In Vino Veritas

By all accounts, Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) was a Renaissance man way before it was cool, or even before there was a Renaissance (which didn’t occur for another 13 Centuries). Born Gaius Plinius Secundus, Pliny was a Roman author, historian, naturalist, statesman and military commander. He may have also been the world’s first wine critic. 
 
His book, Naturalis Historia, was a 37-volume master work, and precursor to modern encyclopedias, dedicated to the history of human knowledge and included two volumes on wine. He wrote about grape varietals, cultivation, production methods, climate and terroir, and the best vineyards, or first growths as he called them, around Europe. He’s also credited with the phrase, “in vino veritas” or “in wine, there’s truth.”* 
 
One Italian region Pliny was particularly fond of was Campania, from whose volcanic soils grow Fiano, Falanghina, and Aglianico. Fiano yields a light white wine, similar to Chardonnay, known for its soft flavors of pear, citrus and honey. Falanghina also produces a white wine full of citric aromas and flavors of apple and pear. The Aglianico grape produces a full-bodied red wine, known as the Barolo of the South, packed with berry flavors and high levels of tannins and acidity. 
 
Pliny would most definitely like the wines of Gaetano and Alfredo Falluto, the brothers who run Corte Normanna, a winery in Campania and one of our new producers. Corte Normanna, named in honor of the Norman origins of their village Guardia Sanframondi, located 50 miles northeast of Naples, produce wines that still reflect the characteristics of region that made them famous thousands of years ago. 
 
We’re excited Corte Normanna’s wines have finally arrived and that we can now share them with you. The truth may be in short supply these days, but we’ll be dishing out some Pliny-the-Elder-style this weekend when we pour Corte Normanna’s Aglianico, Red Blend, Fiano, and Falanghina this Saturday for our weekly wine tasting. Stop by to taste these unique and amazing wines from Southern Italy. 
 
*The original line was “volgoque veritas iam attributa vino est” or “truth is now commonly attributed to wine,” which was later shortened to “in vino veritas.”