Che Fico: A Wine that Supports Sustainability in Italy #ItalianFWT

The invitation from Grape Expectations for our Italian Food Wine and Travel group starts like this:  Climate change is something that is constant in our society by now and we need to find ways to take action and combat it as far as possible. Climate change is, of course, also a big issue in viticulture and in winemaking. In the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel writers’ group we will look further into this during September. In fact, the theme will be Sustainability to Combat Climate Change in the Wine World.

Climate change is affecting everyone, everywhere. I know there are people who don't believe it exists, but the people closest to the land, our farmers, tell us that it is, indeed, happening and at a rapid rate. I wanted to share with you what is being done in Italy to help with climate change in our vineyards.

In 2018, it was reported by Wine Enthusiast that Italy was the world leader in terms of a percentage of surface area dedicated to organic grapes.  In order to receive the organic wine logo, wineries must follow a series of regulations that include a ban on synthetic chemicals and GMOs.  No herbicides can be used so farmers must let the grass grow between the rows or turn the soil mechanically.  A copper-sulfur mix is used to fight fungal diseases.

I chose this Che Fico Pinot Grigio because I happen to enjoy a good Pinot Grigio, and two because I was able to purchase it from my neighbor who sells wine for Scout and Cellar.  This company promotes wineries who go through two rounds of independent lab testing to guarantee that it's free of yucky stuff like synthetic pesticides and chemical additives and has fewer than 100ppm of total sulfites. They also evaluate and review farming and production practices to confirm that they are, in fact, Clean-Crafted. 

This is important in Italy as they are having more record-breaking high-temperature days, which winemakers are saying are burning the grapes.  Most have come up with some ways of shading the grapes, but are not optimistic that it is a long term solution.

The wine I chose for this post is called Che Fico Pinot Grigio from the Veneto region in Northern Italy.  It is a young wine with fresh flavors of apple and pear, crisp on the tongue, and perfect for the fish we had for dinner.  We scored some super fresh swordfish steaks and served them with young asparagus spears and a lovely seasonal roasted tomato side dish that I will share the recipe later on.  It was a perfect end-of-summer dish.

Check here for other posts on Italy's sustainability and wines that are doing what they can to adjust to the changes.

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla takes inspiration from Siciliy in Pasta alla Norma + Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri Nero d'Avola Sicilia 2016

Terri from Our Good Life shares the article Che Fico: A Wine that Supports Sustainability in Italy

Linda from My Full Wine Glass heads to Alto Adige with Alois Lageder - Driven to create wines in harmony with nature

Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares Interview: Antonella Manuli’s and Lorenzo Corino’s patented method + wines, lasagna, and dogs #ItalianFWT

Lynn from Savor the Harvest heads to Franciacorta with How the Ricci Curbastro Estate In Franciacorta Tackles the Sustainability Question

Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles explores the question Climate Change, Finding Sustainable Italian Wines and Why you should Care #ItalianFWT

Susannah from Avvinare tells us more about Sicily with Tasca d'Amerita, A Longstanding Focus on Sustainability

Nicole from Somm’s Table looks closer at A Sustainable Sampler Pack with Umani Ronchi

Jennifer from Vino Travels shares VIVA Sustainability at the Forefront with Michele Chiarlo

Then me at Grapevine Adventures I will talk about Torre Bisenzio where Authenticity And Quality Is All About Sustainability

Yield: 4

Author: Terri Steffes

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Roasted Tomato "Jam"

Summer's last tomatoes roasted with garlic until mashable and delicious.

Prep time: 6 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 36 Min

Ingredients:

• 1 pt heirloom cherry-sized tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Pour tomatoes on a baking sheet.
3. Pour on olive oil over the tomatoes.
4. Add garlic cloves, peeled and smashed.
5. Salt and pepper liberally.
6. Roast 30 minutes (check every 10 minutes) checking for that perfect amount of caramelization.
7. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Calories

45.15

Fat (grams)

3.79

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.58

Carbs (grams)

3.53

Fiber (grams)

1.33

Net carbs

2.20

Sugar (grams)

1.14

Protein (grams)

0.51

Sodium (milligrams)

82.88

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

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