WINES FROM EXTREME LANDS Trip to Basilicata

Basilicata: a rectangle of land that has always been a crossroads of peoples and a hotbed of different languages and cultures, this is Basilicata, or Lucania, whatever you want to call it. Matera , the city of the Sassi and its cultural and architectural soul is a magnificent example of this. But this land is also famous for its centuries-old olive trees, the "best in the world" bread , according to the Latin poet Horace, and the very ancient vines and wines produced from these, dating back to the times of the Lucanians first and then the Greeks. The ancient Romans themselves praised these nectars and today, as then, we can appreciate them starting from that Aglianico which is undoubtedly, of all, the most renowned and representative.

With these important premises, Vini da Terre Estreme wanted to return to Matera for its eleventh edition (the second in the city of the Sassi) which was held from 28 to 30 October. To inaugurate the event, in a context of high musical culture, the “DiVinoIncanto” concert was held on the evening of October 28th at the Gervasio Auditorium. I Vini Eroici on stage between music and theatre”. On the stage, Massimo Scattolin and the violinist Paolo Tagliamento, together with the string orchestra composed of the young students of the Egidio R. Duni Conservatory under the direction of Deborah Tarantini, proposed the music of Maestro Ennio Morricone, arranged and interpreted in a masterly way to Scattolin's guitar and Tagliamento's violin. In a packed room, the warm participation of the public made the event unforgettable. The farewell toast with Lucanian wines from the NIMA wineries of Melfi and Antonio Nolè from Pietragalla, Luigi Lauria from Chiaromonte together with Battifarano from Nova Siri and Cantine Crocco from Montalbano Ionico closed the evening with great appreciation from all the participants. On 29 and 30 October, Palazzo Malvinni Malvezzi, a splendid historic noble residence among the ancient Sassi, hosted the “Vini da Terre Estreme” workshop. On the program for the two days, tasting at the tasting tables of the wines of a selected number of wineries - 25 from different extreme areas of Italy - and two Masterclasses: "The courage to be unique: from the mountains to the sea" conducted by Renato Grando (Teacher, food historian). The turnout was numerous and of high quality, with enthusiasts, operators in the sector and even curious wine enthusiasts who were able to discover and taste unique "heroic wines" from all over Italy and also from abroad. “ Among the participants also in the Masterclasses, a good presence of young, courageous and enthusiastic winemakers, which particularly satisfied me - says Alvaro De Anna - because it is precisely the young people who have to reappropriate and recover a part of history that actually represents the future of all".