Slow Food, Slow June: Taste Workshops

Slow Food pulls another delightful event out of its hat, perfect for 'novice' winelovers. The island of La Maddalena in Sardinia becomes the dream setting for four events June Slow organised to be experienced in presence or at a distance thanks to convenient tasting kits sent by Sarda Tellusan association that promotes Sardinian culture in the world. I would like to publicly congratulate them on the care of the packaging: despite the heat and the bad manners of certain couriers everything arrived perfect! 🤩

June Slow was born to tell the association between man, island and a particular plant, the grapevine. I participated in 2 taste workshops via streaming, A Thousand Bubbles and the Blue e Sea Nectars. This last one in particular was a mystical experience! Fantastic! 

A Thousand Bubbles and the Blue started on Saturday 10 July 2021 at 7pm. Sardinia, with its sparkling wine Birbante Rosé by Tenuta Asinara, met the island of Salina, which presented itself with the Ruffiano Brut di Malvasia by Cantina Virgona. Paired in the kit I found:

• 1 clove of guttiau bread of the Sardinian Island Bakery
• 1 clove of bread carasau of the Sardinian Island Bakery
• 1 form of Pecorino Canestrato Bantu of Lacesa
• 1 jar of Antunna mushrooms
• 1 jar of wild cardoons

Honestly, I didn't understand the choice of wild cardoons: too much vinegar, too much structure, too much spiciness... they were really impossible to match! Apart from that all the products were fantastic. I particularly liked the bread guttiau and the antunna mushrooms!

June Slow - A Thousand Bubbles and the Blue, Saturday 10 July 2021

Ruffiano di Salina Extra Dry sparkling wine from Cantine Virgona

It is a brilliant straw yellow with a fine, numerous and persistent perlage that forms an abundant and evanescent mousse when served. The malvasia is not as characterful on the nose as it is on the palate, but it is nevertheless pleasant. Notes of honey, pineapple and lime blossom fade into a brackish finish. In the mouth, one feels that it is made from Malvasia grapes, but it is not totally consistent with the nose. The drinking is simple but pleasant and it is perfect for a disengaged aperitif. It went very well with antunna mushrooms, pane guttiau and pecorino canestrato, very badly with cardoons, which totally prevered it.

This Aeolian sparkling wine deserves to be tasted: it is a successful exercise in style nonetheless. Of course in this charmat method version it struggles to totally satisfy a palate that is used to something more structured (By the way, have you already bought my Sparkling Wine Guide collector's item?), but it can still prove enjoyable in combination with a richly scented aperitif. Besides, I remain a great Malvasia lover! Do you remember the wonderful days I spent in the realm of Malvasia at the Val Tidone Wine Fest?

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"Birbante rosé' by Tenuta Asinara Sparkling rosé brut I.G.T. Isola dei Nuraghi wine

For a charmat method they have done a miracle! I can see why it was chosen by Slow Food for this taste workshop! It is a beautiful bright onion skin pink with a fine perlage, very numeriso and persistent. The nose is very vanilla with notes of small red fruits, iodine and strawberry yoghurt. In the mouth, it is consistent, fresh, soft, with some residual sugar, good structure and good flavour. It is a very pleasant drink! It went very well with pecorino canestrato and cardoon (within the limits of what was possible given, as I said, the difficulty of this), while the mushrooms covered them.

June Slow - Nectars of the Sea, Saturday 17 July 2021

Malvasia delle Lipari DOC Passito Virgona 2013

Malvasia delle Lipari is simply a myth. I got to know it very closely with my ex-partner, a historical name from the island of Salina. It is certainly one of my favourite Italian dessert wines, so I thank Slow Food for reminding me!

It has a beautiful, bright intense amber colour. The nose is intense and complex with notes of acacia honey, macadamia nut and caramelised fig. In the mouth it is mellow, consistent,  fresh, very savoury, with a well-balanced sweetness. It goes very well with Ignazio Cabras' delicious almond sweets and Fiore Sardo Bussu DOP, while the Ovinforth totally covers it.

'Amentos di Nasco' Nasco di Cagliari DOC Passito, Sardus Pater 2011

I knew the Cagliari nasco grape variety only by name, studied back in the days of theais examination. It has a beautiful bright dark amber colour, consistent. The nose is broad and intense, orgasmic, perfect for sherry lovers. Notes of caramelised fig, jammy apricot, fresh dates, cherries under spirits, almond brittle, chestnut honey and fermented tobacco combine harmoniously in a splendid bouquet. In the mouth it is consistent, harmonious, viscous, soft, with exceptional almost marsala-like notes. Long almondy finish. It paired excellently with Ovinforth, nicely with Fiore Sardo DOP and magnificently with Ignazio Cabras' Dolcetti Papassinus.

Even if the workshop is finished, I recommend you buy the tasting box Sea Nectars because it is wonderful. Slow Food and Sarda Tellus did a wonderful job with Slow June and I am looking forward to participating again next year... hopefully with my husband! We really need a holiday and we love Sardinia. He even cycled around the whole island, unbelievable! The first time I was on the Costa Smeralda I stayed in a hotel overlooking the Romazzino beach, which I have incredible memories of. The second time I stayed in a beautiful village in the south of Sardinia, at Capo Boi in Villasimius. Sardinia is magical, like its products, its people, its wines.

Cheers 🍷

Chiara

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