The Prague Post
August 22nd, 2008
Endowment Fund     Business Listings ONLINE      Reservations      Classifieds    Subscriptions
Hotel Prague Centre

Home » Archives » Night & Day

Wine or cheese?

The once-forgotten Pecorino makes a comeback

By Helena Baker
For The Prague Post
August 6th, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Italy's Adriatic coast produces this golden fleece.
Most people are familiar with Pecorino, the famous family of Italian hard cheeses made from sheep’s milk (pecora meaning sheep). In general, it is strong and salty and excellent for grating over pasta dishes, not unlike the even more illustrious Parmigiano Reggiano.
But there’s a very different kind of Pecorino, a white grape variety whose home is Marche, the region that covers much of Italy’s central Adriatic coast.
The Pecorino grape fell out of fashion with the arrival of globally popular super-grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Difficult to grow, the Pecorino tends to rot on the vine, and the thin-skinned, fragile berries often split open. On the other hand, as a very early ripenener it is ideal for the searing summer conditions prevalent in this part of Italy.
Over the years, Pecorino became so unloved that many believed it an extinct varietal. But after some hard detective work, it has now been rediscovered in an almost wild state —flourishing in mountain ravines well away from the coast.
Credit Tenuta Cocci Grifoni, a viticultural estate founded by Guido Cocci Grifoni and Diana Marchetti, for the sleuthing work. They have dedicated themselves tirelessly to reseaching this and other indigenous grapes, such as the Passerina. And other wine makers very quickly began courting the grape for its specific local attributes.
All we need to do now is wait until it turns up somewhere like California as the new must-have variety.  
Pecorino currently appears as a component in two DOC wines, Falerio dei Colli Ascolani and Offida (which gained its DOC status in 2001), and also local IGTs. (IGT wines are region-specific, DOC wines specific both to a region and certain wine-making rules.) The wines at their best are full in body with good acidity, with white fruit and spicy notes to the fore. They pair nicely with seafood, white meat — and delicate sheep’s milk cheese, of course.  
But why the name? According to some stories, the grape became a favorite snack of the sheep being herded down from the mountains in the autumn to their winter pastures.
Winery: Libor Veverka, Čejkovice
In this leading Moravian wine village — notable as much for its cellars built by the Knights Templar as for the poor state of its public roads — young winemakers formed a loose association. These young guns, all from notable winemaking families, bonded together for support as they struck out in new and very modern directions. One of these is Libor Veverka, who from the outset cultivated his own vineyard in order to control all aspects of the winemaking process. The outcome? Wines produced using only natural sugars and acidity. Although they have been on the market for only a short time, Veverka must be doing something right. The admittedly small production of 20,000 bottles sold out, except for a few cases of the current 2007 vintage. His Sauvignon is much sought-after and very tasty, as is the Traminer, reminiscent of rose petals and lychees. Very much recommended: the Frankovka, the notoriously tricky Neronet (usually mouth-puckering and undrinkable) and the easy-drinking Cabernet Sauvignon. Small groups are welcome. For more information, write to
libor@vinoveverka.cz.
Wines of the month
Local white: Rulandské šedé, selection of grapes 2006
Producer: Vinařství Krist – Milotice, Slovácko subregion  
Golden nectar with a rich nose evoking ripe conference pears. Produced by the crown prince of Milotice vintners, the ever-improving Tomáš Krist. On the tongue we note semi-sweet tones of honeydew melon and even a hint of guava — all from a bottle proudly decked out (Soviet general style) with at least four international wine competition medals. (350 Kč)   
Foreign white: Domaine Aubrespy, Coteaux du Languedoc AOC 2005
Producer: Jacques Aubrespy, Saint Pargoire, 34 France
Question: If you had the choice of retiring or of making your own wine, what would you do? Jacques Aubrespy, a former railway engineer certain of the quality of his terroir, chose the latter. Here we have a fine example of his new work, a blend of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, low yields and hand-picked, with a typical nose for the Languedoc, a full fruity body and excellent finish. (around 300 Kč)
Events diary
The annual Pardubice Wine Festival comes around late this month, Aug. 29–30. The weekend features a host of wines displayed on the grounds of the local chateau (zámek), arranged tastings, a show of opening Champagne bottles with sabres, plenty of food and a host of other activities suitable for the family. The event makes for a nice day out, just an hour and a half from Prague. For more information, check www.pardubickyfestivalvina.cz.
Helena Baker’s wine column appears the first Wednesday of every month. She can be reached at features@praguepost.com

Helena Baker can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (6/08/2008):

Browse the Current Issue

If you enjoyed this article, why don't you subscribe to the print version!
We accept secure online transactions provided by PayPal and Moneybookers

Be the first to add a comment!


Full Name: *
City: *
E-mail: **
This comment can be published in the print version of The Prague Post
Enter the text on the right:
 visual captcha
Comment: *
* Required field. In order to be approved for display, comments must have a first and last name and a city.
** E-mails are required and will only be used for internal purposes.

Most visited in Business Listings

Provokator
Hotel booking
The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.