Jacqui and Sergio have a network of friends ever ready to advise them on the best places to buy such important things as wine and olive oil or to recommend a restaurant in a particular area. They are often on the phone to a cousin or a friend who has a cousin or a friend who happens to know . . .
Anyway, according to their friends, Pepe and Adela, THE place to buy wine in the Alba Adriatic area was near the town of Offida up in the green hills, 20k from the coast. We stopped in the old town which was famous for its hand made lace. We had an ice cream whilst we waited until it was a convenient time to call on the wine producer’s mother – it was Saturday afternoon and Sergio explained that the woman who ran the place enjoyed a lunch time glass of wine before she had her afternoon siesta and, in the past, it had proved almost impossible to wake her up until the effect of the wine had worn off.
When we eventually got to the winery we found the son was in charge, the mother having gone on holiday. After some careful tasting, we purchased two 20 litre boxes of red wine. The son charged us €1.73 a litre which, apparently, was a real bargain. Sergio said that last time they bought wine with Pepe and Adela the mother had served them and charged them €2 a litre. Sergio resolved not to tell his friend, Pepe, as he would be furious if he heard that we got a better bargain from the son than they ever had from his mother. Our lips are sealed!
