As the Adriatic warms, new arrivals are reaching the table. Issue 34 of Mangiavino follows the blue crab and its many kin, species from distant seas now reshaping menus along the coast of Friuli. It then turns to Homer, asking whether a winemaker should be someone or no one in the noisy theatre of social media. It reads the labels of Petrussa, La Viarte and Ruj, where a leaf, a door or a bunch of grapes carries a whole family history. It closes among the vines of Ronco Severo, where Stefano Novello lets time and grape skins do the talking.<br><br>This is a selection of stories in English from the bimonthly magazine on wine and food culture, published in collaboration with AIS Friuli Venezia Giulia.

In Focus

THE ALIEN THAT ENTERS THE FISH PLATE

Future and Innovation

TO BE SOMEONE OR TO BE NO ONE

All Round

DRESSING UP WINE BETWEEN SYMBOLS AND IDENTITY

RONCO SEVERO IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS

All Round RONCO SEVERO IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS Bruno Cataletto A stroll through Stefano Novello s vineyard, where traditional winemaking methods were used until 1999, before he turned to skin-contact wines. All thanks to the Ponca a type of soil found in Prepotto, in the Friuli Colli Orientali O ur first steps amongst the rows of vines are taken cautiously, in silence, almost as if we fear that the sense of peace and serenity which the natural surroundings inspire in us   despite the enveloping heat   might vanish at any moment. The hill that has welcomed us is in Prepotto, in the Friuli Colli Orientali, and our guide is Stefano Novello, owner of the Ronco Severo winery. His thoughtful gaze and welcoming smile accompany his words.  All the meticulous work carried out in the vineyard has the sole aim of bringing out the best in the terroir, which must find its fullest expression in the wine poured into the glass.  14 

Stefano Novello Photo Fabrice Gallina Hands in the Ponca soil As he utters these words, his back curves a sponge, retaining the water so that it is slightly and his hands sink into the Ponca   available when needed. Handing us some an alternating sequence of layers of varying grapes and inviting us to taste them, he thicknesses of marl (calcareous clay) and explains how crucial it is to consider the sandstone (calcified sand)   which provides grape maturity   of which the colour of the an effective way of regulating the vines  seeds is a very reliable indicator   as one of water supply. The water, in fact, flows along the key factors in ensuring a wine capable the hard layer of sandstone, sinking deep of evoking emotions. into the ground, whilst the marl acts like The rhythms of nature Balance and a great deal of patience. making wine.  With these words, Stefano Stefano strongly emphasises that it is recalls his youth, when, having finished essential to strike the best possible balance his studies, he began assisting his father between work in the vineyard and in the with farm work and wine production. In cellar and, above all, to have a great deal 1991, he produced his first bottles using of patience, because nature has its own the conventional methods he had learnt rhythms which often do not align with at school and from his family, but 1999 those of the fast-paced world in which marked a turning point. we live.  I was born a farmer, then I started 15 

Alien species on the plate, wine on social media, the labels of Petrussa, La Viarte and Ruj, and Ronco Severo. August 2026.