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

In Focus THE ALIEN THAT ENTERS THE FISH PLATE Bruno Cataletto Climate change is reflected in traditional cuisine, and fishing is becoming a solution to the invasion of new species. The clam-devouring blue crab is reshaping restaurant menus along the coasts of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. And it already has many kin S easonality and tradition have always been the solid foundations upon which to build a culinary culture capable of expressing the authentic flavours of a region. However, globalisation and climate change have contributed to altering this landscape, both on land and in the oceans. In particular, the gradual warming of the Mediterranean and, consequently, the Adriatic has led to changes in the composition of fish stocks, bringing about significant shifts that are also reflected in the local cuisine. 2 

Granchio blu Photo Pietro Formis Fish farms and new species In reality, for some time now, less and less locally caught wild fish has been appearing on the counters of local fishmongers, largely replaced by farmed produce. But the biggest change has certainly been brought about by the arrival in the Italian seas of new alien marine species. And here we must first of all clarify the term, which could give rise to different interpretations. The term  alien  refers to plants, animals or microorganisms found in a geographical area outside their native range. The best-known and most significant example is probably the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Even though the first sightings of this species in the Mediterranean date back to 1948, in Greece, its populations have gradually become more stable and numerous since 2010. The blue crab is native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas and reached the Adriatic coast in the ballast water of merchant ships. However, the introduction of the species alone would not have been enough. The key factor is that, due to human-induced changes in coastal and marine habitats, the populations of its natural predators (octopuses, large fish, turtles and birds) have declined. Consequently, in recent years, the unchecked increase in the number of blue crabs has caused considerable economic damage to shellfish farms: an impact that is not only financial but also, to some extent, cultural, given that clams and mussels have been a staple of dishes along the coasts of Friuli Venezia Giulia for centuries. Fishing as a solution Obviously, one way of reducing the population of this invasive species is through fishing, particularly given that blue crab meat is very tasty and is used in many dishes, such as sauces and soups. But there are also Anadara kagoshimensis and Anadara transversa, two species of bivalve molluscs of Indo-Pacific and Atlantic origin respectively, commonly known in Italian as Scrigno di Venere. They are widespread along the entire Adriatic coast and are gradually replacing native tellina and clams, causing 3 

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