Cesanese Del Piglio

In lands where good wine is grown, gastronomic culture is elevated and the search for raw materials becomes meticulous.

The far north of Ciociaria is the perfect testament to this principle. This region, host of the renowned Cesanese DOC, is home to the land of Cesanese, an indigenous grape variety that is notoriously challenging but capable of bestowing unique sensory qualities in its finest wine nuances. This region is also rich in delicious products that are the result of ancient cultivation techniques and artisanal craftsmanship. Alongside the robust and structured wines derived from the vinification of Cesanese, extra virgin olive oil obtained from the prized Rosciola olive variety, the fruit of carefully cultivated crops, emerges with just authority.

Northern Ciociaria is equally abundant in pastoral products. To limit this lush part of the frusinate territory to the Pecorino Romano area alone would be reductive. Cheeses made from sheep's and goat's milk, in varieties and qualities now unobtainable elsewhere, retain in their rare traditional versions the taste and aroma of bygone eras. Not only Cesanese deserves to be counted among the valuable wine productions.

The proposed itinerary includes a visit to the centers of production of Cesanese d.o.c.g. wine, loved and known by all food and wine lovers throughout Italy. Among the most prestigious centers is Paliano, formerly a powerful castellania of the Colonna family and today famous for the Selva Natural Park, home to more than fifty species of waterfowl. From Paliano, the tour winds along State Road 155 through rolling hills covered in vineyards and olive groves, with the backdrop of majestic mountain peaks clad in centuries-old forests. Modernity and culture intertwine in the "Zerinthya" foundation, an association for contemporary art located in Cervinara, a hamlet of the Colonna princes, with a permanent collection of works by the likes of Pistoletto, Schifano and Sol Lewitt. At the foot of the majestic Scalambra massif rises Serrone, a favorite destination for nature and sports lovers thanks to its renowned hang-gliding club that hosts international events.

The extraordinarily salubrious air and the excellence of d.o.c.g. Cesanese wine, described as "dark red like ruby," along with Rosciola oil, characterize the picturesque village of Piglio, positioned on the ridge of Mount Scalambra. On the first Sunday in October, the village hosts the Sagra dell'Uva (Grape Festival), an important folkloric event that best represents the Cesanese tradition. Not to be missed is the Orsini Castle. On a panoramic rise overlooking the Sacco Valley and the Roman countryside stands Acuto. This ancient village, once a fief of the Bishop of Anagni, has based its economy mainly on agriculture and pastoralism, whose authentic and intense flavors continue to characterize its cuisine to this day.