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A Glass and a Dance

Malaparte Vinos
Dindi Blanco 2019 (I think)
Cuéllar, Segovia, Spain
Albillo Mayor (mainly), Jerez, Huerta del Rey, and Verdejo
Natural farming, no pesticides or herbicides, indigenous yeasts and spontaneous fermentation
Winemaking family: Mariano de Frutos (dad), Elisa de Frutos (daughter), Ruben Salamanca (son-in-law)

Color pale golden yellow. Looks refreshing! Smelling a blend of citrus, melon, some vanilla sweetness, then salty smoky, and something greenish like grass. Sipping cantaloupe and honeydew, a twinge of apple, tangy orange, and lemon tart (with a not so sweet yet toasty vanilla savory crust just lingering in the back). As it opens more, it’s sultry but still has a mineral granite lick. Medium body with an acidic finish. In other words, the best of both worlds

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: more melon, more fragrance

Reading up on how Malaparte Vinos, grew from a dream of Mariano de Frutos. Back in 1996, (wow when I typed this, I was thinking that’s not that long ago, but in reality, yes it is…time flies.) he started planting only Tempranillo in a small 3.5 hectare vineyard, but over the years it has branched out to a variety of grapes such as mentioned above in the wine notes. Very glad his dream has been realized and shared with his daughter Elisa de Frutos and her husband Ruben Salamanca.

Mariano’s dream started and is still in Cuéllar, so off we go to check out the town. If you happen to arrive the last Sunday of August, better keep watch of what’s happening around you. Early each morning (the Festival of Nuestra Señora del Rosario lasts 5 days) the bulls are released to do the infamous run through the streets. I think I’ll stick to just visiting the Dukes of Alburquerque castle. Awe inspiring gothic and renaissance architecture are blended in this incredible structure. Quite a fortress, that became abandoned after the dukes left the neighborhood. Much later in 1938, it became used as a prison and later a sanatorium for TB infected prisoners. What a change from being an exalted lap of luxury. As of now though, it has become a vocational school. Can you imagine going to school in a castle! Oh wait, that makes me think of Hogswart. That could be magical.

Let’s check out one more place in the nearby town of Iscar, the Museo Mariemma. Guillermina Teodosia Martínez Cabrejas, otherwise known as Mariemma, was one of Spain’s most important and influential dancers and choreographers. Born in Iscar, but due to her father wanting to make a better future for his family, they packed up and moved to Paris. From what I’m discovering about her past, she often danced in the street and was discovered for her talent at the age of 9, and then sent to study with a professional. By the age of 12, she was already performing as a soloist at the Olympia Theater. She passed on her love of dance, knowledge and creativity by teaching at Real Conservatorio de Arte Dramático y Danza de Madrid, and forming her own school: Mariemma Ballet de España. If you want to learn more about Mariemma, check out Daniel G. Cabrero’s documentary, “My Paths Through Dance”. Now I have another museum to check off my visit list whenever I get to travel again.

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Rustic Family Roots

Terra di Briganti
Nato Nudo
Aglianico 2017
Benevento IGT
Casalduni Campania Italy
Aglianico 100%
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and indigenous yeasts
Winemakers: Toni and Romeo De Cicco

Dark garnet that I can’t see through. Breathing in dark cherry, prune, and an earthy spiciness. Whoa the first sip is darker than I was expecting. Someone please bring me a lamb chop or maybe even better a lamb sausage. Rustic cherry including the pit and tart ripe blackberries some velvet plum/prune. There’s also something herbal or maybe…no wait, it’s oil cured black olives that I used to eat like a madwoman in college. It’s that luscious old school bitter.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Less bitter and more fruit

Senza Solfiti Aggiunti are magical words to my ears. I love no added sulfites! This is my third Terra di Briganti wine and all three are greatly diverse yet consistent. Every one is well structured and true to their grape. You can feel the passion and care in the wines. I love this quote from their site: “It’s the proper equilibrium between tradition and innovation and the ideal synergy that is found amongst the Earth’s gifts and the art of wine. Because wines of quality aren’t the fruit of coincidence.” This family is devoted to the land, the grape and the nature that nurtures. Does my heart good to see them passing this knowledge down the generations. Check out these lovely pics of everyone pitching in working the vines and wine.

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Naked as the Day You’re Born

Terra di Briganti
Nato Nudo
Fiano 2018
Benevento IGP
Casalduni Campania Italy
Fiano 100%
Organic, biodynamic, vegan, and indigenous yeasts

Super deep glistening gold. Inhale and then there’s blossoms, tangerine, some wafting salt, and then here comes the apples, pears, and something a bit herbal. Go in for the sip and there’s those pears and apples again. Add to that melon, honeysuckle, citrus peel tang, and spice that may be black pepper, or something dried. All I know is I want a plate of salame and mortadella.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: gives it a citrus zing lightness with a touch of celery

Nato Nudo means born naked, and is a natural unfiltered wine with no added sulfites. You can really smell, taste, and feel the benefit of the wild rugged land where the guyot trained Fiano grows.

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Let’s Hear it for the Bugs!

Christina
Zweigelt Rosé 2019
Göttlesbrunn Carnuntum Austria
Zweigelt 100%
Winemaker Christina Netzl
Organic

A glass of really deep flaming cloudy rosé. Sniff and there’s cherry, watermelon, sea breeze, citrus peel, and mineral. Just a beautiful refreshing fragrance. Tip your glass and take a sip. Whoa it’s super fruity. Again there’s delicious watermelon, tart cherry, some lemon tang, and I do believe pepper. Oh this is so easy to drink, but take your time, unless you have a backup bottle in the fridge.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Sweetens the cherry watermelon

The Netzl family has six generations of wine history, and Christina has taken it to the natural side. She grew up on her parents farm/vineyard (in Carnuntum, Austria) learning the ways of the vine. As her family began further focusing on the wine, she also continued her education in London. Upon her return home, she navigated the winery to it’s now organic status, which is heralded on the labels of her Christina line. I’m a big bee and bug backer, and these cheerful illustrations of the beneficial inhabitants of the vineyard tell it all. There’s no pesticides here. Also interestingly enough, Fritz Zweigelt, who had doctorate in entomology, is the father of the grape Zweigelt. Back in the 1920s he crossed Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent grapes to come up with this hybrid.

On to Carnuntum…what a history, an ancient Roman fortress and a destination on the Amber Road. Now from what I’m reading, it’s a treasure trove for archeologists, and as seen in Christina’s wine, an amazing place to have a vineyard from the rich soil influenced by the Danube. Visiting the city’s website, introduced me to Heidentor or also known as “Heathen’s Gate” which is quite weathered yet still majestic. Their site also has a digital rendering of how it probably looked when it was first constructed back in 351–361 AD. There’s also remains of amphitheaters and a gladiator school which they also recreate here. Alright, while watching the video and listening to the dramatic music, it made me have a GOT moment. Started waiting to see if a dragon would fly in and crisp everyone.

Turning away from the city and now heading to Donau-auen National Park, which is a floodplain area along the Danube. I thought, I was just going to be enjoying discovering the wildlife and land, but as I research, I’ve discovered a political movement that saved and created this area. As industry developed and hydroelectric plants and dams popped up along the Danube, Austrian environmentalists stood up and made their voices herd. They protested and encamped themselves to stop the destruction of nature. The police could not even move them. Thousands occupied the Hainburg area to stop the deforestation which became known as the Hainburg Movement. This led to their Supreme Court stopping the clearing of the land and eventually the power plant losing their fight. Thank goodness! Think of how different this area would be, if people just sat back and let their precious water, wildlife and forests be destroyed. Here’s a gorgeous video provided by the park. Wow, to wake up and see such lush beauty each morning would be amazing. This is definitely a place that was and is worth fighting for.

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