Happy Mystery Tuesday! Can you guess what is pictured in photo below?

 

The answer to last week’s mystery is boogie woogie (or beech blight) aphids, Grylloprociphilus imbricator, pictured below:

 

The boogie woogie aphid is a bluish-gray, small to medium sized aphid. The rear half of the aphid’s abdomen may be obscured with a dense, white, fluffy secretion interspersed with long, white, waxy filaments.

The wax is essentially a shield for the aphid. Should a predator bite into the woolly floss it will come away with nothing but wax.

Aphids usually specialize in one kind of plant, and the boogie woogie aphid primarily feasts on the sap of American beech trees. Brilliant white wax produced by thousands of boogie woogie aphids can turn beech branches snowy white.

When disturbed, the aphids break into a massive swaying, wriggling dance with abdomens and wax held high. This group reaction is thought to confuse or distract predators.

Many aphid species can reproduce rapidly by parthenogenesis, where females give live birth to daughters without mating. They can build up great numbers quickly, which is why aphids are often pests of crops in late-Summer or early-Autumn.

Soon, a generation of both male and female winged aphids are produced. They will disperse and mate before Winter comes. The winged females will lay eggs that last over Winter to start the cycle again in the Spring.

Because beech sap has far more sugar than nutrients, aphids get rid of some sugar by excreting it in the form of honeydew. Under a mass of aphids (as pictured) the honeydew will accumulate on the branches or the ground below the aphid colony and will attract flies, bees, wasps, and other insects.

Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste a new wine to our collection, the Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2022 ($28.50) from the Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona winery in Montalcino, Toscana. Grown from a special clone called Sangiovese Grosso, wine aged one year is called Rosso di Montalcino, aged 2 years in oak plus three additional years is called Brunello di Montalcino and aged plus four additional years is called Brunello di Montalcino “Riserva”.  

The Sangiovese grape reaches its highest expression in the hill town of Montalcino. The estate has a rich history, dating from a 17th century palace built for the Bishop of Montalcino. In 1877 the Ciacci family bought the estate and the last Ciacci, Elda Ciacci, died in 1985. She was the widow of the late count Alberto Piccolomini d’Aragona (a direct descendant of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, Pope Pius II). 

 

The Contessa’s farm manager for thirteen years had been Giuseppe Bianchini. He had a dream of having his own vineyard to produce Brunello but, alas, the Contessa preferred to produce wine only for the estate and a small amount for local consumption. Bianchini was stunned to learn after her death that the Contessa had no heirs and she left the entire estate to him for his faithful service.  

He and his family moved to the historic palazzo and he fulfilled his dream of producing quality Brunello, as evidenced by the steady ratings and awards from Gambero Rosso, Decanter and many others. I imagine Biancini said a prayer every night until his death in 2004 to the Fairy Godmother who transformed his life! Today, his dream lives on through his sons Paolo and Lucia who manage the estate.

The estate’s Sangiovese Grosso vineyards are located in the heart of the famed Val d’Orcia Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Sangiovese grapes are selected from the oldest vines on the estate. Their Rosso di Montalcino has a ruby red color, with notes of red berries, slight hints of flowers and spice, great structure and smooth tannin. Sangiovese is considered to be not only Toscana’s greatest grape but one of the world’s best red wine grapes. This wine will be my build-up to Christmas, when I will splurge on a Brunello di Montalcino “Riserva”!

Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste of Toscana! 

Cin Cin!

Jenn

---

Piazza Italian Market is located at 218 N. Washington St., Suite 23, in the Talbot Town Shopping Center in Easton, MD

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Costomolino Vermentino di Sardegna DOC  2023 ($16.25) from the Argiolas winery in Serdiana, near Sardinia’s southern tip. Vermentino is one of Sardinia’s indigenous grapes and has a typical  profile of prominent minerality with bitter almond, notes of ripe stone fruits and a bit of saltiness.

 

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and its range of ecosystems from mountains, rocky coasts, woods, plains and long stretches of uninhabited territory makes it a micro-continent. The ubiquitous bush macchia covers the rocky ground that adds its unique scent to the island’s terroir.

Founder Antonio Argiolas inherited seven acres of land from his father in 1938 and he was the first Sardinian winemaker to embrace modern viticulture and quality over quantity. His sons, Franco and Giuseppe, replanted the vines in the 1980’s to reduce yields with a focus on indigenous grapes. Antonio lived to celebrate his 102nd birthday, and his lifestyle personifies the attributes of the Netflix series “Live to be 100, Lessons from the Blue Zones” discovered in Sardinia, one of the Blue Zones featured in the series. He and his sons’ hard work resulted in Argiolas being recognized today as Sardinia’s foremost wine producer.

Our shelf notecard for this Vermentino include its being the winner of a blind tasting sponsored by the New York Times for the wine’s outstanding full-bodied texture, notes of ginger and lemon. Vermentino is my go-to for seafood but it is also great paired with pesto, sautéed veggies and anything with garlic. The Argiolas Vermentino is one of Piazza’s best sellers but if you have not yet tasted this delicious white wine, come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday for a taste (blindfolds will not be provided).

 

Cin Cin!
Jenn

---

Piazza Italian Market is located at 218 N. Washington St., Suite 23, in the Talbot Town Shopping Center in Easton, MD

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Ciao Tutti!

This weekend we will taste a new medium-bodied red wine to our collection, the Voliero Toscana IGT 2021 ($18.50), from the Uccelliera estate in Toscana. Andrea Cortonesi is the estate’s founder who bought land in 1986 from a neighboring estate whose owners were his friends and former employers. His first vintage was 1991, with a production of only 500 bottles! The Voliero Toscana is 85% Sangiovese and 15% Syrah.

Cortonesi is a multi-tasker who also is the proprietor of the Casato Ristorante Wine Bar near the Campo in Siena. The distinctive Voliero label was born from Cortonesi’s restaurant role. While researching the best products for new menu items, a friend of his brought Cortonesi grapes from his vineyard in northern Montalcino and suggested Cortonesi could make a wine solely for the restaurant which became Voliero. “Uccelliera” translates as “birdcage” and the sketch of a freed, feathered, flying woman that adorns the wine’s label also slyly refers to the higher altitude vineyards where the grapes for Voliero thrive.

What began as a wine for a local restaurant changed when wine critic Antonio Gallioni, an American wine critic, visited the Uccelliera estate in 2010 and quickly spread the word about his discovery. Although Cortonesi had no plans for exporting his wine, it quickly became a cult favorite and it is now available through importers.  Uccelliera is still a young estate. In 2024, it is only its 11th year of production, and its annual production is 600 cases. Clearly, Cortonesi values quality over quantity.

Emily and I recently tasted this wine with our rep, and we liked its fruity nose, soft tannins, and pithy, fruit-expressive finish. Come join me Friday from noon to 6:45 or Saturday from noon to 5:45 to see if you agree!

Cin Cin!

Jenn

---

Piazza Italian Market is located at 218 N. Washington St., in the Talbot Town Shopping Center, Suite 23, in Easton, MD.

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Talbot County Garden Club welcomes guest speaker, Jessica Bonilla, director of Horticulture at Washington D.C.’s Hillwood’s gardens, on October 22nd  at 11 AM at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton.  The event is free and open to the public. 

Bonilla tends to thirteen acres of formal gardens at the grand estate rebuilt by Marjorie Post in the 1950s. The garden is sectioned into outdoor rooms that are designed to extend the home’s porches and terraces.  Each room is meant to complement the mansion’s interior space and offers both privacy and a connection to adjacent gardens through subtle transitional features, encouraging an intuitive flow from the French parterre to the rose garden and onto the Friendship Walk. 

Join Bonilla as she shares an insider’s view on Hillwood’s garden design, sculpture, and the plants that fill these spaces, plus the ever-evolving management of the grounds, including a deeper dive into the maturing Native Garden. For more details, visit https://talbotcountygc.org.

This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste one of my fave white wines, the Ribolla Gialla DOC ($23.85) from the Azienda Agricola Ronchi di Cialla in Prepetto, Province of Udine, Fruili-Venezia-Julia, Italy’s top NE region. The winery was founded in 1970 by Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi, who were attracted to the way of life viticulture offered. Their two sons Pierpaolo and Ivan grew up among the vines and both later achieved degrees in Food Sciences.

The winery takes its name from “Roncs, ” meaning “vinery cultivated hills” in the Friulian dialect. The Cialla valley with its NE-SW orientation, surrounded by woods of chestnut, oak and wild cherry trees has been the setting of viticulture since the late 15^th century. The Rapuzzi family’s current portfolio includes four white wines, four red wines, one rose’ and two sweet wines. The red wines include Schioppettino, the grape the Rapuzzis rescued from extinction. In 2016, their commitment to biodiversity in all aspects earned them certification as a “Biodiversity Friendly” company.

Ribolla Gialla DOC  is 100% Ribolla Gialla grape and I like to pair this wine with chicken or Piazza’s San Daniele prosciutto because of its elegant aromatics, plus the fruity notes of apple and pear. Now that the summer heat is over, I plan on turning on my oven again to roast a chicken after spreading pesto between the skin and the breast meat-sheer ambrosia!

I have recommended this wine to many of you but if you have not yet tasted it, come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste-

Cin Cin!

Jenn

---

Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St. in Easton, MD.

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Learn about ecological friendly gardening at the Oct. 10 meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Herb Society.  Taylor Applegarth and Ted Martini will cover such topics as soil health, native plants, water conservation, pest management, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and reducing waste.  They will explain gardening techniques in each area that help improve the environment—as well as your garden.

Taylor Applegarth has a nursery at 1709 Taylor Island Road, Woolford, Maryland. He has a Dorchester native edible permaculture farm and nursery. Taylor and his family are very active with the Cambridge farmer’s market on the Choptank and the Easton farmer’s market. He lives his philosophy of ecological friendly gardening.

Ted Martini’s horticultural career began with a lifelong passion for garden spaces and a degree in Landscape Gardening. His professional achievements include a variety of public and private landscape designs, the position of Garden Manager of an historic Public Garden, and his most recent work in the restoration of historic private gardens. Ted recently received his Masters of Science in Ecological Landscape Design.

The society will meet at 6 p.m. at Christ Church Parish Hall, 111 S. Harrison Street, Easton.  Meetings include a social period, an herbal potluck dinner, a short business meeting, and a presentation on an herb-related topic.  The theme for October is fall herbs and spices (cardamom, coriander, and saffron).

CBHS was formed in 2002 to share knowledge of herbs with the local community.  The group maintains the herb garden at Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

For more information, call (410) 763-8843 or visit the Society’s Facebook page.