Your
intrepid reporter THE GONDOLIER'S WIFE is an avowed naturalist, be it
on the Lido beach, or in the vineyard. That's why I find myself
inside the majestic Villa Favorita, in the Veneto countryside, sipping a glass of torbid prosecco.
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| a Villa full of wine |
Dino and I, plus our friend, Giorgio, a big time wine buff, are here for VinNatur. A wine
extravaganza showcasing naturally crafted wines, produced by wine
makers who believe in minimal intervention, organic or biodynamic
methods in the vineyard, and definitely no chemicals or additives used
in the wine making process. Their aim is to rediscover the true
flavour of wine, by capturing the unique sense of place, where it was
grown, (the French call this concept, terroir).
I've already tried a
Sauvignon Blanc, like no other I've ever tasted, produced in the
Czech Republic, plus a superb Pinot Grigio from Slovenia, as well as
natural wines from all over Italy.
Some
of these traditionally made
wines, have certain qualities, that remind me of the rustic bottles
brought to our family home as gifts, by friends and
relatives, when I was growing up in Australia. You have to remember,
that when the first Italian immigrants arrived down under in the
fifties and sixties, it was hard for them to find the produce
and foodstuffs they craved. Therefore, back gardens were turned into
mini farms. That's probably one of the reasons why Australian
cricket champions with Italian last names are a rarity. In fact, most
ball games were a no-no in Italian back yards crammed full with ripening
tomatoes, precious zucchini plants,
delicate fig trees, and the odd chicken. I even have vague memories
of milking a goat my grandmother kept, when I was a little girl. And
I'll tell you this, that goat was not the pet I thought it was!!! As
sure as the Pope was Italian, it ended in my nonna's pot.
Anyhow,
the glass of torbid prosecco I'm holding, is the creation of the
bow-tie wearing Mauro Lorenzon, legendary owner of "Enoiteca Mascareta"
in Venice, plus "Costadila" vineyard in the Treviso hills. It's cloudy
appearance is achieved by his preference for leaving the lees, or
sediment, in the bottle "to add flavour and texture". He explains
that you have to "ricominciamo dal fondo, pescando nel torbido, per
vederci chiaro" (start from the bottom, searching through
murkiness, to see ourselves clearly). Whatever the hell that
means??
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| real prosecco |
He also informs me that his prosecco can be drunk three ways,
either cloudy, semi-cloudy or clear. Each way you'll have a different
taste experience. I think the ideal terroir to drink his "real
prosecco" as he calls it, could well be inside his venetian
bar/restaurant, and that's exactly what we did the following night,
with a heavenly plate of linguine con vongole (linguine with clams). By the way, if my mother is reading this post, I'm only a
naturalist in the vineyard, not on the beach, I was just trying to
sound exciting... sorry Marie.
Go to Linguine with Clams recipe
loved the paste
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