Luca Tenti and the Wolf's Visciola, an unbreakable bond.

Some childhood memories never leave us, and Luca Tenti knows this well. His passion for visciola, cultivated since a young age, has laid the foundation for what is now his work. Thus, after studying agriculture, he came up with the idea of starting a farm solely focused on this unforgettable scarlet fruit, the visciola.

The Azienda Agricola Luca Tenti was established in 2013 on the hills of Montalfoglio, a small hamlet in the municipality of San Lorenzo in Campo (PU) in the Marche region. Despite being 25 km away from the Adriatic Sea, fresh sea breezes arrive and are essential for producing high-quality fruits that allow for the creation of products with an exclusive and unforgettable aroma.

The project aims to obtain artisanal products while fully respecting local farming traditions and the raw materials used, sourced exclusively from their own crops. In particular, Luca Tenti's farm focuses on the cultivation and processing of local products such as the vine, primarily the Aleatico variety which constitutes the Pergola DOC, and visciola, native cherries from the Marche region with a characteristic acidic aftertaste.
 

In December 2019, a new facility was established to safeguard old varieties of visciola, recovering native specimens from more than 40 different sites in the region.
The visciola represents the cornerstone raw material of the company and is used to obtain many products, always in respect of the true nature of the fruit and the Marche agricultural tradition, while not neglecting recent innovative production techniques.
But now let’s discover the characteristics of these delicious fruits together.

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Visciola… a truly unique fruit!

The visciola (Prunus cerasus) is a typically Marchigian fruit that grows and ripens in the most rustic and wild corners of the countryside. It belongs to the group of sour cherries, like amarena and marasca, but is distinguished by its higher acidity at ripening. A small-sized fruit, the visciola is flattened at the poles and is of a deep purple color in both flesh and skin, an intensity reflected in its bold and unique taste.
Visciolas, crunchy and slightly sour, should not be confused with wild cherries or amarena, which are significantly sweeter and lighter in color.

But what are the origins of this fruit? Like other varieties of cherry, it is believed that visciola came to us from Asia and was introduced to Europe, probably around 70 B.C., by the ancient Romans.
Even at that time, this delightful fruit was widely used as a base ingredient in the production of tonics and syrups, but the cultivation of this fruit has not spread widely due to the spontaneous nature of the tree and its predisposition to grow in harsh soils, such as those in Marche. This is why visciola production is mostly local and little widespread, being a precious and untamed fruit that grows in only a few privileged areas.

Luca Tenti: Visciola del Lupo and other products

The name Visciola del Lupo comes from the cultivation and production area. Indeed, the ancient maps of the territory refer to the zone as “Madonna del Guardalupo” due to the presence of a small and ancient church consecrated with this name. According to legend, in this area, a man was attacked by a wolf and managed to save himself thanks to the help of the Madonna he had prayed to. To thank her, the man had a small church built, which can still be admired today, known as the Madonna del Guardalupo. It is from the wolf of the legend that Luca Tenti draws inspiration to name his line of visciola products, namely La Visciola del Lupo.

The main product of the Azienda Agricola Luca Tenti is the visciola wine, called Visciola del Lupo. Visciola wine can be considered the most ancient product made with this cherry. Typical from Marche, it has medieval origins and was created to improve wines that tended to deteriorate with the first summer heat. To make these wines more pleasant, farmers revived the ancient Roman tradition of adding fruits available in nature and in the fields to sweeten the beverage. Thus, visciola wine was born out of necessity, with methods and recipes carefully guarded and passed down from family to family.
La Visciola del Lupo is the ancient recipe passed down from Luca Tenti's family.
In June, freshly harvested visciolas are added to Aleatico red wine with some sugar, initiating natural fermentation. And this is how Visciola del Lupo is born, a product that is very fresh and well-balanced in the mouth, where the sweet notes of Aleatico wine perfectly blend with the aromas and acidity of visciola. Visciola del Lupo is the best wine to enjoy after a meal, pleasant to the palate, and very fresh. The perfect balance between sweet and bitter makes this wine ideal for pairing with desserts, especially dry pastries, and chocolate products. It is also excellent as a meditation wine or paired with cheese and chestnuts.

Following the Marche tradition scrupulously, the farm annually produces new products where visciola and its unforgettable flavor are the undisputed protagonists. Staying on the topic of alcoholic beverages, it is also worth mentioning the Spirito di Visciola, a distillate obtained from the fermentation of the visciolas previously used to produce wine. During distillation, both the aromas of the visciola flesh and the pit are extracted, making this product very special. The “Spirito di visciola” is transparent and crystalline, with fruity notes of ripe visciola followed by the taste of green almond due to the distillation of the pit. The visciola grappa is thus perfect when paired with chocolate or for cocktail production.

And if you’re a beer lover, don’t worry; the Azienda Agricola Luca Tenti has thought of you too: don’t miss Austera, a craft beer refermented in the bottle and made by adding fresh visciolas during the fermentation process. The base beer is a weiss, that is, a slightly bitter wheat beer. The added visciolas give it an opalescent red color, with distinct visciola aromas on the nose, while the taste is very fruity and not overly sweet. Austera is a fresh beer that, thanks to its floral notes, is suitable to accompany snacks, fresh salads, or fish dishes.

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Of course, the visciola is a fruit for everyone, thus there are also fruit juices and jams. Nectar of visciola, for example, is a fruit juice made from pureed visciolas to which water and sugar are added. The nectar is perfect for both children and adults, for truly delicious snacks and breakfasts.

The visciola jam is a must, produced with fruits from the Luca Tenti farm processed within a few hours of harvesting. The jam is made with the addition of little sugar, without thickeners, pectin, or preservatives, and fresh fruit makes up 80% of the raw material. The visciola is processed at low cooking temperatures, preserving the quality of the raw material, the vibrant color, and the organoleptic characteristics of the berry. This jam is therefore perfect for breakfasts or for making desserts, but also delicious with fresh or aged cheeses.

Not to be confused with jam is the visciola compote, consisting solely of fresh visciolas, without the addition of sugar or other fruits. The 100% visciola compote is thus completely natural and more bitter than jam. This product is suitable for all and pairs wonderfully with meats, cheeses, and dairy products.

Last but not least is the Cioccovisciola, a spreadable cream made from dark chocolate (61%) and Visciola del Lupo, or visciola wine. This cream is absolutely delicious: on the palate, you initially perceive the richness of the chocolate, followed by the creaminess of milk chocolate and finally the aromas and acidity of the visciola, which give an unforgettable freshness to the palate. Excellent spread on bread or toasts, but also to pair with desserts or aged cow's cheeses, like Parmigiano Reggiano.

Visciola del Lupo and the other products from the Azienda Agricola Luca Tenti, discover them with us! Luca Tenti's products are a blend of aromas and flavors where visciola, unique in its kind, is literally the star. If you want to discover the myriad aromatic nuances of this fruit, take a look at our selection of products. With the aroma of visciolas, everything will have a new taste!

Maria Nardone

S&M