Where … even lambs live la dolce vita

** cheese-free post **

The bottle chilling in the cooler has a story to tell (with a little Italiano lesson thrown in for free in the brackets). Pecorino? Isn’t that a type of Italian …? Well yes, but it’s also a re-discovered Italian grape variety. Several wine-producing countries have been re-discovering long-forgotten grapes recently. This is a welcome trend if the ones that I’ve tried are anything to go by (see also Where … to find a shy wine).

Back to the Pecorino (and the Italian lesson). Imagine a map of Italy. Imagine roughly where Rome (Roma) is. Head due east across the Apennines (Appennini – with an extra p) and you get to the region of Abruzzo (regione Abruzzo – easy eh?), home of the famous Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wines and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo white wines. Tucked in the bottom right-hand corner of Abruzzo on the Adriatic coast (costa adriatica) is the province of Chieti (provincia di Chieti). Its capital city, Chieti, was named by Achilles in honour of his mother Thetis, but corrupted over the centuries to Chieti.

Now imagine the rolling hills and vineyards in the lands of Chieti (Terre di Chieti – as it says on the label). Here and there a grazing sheep (pecora) helps with the weeding. But the grapes of one variety hang especially low on the vines so even the smallest sheep (pecorino) can reach them for a sweet reward. So what would you name that particular grape variety?

In other areas, vineyards are experimenting with pigs, geese, chickens and even Guinea pigs for weeding duties so keep an eye open for new grape varieties like Porcellino, Paperino, Pulcino and (spicy?) Porcellino d’India in the near future!

If you also want to try la dolce vita (maybe after a spot of gardening), expect to taste pear, melon and even a hint of green apple. If you’re looking for a wine pairing recommendation, then the medium-bodied but delicate Pecorino goes perfectly with tartare di tonno.

For advanced students: IGP stands for Indicazione Geografica Protetta an indication of a protected product, wine in this case, made within a designated geographical area. After a few more glasses of Italian wine we’ll all be fluent.