We are thrilled to be hosting Giusy Andreacchio from the Sordo winery for a masterclass tasting. Details and booking now open here. To visit the winery, head over to MacNay Travel & Wine.
Author: James MacNay
Liguria in wine – a short introduction.
Take a look at James’s latest article on the MacNay Travel & Wine website. It’s a very brief look at the coastal region of Liguria, the Riviera. MTW will travel there in 2025 – enquire today.
From Cuculo you can buy Ligurian wines made by the Terre Bianche winery, which is above the picturesque, medieval town of Dolceacqua. Buy the white Pigato here and the red Rossese here. There are case discounts for both labels.
Cheese and wine of the month – September 2024
This month’s cheese of the month is The Traditional Cheese Dairy’s Goodweald Smoked, and wine of the month is Pollùce, a Lazio wine made by Cincinnato using the rare Nero Buono grape. Enjoy!
Harvest begins at Les Crêtes!
Their letter makes particular reference to the unusual rainfall and the effect that has on the vines, as well as to the all-important day/night temperature difference.
You can buy the Les Crêtes wines here. If you haven’t visited Les Crêtes for a tasting in their Rifugio del Vino tasting rooms, then get in touch with MacNay Travel & Wine today!
A brief introduction to Sardinia.
Cinzia is with a group of customers in Sardinia at the moment, so James wrote a brief introduction to the history of grapes and winemaking on the island. You can link to the article on the MacNay Travel & Wine website here.
Two central Italian rosés, under £16.
Negroamaro Rosato Salento IGT 2023 by Cantele (Puglia)
Cantele’s rosé is a long-standing and hugely popular presence on the Cuculo shelves. This wine is from Puglia, one of Italy’s wine heartlands, where Negroamaro rules. The deeply coloured black grape makes soft, rich, savoury reds (and while you’re about it, you should try the Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva £16.95 to take out) but, when left with the skins for just a short period, makes a lovely wine with the same pink/salmon the hue of red onion skin.
This wine shows a great red fruit (strawberry, redcurrant) flavours and has a delightful freshness and medium body. At £15.95 (take out price) it is great summer drinking and excellent value.
• Bottle: £15.95 (take out)
• Case of 6: £90
• Case of 12: £170
You can order the wine here.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC 2021 by Tiberio (Abruzzo)
Let’s head to Abruzzo, now, on the Adriatic coast.
Our winemaker is Tiberio, a second generation family estate who have been garnering plaudits in the international press for several years.
Being one of the few Italian appellations specifically designated as rosé, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is quite niche. This wine is made with a minimum 85% Montepulciano, and is darker in colour compared to many other rosés.
It is fuller-bodied than, say, the Tiberio, with a higher alcohol (14%). Nevertheless it is juicy and fruity (cherry, woodland fruits, strawberry).
• Bottle: £15.45 (take out)
• Case of 6: £85
• Case of 12: £165
You can order the wine here.
Tracklements tasting in-store!
Next Saturday – 20 July 2024 – join us for a tasting of award winning Tracklement condiments at Cuculo 11.30 – 13.00. Delicious cheeses from our counter paired with chutneys, jams, marmalades and fruit cheese
To whet your appetite, here are some great recommendations from Tracklements for ideal cheese and condiment pairings this month.
Stop in at Cuculo for a special tasting of ‘Tracklements’ premium quality chutneys and pickles.
Accighue Al Verde
Cinzia has just written a nice piece about acciughe al verde, the traditional Piemontese dish, over on the MacNay Travel & Wine website.
Her wine pairing suggestions include the Marco Porello Roero Arneis DOCG ‘Camestrì’, which you can find available to purchase here.
What a great combination!
From Pastor to pasture
Delving into the life of a cheese making family – The Traditional Cheese Dairy, East Sussex.
The Delves family took over the business in 2019 when it was based in Stonegate, and then in 2021 they moved The Traditional Cheese Dairy to Horam. Where it is now housed in its new home – a purpose built cheese dairy, adjacent to their herd of cross-bred Jersey and Friesian cows on the Delves’ dairy farm.
Outside farming, Andy also has a strong spiritual calling, he has been Pastor at the King’s Church, Heathfield and is a lay-reader at All Saints in Waldron. He had been taking a bit of time out for himself when his son Joe came up with the idea of merging their successful dairy business with the art of cheesemaking. As a result, he was enticed out of retirement to rise to the challenge of becoming a cheesemaker, and over a short intense period of time, he shadowed the previous owners to learn all he could about cheese making. Andy quickly adapted and assumed the new role of cheesemaker, perfecting the crafting of the five established cheeses.
“Our washed-rind, raw cows’ milk cheese is the most popular and the most tricky to make. We mature it for a minimum of eight weeks and during that time the rind is washed three times a week by the ‘Chief Washer’, my wife Lizzie. It’s always difficult to know how it will turn out and I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said it has a tendency to ‘lark about’. At its best it’s a superb cheese with a creamy texture which cuts beautifully, aromatic on the nose with a floral taste.”
Andy Delves explains the making of their most popular cheese, Burwash Rose.
Here are the Traditional Cheese Dairy’s other cheeses, available from Cuculo Cheese & Wine:
It’s a truly family affair from cheese maker Andy and his wife, through to their son Joe who manages the farms, with their son-in-law Ben who looks after the herds, and supported by their daughter.
“Taking on the dairy has given us the opportunity, as an extended family, to find local employment for all of those who wanted to continue working on the farm.
“We like to make really good cheese, it’s a dedication not a passion and we plan to keep on doing it. There is talk of developing a more mature cheddar style cheese. But right now, we struggle to keep up with demand. There is a renaissance in artisan cheese and it seems that artisan British cheese has never been so popular.”
Cuculo usually stock the full range from The Traditional Cheese Dairy, subject to availability. We are delighted to offer Burwash Rose as our Cheese of the Month for March.
Memories of Clavesana
My memories of Clavesana are of relaxed family lunches around a table beneath a verandah. Above all, the flask of wine in the centre mesmerised me. A metal basket, on a heavy, solid base with a pivotal joint, held the bottle in place. No-one passed the bottle. Instead, everyone filled their glass by reaching forward and turning the basket towards them.
Image credit: Produttori Clavesana
My uncle occasionally took us with him to the Cantina Clavesana. I recall the bare rock faces, the Calanchi, near the Dolcetto vineyards. We used to purchase perhaps two huge demijohns of Dogliani, each the equivalent of six bottles. These he loaded into his Fiat 850. After that, when we arrived home, we would watch him unload these heavy beasts into his cellar. Then he would perform the careful process of decanting the Dogliani into his rustic, round bottles complete with raffia base. This ensured they fitted snugly into the revolving wine stand for our lovely lunches.
My aunt features strongly in my memories of Clavesana. She would serve her heavenly home-made pasta. She tipped the revolving flask quickly, so that I was allowed a little splash of Dogliani to ‘improve the sugo’ (a rich sauce). By the time I was twelve, I could also have a Dogliani splash in my fizzy water to turn it pale pink. Even now when I return to my hometown in Piedmont, I dunk the soft and doughy breadsticks (Rubatà) in my full glass of Dolcetto.
Now it’s your turn to make some memories of Clavesana…
I came to know this as my everyday wine, my comfort wine. The typical light tannins and drying texture remind me of the Calanchi. Meanwhile, the subtle bramble and forest fruit flavours transport me back to the Piemontese cuisine we so adored.
The Clavesana Dogliani is October 2021’s Wine of the Month. You can order it here, or explore other regional wines via the links below.