LA VALLE DEL SOLE PASSERINA

A truly elegant bottle of coastal Italian liquid sunshine. Just because you’ve never heard of Passerina doesn’t mean she doesn’t matter!

  • Offida is a hilltop medieval village shadowed by the Sibillini and Laga mountain ranges and cooled by salty breezes from the Adriatic Sea. It’s been famous since Roman times for wine growing and lace-making (both extremely sexy) and now, as then, the focus is on small, family-run wineries.

  • Passerina is my GIRL. She’s indigenous to La Marche and evolved over millennia to THRIVE there. Her natural high-acid and need for late season heat means she’s not phased by warmer summers. OH TO BE SO RESILIENT AND ZESTY.

  • Sisters Alessia & Valeria Nicola own and run this small winery with their father. They started farming organically in 1989, presumably because they know what’s up. WAY TO GO LADIES.

  • Bright, zippy, and bone dry. Think lemon peel, fresh wild herbs, and a touch of sea salt. It’s made in concrete tanks so not even a hint of oak. Pairs with pools, oysters, fried sardines, and PO BOYS BABY. Serve chilled and try to remember to share.

Villa di Corlo ‘Rolfshark’ Lambrusco

The woman who makes this wine earned herself the title “The Queen of Lambrusco.” Honestly what else do you need to know? It’s sparkly, dry, pink wine made by a QUEEN OF WINE.

  • Add Emilia Romagna to your bucket list THIS INSTANT. It’s Italy’s food capital and yes it is where ALL of the following are from: Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma, and lasagna bolognese. And the wine alongside those goodies in the fields and on the tables? Just one, babes: LAMBRUSCO.

  • Lambrusco is actually the name of both the GRAPE that the wine is made from (a red grape - Lambrusco Grasparossa) and the STYLE it’s made into (bubbly, refreshing, pinkish-reddish wine)! HOW FUN!

  • Winemaker Antonia Munari is the QUEEN of new wave Lambrusco! She pioneered a hardcore sustainable approach: 100% organic farming, and a winery that's solar-powered and carbon-neutral, eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions as of 2012 (what the FUCK!)

  • Lambrusco had a heyday in the US in the 70s and 80s when all things Italian were incredibly trendy. Unfortunately, people’s palates were different then. They preferred their wines basic and sweet. Because of the demand, Lambrusco became a huge industry, and the wines became industrial, mass-produced, and boring-as-hell, which in turn gave Lambrusco a bad name. BUT NOT ANYMORE! There are fantastic, fruity, frothy, FUN Lambruscos to be had if you know where to look (and I do!) This one is dry and peppery with fresh wild strawberry and blackberry candy vibes. Pairs with pizza and pasta!