An incredible cellar in a Roman cave
CESANESE DEL PIGLIO and PASSERINA DEL FRUSINATE are not two famous members of the Italian nobility, but rather two little known wines produced in the area around Frosinone about an hour south of Rome.
One of my friends mentioned these wines as we were driving in the area, but,at the moment I didn’t pay much attention. It wasn’t until the waiter served these local wines for dinner did I realize how spectacular they are… local products to be appreciated in the area since few ever leave the zone.
A perfect couple indeed: the CESANESE DEL PIGLIO is a red wine and the PASSERINA DEL FRUSINATE a white, just like, as the name suggests a husband and wife, the perfect married people. Married of course they are with the tasty food of this area famous for its cured meats and cheeses.
The wines get their names from grapes Passerina del Frusinate and Cesanese del Piglio, not much creativity here but excellent creativity in the processing of the grapes and in the wine making which is producing excellent results.
The Cesanese del Piglio is a red wine, derived mostly from the same clone of Cesanese Comune; this grape is strictly indigenous to the province of Frosinone and a few locations around that province. The primary grape is blended with a small percentage of Sangiovese, about 15%.
The wine has a bouquet with a wide range of wild flowers, and is warm, intense, soft and persistent.
It is a perfect match with “Abbacchio alla Cacciatora” Lamb Cacciatore, “cannelloni ripieni con vitello e spinaci” cannelloni pasta stuffed with veal and spinach, Oxtail, “Pasta ‘ncasciati” and some of the best local hard cheeses.
The Passerina del Frusinate, gets its name from the fact that little local birds are crazy for this grape harvested late in September and October, a food that they still enjoy until late in the year. These little birds are called “Passeri” therefore “passerina” grape.
It is a white wine with a blend of small amounts of trebbiano that gives the wine a more intense bouquet of fruit and flowers. It is a dry wine with a light straw color, excellent served lightly chilled and is a perfect match for any fish from the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea and it goes well with many dishes represented by the local culinary traditions.
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