Sunday School

WINE

Ramato Pinot Grigio “Ramoro,” Lunaria, ’25

Abruzzo, Italy

From Abruzzo, Lunaria is the biodynamic wine project of Cantina Orsogna, a large cooperative made up of hundreds of local growers. The winery has been farming organically for decades and has embraced biodynamic practices across much of its vineyards, with a focus on working in harmony with the land rather than forcing it into submission.

“Ramoro” is a classic example of ramato, an Italian style of Pinot Grigio made with extended skin contact. Despite its reputation as a white grape, Pinot Grigio actually has naturally pinkish-gray skins. When the juice spends time with those skins, it takes on that gorgeous coppery color and gains extra texture and savory character. The name ramato comes from the Italian word for “copper.”

The wine is made from biodynamically farmed Pinot Grigio from vineyards around Orsogna, at about 440 meters above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation and aging in concrete tanks keep the wine fresh and expressive, while the skin contact gives it a little more texture than your average Pinot Grigio.

In the glass, expect ripe peach, apricot, pink grapefruit, and yellow fruit, with floral aromas and a lightly savory finish. It is fresh, juicy, and just textured enough to make you pause and wonder why all Pinot Grigio isn't made this way.

$13 glass‍ ‍•  $9 glass

CHEESE

Caciocavallo

Lombardy, Italy · Cow–P

Time for an Italian lesson. (Hey, we told you it was Sunday School.) Caciocavallo is pronounced “KAH-chee-oh-kah-VAH-loh,” and translates literally to “cheese on horseback.” While rumor has it that it was first made with mare’s milk, we’ve never found any truth to that claim. What we do know is that typically, two unwieldy “bulbs” of Caciocavallo are tied together with a length of string, perhaps to sling across a horse’s back en route to the mercato (or, more commonly today, to dangle from the ceiling of your favorite Italian specialty store).

The five-pound bulbs come from the pasta filata family of cheese, which means that their curd is stretched and pulled while still warm – like mozzarella. Unlike mozzarella, Caciocavallo is aged for six to eight months, developing a firm texture and a salty, buttery finish with a little tang that we like to think of as grown-up string cheese.

$9‍ ‍•  $6