Club Corner
Italian Wine Club June 2026
CAMPANIA The ‘shin’ of Italy’s boot, Campania is one of the country’s oldest wine regions (the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines all planted grapes here), anchored by its capital city, Naples. The name is derived from the Latin Campania Felix meaning ‘happy land’ or ‘fertile countryside’ — and while not affluent in the pecuniary sense (it ranks 18th out of 20 Italian regions in GDP), Campania is flush with the stuff most of us conjure when we contemplate Italy. Naples, the country’s third largest city (after Rome and Milan), is the historic capital of Baroque style, the cradle of pizza and pasta, home to Europe’s largest old town center (a UNESCO world heritage site) and some 500 domed churches dating back to the early Christian era. It sits in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, an active volcano whose 79 AD eruption created the famous ruins of Pompeii, and splashes into the Gulf of Naples, populated by the postcard islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. The city remains a vibrant culinary, cultural, and artistic hub today, with more Michelin starred restaurants than any other place in Italy, world famous palaces, museums, and public art, including street murals and celestial metro stations. Venture outside Naples and Campania continues to astonish. There’s the famous Amalfi coast — 34 of Italy’s most fabled miles, where the towns of Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi itself, and Ravello sport brightly coloured dwellings in, around and down the crags of jagged cliffs that pierce the azure brushstrokes of Tyrrhenian Sea and sky. Head further inland and you’ll discover no less eye-popping landscapes composed of verdant forests, hills, valleys, and mountains. And everywhere, there are grape vines. Five provinces comprise Campania: Napoli, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, and Salerno, and they all produce wine. Viticulture has flourished in the region’s abundant sunshine, hot and dry summers, mild winters, volcanic soil, and cool sea and mountain breezes since antiquity. The legendary Roman fortified wine Falernian, for instance, ostensibly gifted by the god Bacchus to local farmer Falernus and famous enough in its day for several ancient sources to extol the 121 BC vintage in particular, comes from Campania. And if now no one can agree on its precise recipe, that’s in part because the region continues to host a feast of native varieties that date back to the ancients and are found virtually nowhere else. But Falernian was definitely a white wine, which makes Falanghina (“fah-LAHN-ee-nah”) the grape in our white selection this month, and one of the most likely source ingredients. It is ancient, indigenous to Campania, and distinctive enough to demand inclusion in local tipples worth remembering. Falanghina is revered for its crisp acidity, aromatic intensity, lively citrus flavor, and delicate floral and herbal undertones. Campanian white wine specialist Guido Marsella makes an unsurprisingly great one. The red is made from the Aglianico grape, which arguably remains Campania’s calling card. Full bodied and late ripening enough that it cannot be grown any farther north, Aglianico is sometimes known as the ‘Barolo of the South’ due to its elegant tannins and aging potential. In the past when we’ve featured Aglianico, the bottles have come from the Taurasi or Vulture DOCs. Our producer this month is Fattoria La Rivolta (Farmhouse of the Revolution), located in the Benevento province and part of the Taburno DOC, one of the smallest in Campania. The soil is volcanic like in Taurasi, but with more sandstone, and has hotter days and cooler nights tempered by the mountains. The resultant wines are generally a little lighter and higher in acidity than their brethren, but still substantial — ideal for whatever the San Francisco Bay summer has in store this year. Salut, Alan Hicks - Wine Buyer, Noe Valley Guido Marsella Falanghina 2022 Region: Benevento, Campania About the Winery: After working as a building contractor for the family business, Guido, who loved the countryside, bought land in the Summonte area, in Iripinia, and founded the winery in 1995. He was the first Fiano producer to release his wines on the market a year after the harvest, in a mature state, inaugurating a new approach which was later taken by other producers. Today, backed by years of experience and prestigious accolades, Guido has chosen to wait two years after harvesting to release some of his wines, reinterpreting the territory in terms of aromatic complexity and longevity. Guido Marsella’s vineyards are in the Partenio Regional Park, at an altitude of around 600 meters. The hilly terrain, the high altitude, the clayey loamy soil, rich in volcanic elements, with a rocky structure, and the presence of favorable winds all contribute to the health of the vines, the preservation of environmental balance and low yields, in order to favor quality. This is one of the best terroirs for the cultivation of Fiano, a very ancient vine that has always been tied to the history of wine-making in Campania and to the traditions of the area, as well as Greco di Tufo and Falanghina. About the Winemaking: The vineyard is 500 - 700 meters above sea level and features rocky-volcanic soils with limestone-clay subsoil. Organic farming practices Vines are 25 years old on average. After harvest, grapes are cleaned, gently pressed and fermented with native yeasts at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, with fine lees contact 10-12 months in the tank, followed by 10-12 months aging in the bottle. 5,000 cases total production Tasting Notes: Bright straw yellow; freshly-picked flowers and fruit capture your senses. Lively flavours of minerals and complexity unfold. Light-bodied, lively and dynamic. Winemaker: Guido Marsella Price per bottle / per case $29.99 $323.90 Suggested Food Pairing: All kinds of seafood dishes: clams, mussels, prawns, Paccheri with seafood ragout au gratin, spaghetti allo scoglio, rigatoni with octopus, risotto with scampi, grilled or baked salmon, any preparation that includes lemon, garlic and parsley. Tuna & Anchovy Vermicelli (see recipe) Fattoria La Rivolta Aglianico del Taburno 2018 Region: Benevento, Campania About the Winery: Located in Torrecuso, in the province of Benevento, Fattoria La Rivolta consists of hilly lands that range in altitude from 300 to 600 meters. With unique soils of limestone and clay, the vineyards are located in one of the smallest DOCs in the region, Campania's Taburno, home to some of the most picturesque and mountainous vineyards in all of Europe. Here, the Cotroneo family has been living in the region for several generations. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the grandparents Giovanni and Teresa maintained and cultivated one of the largest agricultural farms in Benevento, which was later divided amongst their eight grandchildren. After joining lands with his brother Mario, Paolo Cotroneo launched Fattoria La Rivolta in 1997. A third generation farmer, Paolo immediately began to organically cultivate his vines, earning certification from ICEA, the Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale, in 2001. A family affair that includes two sisters and a cousin, these 29 hectares of cultivated vineyards are hand harvested to produce low yields and farmed without the use of chemical treatments. About the Winemaking: Grapes are sourced from low-yielding vines (~70 q/ha) and hand-harvested in mid to late October. The vineyards are planted on south–southeast facing slopes with marl and sandstone-calcareous soils.After fermentation, the wine is aged for 18 months in large 25 hL French oak barrels, followed by an additional 12 months of bottle ageing before release. ~25,000 bottles produced. Tasting Notes: The nose is smoky, earthy and umami, with aromas of tobacco, dirt, pepper and tart blackberries. The palate brings sweeter berries and citrus, plus more earth and pepper for balance, but the tannins are absolutely militant and have everything very tightly sewn up. — Danielle Callegari, Wine Enthusiast. Winemaker: Paolo Cotroneo Price per bottle / per case $28.99 $313.11 Suggested Food Pairing: Grilled meats, including barbecue,richer pastas with truffle or red sauce, cheeses like Pecorino, Asiago, Grana Padano, vegetable dishes with black bean sauce, soy sauce, tempeh or roasted mushrooms. Tuna and Anchovy Vermicelli Ingredients 400 g vermicelli pasta (140z) or spaghetti 200 g canned tuna (7oz) in olive oil 2-4 anchovy fillets in oil or salted 250 ml beef broth (8.5 floz) I used homemade salt for pasta and to taste black peppercorns as required pink peppercorns as required (Peruvian pepper) 1 sprig fresh parsley 1 knob butter 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Instructions Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Wash and chop the parsley. Drain the oil from the tuna. Rinse the anchovies well if they are salted. Cut them into small pieces and together with ¾ of the tuna, puree in a blender with a little of the beef broth. Put this sauce into a saucepan and add the rest of the broth and a few pink and black peppercorns. Stir and cook over a low heat until the sauce reduces and thickens (5-10 minutes). Add the rest of the tuna to the sauce and stir to mix in. Add salt to taste. Cook the vermicelli al dente according to the instructions on the packet, save a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Return it to the pot or put it in a bowl and add the butter, olive oil and chopped parsley. Toss to mix well. Then add the tuna and anchovy sauce, mix everything together well. Return to the heat and cook for another minute to allow the pasta to absorb the flavours of the sauce. If the sauce seems dry, add some pasta cooking water. Serve immediately with a little more chopped parsley and a few peppercorns.
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June 24 Italian Wine Club: Campania
CAMPANIA The ‘shin' of Italy’s boot, Campania is one of the country’s oldest wine regions (the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines all planted grapes here), anchored by its capital city, Naples. The name is derived from the Latin Campania Felix meaning ‘happy land or ‘fertile countryside’ - and while not affluent in the pecuniary sense (it ranks 18th out of 20 Italians regions in GDP), Campania is flush with the stuff most of us conjure when we contemplate Italy. Naples, the country’s third largest city (after Rome and Milan) is the historic capital of Baroque style, the cradle of pizza and pasta, home to Europe’s largest old town center (a UNESCO world heritage site) and some 500 domed churches dating back to the early Christian era. It sits in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, an active volcano whose 79 AD eruption created the famous ruins of Pompeii, and splashes into the Gulf of Naples, populated by the postcard islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. The city remains a vibrant culinary, cultural, and artistic hub today, with more Michelin starred restaurants than any other place in Italy, world famous palaces, museums, and public art, including street murals and celestial metro stations. Venture outside Naples and Campania continues to astonish. There’s the famous Amalfi coast - 34 of Italy’s most fabled miles, where the towns of Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi itself, and Ravello stipple brightly coloured dwellings in, around and down the crags of jagged cliffs that pierce the azure brushstrokes of Tyrrhenian Sea and sky. Head further inland and you’ll discover no less eye-popping landscapes composed of verdant forests, hills, valleys, and mountains. And everywhere, there are grape vines. Five provinces comprise Campania: Napoli, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, and Salerno, and they all produce wine. Viticulture has flourished in the region’s abundant sunshine, hot and dry summers, mild winters, volcanic soil, and cool sea and mountain breezes since antiquity. The legendary Roman tipple Falernian for instance, ostensibly gifted by the wine god Bacchus to local farmer Falernus and famous enough in its day for several ancient sources to extol the 121 BC vintage in particular, comes from Campania. And if now no one can agree on its precise recipe, that’s in part because the region continues to host a feast of native varieties that date back to the ancients and are found virtually nowhere else. This month we are focusing on one of the more obscure, a white grape called Coda di Volpe, which translates to ‘tail of the fox’, and so titled on account of its bushy, pendulous clusters. For centuries though, it was known as Falerno, as it was thought to be at least part of the source material for Falernian, giving it as much claim to the title of Italian Ur-Vine as any of its (slightly) more well known coevals like Falanghina or Fiano. Our winemaker here, Raeffalo Troisi of Valdeperti, was in fact the first in the world to bottle a single varietal Coda di Volpe. Another variety rumored to be part of Falernian’s farrago is the red grape Aglianico, which remains Campania’s calling card today. Full bodied and late ripening enough that it cannot be grown any farther north, Aglianico is sometimes known as the ‘Barolo of the South’ due to its elegant tannins and aging potential. Indeed, Irpinia, the east-central area of Campania near Avellino where both of this month’s wines are grown and made, has weather, terroir and vegetation very similar to Piedmont, Barolo’s home in the North. Taurasi is the DOCG within Irpinia practically synonymous with Aglianico (though Aglianico di Vulture, from the bordering Basilicata region is also great) and, as its name suggests, the location of our red producer this month, Contrade di Taurasi. This bottling is 100% Aglianico from declassified Taurasi fruit, robust and age-worthy but with a freshness compatible with the Bay Area’s version of summer. Salut, Alan Hicks - Wine Buyer, Noe Valley Vadiaperti Coda di Volpe ‘Torama’ 2020 Region: Montefredane, Campania About the Winery: Since the end of the nineteenth century, the Troisi family of Azienda Agricola Vadiaperti has championed the wines of Irpinia, a historic vine-growing region in southern Italy. Winemaker Raffaele Troisi is a vine grower from a generations-long line of passionate family members who dedicated their lives to the fruit of the vine. His grandfather and namesake Raffaele was the first Troisi to plant vines, with an eye to local varieties such as Fiano and Coda di Volpe. While Raffaele died young, his wife Elisa kept his vision alive, and over the decades, became one of the region’s most knowledgeable vine growers, a natural talent who could determine the health of her vines or the right time to harvest by sight and touch. It was Elisa’s son Antonio who took the family farm into the commercial realm, bottling in 1984 the very first single-variety Fiano wine. And Antonio’s son Raffaele—who today runs the family estate in Montefredane—worked side by side with his father in the cantina and the fields for years, before he took the reins himself in 1998. About the Winemaking: Estate vineyards are located in and around the town of Montefredane, from 1,200 to 2,100 feet above sea level. Soils combine clay, volcanic rock and well-draining tufo, which are all mineral-rich soils. Vines range from 25 to 70 years old. At these higher altitudes, harvest typically runs into mid-October.Grapes are harvested by hand and pressed full cluster, fermenting on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Wines are aged on fine lees in tanks from between a few months to two years, depending on the wine. Tasting Notes: Aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, crushed stones. Weighty and concentrated, yet balanced; a vibrant, mineral core. Winemaker: Raffaele Troisi Price per bottle / per case $36.99 $399.50 Suggested Food Pairing: Risotto alla Pescatora, any type of rich seafood like lobster or soft shell crab with Garlic and Breadcrumbs, Burrata, Polenta with Black Pepper and Parmesan . Contrade di Taurasi Aglianico Irpinia DOC 2018 Region: Irpinia DOC About the Winery: Contrade di Taurasi is owned by Sandro Lonardo, a schoolteacher, and his wife Enza. They make Irpinia Aglianico, Taurasi, and small amounts of a white wine made from Grecomusc’, an indigenous white variety (grown ungrafted, interestingly). Their vineyards are all exposed directly south, which is ideal, and are at about 1300 feet above sea level, which may explain how a wine picked in the beginning of November in a warm climate can come in at relatively modest alcohol (between 13 and 13.5% in most vintages). About the Winemaking: 100% Aglianico from vines planted between 1985 and 1995 on southwest facing 350 mt elevation soil composed of volcanic tuff and limestone. Harvested in early November, with 20 days maceration and controlled low temperature fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, followed by 12 months in oak puncheons. 8,000 bottles are produced annually. Certified organic farming. Tasting Notes: The Irpinia shows the distinctive flavors of the area - blackberry/raspberry fruit balanced with fresh acidity, a savory character that comes with volcanic soils, and a rounder, more forward structure than Taurasi itself. Winemaker: Sandro Lonardo Price per bottle / per case $29.99 $323.90 Suggested Food Pairing: Pizza, Hearty Pastas, Eggplant Parmesan, Barbecue Pork Ribs, Lamb & Bell Pepper Ragu, Spicy Sausage with White Bean, Garlic and Kale (see recipe). Veggie Sausage White Bean Skillet with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes For the first time ever, I am suggesting a full on fake meat recipe in this space since 1.) sausage is relatively easy to ersatz with accuracy and there are many plant-based varieties and styles out there to choose from, and 2.) You can also just use actual sausage here; no problem. Ingredients - 2 (19-oz/591 ml) cans white beans, drained, rinsed & divided- 1 ⅓ cups vegetable stock- 2 tablespoons olive oil- 4 veggie sausages, sliced into one-inch pieces- 1 medium shallot, small dice- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped- 3 cloves garlic, minced- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast- ½ teaspoon dried oregano- ¼ teaspoon ground chillies (optional)- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar- 4 cups chopped kale- Vegan “parmesan”, for serving (optional)- extra ground chillies or chili crisp, for serving Instructions In an upright blender, combine half of the beans and all of the vegetable stock. Blend this on high until completely smooth. Set aside. Set a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Place the sliced veggie sausages into the skillet and spread them out into a single layer. Brown the sausage pieces completely on one side and flip over. Brown the other side and then transfer them to a plate. This whole process should take 6-7 minutes. Return the skillet to medium heat. If you need to add more olive oil, drizzle it in. Add the shallots and sauté until very soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. If they are browning too fast, turn the heat down. To the skillet, add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, nutritional yeast, dried oregano, and chillies. Stir for about a minute. Add the remaining non-blended white beans to the skillet and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the puréed white bean and vegetable stock mixture and stir. Bring this to a boil and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and kale and stir it up into the beans until the kale is wilted. The mixture should be quite thick at this point! Season with salt and pepper again if necessary. Add the browned veggie sausage back into the skillet and stir it up a bit. Serve the veggie sausage and white bean skillet immediately with crusty bread, vegan “parmesan” and extra ground chillies or chili crisp.
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November 2022 Wine of the Month Club
Is it November already? Hard to believe another holiday season is already (almost) upon us, though the calendar, the sun’s position in the sky, and those unnervingly personalized internet pop-up ads are all by now playing The Most Wonderful Time of The Year’s entrance music. But as we prepare to once again squeeze a year’s worth of activity into less than two months of dwindling daylight, feel free to cross “picking out the wine” off the list of things to fret you’ll forget to remember. Finding the right bottles is the easiest and most pleasurable of holiday responsibilities, and Thanksgiving, in particular, is the best occasion for making your oenophilia seem reasonable, useful even. Though some of the traditional elements of the meal are quite specific (turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce aren’t on a lot of menus the rest of the year), there are so many different possible preparations that the pairing options are almost endless. It is difficult to make a bad wine choice for Thanksgiving, and a thoughtful one is a relatively simple, uncontroversial and ingratiating way to contribute to the gathering. Our selections this month are both Italian - a Schiava from the Alps and a Greco di Tufo from the South - meaning they are pretty much purpose built to inhance and with-stand long meals with multiple courses and moods. They will complement a wide array of plates, fish, fowl, vegetable or Tofurky - and they are great additions to any holiday table, so feel free to save them for December if you’d like. Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appetit! Starting at top: the Trentino-Alto Adige wine region, sits just below the Austrian border and is home to what is often referred to as “the most beautiful mountains in the world”, the snow-capped Dolomites, a collection of breath-taking peaks composed largely of porphyry rock walls. Also known also as Südtirol, due to its bicultural Italian-Austrian heritage, Trentino-Alto Adige, is an eclectic mix of Austrian accuracy and Italian spirit. Trento refers to the southern part of the region, and its capital is Trentino (the ancient Roman Tridentum), while Alto Adige identifies the northern territory that includes the higher (alto) part of the Adige River. The topography of the region’s winegrowing area is like a complex puzzle. Vineyards are planted with different exposures and varying elevations, have changing microclimates, and are composed of some of the most varied soil types ranging from volcanic porphyry, to weathered primitive rock soils composed of quartz and mica, to limestone and dolomite, to sandy marl. Much of the winemaking here is done via communes, and this month we are featuring a bottling from the youngest, Cascina Valle Isarco, which is located in the valley that runs alongside the river of the same name. Schiava, which means “slave” in Italian, is the primary red grape in the area, and has many other names: it is also called Vernatsch (which is a Tyrolean word derived from vernacular, meaning native or indigenous) and also Trollilnger (which is a corruption of 'Tyrolinger,' meaning 'from the Tyrol’.) Light, fresh and aromatic, Schiava is characterized by notes of red berry, almond, violets and a delicate earth and minerality. Very versatile with food, its piquant fruit and softly spicy finish will even enliven your leftovers. Nine hundred kilometers to the south lies Campania, the ‘shin' of Italy's boot, anchored by its capital, Naples. Its name comes from Campania felix, a Latin phrase roughly meaning 'happy land’ or ‘fertile countryside', and the region is indeed celebrated for its gastronomy, music and architecture. It is also ancient enough to encompass some of the world’s most famous ruins at Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, and Veli. The wine culture is one of Italy’s oldest as well; Campania has many indigenous grapes almost unknown elsewhere, and our white selection this month is one such varietal, Greco di Tufo. It is grown in Irpinia, the most renowned wine-producing area in the region, which is the historical name of the province of Avellino. The best versions, like Guido Marsella’s evince great orchard fruit and white flowers notes with a hint of smoke and mineral backbone. It spends an unusually long time aging on the lees and in bottle before release, which gives it the weight and texture to support, but not overwhelm, pretty much anything on your plate this holiday. Cheers, The PlumpJack Wine and Spirits Team Guido Marsella Greco di Tufo Region / Country of Origin: Campania, Italy About the winery: Guido Marsella founded the winery that bears his name in 1995, after a previous career in his family’s construction in the Campania area. His initial intent was to produce truly world class white wines from the local Fiano grape. Today Guido is considered one of the pioneers of the rediscovery and development of the Fiano grape, and has expanded his operations to elevate the quality of other local varietals. In 2007, he began working a parcel of land called Poggi Reali, located near Beneventano in the Greco di Tufo DOCG. The vines there are 20-30 years old, grown over Tuffa Clay and planted in high density at 500 meters above sea level. He produces Falanghina and Greco di Tufo bottlings from this vineyard. About the winemaking: All farming is done with organic practices, both on his estate owned vineyards and those that he farms just north east of his estate in the Greco di Tufo DOCG. Harvesting typically takes place a bit later here than at many other estates in the region, because Guido prefers the fruit to be at the peak of ripeness and in some cases borderline overripe. All harvests are carried out by hand to ensure only high quality fruit is being brought back to the winery. All of Guido’s wines are fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel containers, with some fine lees contact. The wine spends 12 months in tank before being bottled and then aged a further year in bottle at the winery before release. Tasting Notes: Yellow apple and white flower on nose, with a great smoke-wreathed saline minerality. Richly textured and wonderful depth of flavor. Winemaker: Guido Marsella Price: $27 btl/$291.60 case Suggested Food Pairing: Green beans and tomatoes, Brussel Sprouts with Bacon Cantina Valle Isarco Schiava Alto Adige DOC 2020 Region / Country of Origin: Valle Isarco, Alto Adige, Italy About the Winery: The youngest winery of note in Alto Adige, Cantina Valle Isarco was founded in 1961 at Maso Reinthaler. Unfortunately the initial winery burnt down in 1962 and was then replaced by a new modern winery in 1975. The 135 members benefit from altitudes ranging from 300m – 1000m, excellent soils and climate for producing expressive wines with wonderful individual varietal character. For the most part, as a result of the steep slopes on which the vineyards lie, picking is almost entirely done by hand. About the winemaking: Grown on very deep alluvial soils with porphyritic sediment. Traditional maceration on the skins in controlled temperature conditions, malolactic fermentation and aging on fine lees in stainless steel vat. Tasting Notes: Aromas of red berries with notes of almonds, herbs and violets are followed by flavors of raspberry, strawberry and cherry, leading to a refreshing bitter almond – and sometimes slightly spicy – finish. Winemaker: Hannes Munter Price: $22 bottle / $237.60 case Suggested Food Pairing: Turkey, cranberry sauce, carrots and green beans, but also shrimp, tofu and spicy Asian cuisine.
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