A glass of wine tells many stories. It speaks of a territory, of a vine, of a specific productive culture. And then he speaks, so much, also of those who produce it. Chicca, for example, tells of Francesca, a young woman who is completing her studies in enology in Udine, the youngest of the Varvaglione boys and the last one who still has to graduate. The other two, Marzia is Angel, already working in the company, alongside his father Cosimo and mother's Maria Teresa, and represent the fourth generation of a family that produces wine for almost a century.
«My husband wanted to dedicate a wine to each member of our family, says Maria Teresa (her is Primadonna, a chardonnay aged in wood with ample and generous aromas). «Il Chicca, the only Varvaglione company label to be protected by Docg, is a Primitivo di Manduria … Sweet and natural like you.
We are at Leporano, a handful of kilometers from Taranto, in the heart of the production area of this dark berry vine, which is the most famous of Puglia and which also appeals to Americans and Chinese. Here the vineyards grow again to sapling, an ancient system of breeding that resists in some areas of Southern Italy. The plants are low, twisted and very, very old. The sea is very close and the sirocco wind, which blows to the ground, brings so much salinity to the land. Just this salt, this scent of sea, is found in the wines produced by Varvaglione and gives the Chicca a burst of flavor. The sweet part is instead entrusted to the long maturation of the grapes, which are left on the plant until they begin to dry, so the water evaporates and the sugars are concentrated. The result is an almost chewing red, which smells of cherry, ripe plum and black currant; the short aging in wood enriches it with a light spicy note, which adds a little complexity to a glass that you drink with ease and pleasure, at the end of dinner or in combination with a blue cheese platter.
Why now: It's perfect for after dinner in front of the fireplace.
As did: after the harvest, which takes place between the beginning and mid-October, the vinification takes place with a long maceration of the grapes at a controlled temperature, which stops spontaneously at 15 degrees alcohol. The wine then ages in 10 hectolitre barrels for about 8 months.
To combine with: sweets made with almonds, chocolate, blue cheeses.
Serve it to: 12-14 ° C
Price: 15 euros
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