Letter to Chef Phelan

HISTORY IN A GLASS ~ FALERNIAN / FALANGHINA
Falernian. One of the most important and interesting wines in history.
Coveted by the citizens of ancient Rome, mentioned by Emperor Marcus
Aurelius in his famous Meditations, celebrated in the poems of Horace,
immortalized in the early Roman novel Satyricon, poured to toast Julius
Caesar’s triumphant return from his conquest of Spain, and named by Pliny
the Elder as “supreme above all other wines”.
The Night Pompeii Died: Falernian was a best-seller in ancient
Rome for hundreds of years, particularly in the ill-fated Roman City of
Pompeii. In the ruins of that city, buried and perfectly preserved under
twenty feet of volcanic ash (deposited when Mount Vesuvius erupted on a
warm August evening in the year 79), archeologists have uncovered a 2,000-
year-old wine bar known as Hedonus. It speaks to the early popularity of the
Falernian wine. In a chamber below the street level stands a marble counter
designed to hold large clay pitchers filled with wine. Dozens of the terracotta
wine pitchers were found, with remnants of the wine still identifiable to
modern archeologists. There, on the wall above the marble bar, an ancient
color painting of the wine pitchers is inscribed with the menu and price list:
For one you can drink wine.
For two you can drink the best wine.
For four you can drink Falernian.
Today, we believe that the Falernian wine was produced from grapes grown
in the volcanic soil surrounding Vesuvius... particularly in the vineyard area
known as Campi Flegrei (field of fire). Wine historians theorize that the
Falernian wine was fermented from the ancient wine grape Falanghina,
which is known to have grown in the Campi Flegrei region as far back as
700 b.c. - and reaches its pinnacle when grown in rich volcanic soil.
Falenghina has now emerged as a cult wine on the Campania coast
and in the city of Naples, and the word is spreading! The wine is a perfect
complement to the local seafood and shellfish along the Campanian coast,
and gaining recognition worldwide. Modern Falanghina is known for its
citrus-blossom aromas, bitter orange and apple notes, crisp acidity, and
hints of peach, honey, and almond in the finish. It is a dry wine that frames
the flavors of fresh seafood like no other. While Falanghina has become
more widely available, it is still difficult to find the rare bottlings from
grapes grown in the richest volcanic soil of the Campi Flegrei. These are the
most highly prized bottles.
My favorite among them is the Cantine Astroni Falanghina Campi Flegrei
Colle Imperatrice. This Falanghina is the archetype. It has just won the first
“Tre Bicchiere” award from Gambero Rosso, placing it among the few elite
wines in all of Italy to receive their highest rating.
Although the wine has never been available in this part of the world, we will
be importing small amounts beginning in August of 2020. The first bottles
to be opened in Ohio will be served (paired with a perfect seafood dish)
at the Summer Wine Dinner at LUPO restaurant on Thursday, July 23rd.