Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG ($19.50, 12.5% ABV) from the Cieck winery in San Giorgio Canavese, near Turin in Piemonte.  “Erbaluce” translates as “dawn light” for the grape’s pale yellow-green color that resembles dawn’s early light. “Cieck” was the name of an old farmhouse on the site where the winery was founded in 1985, on land where at the end of the 19th century, one of the owner’s great-great-grandfather grew his grapes. The embossed profile of a falcon on the label is a sly reference to the last name of two of the three winemakers, “Falconieri”. The design also includes a swirl of the “k” in Cieck that becomes a stem above a triangle of circles that symbolize grapes.

Erbaluce is an ancient grape that was Piemonte’s first white wine DOC and now enjoys its DOCG designation. Initially, winemaker Remo Falconieri intended to grow grapes to become a small producer of sparkling wines. He left his job at Olivetti as a typewriter designer to spend time in France learning about the production of sparking wines. His first harvest of Erbaluce Metodo Classico was released in 1987. Fate intervened and now Cieck is a trio who produce three sparkling wines, one rose’, two white wines, three red wines and one dessert wine. 

Remo Falconieri

Lia Falconieri

Domenico Caretto

The winery has five vineyards and Erbaluce is grown in the 1.8 hectare Misobolo vineyard. It is the oldest vineyard that still has an original, ungrafted vine that is almost 100 years old. The vine was planted before the attack of phylloxera that decimated Europe’s vineyards. Cieck uses the “pergola” system to train their vines to spread out and form canopies in neat rows throughout the vineyard. At harvest time, workers must reach up instead of down to harvest  the grapes. 

I enjoy Erbaluce for its fresh bouquet, minerality, and bright acidity; it is a perfect paring with one of Piazza’s cheeses, which we will taste this weekend. It is also pairs well with oysters, any fresh fish or light creamy entrees. Erbaluce has earned a following with customers but if you have not yet tasted it, come join me 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, 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 carpel of a tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, pictured in photo #2.

One of the most iconic hardwoods of eastern North America, the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, is known for its tall, straight trunk and narrow crown—traits that make it instantly recognizable in the forest. In Summer droughts, these trees often act as “drought indicators,” shedding yellowing interior leaves as a survival strategy when soil moisture drops.

Its Spring flowers, though often hidden high in the canopy, are among the most striking of any native tree: yellow-green with an orange band at the base of each petal and shaped like miniature tulips. Many people first notice them only when the petals fall to the ground. By late Summer and Fall, the flowers give way to upright, cone-shaped clusters of dry, woody carpels—structures that resemble carved wooden flowers. These cone-like fruits persist into Winter before gradually releasing their winged seeds to the wind.

A single mature tulip poplar can produce tens of thousands of viable seeds, and seedfalls of over a million per hectare are not uncommon. Yet despite this abundance, Liriodendron seeds require a lengthy process to germinate, including prolonged cold stratification followed by warm, moist conditions. Long-lived, stately, and ecologically important, the tulip tree remains one of the defining trees of eastern forests.

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

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend we will taste a new wine to our collection, the Montepulciano D’Abruzzo ($14.50, 13.5% ABV)  from the Coste Di Brenta winery  in Lanciano, Abruzzo. The colorful abstract label pays tribute to Abruzzo’s unique geography of the Apennine Mountains, three national parks and over thirty nature reserves that cover over two thirds of the its area; deep valleys, the Adriatic Sea,  hilltop towns and castles dating from the medieval and Renaissance periods. 

The importer for this wine, Williams Corner, has a reputation for seeking passionate artisan winemakers whose work is done in an environmentally conscious manner. Coste Di Brenta’s 17+ hectares organic farm is set high on a hill between the Majella Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Founded in 2004, it is a family endeavor with Augusto Tano, his wife Anna Giovana Di Ludovico and their three children. 

The property had been in Augusto’s family for many generations when Augusto and Giovanna  became the managers and renovated the 17+ hectares of vineyards and the cellar. From the beginning, they were committed to organic viniculture. Abruzzo is a region known for estates with large productions; Costa Di Brenta stands out with their emphasis on production of small-batch, high quality wines.

Their 100% Montepulciano is a blend of cherries and mixed berries infused with soft earthy notes on the nose, lush fruit  flavor, medium to full body, soft tannins with a long finish and a touch of acidity. Pair with Piazza’s pizza or pasta dishes hearty soups and stews. 

Come join me for a taste on Friday from noon to 5:45; please note that special Saturday tasting hours are 11 to 2:30, as I am a member of the Easton Choral Arts Society and I must leave Piazza early for our Saturday concert. 

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 inkberry holly, Ilex glabra, pictured in photo #2.

A hardy evergreen native to the eastern and southeastern United States, inkberry holly, Ilex glabra, is a familiar shrub across the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It thrives in a range of habitats but is most at home in damp or wet soils, where its glossy, narrow leaves provide reliable winter interest. Spreading naturally by stolons, inkberry often forms tidy colonies that lend themselves well to massing, hedges, windbreaks, and even rain gardens.

Its nectar-rich flowers support a wide array of pollinators—including specialist bees—and the shrub serves as a larval host for Henry’s elfin butterfly. Like other hollies, its berries are an important food resource for wildlife, though gardeners should remember that inkberry is dioecious, with separate male and female plants required for berry production.

Low-maintenance, versatile, and excellent for erosion control along streams and pond edges, inkberry holly has long been valued both ecologically and culturally. Its nectar is the source of the highly regarded “gallberry honey,” prized for its mild flavor and clarity.

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

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and safe travels!

This weekend at Italian Market we will welcome the annual return of another of my fave wines for fall, the Rosso del Veronese IGT ($35.75, 14% ABV) ) from the L’Arco Vivi di Luca Fedrigo, in the Valpolicella region of the Veneto. The winery is named for the “Arco di Giove”, the only one of seven arches dating from the 16th and 17th centuries that remain on the road to Negrar, near the winery. It is winemaker Luca’s link to his past and its image adorns his hand sketched wine labels. I thought the text “Merum ad Lapideum” might be a family motto but the Latin translation is only “a mere stone”. 

Rosso del Veronese IGT

The story of Luca Fedrigo begins with his meeting the legendary winemaker Giuseppe Qunitarelli. The winemaker’s granddaughter was a close friend of Fedrigo and she persuaded Quintarelli into giving Fedrigo a job on the estate. Fedrigo began working in the garden and soon more than flowers blossomed. Fedrigo then began an apprenticeship in the winery, under Quintarelli’s supervision. The two worked side by side with each other for more than ten years as Fedrigo absorbed Quintarelli’s passionate respect for the Veneto’s terroir, indigenous grapes and tradition.

In 1998, Fedrigo founded L’Arco by planting 2.2 hectares of vines that were surrounded by his father’s vineyards from the 1960’s. His cellar was in the basement of the old family home.  Fedrigo personally manages all aspects of sustainable production, including using natural yeasts and aging the wines in wood barrels from Slovenia. Fedrigo is a true artisan winemaker whose wines differ from year to year, depending upon the blends he uses to make the best wines he can. Testament to his vision is that his wines sell out year after year. 

Fedrigo’s Rosso del Veronese is a blend of 50% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella,15% Sangiovese Grosso and 5% Molinara. It is fruit-forward with herbal aromatics, good tannin and acidity; pair with Piazza’s pasta or risotto with meat and/or mushroom sauces. Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 to welcome back this delicious red wine!

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 the river birch, Betula nigra, pictured in photo #2.

Found across the eastern and central United States, the river birch, Betula nigra, is the southernmost of all native birches, and the only one that naturally grows at low elevations. Its shimmering, peeling bark is one of its most recognizable features. This exfoliation is a natural process that helps the tree shed pests, disease organisms, and other hitchhikers like lichens, mosses, and fungi.

More heat-tolerant and disease-resistant than any other birch, the river birch thrives along streambanks, floodplains, and other moist sites where it helps stabilize soil and reduce erosion. In exceptionally dry conditions, river birch may drop some of its leaves as a water-saving strategy. In cultivation, it can be trained as a single trunk or a multi-trunked specimen—both forms showing off that distinctive bark.

The river birch is also notable for what it doesn’t suffer from: it’s the only North American birch naturally resistant to the destructive bronze birch borer. However, it is a “bleeder,” and pruning or accidental wounds cause sap to flow freely, attracting insects, some of which become stuck in the sticky drips. Late Spring flowering rounds out the appeal of this adaptable, resilient native tree.

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

Ciao Tutti!

This is the weekend before Thanksgiving so once again at Piazza Italian Market, we will offer a trio of wines for your consideration to accompany your Thanksgiving feast. For a gathering wine that could also accompany your turkey and cranberry sauce, , we suggest the “Timido”( $14.50, 12 % ABV);  from the Scarpetta Winery in Friuli Venezia Giulia; for a white wine we suggest the “Muni Larion” ($24.25, 12.5% ABV) from the Daniele Piccinin winery near Verona and for a red wine we suggest the “Bozner Leiten /Alte Reben ( $21.25, 12.5% ABV) from the PutzenHof winery near Bolzano in Alto Adige.  Since Thanksgiving is all about food and family, I have inserted pictures of the families or individuals who produce  their wines:

Scarpetta: ”Timido” Rose’ Vino Spumante Brut                                                            

Many years ago, Lachlan Patterson, former chef of California’s iconic French Laundry and Bobby Stuckey, Master Sommelier, fell under the spell of Italy’s Friuli-Venezia region tucked into the NE corner of Italy. Their dream of opening a restaurant whose cuisine would be based upon authentic Friulian recipes came true when they opened a restaurant Frasca Food and Wine, in Boulder, CO. The duo traveled to Friuli several times a year to discover local foods and recipes for their restaurant.

In 2007, the talented duo decided to create their own wine brand and christened it “Scarpetta” to immortalize the Italian name for the tiny morsel of bread left on one’s plate for soaking up the last bit of delicious sauce. Their Scarpetta brand began with 50 cases of old vine Friulano that was sold at Frasca Food and Wine. Their ultimate goal was to create a portfolio of affordable wines. The Friulano was a big hit with the restaurant’s customers who clamored for more Friulian varieties including their Rose Vino Spumante Brut. Patterson and Stuckey continue to seek  out partnerships with both established growers and celebrated oenologists that spotlight each grape variety. 

Their “Timido” is my fave go-to wine for aperitivi or brunch but many of Piazza’s customers serve this wine throughout their Thanksgiving meal since it pairs very well with cranberry sauce. I like Timido for its aromatics, flavors of honeysuckle and green apple with notes of melon, hazelnuts and melon. 

Perfetto for those of you who enjoy a sparkling wine throughout  your celebration!

Daniel Piccinin: Muni Larion IGT

In 2006, Daniele Piccinin left his career in the restaurant business to fulfill his dream of his own winery with the purchase of seven hectares in the Veneto. From the beginning, he embraced a natural approach to viticulture, and he soon discovered VinNatur, the 300 member organization representing 12 countries who share a common goal to “put the terroir of their homeland into a wine bottle, while making as little impact as possible on the environment and making a wine that is authentic and alive. His dedication to their principles resulted in his becoming the organization’s Vice President.

“Bianco Veneto” identifies this wine as a blend, but Piccinin wanted a name that better defined this special blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Durella grapes so he chose “Larion” since San Gioani Larion is the dialect version of the municipality where the winery is located . 

I like Larion’s rich aromas of ripe fruit and floral nuances, dried fruit and spicy notes, good structure and great acidity for food. 

Perfetto for those of you like me who want a white wine for your celebration!

Putzenhof: Bodzer Leiten Sudtirol Alto Adige Alte Reben DOC

Putzenhof’s story begins in 1956, when Johann and Viktoria Schweigkofler purchased the Putzenhoff estate. The road to the estate was arduous, the vineyards were old (“Alte Reben” means old vines) and had been neglected for years and the dilapidated buildings would require extensive renovation. 

What looked like a poor real estate investment to the untrained eye, to the Schweigkoflers, the property’s potential was worth the price. Instead of liabilities, they saw vineyards at the foot of a granite wall, (ideal for winemaking because granite’s high thermal mass and insulating properties naturally maintain cool, stable temperature and consistent humidity); slopes with southwestern exposure, good drainage and ideal climate conditions for winemaking. 

The third generation of the family, grandson Roman Mottironi, practices organic viticulture and manages the 5.5 hectares of vines and 1.5 hectares of apple trees on the estate.  Since 2009, Mottironi began bottling and labelling the wines made with the estate grown grapes. 

Bozner Leiten is 85% Schiava and 15% Lagrein-both Alto Adige indigenous grapes. I like Bozner Leiten for its fruity, intense nose, black cherry and violet notes, and its round and well balanced palate. 

Perfetto for those of you who want a lighter red for your celebration!

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.

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market we will taste a white wine from the Langhe Nas-Cetta del Commune di Novello 2021 ($26.99, 12.5% ABV) from the Azienda Agricola Cogli l’Attimo in Novello, Piemonte. “Cogli L’Attimo” translates as “seize the moment”, which is a fitting phrase for how this wine has made its way to Piazza’s shelves. The grape’s name, nas-cetta, translates as “little girl is born” which is also fitting for a nascent winery as young as Cogli l’Attimo.

Vinitaly  is the leading international wine & spirits trade fair for exhibitors, buyers and wine lovers. Last year, Emily attended Vinitaly and her focus was wine from small scale producers, one of which was Serena Anselma, whose first production was in 2021.  She seized the moment and asked Emily for advice about breaking into the US market. Emily contacted one of Piazza’s importers, Doria Wines, who seek out artisanal winemakers. The brother and sister duo of Marco (Torino) and Cristina (DC) seized their moment and Marco visited Serena and now they represent Cogli L’Attimo!  The winery is a perfect fit with Doria Wines’ criteria of native grape varieties, sustainable farming, minimal intervention, and small scale production and winemakers who are personally involved from planting the vines to bottling.

Serena Anselma left her career of teaching languages to fulfill her dream of producing wine from her family’s old vineyards, whose grapes had previously been sold for bulk production.  In 2016, she founded her own winery on her grandparents’ land in Novello, one of the eleven municipalities that produce Barolo. Her annual production is small (about 15,000 bottles). Her winery may be less than ten years old, but it is firmly rooted in the ancient Langhe hills. She works with Sergio Molino, a renowned oenologist, to produce wines that are authentic native varieties since a great wine is dependent upon the quality of the grapes.

Cogli l’Attimo is a family business- Serena and her mother manage most of the vineyard tasks themselves and Serena’s father joins them on weekends for the heavy tractor work.  Currently, Serena produces Barolo cru Cerviano Merli, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto d’Alba, Nas-cetta and one orange wine.

The native grape Nas-cetta almost disappeared, but has a new life thanks to its rediscovery by small producers in the municipality of Novello like Serena and her wine entered the market in 1994. Eight years later, it became part of the Langhe DOC. In 2010, the Langhe Nas-cetta del Comune di Novello DOC designation was created to recognize only one municipality, Novello, for the production of 100% Nas-cetta grapes.

I like Nas-cetta’s floral and fruity aromas and its vibrant citrus flavor. Pair with fresh seafood or risottos, white meat entrees with lemon and herbs, dishes with asparagus or fennel, goat or feta cheese.

Come seize your moment and join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste!

If you wish to order a full case of a wine for Thanksgiving, we need to know by Wednesday 11-19 since our deliveries will occur on Monday 11-24 instead of our regular Thursday schedule. Our annual tasting of wines for Thanksgiving will be next week so stay tuned for our selections for this year!

Cin Cin,

Jenn

Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center, 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 greenbrier, smilax rotundifolia, pictured in photo #2.

A familiar sight in the woods and hedgerows of the eastern United States, greenbrier, smilax rotundifolia — also called catbrier or brambles — is a tough, native vine with glossy leaves and a tangle of sharp, black-tipped thorns. Supported by curling tendrils that spring from the leaf petioles, it clambers up trees and fences or forms nearly impenetrable thickets in the understory.

An adaptable plant, greenbrier can photosynthesize in both shade and full sun, remaining evergreen or partially deciduous depending on conditions. In Spring, clusters of light-yellow flowers appear, followed by dark blue to black berries that persist through Winter. These berries are an important food source for more than forty bird species—from cardinals, catbirds, and grackles, to wild turkeys—as well as white tailed deer and rabbits, and the dense vines provide valuable cover for nesting wildlife.

Though a nuisance to hikers, greenbrier plays an important role in local ecosystems. Its new shoots and tubers, formed from the rhizomes, are even edible, offering both wildlife and humans a surprising foraged treat beneath the thorns.

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