A great night at Macchialina:
Exploring natural wine with Danilo Marcucci.
Macchialina is always magic and tonight’s dining experience brought an extra dollop of sorcery.
Danilo Marcucci, known as the Jedi of the natural wine world, visited Macchialina and his wines were on the menu. Mr. Marcucci is more than your average Jedi; he has been compared to Yoda himself, the supreme Jedi master, the protector of The Force, the energy field that creates life and binds the galaxy together. In Danilo’s case, the Force is the earth. And Danilo’s power is to capture the nobility of the earth in wines. He’s on a mission to bring together the spirituality, the physicality and the carnal pleasure that is wine in the purest possible way.
His wines are produced naturally – with no chemicals, no additives, no temperature control, no big machines. That means the grapes are grown organically, with nothing treating the plants or the soil. The grapes are hand-picked and crushed by foot. Literally by foot, like Lucy Ricardo in the famous I Love Lucy episode. Then the wines are aged with absolutely nothing added or subtracted. There is no yeast, no sugar, no sulfites, no temperature control.
The process produces a wine that is fundamentally different than wines produced in more typical fashion today. The wines tend to be cloudy looking, yeasty, earthy, a little funky, a little sour. They reflect the nobility of the grape, the majesty of the earth, and the power of the weather. They complement good Italian food remarkably well.
And they are controversial! I fell in love with the natural wine story and was predisposed to like the wine. My dining campanion, a knowledgeable wine collector and enjoyer, took one sip and knew immediately it was not for her.
So clearly, natural wines are not for everyone. But if you want to know what “real wine” tastes like, it is definitely worth a try.
What we had:
· Local burrata, with heirloom tomatoes, tomato vinaigrette and prosciutto di parma.
· Cacio e Pepe, with shallot, pecorino, black pepper and the truffle supplement
· Veal parmigiana, with mozzarella, oven dried tomatoes and parmigiano
· ½ liter of Il Rosso, Danilo Marcucci, Umbria 2019. Aleatico, Sanioveto and Grenache. Spontaneous fermentation.
· Glass of Danilo Marcucci, Bianco – Trebbiano, Malvasia and Grechetto, 20 days of skin maceration. Spontaneous fermentation.
· Glass of Rosso dei Dardi. Nebbiolo, Freisa Dolcetta. Fermentated with temperature control and other interventions!
The Experience
It was a sultry warm evening in Miami. We ate in the back garden; it’s tented, full of greenery and lit by small festive lights. The service is friendly and relaxed. The crowd is a typical mix of locals and tourists, couples, friend groups, families. It has the welcoming feel of a large Italian celebration.
Our meal is simple, typical Italian fare, executed in the best possible way.
A burrata salad is all about the combination of super-fresh ingredients, bonded together by some kind of pesto or balsamic dribble. The burrata itself is a love language, all gooey and creamy and oozying its rich delights over everything it touches. A good one is simple and orgasmic and this one fit the bill.
Cacio e pepe is a magical combination of spaghetti, pepper and pecorino cheese. Tonight’s version added shallots and, indulgence of all indulgences, black truffle. The cheese and pepper are blended with cooking water and coat each strand of the spaghetti with a rich deliciousness – perhaps tonight’s version had too much pepper, perhaps not, depending on your taste.
We ordered the veal parm to take home, but a small taste demonstrated perfect technique. A crispy coating on the veal, a well-balanced tomato sauce and just the right amount of parm.
Macchialina is beloved on the beach and rightly so.