Luigi Giusti
Lacrima di Morro d’Alba 2015
Marche, Italy
Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is a deeply-colored red wine and grape that hail from Marche, Italy near the city of Ancona on the Adriatic Coast. In 1985, when Lacrima Morro d’Alba received its DOC status, it was close to extinction with just about eighteen acres planted; however, thanks to a handful of dedicated winemakers, it now is at about five hundred.
Lacrima means “teardrop” in Italian and refers to both the shape of the grape and the fact that it has a thin skin and therefore breaks easily, releasing drops of juice. Others, like Ian d’Agata, will tell you it is because drinking Lacrima will produce tears of joy. I will second that! While doing my sommelier course in Italy, this is one of the wines that blew me away—its aromatic quality was like nothing I had experienced before. Think juicy black cherries, strawberries and blueberries, along with baking spices and a healthy dose of violets and roses (riding on the coattails of Valentine’s Day!).
My friends at Bergamot Wine Co. (more on them below) are Lacrima lovers as well, so much so that they are including this bottle in their Italian wine club shipment for March and will feature it in their creative “Marche Madness” game that works similarly to the beloved football version, but setting wines from Marche against each other. If you want to get in on the fun, visit Bergamot’s site here. We’ll also partnering together on an incredible wine tour to Marche from September 20-26th this year. If you would like to join us, you can find more tour details and reserve one of the last remaining spots on this page.
The Winery | Luigi Giusti
Is there a more jolly winemaker in the world than Piergiovanni Giusti? If there is, I would be flabbergasted. At a recent visit to the winery he started with his father, I got to walk with him through his vineyards and taste through his line of wines, the star, of course, being Lacrima di Morro d’Alba. His passion and dedication to nurturing his vineyards and making these expressive and unique wines—all with a huge smile on his face— was soul-quenching.
The Wine | Luigi Giusti Lacrima Morro d’Albra 2015
Piergiovanni Giusti’s medium-bodied 2015 Lacrima is a pure pleasure to drink: smooth, fresh and with just the right amount of tannins to balance the floral, dark berry fireworks going off in your nose and on the palate. You would think that it would be difficult to pair, ma no! It goes with so much. Try this bottle with salami, barbecued pork ribs, and roasted fish and meat. Or, chill a bottle for 20 minutes and enjoy as an aperitivo. Cheers!
The Wine Merchant | Bergamot Wine Co.
As it was for many who patronized Bergamot Alley in Healdsburg, Sonoma, these two had me at “Hello! Which Italian wine would you like to drink?”. While Kevin and Sarah Wardell have said goodbye to their beloved brick and mortar, which famously poured mostly non-Californian wines in the heart of California wine country—Were they crazy (geniuses)?!?! Yes!!— this incredible couple still keeps the Old World wines flowing alla their Italian Wine Club and online bottle shop. Note to readers: this is not just any wine club, but a curated, nerdy-in-a-fun-way, delicious gift to yourself every month. Side effects include extensive knowledge of the diverse world of Italian wine and many exceptional, wine-paired dinners.
Come to Le Marche with Bergamot Wine Co. and La Dolce Vigna this September!
September 20 - 26, 2019
This is going to be a fun and informative trip exploring the wines and unspoiled nature of Le Marche. For more information, please visit this webpage.
