This weekend we will offer two wines, the Dolcetto D’Alba DOC, 2022, ($20.50, ABV 13.5%) from the Azienda Agricola Alessandro Rivetto winery in La Morra, Piemonte and the Ghemme  Chioso Dei Pomi DOCG 2017, ($49.95, ABV 14%) from the Rovellotti Vineyard in Ghemme, Alto Piemonte.

We are fortunate that our wine reps from time to time offer us deals on special wines that can’t be reordered. Emily and I tasted the Ghemme with one of our reps recently and we thought it was outstanding. That was no surprise since the importer is Rosenthal and he is one of two importers (Kermit Lynch is the other) whose portfolios of unique wines of the highest quality I follow on their websites. I would buy any wines from them without tasting.

Ghemme Chioso Dei Pomi DOCG: (85% Nebbiolo, Vespolina 15%). Antenello Rovellotti is as proud of his heritage as he is of his wine. He believes less than 200 people share his surname, and around 66 people have never left Ghemme!  His family roots date from the late 15^th century and their wine is produced in a maze of underground cellars with wine stacked from the ground to the ceiling, spread around in Ghemme’s “Ricetto”, a central walled compound that in prior years protected the townspeople during times of war.

Since the early 1980’s, Antenello has consulted with the University of Milan to keep his 15 hectare vineyard in balance ecologically and environmentally; no chemicals, protection of local insects, etc.

Emily and I were both captivated by this wine’s complex nose, its aromatic depth from ripe cherry and wild strawberry to notes of rose petals and leather; medium to full body palate, smooth tannins.  Don’t pass up a taste of this outstanding wine!

Dolcetto D’Alba DOC: Alessandro is the fourth generation of the Rivetto family to manage the vineyard. His  grandfather Ercole imparted in him a deep appreciation for the family’s vineyards  and cellar as his father Giovanni did for him. Alessandro continues the family tradition with another Alessandro, his enologist, Alessandro Bonelli.

The Alessandros have two different labels for their bottles: the modern label “Albeisa” with Rivetto’s initials back to back and the “Bordolese”, which continues the tradition of the Rivetto family.

Their “Wine Loft”, a welcoming and intimate space for tasting their wines, overlooks the beautiful Piedmontese landscape and their municipality of  La Morra.

Their Dolcetto D ’Alba is 100% Dolcetto grape and is fruit forward with aromas of amarena and red cherries, has a persistent flavor, and is soft and balanced as its name suggests (delicate, not sweet). Pair with lightly sauced pastas, white meat entrees, or grilled veggies.

Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste of these red wines from Piemonte.

Cin Cin!

Jenn

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 below?

The answer to last week’s mystery is the tulip poplar, Liriodendron tulipfera, pictured below:

The tulip poplar is a large, native, deciduous tree that can grow 90–120′ tall. Its attractive tulip-like flowers give the tulip poplar its common name. Although not a member of the poplar genus, its characteristics are similar to poplar. It is actually a member of the magnolia family.

In the winter cone-like seed clusters sit upright on the branches. The seeds are called samaras, or helicopters. The individual, winged samaras can be scattered by the wind to distances equal to four or five times the height of a tree. Tulip poplar is a prolific seeder. A seed fall of 300,000 to 600,000/acre is not uncommon. Tulip poplar seeds retain their viability on the forest floor from 4–7 years.

Tulip poplars are a favorite nesting tree for birds, and they are an attractive species to butterflies and hummingbirds.

The tulip poplar leaf is the logo for Adkins Arboretum.

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

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste a new wine to our collection, the Rosa delle Calle Toscana IGT Rosato ($19.75, ABV 13.5%) from the Azienda Agricola Le Calle Di Riccardo Catocci winery in the Maremma region of Toscana. The beautiful label’s name of the wine translates as “the pink calla lilies”.

Rosa delle Calle Toscana IGT Rosato ($19.75, ABV 13.5%) from the Azienda Agricola Le Calle Di Riccardo Catocci winery in the Maremma region of Toscana

Maremma is Toscana’s least populated part with  the variety of its geography including the blue Tyrrhenian Sea, marshes, long narrow beaches dotted with black rock,  round hills, mountains thick woods and medieval towns like San Gimignano. 

The Le Calle farmhouse is located in Maremma’s heart; between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Monte Amiata. Looking west from the terrace of their cellar you can see the Tyrrhenian Sea and looking east you can see Monte Amiata.  

Riccardo, Camilla and Savina Catocci

Le Calle’s Rosa delle Calle is 100% Ciliegiolio and Emily and I tasted it recently with our rep. We both liked its prominent fresh red fruit aromas of cherry with strawberry hints, floral aroma of rose petals, crisp acidity for food and a clean finish. As an architect, I always critique the label design and this beautiful label would also make a perfect gift. 

Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 to taste this new and refreshing wine. Ian D’Agata, who wrote the tome “Native Grapes of Italy” considers the Ciliegiolo grape to be one of Italy’s “greatest but most underappreciated grape variety”. Come taste and see if you agree!

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.

Prepare for spring in the garden! Adkins Arboretum, offering the Chesapeake gardener the best selection of landscape-ready native plants, announces its 30th Annual Spring Native Plant Sale. All proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s rich variety of education programs that teach about the Delmarva’s native plants and their connection to a healthy Chesapeake Bay.

To ensure the best quality plants, sales will be conducted entirely online. Orders will be accepted through Thurs., March 27 at adkinsarboretum.org and will be fulfilled via timed, scheduled pickup in late April and early May.

New this year, there are two pickup locations to choose from: Adkins Arboretum and Delmarva Native Plants in Georgetown, Delaware. This partnership allows those in Delaware or east of the Arboretum to pick up their plants at Delmarva Native Plants’ future retail location. Upon completing your online order, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to schedule your pickup date, time and location.

Plants for sale include a large variety of native perennials, ferns, vines, grasses and flowering trees and shrubs for spring planting. Native flowers and trees provide food and habitat for wildlife and make colorful additions to home landscapes, whether in a perennial border, a woodland garden or a restoration project. Native honeysuckle entices hummingbirds, while tall spikes of purplish flowers grace blue wild indigo. Milkweed provides critical energy for monarch butterflies on their winter migration to Mexico, and native azaleas present a veritable rainbow of colorful blooms.

For information about special orders, special pickups, help with plant choices for restoration projects or pricing for nonprofits or commercial contracts, contact Leslie Cario at nativeplants@adkinsarboretum.org.

As always, Arboretum members receive a generous discount on plants that varies according to membership level. To join, renew your membership or give an Arboretum membership as a gift, visit adkinsarboretum.org or contact Kellen McCluskey at [email protected].

For more information on plants, purchasing or pickup procedures, visit adkinsarboretum.org, send email to nativeplants@adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market we will taste the Rosso Della Motta Vino Rosso, 100% Nebbiolo, ($19.50, ABV 13%) from the Centovigne /Castello di Castellengo winery in Costa della Sesia, a lesser known region of Alta Piemonte.  Due to the dual death blows of  phylloxera and industrialization, there ae few vineyards in this area and the tiny vineyards that remain are part of a viticultural tradition that was nearly lost. The Centovigne /Castello di Castellengo winery produces the indigenous grapes Nebbiolo, Erbaluce, and Vespolina.

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market we will taste the Rosso Della Motta Vino Rosso, 100% Nebbiolo, ($19.50, ABV 13%) from the Centovigne /Castello di Castellengo winery in Costa della Sesia

Nature has blessed Piemonte with ideal conditions for viticulture; when the nebbia (fog) gently makes her descent into the valley, she covers the thin skins of the Nebbiolo grapes so they can slumber until they fully mature into the complex, earthy flavor, red fruit and tannins that are characteristic of this grape that has flourished in Piemonte since the 13th century. Castello di Castellengo traces its roots to 1682 when a document was found listing the number of barrels and vats located inside the Castello di Castellengo. 

In 1998, Winemaker Magda Zago and her husband Alessandro Ciccioni began making wine from tiny plots and their vineyard has grown to 7.5 hectares. Numerous 80+ year old vineyards surround the historic Castello di Castellengo, inspiring them to add “Centovigne” (one hundred vineyards) to their wine labels. 

Magda Zago and Alessandro Ciccioni

Magda credits a lesson in elementary school about the magic of fermentation that led to her studies at the University of Enology in Milan. She is committed to biodiversity and sustainable viticulture by using native yeasts, cement tanks, large recycled oak barrels and natural temperature control. 

Emily and I tasted this wine recently with our rep. and we both felt it would be a great addition to our collection. We liked its medium body, elegant bouquet, aromas of cassis, plum, sweet spices and smooth tannins. This wine would pair well with Piazza’s medium aged cheeses and/or cured meats, or pasta with red sauce.  If you like your Nebbiolo refined and aged in old wood, this one’s for you!

The winery also offers four ensuites in an 18th century building in the historic village of Castello di Castellengo. Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste of this very special Nebbiolo!

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 the Larion 2022 Bianco Veneto IGT, 2022, ($24.25, ABV 12.5%) from the Azienda Agricola Daniele Piccinin in the hamlet of Muni in the Alpone valley northeast  of Verona. Daniele Piccinin grows the Veneto’s indigenous grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and has become the champion of the rare grape Durella.

In 2006, Piccinin left his career in the restaurant business to fulfill his dream of his own winery with the purchase of seven hectares in San Giovanni Ilarione. From the beginning, he embraced a natural approach to viticulture (certified organic, biodynamic, minimal use of copper and sulfites). As a novice winemaker, 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.

It is easy to identify Piccinin’s vineyards since they are unlike many Veneto vineyards’ rows of monocultural plantings that endure copious application of chemicals. In contrast, Daniele Piccinin’s vines stand out for the native flowers and grasses that share the soil with the grapes. He believes it imparts liveliness to his wines. 

“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. He chose “Larion” since San Gioani Larion is the dialect version of the municipality where the winery is located. Emily and I tasted this wine recently and we liked its rich aromas of ripe fruit and floral nuances, dried fruit and spicy notes, good structure and great acidity for food. Pair with fish, pasta dishes or risotto.

Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 to taste this delicious white wine.

Cin Cin!

Jenn

Ciao Tutti!

Happy Valentine’s Weekend-Piazza is well stocked with chocolates and bubbly for your celebrations! 

If you are celebrating at home, this weekend we are tasting the Bozner Leiten (hills of Bolzano) Sudtirol Alto Adige DOC from the PutzenHof winery, near Bolzano in  Italy’s most northern region, the Trentino-Alto Adige.

The Alto Adige River divides the region between the Sud Tirol-Alto Adige in the north from the Trentino region in the south. Prior to 1919, Alto Adige was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire with its architecture of steep roofed chalets and onion dome churches. Trentino, which borders Lombardia and the Veneto, is firmly Italian. The landscape is one of extremes-from the Alpine peaks ending in green valleys with tranquil lakes. 

The region’s winemaking technology ranks among the best of  Italy’s twenty regions. Its Institute of San Michele all’ Adige is not only one of Europe’s most important research institutions but also is considered to be one of Italy’s best oenological schools. It’s not surprising, since grape vines have been growing here since 2000 BC (!) with the monasteries becoming winemakers during the medieval period. 

The winery is managed by a member of the third generation of the family, Roman Mottironi, whose grandmother bought the estate in the early 1950’s. The first wine production was in 2009 from the estate’s 4 hectares of vines. The mountain air, SW exposure, sandy soil and the estate’s microclimate produces their three white and three red wines that are fresh, minerally and flavorful.

Bozner Leiten is a harmonious blend of 85% Schiava and 15% Lagrein, both indigenous grapes of the Alto Adige.  I like this wine for its  fruity and intense aroma, bursting with fresh berries and bright cherries. If you like the smooth and medium body of a Pinot Noir, this one’s for you!

Pair with Piazza’s antipasti, speck, cured meats (Piazza’s new smoked capocollo would be a match made in heaven), roasted pork or chicken and mild cheeses. 

In addition to great wines, PutzenHof is also an Agriturismo-one of my travel goals is to visit Bolzano in the fall to hike and to stay in one of their six rooms. 

If you have not yet tasted this wine, come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Sat. 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.