From the Trimalcione banquet to .the luxury of the dolce vita, to
the gastronomic orgies enjoyed by the patriarchal families in the Castelli, the
cuisine in Lazio has a reputation for being heavy, domestic and ostentatious. It
consists of clear, decisive flavours which evoke the countryside where sheep
still graze among the ancient aqueducts, and it leaves no room for dietary
compromise. In reality, Roman cuisine is a blend of three very different
traditions, the opulence of the popes and cardinals, the Jewish cuisine of the
old Ghetto area.
The faithful exponents of this kind of cuisine live in
Sabina to the east, or Ciociaria to the south, home to the most famous dishes in
the capital, including the Roman "number one" pasta with crispy bacon, tomato and Pecorino. Extolled by tourists and by
the cinema during the boom years of Cinecitta, in reality the wines of Lazio are
still subject to an unwise "quantitative" production policy which has
been followed for many years by producers concerned only with easy sales,
However, the general renewal of the Italian wine industry has prompted some
producers to come up with really high-quality products. Beginning with the
Viterbo area, Est! Est!! Est!!!
is worth a mention: fresh and palatable, it is
an undemanding white. Montiano is an extremely interesting albeit unpretentious
house wine. Like Est! Est!!Est!!!, it is made in Montefiascone from the blend of
merlot and cabernet grapes used in the production of Bordeaux
wines. These days, however, many new things are
also happening to the classic Frascati, an agreeably concentrated, full-bodied
wine which goes well with cheeses such as Pecorino, especially if they are not
too mature.
