In spite of Saturday’s tragic events, 35 people gathered in Il Bacocco in Trastevere to celebrate Lazio’s enogastronomic bounty. I co-hosted this food and wine tasting with Hande Leimer of Vino Roma and we are so appreciative of everyone’s participation. We raised €250 for A Chi Serve, a brand new food rescue charity in Rome.
Some participants risked serious danger to be there; Irene De Vette, Walks of Italy, and Revealed Rome faced burning vehicles and a smoldering Defence Ministry annex to make it. Wired2theWorld, Moscerina, Rome the Second Time, and NYC/Caribbean Ragazza were also in attendance, as well as many old and new friends.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Vincenzo Mancino of DOL-Di Origine Laziale (if you haven’t been to his alimentari specializing in products from Lazio, go asap). He generously donated cheese and cured meats for the event. Some people asked for a round-up of items. Here they are: we tasted capocollo, lonzino, and two types of prosciutto. The cheeses were caciotta di capra (a goat cheese from Viterbo), caciocchiato (made from the milk of high-altitude grazing cows), and re tondo (a bufalo milk cheese with a thin white crust). Since DOL mainly sources from small producers, you’ve got to go there to find the same products!
Hande did a brilliant job presenting the wines and Massimo and his team at Il Bacocco did a stellar job serving them. We drank Marco Carpineti’s “Capolemole” Cori Bianco and L’Olivella’s “Quaranta/Sesanta” Rosso Lazio IGT.
