While walking through the Natick Mall tonight, friends and I almost passed the pushcart kiosk featuring Vino Cotto. The words “Vino Cotto” somehow caught my eye. I stopped and turned to see our good neighbor Deena Montillo.

Ah-ha! I knew she and her husband Greg had been building a business making Vino Cotto from a genuine old family recipe. Greg is from Italy, and Deena is Italian-American and they always were known for cooking up something good in their kitchen.

They have been selling their syrup and have recently added handmade chocolate truffles made with their Vino Cotto.

Since our children have all graduated from high school, we haven’t had the occasion to see Deena like we used to, so it was great to touch base. It was also an opportunity to get to taste the Vino Cotto and the chocolates. I wasn’t sure what to expect. They are fabulous!

The syrup is made by cooking about three pounds of grapes for several hours, rather like making maple syrup. When you taste it, you want to lick the cup clean. And you start to think about how to use it in your own kitchen.

The Montillos have recipes on their website: montilloitalianfoods.com which I will definitely be checking out.

Deena will have her kiosk at the Natick Collection for a limited time. If you are looking for a special gift for Valentine’s Day for your sweetheart, go for the truffles. If there is a cook in your life, go for the Vino Cotto.