L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Beach days, crab marinara and three white wines from Campania F or some folks, memories of childhood days spent at the beach recall sand castles, water balls, bri- ghtly-colored buckets and shovels. My own seaside memories lean somewhat differently: uncles and cousins pulling nets filled with local crab; grandma sitting on a sandbar during low tide digging for clams and razor fish; kids helping to set outdoor tables for a family meal and plenty of affectionate ball- breaking to let you know you were part of something special. Following the work would come magnificent plates of spaghetti co- vered with fresh-made, garlicky shellfish marinara of whatever they'd managed to catch that day, typically crab, sometimes snails or babbalucci, as grandma would call them. Pretty ocean sunsets? I suppose there were. But I don't remember them. Instead, fixed in my mind, is the memory of fare la scarpetta – mopping up that spicy crab mari- nara with a small piece of bread. Now that, you don't forget. Should you be inclined to retire your beach bucket and shovel for a plate of spaghetti with crab mari- nara, you may be predisposed to the possibility of accompanying the briny bliss with one of Campania's crisp, insanely delicious, white wi- nes. First, a word about Campania, I suppose. One hundred and fifty miles or so south of Rome, the re- gion of Campania is a remarkable place for growing wine grapes. The area's volcanoes have contributed to a very nutrient-poor, mineral- rich volcanic soil which confers a certain tang to the wines. That, along with a Mediterranean-con- tinental climate helping grapes to slowly achieve ripeness, and you have a terroir that produces some of Italy's finest white wines. Falanghina is an indigenous Italian heritage grape that loves growing in Campania's volcanic soil. It's used to make medium to full body white wines in styles that can range from refreshing and easy- drinking to complex and rich. Ge- nerally speaking, Falanghina wines are remarkable for their freshness and bright aroma. Notes of apple, pear, and citrus (orange) are typical. The wine is particularly versatile with food, pairing especially well with tomato-based pasta sauces and, of course, fish and shellfish. Falanghina's freshness brings good counterpoint to the acidity of the tomato sauces. Recommended pro- ducers include Cantina del Ta- burno, Donnachiara, Feudi di San Gregorio, Mastroberardino. Greco, cultivated in Campania around Tufo, makes one of Italy's best white wines which you will find labeled as Greco di Tufo (DOCG). Where Fiano di Avel- lino is elegant, Greco di Tufo flexes more muscle, giving wines of fuller body and, generally, hi- gher alcohol. Greco di Tufo has a viscous mouthfeel and can even communicate tannic impressions. One can find scents and flavors of yellow stone fruit and notes of flint. The wine can have tropical fruit notes, too, and often a pleasant nutty aftertaste on the finish. While powerful, Greco di Tufo is not overpowering in its fruitiness. The wine brings big character and fla- vor, and still works with tomato sauce, it's clean dryness and crisp acidity complimenting the ocean- taste of shellfish. Recommended producers include Donnachiara, Ferrara, Feudi di San Gregorio, Mastroberardino, Terredora di Paolo. Fiano is an antique Italian wine grape grown in a DOCG zone around Avellino. Fiano makes an elegant and complex white wine which you'll find labeled – as mi- ght be expected – Fiano di Avel- lino. You'll find Fiano d'Avellino wines to be of medium to full body, floral and fruity, with notes of aro- matic herb, nut and honey. Although Fiano di Avellino wines are totally wonderful when drunk young, better-made examples can improve with cellaring, developing considerable complexity, some for a decade or more. If there still exi- sts such a thing as a "hidden gem" in Italian wine, Fiano d'Avellino could well be it. Fiano di Avel- lino's energy, elegance, and saline- tang compliment the tomato-based sauces and marry especially well to the briny nature of crab, snails, clams, and mussels. Recommen- ded producers include Colli di La- pio, Donnachiara, Mastroberar- dino, Pietracupa, Rocca del Principe, Terredora di Paolo. I'd sometimes stand there in the shallow low tide water and watch grandma pull those razor fish from the sand. She'd drop five, six, or so, into her bucket, and then, using a butter knife, she'd pry open a shell, squeeze on a bit of lemon on the clam, and down the hatch it would go. Tasting Note Rocca del Principe Fiano d'A- vellino Complex aromatics rise up from a 5-year-old vintage of this wine. Apricot, fig, hints of pear li- queur, candied ginger and minerals transfer to a rich, full palate that conveys both power and refine- ment. Salinity and acidity introduce delicious tension and contrast on the palate, leading to a long, fla- vorful finish marked with an after- taste of subtle hazelnut. Crab is a perfect dish to be served with these wines A trio of amazing southern wine: Campania's Falanghina, Fiano d' Avellino and Greco di Tufo JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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