#27 / Pecorino is not just a cheese

Today we won’t go too far: from Montecòsaro it’s an hour’s drive to where I will be taking you: to Óffida, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and an area where pecorino is grown. No, I’m not talking about the sheep’s milk cheese produced in Lazio and Sardinia: pecorino is also an indigenous grape varietal, that is, it is originally from the Marche region and is particular to this area. It is also a white wine.

It is a homonym that also surprises even many Italians – the cheese is much more famous than the wine: the latter has long been forgotten and only in recent years has it regained its overdue recognition. It is a common destiny for many typical grapes, which were used exclusively in the past to “cut”* the most famous wines and which have only recently been appreciated for their originality, aromas and taste.

Yeah, okay, I know, I’m getting into technicalities – I’m a bit of a nerd and sometimes I get carried away. Let’s get back to our grape varietal and, above all, to the wine of the same name. As usual, during this trip my eyes are inundated by the reddish leaves. The wind hasn’t blown them away yet, but I know it’s only a matter of days now: soon they will form a uniform carpet you can walk on, being careful not to slip… it depends on your shoes!!

With my eyes full of fall (and without slipping and falling), I will go back to the car to drive to the village of Óffida, which is really worth a stop! Thanks to the fourteenth-century Palazzo Comunale, the Castellane City Walls, the historic center built from light-colored stone, the narrow alleys that wind between the austere buildings – the small streetlamps glowing with warm and enveloping light – and then the terraces where you can contemplate the surrounding countryside – a rough landscape, beautiful in every season, always ready to surprise you. After all, you can never quite get used to this type of beauty, right?

But, let’s cut to the chase, this Pecorino, how does it taste? Well, obviously, it’s delicious! Fragrant and fruity, aromatic, and in short… a truly enjoyable wine. Although, since we’re on the subject, I would also like a slice of that cheese, what do you think?! ;)

We’ll talk again in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime #staysafe and #stayhome because health is true wealth, today more so than ever. And remember my mantra: if you want to get away, you don’t need to...

Hugs!