Portrait commission recently completed by Raphael. Want to learn to draw like this? Well, that’ll be tough as Raphael is a true master, but hey, we can certainly help you get started on the learning curve. In Italy no less!
Leaving Venice Via Water Taxi
Getting a cab, Venetian style. Though it’s always a bittersweet moment to be leaving Venice, a great way to get to Venice Marco Polo to catch your flight home is via water taxi; they pick you up canal side, and you get one last waterborne view of Venice’s majesty as you say goodbye for now to La Serenissima. Enjoy the view with us!
Bibbiano: Chianti Classico at its Best!
As always, a fabulous write up from Mr. Scicolone.
Tommaso Marrocchesi Marsi and his brother Federico are the owners of Bibbiano. I have tasted their wines before and really liked them but recently I had the chance to sit down with Tommaso and discuss the wines over lunch.
Tommaso Marsi
Tommaso is very passionate about the Sanviovese grape, Tuscany and Chianti Classico.
The winery was founded in 1865 and he and his brother are the fifth generation of the family at the winery. The winery is located in Castellina in Chianti overlooking the Elsa Valley. Tommaso said that there is organic farming and C02 zero emissions. He believes that there should be as little interference by the wine-maker as possible.
There are 25 hectares of vineyards and they are between 270 and 300 meters. The vineyards are on two slopes, which have different characteristics. The winery has the same boundaries that it had in 1865.
He also said that…
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Lago di Braies
Poking around Google Maps exploring the Lake Region looking at wineries we want to visit, we came upon this spot. Well off the beaten path, but as you can see the trip is likely worth it. Who wants to come enjoy what looks like heaven on earth with us? Getting there will be half the fun, and there’s a hotel right on the lake.
The Long Arm Of The…Pizza?
Bagnoregio
A city upon a hill in the truest sense. Follow the link for a series of shots of this amazing little village via drone. What an amazing place, and just an hour northwest of Rome, give or take.
Canal
Sassi Drawing’s Latest Masterpiece
Portrait commission:
Prosecco!!!
Prosecco is the most accessible of all the sparkling whites, and it’s no accident it’s overtaking its French competitor. I’ve got a bottle from Conegliano in the fridge for Mother’s Day, and you should too!
Another fantastic write up from Mr. Scicolone.
Prosecco is the leading selling sparkling wine in Italy. In addition, it outsells Champagne in the UK and sales of Prosecco increase every year in the United States.
Recently I attended a Prosecco tasting panel hosted by Alan Tardi, the US brand ambassador for Prosecco at A Voce Restaurant. Innocente Nardi, President of the Consorzio Tutela del Vino Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore made a few opening remarks. The tasting panel consisted of Scott Carney, M.S., Dean of wine studies, International Culinary Center; Oliver Flosse, Wine Director, Marc,U.S.A.; and Robin Kelly O’Connor CSW, CWE, Italian Wine Merchants. There were six Proseccos at the seminar and they were a true representation of the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore zone is located in the region of the Veneto, about 50 kilometers north of Venice, midway between the Dolomite Mountains to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the south…
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Fun With Wine And Google, Calabria Edition
Our friends at Sovereignty Wines have been doing a great job keeping us in Italian wines we’ve never had a chance to taste before; here’s a varietal you probably haven’t heard of before, but you definitely need to consider if you can find it–gaglioppo! It’s a sangiovese cousin (I had to look this up as I hadn’t heard of it either!) that grows well in the dry soils found in the toe of Italy’s boot. The version we had tonight was named for the town where it hails from (Ciro), via Cantine Librandi. We love it! It has the clarity and color of a Brunello, but is very cost effective at $11 a bottle, and definitely tastes like a full bodied southern Italian red.
So where does it come from? Here:
Ciro is located on the Ionian coast, on the ball of the foot of Italy’s boot. You can see why much of this region reflects a strong Greek influence.
As you drill in a little closer you can see where Librandi is located, and imagine Greek sailors landing here a couple millennia ago.
Cantine Librandi is found on the hillside overlooking the port.
Librandi sources all of its grapes onsite here in Ciro.
Street view shows us the entrance, looking welcoming. It’s a bit of a haul to get here for the typical Rome/Florence/Venice traveler, but I sense it’s well worth it! What a lovely spot in a part of Italy that everyone should see once.
Where the magic happens–beautiful bronze tanks and artworks adorning the walls. Yes!
Imagine sipping Ciro and looking out at these hills on a fall afternoon; the current fall special is a Northern Italian experience, but in coming years we might just have to do the same for the south.
Sassi Italy Tours 