Marco Salerno
Marco grew up watching his father make wine and visiting his grandparents’ farms in Sicily and Calabria, which led to his fascination with traditional winemaking. He is now pursuing a career as a professional winemaker. Marco explores his deep love for Southern Italian culture by leading tastings in NYC and NJ, collaborating with Cirò winemakers on microvinification projects in Italy, and making natural homemade wine with his family in NJ. Follow him on his journey: marcuzzovino.com or @marcuzzo_vino
November 26, 2021
Salvo Foti, Revered Winemaker and Humanist, Tells Us about His Mount Etna
"Few folks know Mount Etna like Salvo Foti. Born, raised, and currently living on Etna, in the town of Milo, Salvo lives to protect Etna, her traditions and people. A true Etneo! Throughout the years, Salvo has played an essential role in the recognition of Mount Etna wine, acting as a consultant for many wineries (Benanti, Vini Biondi, etc) that…
September 18, 2021
Artisanal Craft and Natural Wine in Alcamo, Sicily: Alessandro Viola and Luigi Stalteri
"Having visited Alessandro and Luigi back in 2018, I was given a first-hand look at how special Alcamo is. The quiet town on the glamorous Mediterranean coast is shadowed by a natural reserve sitting atop a mountain about 800 meters above sea level. This natural reserve gives birth to abundant pines, luscious green foliage and sweet fresh air. This is…
September 3, 2021
Open the Treasure Box of Diverse Sicilian Wines with Tasca d’Almerita
For many years now, Tasca has been committed to Sicilian wine production, a leading example for family-fun wineries to take themselves to commercial heights, with the laudation around the world.
June 3, 2021
Librandi: A flickering light in a dark past of Calabrian wine, with hopes of keeping on the lights
Even though Calabria is one of the oldest wine regions in the world, it has had an obscured past unbeknown to much of the world. Over the past few decades, Librandi has been one of the few flickering lights that has illuminated Calabrian wine from the dark past.August 8, 2020
The Ciró Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Artisanal Calabrian Winemakers Sweep Italy
Cirò is at the very center of a crucial wine transformation happening right now in Calabria, arguably Italy's most exciting wine region! But I, having Calabrian roots, am a little biased.
October 12, 2019
Chianti Classico is Not Your Daddy’s Chianti, with Walter Speller and Poggerino Wines
To help me explain why, I asked for help from my friend, Walter Speller. Walter is the Italian Wine Specialist at the Jancis Robinson publication and has great command over Italian wine knowledge, yet he describes his insights with playful banter and intimacy.
June 6, 2019
Claudio Sottile: Following NYC Dreams to Sicily and Back
"...it's cool because there's these microclimates that exist within the valley that make growing wine there specifically very, very unique and different." -Claudio Sottile
April 4, 2019
“Famous” Calabria: The Italian Wine Region Everyone Should Know, But Doesn’t
Calabria is not the “famous” Italian wine region that might come to mind. Sit back, have a glass of Calabrian wine and think again.
February 4, 2019
Beneduce Vineyards: Jersey Proud
Marco Salerno speaks with Mike Beneduce from Beneduce Vineyards about the potential of New Jersey wine.
January 4, 2019
The Wine That Blew Up Pompeii: Ciro Giordano of Cantine Olivella on Vesuvio Wine
Vesuvio, also known as Mount Vesuvius, is home to wines of explosive flavor and historical controversy. Vesuvio’s legendary eruption of 79 AD destroyed the wealthy, coastal towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, though vines and enological tradition remained rooted.July 12, 2018
Bonaccorsi: Etna’s First-And-Always
ValCerasa was one of the first wines to be imported from Mount Etna to the United States and for good reason.
May 18, 2018
Salt, Capers and Volcanic Grit: Nino Caravaglio
If you have heard about the Salina or Lipari islands, then it is probably because of their delicious Malvasia passito-, dessert-style wine. The Aeolian Islands, as they are collectively named, have a lot more to offer than sweet wine.March 15, 2018
Castellucci Miano: Born to be a Rebel
Castellucci Miano’s wine is not a jock, a popular chick, but a rebel. By Marco Salerno.
February 21, 2018
Mi Sueño Americano: Mi Sueño’s Rolando Herrera Lives Out His American Dream
“I love what I do. The name says it all, Mi Sueño—which stands for ‘my dream’—and it’s a great honor to live the true American dream in something you love." -Rolando Herrera
February 6, 2018
Madre Mia Che Monica
Meet Monica -- She is Sardinia’s young, fresh table wine and everybody loves her.
January 12, 2018
History in a bottle: ArmosA
Cantina ArmosA is located in the town of Sicili, belonging to the Province of Ragusa, in the southeast corner of the island. ArmosA has a great sense of their region's history disregarding fleeting trendy moments of today, audaciously evokes emotions of historical consciousness.
November 17, 2017
CesaneseRules! Increasing Cesanese’s Authority, Step-by-Step
"I always say that Cesanese is the kind of variety that once you taste it you never forget." - Letizia Ciolli interviewed by Marco SalernoJuly 5, 2017
Vini Biondi: Resurrecting Beauty
The Biondis produce exquisite Cru wine from contrada Rozini and San Nicolo’, focusing on native Etna varietals Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, Catarratto, and Minella.
May 14, 2017
Do You Speak Wine Science?
Though the science of wine is a story infrequently told to consumers, the industry has come a long way in adopting rigorous science. Essentially, we have gotten down the basics...
April 7, 2017
2.5 hectares of Reality: Giovanni Scarfone’s Bonavita
Grape Collective’s religion is wine, and our latest savior is Giovanni Scarfone, a vigneron who has a small holding (2.5 hectares) in the Faro region of Sicily.
March 8, 2017
Matassa: A New Zealander Makes Natural Strides in the South of France
Calce, a small village between the Pyrenees and the Corbieres, where mountains, sea and sky create incredible scenery, is home to some very exciting natural wines from Tom Lubbe and Matassa. Welcome to Roussillon; French but with a Catalan accent.
January 24, 2017
Into the Unknown: Ezio Voyat Wines
There is a good chance that you have never heard of Ezio Voyat (rightfully so). Most people haven’t -- the wine is very rare, hardly any stores carry it, and allocation is so sparse that years can go by without it arriving to the US. What’s the fuss?
December 9, 2016
Gulfi: Sicily’s Wine of the People
"Gulfi wines are simply Gulfi -- they don’t try to be anyone else and know who they are by listening to their ancestors." Marco Salerno on how he fell for Gulfi while visiting Sicily
November 27, 2016
First Sips: Festa di San Martino
Saint Martin’s day is the special moment when we recall on the year’s hard work and preview new wine in its preeminent stages in accompaniment of friends and family.
September 17, 2016
Cannonau: The Heart of Sardinia
No matter how you say it -- Cannonau, Cannonao, Cannonadu, Canonao -- the grape is the heart of Sardinia....
August 26, 2016
Book Review: But First, Champagne
But First, Champagne gently grabs you by the hand and lays bare the magical world of Champagne...
August 11, 2016
Aren’t You Glad I Didn’t Say: Orange Wine
An introduction to orange wine, with background information on Josko Gravner
July 14, 2016
Davide Merano, Poggio dei Gorleri
The Italian Riviera, as it is known, is more than a vacation destination with stunning landscapes...
July 5, 2016
Say Goodbye to Purple Teeth
Having purple teeth is getting caught red-handed with wine. The verdict is straightforward – you have been drinking wine!June 25, 2016
Terroir: Under the Surface
Hands down, soil is the essential element when planting vines and growing grapes.
