or sauté pan large enough to hold all the lamb, sauté the sliced onion in a olive oil over a gentle flame until tender and translucent. Raise the heat a bit and add the lamb pieces, turning them so they brown on all sides, taking care so the onion doesn't burn. Season with salt and pepper as you go.
2. Add a splash of white wine, give the pan a stir, and let the wine cook off. Add a ladleful of water, stir again, and cover tightly. Turn the heat way down, so that the lamb braises gently. Let it cook this way until the meat is perfectly tender, usually about 45 minutes. The liquid should have reduced considerably but not completely evaporated; check on the meat from time to time; add more water if needed to keep things moist.
3. If using fresh peas: Shell the peas and add them about halfway through the braise, so they, too, will be perfectly tender when the meat is.
4. If using frozen peas: Add them when the meat is almost tender, along with another ladleful of water if needed, and let them braise with the meat for the last 5-10 minutes, until they, too, are tender and have lost a bit of their bright green color.
5. To finish the dish, beat the eggs and grated cheese together (and if you like, a bit of minced parsley) in a bowl. Take the pan off the flame entirely, and pour over the egg and cheese mixture, and mix it well but gingerly with the lamb and peas, turning until the eggs have set enough to form a creamy sauce. Serve immediately.