Treasure in the Sky

TWO WINES are of interest from my Foggian foray: Cardone's '07 Fiano, Valle d'Itria and Ursaria '03, shown in front of this smiling sommelier. I like the fact the label designer dared to leave a little white relief. Reaching for the stars.

The first is crisp, agile, pétillant and purposefully minerallic. Balanced, it has a hint of sun-scorched straw on the nose and wheat paste during the long, jet trail in the sky finish.

It is not clear whether the latter is actually produced, or simply endorsed by the sociable Peppe Zullo (pictured, top) the 'best known chef' in Italy's heel. He certainly appeared proud to present it over lunch.

In appearance, dense, with a core suggesting sunlight on terracotta tiles, and daddy longlegs of alcohol. On the nose, capsicum, then a warm, moist pudding of semi-sweet chocolate, blackcurrant and briar, and finally a hint of game. Palatable, with well-groomed, closely-knit, tasty tannins. It is 90p/c Tuccanese (Sangiovese?) with the remainder being the curiously dusty tasting, very heat resistant Nero di Troia with a Merlot backbone.

Also pictured, remnants of langoustine, consumed in a large dining room in Manfredonia, a town I would have loved to see shimmer in daylight. On reflection, if this scampo had been a landlubber, I wouldn't want to cradle it, crack it and suck the meat from it claws. Vacuum cleaners would really need to be beefed-up to remove the roving ones that broke into our homes...

Also, an aesthetically dominant wind farm. These abound in Puglia, its legendary winds recognised on labels like Teanum's. Finally, an Enomatic dispenser convenniently installed at Naples airport. Ho sete!