September is here, so we are slowly getting ready for one of our favorite escapes, the vendemmia/ grape harvest in Toscana. And while we’re at it, we save the dates in the calendar – well, the usual wonders: the wine tastings, the community harvest and the exploration of the cantine, the local fairs honoring Baccus, the mystery tours and the pranzoni – all the incredible food of the season This year, due to hot weather and climate particularities, the vendemmia takes place sooner than usual. Forecast says historical low harvest but some extraordinary grapes to be expected in very limited quantities. Heat waves and extreme weather grew smaller, atypical grapes,…
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If you were a supernatural being, where would you live?
Rich, old and full of charm. Toscana is where legends are at a standstill. Time is slow, it simply flows right into history. The most perfect landscape rolls into the richest vineyards and the noblest cities of art in the whole wide world. Honestly now: if you were a supernatural being, where would you live? Father of Chianti Classico, reveal your presence! Ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy. Winemakers since 1141 when the family acquired the magnificent Brolio Castle and the surrounding vineyards, the Ricasolis had the nose and the palate for creating good wines. Talent and erudition run in the family, culminating with the one and only Bettino…
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One itinerary for your Tuscan holiday
12 days of grace There’s only one thing I can think of that can make leaving Florence bearable: leaving it for Chianti. Yes, the wine. And the life. So my 12 days of grace recipe starts with 3 days in Florence, followed by 9 more in the countryside, in the heart of the Tuscan vines. I pack my things carelessly, throw everything in the small Fiat or Mini I rented, and head south for the SR222. First timers are warned: go my way, not the highway. What I mean is take the SR222, the “wine” road through the villages and vineyards of Chianti Classico. I always stay at a farmhouse…
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TUSCANY #SINEQUANON: THE THINGS YOU CANNOT LEAVE OUT
Take two weeks for it. You will want it to last forever anyway. There are places you can fast forward, and there are places you can resist the temptations that come along the way. Toscana is not one of them. You have to take it in, breath it, taste it, not just visit it. You have to have the time to live it. ONE: Rent a car and discover the countryside. Toscana has the most beautiful medieval castles and villages in the world, and the most wonderful country roads. If you don’t have the freedom to move between vineyards and take in the iconic cypress tree lined landscape, don’t even…
