Pasquale is a man of patience and determination - there’s no questioning that. I had to wait 5 years to get his wines into the club as he tweaked and perfected his bottles until he was ready to put them for sale to the general public. But boy was it worth it.
I had my first sip of his deliciously versatile Aglianico at the family restaurant, Antica Trattoria Di Pietro, and I have to say it was love at first sight (for the wine, the family, and the food!). What makes these wines so special? Here’s everything you need to know.
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Who is he? Pasquale is the brother of Anita, and son of Crescenzo and Teresa, of the Antica Trattoria Di Pietro restaurant celebrated by just about everyone in and around food in Italy. From the Michelin Guide, to Slow Food, to Katie Parla who even featured one of their dishes in her Food of the Italian South cookbook, this family is beloved for their dedication to sourcing the most incredible ingredients and for using techniques handed down through generations.
Following his family. Pasquale crafts his wines from Aglianico grapes that come from the family vineyard planted by his grandfather as well as from grapes from a younger vineyard planted nearby. There’s no filtration or clarification and everything was done by hand in making the wine.
What makes this Aglianico unique? I posed this very question to Pasquale after noting this wine, while structured and full of red forest fruit flavors, seemed like the shy little brother of other Aglianicos found in Irpinia. Pasquale laughed and said that’s because the wine is just like him.
Anything else? Pasquale chooses a record each year to play while the grapes are fermenting after the harvest. Be sure to check out the back label to see what record was playing for the vintage you’re drinking.
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