The ideal wine to accompany the typical dishes of the area is the Ticino DOC Merlot, a noble drink which is genuine and full-bodied, with a special character, as pleasing to the palate, as the vineyards which cover the countryside of the Mendrisiotto are to the eye.
The Ticino DOC Merlot is a wine which matures well (good years up to 10 years) and which accompanies various dishes of traditional and modern cuisine well. To permit this noble product to develop its aroma and its flavour fully it is recommended serving it at a temperature not above 17-18 degrees.
In recent years the wine-making of the grapes to obtain white wines and rosés has gained in importance. They are ideal as an aperitif, to accompany light first courses or those based on fish; these wines are to be consumed at a temperature of 8-10 degrees for the whites and 10-12 degrees for the rosés.
The Merlot vine species comes from the Bordeaux area of France and was introduced to Canton Ticino at the beginning of the last century to substitute other more delicate varieties which were thus more subject to diseases.
The vine plants adapted very well to the new surroundings, producing high quality wines which are appreciated not only in Switzerland but also abroad.
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Cheese is a food product obtained from milk by means of a process of coagulation and fermentation. It can be eaten fresh or after maturing. It is rich in protein, fats, salts and phosphorous. It is especially nutritious and can easily be a full meal.
The cheese produced in the area comes almost exclusively from the Muggio Valley and Monte Generoso. It is a particular kind of cheese called “formaggino” – small cheese. These small cheeses are appreciated very much for their quality and taste, not only in our canton. They are produced from cows’ or goats’ milk or sometimes a mixture of both. They can be eaten fresh or after a short maturing period (two weeks at the most). There are two different techniques of treating the milk to produce either small cheeses with a sour paste, which are high and creamy; or else those with a sweet paste, low and more consistent in texture.
A variety of the small cheese with the sour paste is the “zincarlin”, which is obtained by adding herbs and pepper.
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Honey is a sugary substance, which is almost syrupy and is blond in colour; it is the result of the transformation by worker bees of the nectar of flowers or the honeydew. It contains sugars, water, organic acids, traces of mineral substances as well as aromatic essences which come from the flowers, giving it different scents depending on the particular vegetable species it comes from (acacia, linden, wood, chestnut).
Other important products of apiculture are propolis and royal jelly. Propolis is a resinous substance which the bees collect from the buds and barks of various trees to coat the beehive with in order to give it antiseptic protection. This property qualifies it as a natural antiseptic; 10-15 drops on a sugar cube in the morning are enough to be effective. Royal jelly is a special energetic food, different from honey, which the worker bees produce to feed their queens and the larvae.
Honey has also recently been inserted into the list of products guaranteed by the trade mark, APVN, along with the famous small cheeses of the Muggio Valley. Only pollens coming from the Muggio Valley, the Mara Valley and the Salorino Valley are used to produce this honey.
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