In May we returned to Venice for the first time in 3 years. Our visit began with a pilgrimage to our favourite wine shop, 'Al Canton del Vin.' What we found was truly disturbing. The shop was empty, derelict.
With thoughts of the pandemic and the disasters it had caused we walked disconsolately down the neighbouring streets. The district is far from the centre and tricky to reach so not wanting just to treck back right away, we went down a passage where we remembered a grocery selling the wines of the owner's friend Emilio Bulfon. Bulfon has revived numerous endangered varieties from Friuli. Could there be new ones added to his repertoire in these years?
Sadly nothing new but when asking about the demise of 'Al Canton del Vin' the staff told us they had simply moved round the corner.
Talk about relief. There it was in sparkling new premises almost exactly as before. The new address is
Salizada S. Giustina, 2907/A, 30122 Venezia
Our friend Manuel Casagrande was at his post. The same Damigiani offered the usual selection of vino sfuso. All was well.
Or was it? We had noticed in other Vino Sfuso shops that Belcorvo, the estate supplying Venice with most of its wine on draught was now bottling blends and selling them for rather high prices.
There were quite a few of these and it was impossible to get very far with them because the grape varieties were not mentioned on the labels.
Manuel also didn't seem too enthusiastic but in reply to the question as to which one might be the best to try, he said the 'Rubacuori' might be an idea. Rubacuori: where have we heard that word before? Hmmm.
As to the grape variety or varieties, Belcorvo don't publish that but after a little internet digging, what is called 'Raboso fermo' crops up.
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