A Movie Set in Acerenza and Tumacë Me Tulë + Azienda Bisceglia Aglianico del Vulture Gudarra 2015 #ItalianFWT

Buon Anno! Happy New Year! Welcome to the first post of 2022 for the Italian Food Wine Travel group. I am hosting and decided to change things up slightly. This month, I invited the group to watch a movie in addition to tracking down a wine and making a food pairing.

If you are reading this early enough, and aren't too groggy from your end-of-2021 celebrations, you are welcome to join our Twitter chat on New Year's morning. 8am. Just follow the hashtag #ItalianFWT and be sure to add that to anything you share so we can see it.

 Here's what the writers were inspired to post...

• A Movie Set in Acerenza and Tumacë Me Tulë + Azienda Bisceglia Aglianico del Vulture Gudarra 2015 by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Enjoying Aglianico From the Vine with Pizza Montanara by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• From the Vine: Devouring Pizza, Donnachiara Aglianico Wine, and the Movie by Our Good Life
• How A Glorious Past Can Reinvent The Future in Basilicata by Grapevine Adventures
• Mila Vuolo’s Passion for Aglianico in Colli di Salerno IGT by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• New Year Nibbles + an Organic PetNat Aglianico by Wineivore
• Organic Aglianico from Ciro Picariello by Avvinare
• Pairing Wine and a Movie: “From The Vine”and 2012 I Favati Cretarossa + Salsicce e Fagioli by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Why Aglianico Rules Among Grapes of Southern Italy by My Full Wine Glass
• Why Aren’t you Drinking More Aglianico? by Vino Travels

A Movie Set in Acerenza

I'll admit that there are not many wine movies that I really love. I'm not a big fan of Sideways and I really found Wine Country a surprisingly somber chick-flick; but I did enjoy Bottle Shock and this one - From the Vine - lands in my thumbs-up box, too.

This movie stars Joe Pantoliano as Marco Gentile, the CEO of a car company who quits his job when he realizes that board of directors isn't going to allow him to keep the now-deceased founder’s green, environmentally responsible initiatives going. A workaholic, he’s distant from his wife and estranged from this daughter. But he quits and uproots his life to live in Acerenza, a small town in Basilicata where his nonno had a property and a vineyard. The conflicts: his wife doesn't join him; he has to cover all the back taxes to regain control of the property; and he knows nothing about growing grape and making wine!

I enjoyed the story, the quirky inhabitants of Acerenza, the stunning beauty of the vineyards in Basilicata, and moments of ridiculous comedy. I hope the others enjoyed this movie, too. It certainly inspired me to track down several bottles of Aglianico. Those are the vines in Gentile's vineyards, after all.

Azienda Bisceglia Aglianico del Vulture Gudarra 2015

I tracked down half a dozen bottles of Aglianico from around Italy's boot, but I wanted to feature one that was from the same region as Gentile's vineyard. The Bisceglia estate was founded by Mario Bisceglia in 2001 with a goal of producing both indigenous and global varieties in the Basilicata area. His estate if situated on the lower slopes of an extinct volcano, Mount Vulture. Comprising forty hectares in the heart of the Aglianico del Vulture DOCG appellation, he grows Aglianico, Moscato, and Fiano vines.

The Gudarrà poured a deep ruby-red with flecks of violet on the rim. On the nose, I noted bright red fruits and a subtle aroma of spice. On the palate, there was a beautiful addition of savory flavors such as black olive. This wine was exotic and full-bodied. I can't wait to try the other bottles of Aglianico I found to compare from other parts of Italy. However, I can say that I am a huge fan of this variety.

Tumacë Me Tulë

While I was initially thinking to pair this wine with some slow-braised meat in a tomato sauce, I found an intriguing dish that hails from the Basilicata region and decided to try it. I was instantly taken with the simplicity of process but layers and layers of flavors.

Ingredients serves 4

Topping

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (traditional is walnuts, but Jake doesn't like them)
• Also needed: skillet, freshly ground pepper

Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for finishing
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 3 to 4 anchovy fillets plus more for garnish
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine

For Serving

• cooked pasta (traditional is tagliatelle, I had spaghetti)
• freshly chopped parsley
• shaved aged cheese (I used a mixture of parmesan and pecorino)

Procedure

Topping

Place the breadcrumbs and hazelnuts in a skillet and toast until golden brown. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until ready to serve.

Sauce

Heat olive oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Stir in garlic and heat until aromatic. Don't let it get too dark or it will be bitter.

Add in the anchovies. Stir until they break apart to form the base of the sauce. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine. Bring to a simmer. Once the sauce is heated through, set aside.

For Serving

Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce. Add in half of the topping and a handful of cheese. Pour in a glug or two of olive oil and stir until glossy.

Divide into individual serving bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of the topping, cheese, and parsley. Place an anchovy on the top and serve immediately.

That's a wrap for the 2022 kick-off event. We'll be back next month with a focus on the Oltrepò Pavese with Susannah of Avvinare leading the discussion. Stay tuned!