September, 2018.
The streets, shops, whorehouses, water fountains, and town square of the ancient city of Pompeii stand weirdly preserved in the middle of the modern Italian city of Pompei. Colorful frescoes on the walls, the stones of the streets grooved deeply by thousands of years of chariots and countless human steps. All frozen in time by the blast of mighty Vesuvius on a hot August day in 79 A.D.
My friend and host, Lino, tells me to try the Sannio Barbera if I like a bold wine. He has the soft gravel voice of a chain smoker and knows the entire Napoli/Pompeii region like the back of his hand. He was born and raised here, and at 12 years old sneaked past the police guarding the amphitheater to watch the English rock band Pink Floyd record their performance in the ruins. He can be seen peering out from behind and arch in the film. He is that type of guy.
Even in mid-September it’s hot here and the afternoons often bring a light, warm rain. During the afternoons the town quiets dramatically as everyone naps, charging their batteries for the long and late Italian nights. The dinner crowd starts to slowly fill up restaurants after 8, and by 9 most places are serving food and wine that will go late into the night. With this as our new schedule, we sit at a sidewalk table and sip the Sannio Barbera as recommended.
Made entirely from grapes grown at the foot of Vesuvius, this wine has the deep, lush flavors of every century that has passed since the vineyards were planted here in the Dark Ages. It’s a stentorian, unapologetic wine that fills your head with burning wooden ships, Catherine wheels soaked in blood, horse hooves clattering down cobblestone streets, and a world drenched in Pompeii red and Tuscan yellow. It is served with freshly baked, dry bread with a hard crust and that is exactly as it should be. The two combine in your mouth to form the meal that made Italy and make it impossible to know or care what century it is. Witchcraft and devilry are alive and well and can be found right here on this table.