Italian Food, Italian Wine, Private Italy Tours

Fun With Wine And Google, Verdicchio Addition

Leave a comment

We are forever bugging our friends over at Sovereignty Wines to expand upon their Italian white wine selection (they have a good one already, but one can never be too careful, eh?) and they graciously keep us trying new labels all the time.  They were nice enough to source Belisario‘s Le Salse, a DOC verdicchio from Matelica.  Is verdicchio trebbiano?  Is turbiana trebbiano?  Is trebbiano in central Italy the same as in Lugana?  The Internet speculates on this subject at great and fascinating length.  All we know for certain is that this straw yellowish green wine is perfect with seafood and grilled or sauteed veggies and rich cheeses.  So where is it from?

Here:

Belisario 1Matelica is found in a valley in the Marche region about halfway between Ancona and Perugia.  Cantine Belisario is found in the heart of this ancient city:

Belisario 2

Upon a closer look, this is certainly a place that looks like it’s worth exploring!

Belisario 3

So what do Matelica, and specifically Belisario’s location, look like according to Google at the ground level?  Not disappointing in the least:

Belisario 4

 

In addition to the post war modern warmth of the place and knowing that the wine is good, the suggested images Google offered up served as invitation enough to dig further; pretty soon Matelica and Cantine Belisario have made their way onto our list of places to investigate in person, and soon.  See what we mean for yourself:

Belisario 5 Belisario 6

 

When we visit, we’ll take in the Apennine Mountains off in the distance, and then we’ll take in the enoteca here, which looks amazing.  If we’re not heard from for a long time, it’s because we took a job in the winery.  More tempting employment we cannot imagine.

 

 

 

 

Florence, Italian Food, Italian Wine

Baracchi

1 Comment

Got a lovely birthday present last week in the form of Baracchi’s Smeriglio (which translates as small falcon, as the bottle hints); dark, almost opaque in color for a sangiovese, this wine hails from a part of the world more foreign travelers are starting to discover (Cortona).  It’s a bit off the beaten path, but worth the effort for the intrepid traveler according to friends who call it their roots; per our friend Valter at Valter’s Osteria in Salt Lake City, the best way to get there is Trenitalia to Arezzo, and then private car service from there.  On our list of things to do!

DSC_0010_006

DSC_0012_007

On the nose, you can immediately sense that the ABV is pretty robust, and the label confirms (14%).  Not overly floral or fruity, just solid Tuscan minerality as you sniff, and slightly underripe plum and dark fruit on the sip.  Long finish.  Was perfect with some ravioli, and would stand up to proteins and heavier sauces just fine. You should try it if you find it.  $22 at Sovereignty Wines here in the Springs.

Art Instruction

Good Things Afoot On The Arts Side Of The House

Leave a comment

Look for an announcement in coming days on a piece that Raphael Sassi is presenting that is quite remarkable (we of course get sneak peeks in advance of the public).  Painting!  One of the best reasons to visit Italy with us.  In the meantime, consider the exquisite rendering of hands he did here–drawn with ballpoint (yes, really) pen, in this you see muscle, adipose tissue, skin, hair, sweat…the hands of baker hard at work.

10665678_10153164839540649_9152238957611076247_n

Veneto, Venice

Venice At The Dawn Of WW2

Leave a comment

Dream of Venice shared this quaint look at Venice in 1940; a dark shadow was descending over Europe at that time, making for a scarily uncertain atmosphere for all Europeans, but the people in this seem charmed, alive, and blissfully unaware of the horrors in the offing for so many of their neighbors.  That so many of Italy’s treasures survived the first and second world wars is something pretty remarkable when you stop to think about it.

Art Instruction, Private Italy Tours

Oil Painting by Sassi Drawing

Leave a comment

Visual arts master, portrait artist extraordinaire, and visionary behind Drawing from the Masters Raphael Sassi has unveiled his latest work, an oil painting commission.  His use of light and emotional honesty captures his subjects very spirit in such a way that you expect him to jump out of the tub at any moment.  Amazing.

Bathtub portrait

Private Italy Tours

A Wonderful Writeup On Doug Sassi

Leave a comment

This was tweeted to us tonight, and we think it does a great job of capturing Doug’s essence, and what makes Sassi Italy Tours more than a little unique in this business.doug pic

Italian Wine

Save Lugana (wishing I’d known about this sooner…)

Leave a comment

We generally avoid political discussions here, but this is important:  one of the best white wine producing regions in the world, let alone Italy, is in jeopardy because of the intransigence and ineptitude of the Italian political monster.

It’s too late to sign the petition, but it’s not too late to be aware of the issue and, if you value Italy as it is and should be, to stay abreast of current events and upcoming initiatives.

Be sure to like this FB page:  Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC.  

lugana

They can reroute a train a heckuva lot easier than they can relocate a wine region.

Florence, Italian Food, Italian Wine, Private Italy Tours

Fun With Google Earth And Wine, Badia e Coltibuono Edition

Leave a comment

One of the more lovely treats Doug Sassi brought home with him from recent set of tours was a bottle of Badia e Coltibuono’s Chianti Classico.  The 2010 is a perfect expression of the Sangiovese/Canaiolo blend style and the strong nose is instantly transportative, reminding the taster of the sights, smells, and tastes of Italy.  Not content to just imagine?  Let’s dig in via Google Earth:

Badia 1

As you can see they enjoy a woodsy area of Tuscany northeast of Siena and south of Florence–the heart of the Chianti region.  This is the sort of place that has made traveling authors swoon for generations, and end up finding a way to move there.  It’s not an accident.  Scrolling in:

Badia 2
Italy isn’t a huge country (about the size of California), but it still makes more wine than any other country by a long stretch, and it is because they still respect the old ways of doing things while managing to incorporate them and improve upon them with modernity.  Because they live predominantly in well developed and livable urban centers, they can preserve these large swaths of wine producing country nearby the big cities–they have managed to avoid suburban strip mall sprawl in a way that we Americans have not.  Moving in:

Badia 3

To get there from the main road, you have to navigate through that lush Tuscan forest.  Does not sound like a chore to me in the slightest.

Badia 4

Now you’re talking.  I love the pool nestled on the property by the entrance to the woods.  As you can see from the higher up shots, most of the grape growing appears to happen a bit further out.

Badia 5

Well, that’s awful.  Cannot imagine any of our clients will want to go here.  🙂  But just to make sure, we will go inspect the place personally to make sure it is up to snuff and report back shortly.  If we are not heard from in six months, send risotto, porcini mushrooms, prosciutto, and help in the form of wine fund replenishment….as we’re likely to offer to pick grapes and handle the landscaping for free and possibly sell off everything we own in order to get to live here.  Wow.

Badia 6

Imagine touring this place, tasting their wines, and then taking a bottle for a walk in the woods here.  You too will be looking for a black market organ harvesting operation to sell a kidney to in order to expatriate yourself here.  It looks that amazing.

The kicker:  they offer a cooking school and overnight accommodations, and a restaurant that opens March 15th and runs through early November.  Sounds like a place worth investigating.

Italian Food, Italian Wine

Polenta

Leave a comment

Tonight we were craving another taste of Azienda Giribaldi’s delicious Dolcetto, and we figured a traditional style porcini mushroom gravy with garlic and basil and some reggiano would be perfect on a brisk fall evening over some broiled polenta.

polenta with porcini

It was as good as it looks.

Florence, Italian Wine

Fun with Wine and Google Earth, Tuscany Edition

1 Comment

It’s been cold (as in single digit temps, dipping into the subzero range) and snowy here in The Springs, whereas Doug Sassi and his clients have been enjoying balmy mid to upper 50s in Venice this week.  Did we mention we’re jealous?

It was time to feed the kids, and nothing is more likely to please the palate of cranky two and three year olds than daddy’s homemade cherry tomato porcini mushroom garlic laden red wine tomato sauce over some noodles with lots of reggiano cheese.  And for the grownups, a taste of the Italian countryside courtesy of our friends over at Sovereignty.  We went for one of our very cost effective and reliable favorites, the Rosso Toscana IGT from Fattoria il Palagio.  80% Sangiovese rounded out with some Cab, it really sings (and for around $9) with a savory red sauce.  Nothing fancy or complex, just a harmonious red table wine that like most of the wines we favor reminds you of, well…being tableside in Italy.  Time to take a look at where our wine hails from:

Palagio 1

About halfway on the road between Volterra and Siena and south of Firenze, Fattoria il Palagio is smack in the middle of Tuscan wine country, nestled in the triangle formed by Firenze, Siena, and Livorno.  It’s really where you want to be instead of being snowed upon.  Another click inward reveals lots of woods, naturally, and rolling farmland.  Tuscany’s agrarian roots are readily apparent.

Palagio 3

Another click closer shows us the 10,000ft view of a small vineyard near a small town; you can tell already this is a place that has reverence for doing things in a traditional fashion.  There’s nary a WalMart or BestBuy to be seen.  No parking lots, no strip malls, no Starbucks.  Just Tuscany.

Palagio 4

Imagine the patience and love it takes to tend to neat rows of grapes trained so tidily for the seven generations Fattoria il Palagio has been in operation.

Palagio 5

Time for the street view:

Palagio 6

I don’t think it gets any better.  Cypress trees, long gravel driveway, clear blue skies…you can smell and feel the warmth of the place.  Google’s robot-on-the-car unfortunately didn’t make it any further up the road, but a glance at Fattoria il Palagio’s website makes the place look even more inviting.  Huge upside:  they offer locally pressed olive oil as well.  Definitely adding this place to the list of places to send clients who want an authentic Tuscan wine tasting experience.  The view to the right as you head into town from the vineyard is elegant:

Palagio 7

More Tuscan goodness as you make your way into the hamlet of Castel San Gimignano:

Palagio 8

Time to go *here*…pronto.

Guided tours of Italy in a small, private setting