List of products by supplier Occhio di Gallo

A few years have passed since I first discovered a new, unique flavour! I was wandering among the stalls of a wine tasting event in Asti, and among the many producers, many of whom I already knew, I caught sight of a very particular bottle with a label I had never seen before, one that was just as unique. It featured, prominently and in vivid colours, the profile of a rooster! I immediately went closer to find out what it was. Emanuela's smile and friendliness, the producer, convinced me to taste what turned out to be a new and unexpected sensory experience for me. It wasn't a passito wine, nor a fortified wine, but a typical product of the Marche tradition, the "Vino Cotto Stravecchio Marca Occhio di Gallo" from Loro Piceno. So I accepted Emanuela's invitation to visit them in their small town in the hills of the Marche hinterland, a region we often visit in summer and that I love very much for the beauty of its sea and the shape of its landscape, made up of gentle, winding hills, mainly cultivated with sunflowers, vines and olive trees, framing the roads that wind up and down between one village and another, all inhabited by genuine, warm and welcoming people. In August I reach Loro Piceno, a charming village between the provinces of Macerata and Ascoli Piceno, at an altitude of about 400 metres. Some buildings still bear visible signs of the earthquake that struck this area a few years ago, but the warmth of its people has remained intact. My visit begins in the vineyard of the Tiberi family, just over two hectares, where the five grape varieties that form the basis of this extraordinary product are grown naturally and sustainably: Verdicchio, Malvasia, Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Sangiovese. These are, therefore, white and red grape varieties skilfully blended together. The strictly hand-picked harvest of the best bunches and the winery production keep the whole family busy, who, despite the hard work, dedicate themselves to their craft always with great enthusiasm and a smile! For an excellent result, year after year. After the harvest, we move to the cellar, where the bunches arrive in small crates and are pressed, with only the strength of human arms operating the heavy traditional press. This produces a rich, fragrant must, which is then very slowly "simmered" in a large cauldron over a fire fuelled only by oak wood, which, as Emanuela explained to me, is a type of wood that produces little flame, ideal for this stage of production. This process helps to concentrate the must, reducing its volume by up to a third and allowing the grape sugars to caramelise. Only after many hours and much patience, stirring it from time to time, is it left to cool, and the following day it is transferred into small oak barrels, where it will slowly begin to ferment spontaneously for a long time, even up to a year! Once fermentation is complete, it will rest for many more years before being bottled. That day I had the privilege of tasting the oldest vintage, the grandparents' vino cotto, drawn directly from the small barrel, vintage 1964! Why "occhio di gallo" (rooster's eye)? Because the elders who made this nectar used to say that, to be good, Vino Cotto had to have the colour of a rooster's eye! It is a traditional wine known since the time of the ancient Romans, when it was never missing from the banquets of patricians and emperors, and was even mentioned by Pliny the Elder. Later it was appreciated by popes, kings and princes. Today it is enjoyed at family celebrations, on the most important occasions and at banquets to accompany traditional desserts, but it is also used in cooking to flavour meats or to prepare the sauce for "vincisgrassi", a typical dish from the Marche region. It is a very special wine, much loved by the people of the Marche (and beyond), so much so that every year in August the entire town of Loro Piceno organises a festival in its honour that lasts several days, during which people drink and celebrate late into the night! It pairs wonderfully with both fresh pastries made with cream and dry pastries. Drunk warm, it is also an excellent and soothing remedy to relieve coughing. The perfect pairing is undoubtedly with extra dark chocolate and, for those with even more particular tastes, with a good aged cigar. This certainly makes it one of the best meditation wines I have ever tasted!