Food and Wine Excellencies of a Region that Deserves to be Better Known.
The event was held on February 18th, organized by the Simposio Trionfo del Gusto. And when it comes to Excellence, iBestmag is always there, whether it’s hospitality, drinking, or food. In this case wines, cheeses, cured meats, olive oil and sweets were the protagonists of the day.
Tintilia and Caciocavallo di Agnone have made the lion’s share of them all. Respectively a wine and a cheese that best represent the typical Molise.
Molise is a beautiful land, harsh and hard, often overlooked by the main tourist flows (and perhaps this is not entirely bad), where tradition still has a meaning and some products of this tradition have nothing to envy to those more famous and known . We were particularly struck by the word “Vignaiolo” (winegrower) written under the name of a winemaker, who proudly underlines the belonging to a world that almost no longer exists.
The Tintilia DOC, for example, is a red wine, made from a native vine (almost disappeared in the last century, and rediscovered in the ’70s), which in its various varieties can satisfy even the most demanding palates. We could taste it in different productions, where the vine is grown over 500 meters above sea level, and further down towards 200. Aged in steel, or in barrique (both with new barrels and barrels already used) and even vinified as a sparkling wine. It is therefore possible to imagine how many and different nuances this vine can offer.
Naturally, Tintilia was not alone in representing Molise wine production. Notable for example were some Aglianico, Falanghina, Sauvignon and Merlot.
The second protagonist of the day was, as we said, the Caciocavallo di Agnone.
Agnone is a town in the province of Isernia, located at 800 mt. above sea level. Its origins are ancient, like those of Caciocavallo, dating back to Magna Graecia. Currently this cheese is produced all over the Molise, although Agnone remains the largest production center. The characteristics of the product has been certified by the Ministry of Agriculture with the inclusion in the list of Traditional Italian Agri-Foodstuffs (P.A.T.) and also Slow Food wanted to include it in its Ark of Taste. Present with various companies at the event, in all its maturation aspects (which can be up to two years) we definitely liked, especially in the more seasoned varieties that for our personal taste, we tend to prefer.
Of course, it was not “spoken” only about wines and cheeses, but also of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (E.V.O.), cured meats and typical sweets, among which stood the Mostaccioli, Ostie and Uccellini of the Bakery/Confectionery Alto Molise di Agnone.
Some specialist seminars on Tintilia and Olive Oil have completed this day dedicated to Molisan delicacies.
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