What’s In A Name? In Frascati It’s A Charming Italian City With Its Own Wine And Wonderful Food
Many Italian wineries proudly name their wines after the towns around which their vineyards are spread —Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Fiano di Avellino and the lovely small city of Frascati, less than an hour south of Rome (if the autostrada is jammed up) and within the province of Lazio. The wine named Frascati itself has not, until recently, been highly regarded aside from being a good white thirst quencher, although it was supposedly a favorite of the ancient Romans and the popes for whom it was readily available.
The grapes used are Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia del Lazio, Grecchetto, Bombino Bianco and Trebbiano, none distinguished on its own. While Frascati has had a DOC appellation as of 1966, the upgrading in 2011 to DOCG—a government guarantee of high quality—is another example of the ranking's questionable dependability. Still, as is now true of all Italian wine regions, modernization, innovation and investment have improved the wine measurably among s few producers. The best labels to look for include Pallavicini, Conte Zandotti and Le Quinte.
The city of Frascati is not on the usual tourist route, so it is quieter than Roman and a good walking city whose center is closed to vehicular traffic. It was for centuries a papal protectorate and frequently sacked by northern invaders, and in 1809 annexed by Napoleon to France. In 1837 Frascati, away in the hills, was the only nearby city that would accept plague-ridden Romans. In 1943 half of Frascati's buildings were destroyed by Allied bombings, but today the city is well worth visiting, not least for its ten surrounding villas like Aldobrandini, Parisi and Mondragone.
My wife and I stayed at one, Villa Tuscolana (Via Tuscolana 1500), up a winding mountainside road about three miles from town. Built in 1578 by Renaissance architect Luigi Vanvitelli for the Jesuit Order on the ruins of a villa once owned by the Roman orator Cicero, it was long a residence to Queen Maria Cristina of Bourbon and King Victor Emanuel II. The subsequent owner, Elisabetta Aldobrandi Lancellotti, connected Tuscolana via tunnels to her two other villas, Villa Aldobrandi and Villa Lancellotti.
After World War II the building was restored by the Salesian order that has become a hotel done in 19th century décor and suites, and it serves as a very popular wedding and events space. While we were there the hallways ran riot with scampering fashion models with their hair still in curlers.
The rooms are not particularly opulent but definitely evocative, and for the €114 euros we paid for the night, quite remarkable. The personnel at the front desk can run hot or cold, depending on the individual's mood.
In town the main square's principal site is the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, completed in 1598 with a fine façade but whose inside has a somber classical formality with none of the effusions of the Italian baroque. The most splendid edifice in Frascati is the vast Bishop's Palace with its three towers, flanked by Santa Maria in Vivario.
Since Frascati is in the region of Rome, the food is quite similar, and we ate at two different kinds of restaurants, one, the well-known (Villa Diaz 13), spread over two floors with a large terrace overlooking the rolling hills that lead to Rome. The wine list is strong, with emphasis on the wines of Lazio, though no vintages are given.
Cacciani's been here a long time—since 1922— so they post the dates when specific dishes were introduced to the menu. The Cacciani family still runs the place with deft cordiality.
Along with some warm focaccia, my wife and I began with velvety eggplant ravioli (€14.50) and fettuccine with the new season's funghi porcini (€16 ), then for our main course abbacchio, the very tender, exceptionally juicy baby lamb fed on the mint of the Roman hills (€22), with a side of bitter-salty stewed chicory and a bottle of Gabrielle Magno Frascati (€25 ).
That evening we went downscale to a wonderful, no-frills trattoria named Cantina Bucciarelli (Via Regina Margherita 27) . We came in out of the rain and it seemed everyone in the place was very happy when we arrived, for the conviviality is palpable, and, despite a full house, it was not in the least boisterous. The front room is glassed in and the pelting rain and outside light added to the coziness inside.
There is blackboard menu of specialties, from which we chose rigatoni alla carbonara (€12), rich with guanciale bacon and whisked eggs. Porchetta di Bernabi (€6) was well-fatted pig with its crisp skin as a bonus. Alessi di manzo (€10) was long simmered shredded beef with vegetables flavors cooked in, and pollo con peperoni ( €15) was a generous plate of stewed chicken with peppers,, onions and tomatoes.
By the time we finished, the rain had stopped, we rose from our table and everyone around us said, "Ciao!" and "Buona notte!" We felt right at home and sorry to leave the party.
