Sub Rosa Artisan Salumi Line of Extraordinary Handcrafted Salumi

Panevino, makers of the Wine Country’s über-popular No. 6 Grissini, launched a new line of extraordinary handcrafted salumi in April, under the name Sub Rosa. Why Sub Rosa, a Latin term suggesting clandestine dealings? David Katz, managing partner of Panevino and Sub Rosa and the author of the Potable Pairings feature in each issue of Edible Marin & Wine Country, explained that many small-scale producers of cured meats like salami, saucisson, coppa and prosciutto operate beneath the radar, due to the many regulatory hurdles that face small producers. Like others, Katz has been quietly curing meat for years in an undisclosed location, and feeding it to undisclosed people in undisclosed places. But 18 months of research, development and the construction of two custom curing chambers now allows Sub Rosa to make and sell salumi certified by both Napa County and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Sub Rosa uses only heritage-breed pork to produce their Saucisson Provençal, Finocchiona, Sopressata, Spanish Chorizo, Duck Prosciutto and Duroc Coppa, with many more products in the pipeline. The care that they take with their sourcing and production shows—their salumi is full of flavor and has just the perfect texture.

A Sub Rosa web store is in the works, but for now you can buy direct from the Panevino kitchen in St. Helena and at the St. Helena Farmers’ Market (Fridays, May-October). You can also savor a signature plate of five Sub Rosa salumi products at St. Helena’s newly opened Goose & Gander.

More info at salumeriasubrosa.com and facebook.com/SubRosaSalumi.