Good traditional food needs to be accompanied by as many wines.
Ansonica and Morellino di Scansano, the excellence of the territory. White or red? To you the choice.
And there is a new excellence born in Maremma. A unique GIN of its kind, champion of Italy!
Ansonica
The Ansonica vine came to Sicily in the Norman period with the name of Inzolia. It then spread to Maremma and the Tuscan archipelago.
The Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario has a DOC denomination.
It is mainly grown on the Argentario, on the island of Giglio and on the island of Elba. Ansonica is the white berried grape that has most resisted the climatic conditions of these places: a lot of sun, little water and stony soils. It is grown in "post", in terraces with typical dry stone walls, exposed to the wind and salt.
Straw yellow color, tending to intense golden.
The scent is fresh, delicate, with hints of yellow-fleshed fruit and mineral and vegetable notes reminiscent of the Mediterranean scrub.
On the palate it is dry, soft and harmonious. The hints of ripe fruit return pleasant in the finish.
Excellent aperitif wine, with seafood appetizers, with typical fish dishes and with panzanella.
Morellino di Scansano
Morellino di Scansano achieved the recognition of the Controlled Designation of Origin in 1978, and in 2006 the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin.
The name of this wine probably derives from the "black" horses that were used to pull carriages in Scansano.
The black-berried Sangiovese vineyards, dedicated to the production of Morellino di Scansano, are located in Maremma, on the hills that descend from Scansano towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, an area enclosed between the two rivers Ombrone and Albegna.
The color is ruby red, with ripening tending towards garnet.
The scent is intense with notes of wild berries and violet flowers.
On the palate it is dry, warm, full-bodied and slightly tannic.
It goes very well with Tuscan soups, red meat and game.
ArGINtario
L "ArGINtario", the gin produced in Maremma by the Santa Lucia company, has obtained a prestigious award after only one year of marketing. At the "World Gin Awards" 2022, or the world gin competition in London, the gin produced by the Scotto family of the Santa Lucia di Fonteblanda company, won the award as the best Italian gin compund.
The "compound gins" are gins in which the botanicals are treated separately, with distillation or with only infusion in a hydroalcoholic solution, then there is a union of the individual distillates or infusions.
In ArGINtario, mastic and fennel are infused in alcohol, then added to the distillate of juniper, bitter orange, lemon balm and jasmine. The recipe finds its strength in the richness of the territory, where the raw materials are collected.
Respecting tradition they have created some cocktails, based on their gin, with names linked to the territory: amara maremma, soda, fresh water. (these last 2 are Argentario beaches!)
On the site https://www.argintario.com/it/ you will find the original recipes.