Sunday School

WINE

Nerello Mascalese Rosso, Ayunta, ’24

Sicily, Italy

From the northern slopes of Mount Etna, Ayunta is a tiny family-run winery with just about 3 hectares of vineyards perched at nearly 700 meters above sea level. The wines are made by hand, with no chemical treatments in the vineyard, and a focus on letting Etna's volcanic landscape do the talking. Basically, this is Sicily with its sleeves rolled up.

Nerello Mascalese is Etna's signature red grape, known for producing wines that are much lighter on their feet than you might expect from Sicily. Think red fruit, flowers, savory minerality, and plenty of fresh acidity rather than big, heavy, sun-soaked flavors. The high elevation and volcanic soils keep everything bright, lifted, and wonderfully energetic.

Ayunta takes an old-school approach in the cellar. The grapes are hand harvested and given just three days of skin contact, with native yeast fermentation in open vats. About 10 to 15% of the grapes undergo carbonic maceration, while the wine spends six months aging in cement. The result is a wine that feels refreshingly unfussy and incredibly alive.

In the glass, expect raspberry, tart cherry, red flowers, and a distinctly mineral, slightly smoky streak. It is fresh, savory, and easy to drink, with gentle tannins and a lovely salty snap on the finish.

$13 glass‍ ‍•  $9 glass

CHEESE

Piave Vecchio

Veneto, Italy · Cow–P

Many people consider this cheese to be the younger brother of Italy’s more famous Parmigiano Reggiano. Although there are some similarities between the two, Piave is sweeter and less complex. Piave does exhibit some of the same compelling depth of flavor with memorable, full, rounded tastes as well as the beginnings of crunchy crystallization, but the comparison to Parmigiano ends here. Made in smaller wheels, it weighs between 11 and 15 pounds and can be sold in several stages of ripeness. As you might imagine, a young version tastes dramatically different than its aged counterpart.

A nice Vecchio should have nutty, concentrated flavors with floral undertones and a hint of tropical fruit. Piave is also well known for being used in the classic Friulian dish Frico, in which shaved particles of this cheese are heated in a skillet until they bind together and form a wafer. The perfect pairing to a savory red and the finishing touch to every cheese board, you can never go wrong with some elegant Piave.

$9‍ ‍•  $6