by whit on September 20, 2010
A little over a year and 125 blog posts ago, I started Brunellos Have More Fun. Also around this time, I was settling into my cozy digs at Casa De Conciliis, working my very first harvest and beginning what would be the most marvelous adventure I’ve ever had. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. So, I’ve decided to get retrospective and share some of my very favorite photographs from that magical time (and the posts that they accompanied). I mean, can you get better photography inspiration/subject matter than Italia??
Sit back, grab a glass of vino and enjoy.
It’s Raining Pasta- Sunday morning with a family in the kitchen. Happiness.
Mezzogiorno - aka Lunch at The Winery.
Ode to Moscato di Terracina- in Lazio with Andrea Pandolfo in some of the most beautiful vineyards I’ve ever seen.
The Secret Vineyard- my secret vineyard.
True Wines and The Ultimate Cellar- A day with Giampiero Bea at Paolo Bea in Montefalco.
The Lion Count & The Forgotten Varietals of Emilia-Romagna- Leone Conte, a wild Vespa ride & two people in love.
An Attic Full of Acid Never Tasted So Good- a peek into the Medici acetaia.
Liguria: A Love Letter in Photos- a stroll down the sea cliffs of the Cinque Terre.
A Lot of Olives Equals Not A Lot of Oil- working the olive harvest in Tuscany with some donkeys and WWII parachutes.
Looking back over all these words and photos and memories, my heart aches (more than) a little. The people I have been so lucky to know, the laughs and stories shared, the glasses clinked and bread broken, the utterly breathtaking landscapes I have been able to experience…
If I never get back to Italy ever again, these could fill me with happiness for a lifetime.
by whit on February 12, 2010
Yes, Valentine’s Day is upon us. The hearts, the greeting cards, everything coming up roses, pink and other shades of flesh and blood. Do I sound cynical and jaded? Nah. Just single. But seriously, I really don’t mind this somewhat saccharin day. If anything, it is an excuse to eat copious amounts of chocolate. And let people know you love them (or don’t love them at all and would NOT like to be their Valentine.) 3rd grade traumas seem to be arising. I think I shall take this moment to look back at some of my favorite sweet Italian things this year. It helps balance the “bitter.”
Uva Fragola= Strawberry Grape. A wild Italian grape that mysteriously tastes like fresh strawberry. I need these in my life. Why do they not grow in America?
Limoncello. In the words of the wise Clune McClune, “It’s like a musical instrument, but you can drink it.” Wise, indeed. It is thick and lemony and sweet. I like it chilled over ice. Just delicious.
Moscato grapes dried on the vine for sweet moscato passito wine. Peach-candied burnt orange-tangerine raisin candy. I could have spent the whole day in the vineyard with a lawn chair, a book and my arm within reach of a cluster.
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by whit on October 22, 2009
Ruggine, Famoso, Centesimino. No, these are not the names of grand Italian piazzas or revered opera composers. They are grapes. I am betting you may not have ever heard of any of them. And it’s a shame, because they make fantastic wine. I was able to taste all of these indigenous and mainly forgotten varietals when I spent the day with Leone Conti in a small town near Faenza.
Emilia-Romagna is a region mainly known as the home of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. But, the region’s wines are often overlooked and overshadowed by the popularity and widespread marketing of the wines of Piedmont or Tuscany. Leone Conti is a testament to the fact that Emilia-Romagna’s wines are something worth paying attention to. And something worth drinking a lot of. The goal is “to revive indigenous grape varieties while enjoying to make (the) work more innovative and playful.” He is improving the vinification of and setting standards for the famous wine of the region, Albana di Romagna (as well as Sangiovese di Romagna) but having some fun and success with the unusually fragrant and unique varietals of the region.
Grape: Ruggine. One of my favorites of the day. Aged in new french oak but delightfully light and pear-tastic
Grape: Centesimino (two ways). The passito "Emozioni Lato R" and the secco "Arcolaio"
The two centesiminos. Lavender, rose and pomegranate.
Leone Conti is one of my favorite winemakers because his personality and creativity is not only displayed on the outside of the bottle but inside as well. You are not just drinking wine but drinking an experience. As Leone and his partner Coral explain, “There is nonetheless an idea that permeates all the wines. This idea is to have and give emotion, imagination and love through our work, and to share it with you.” The complete portfolio of wine is wonderfully diverse and drinks almost like a piece of sheet music. High notes, low notes, fragrant, earthy, fortissimo and piano. Any emotion, any occasion, any season or dish can be enhanced and complimented by one of these wines. The range is diverse, but true to the region and its varietals and distinctly Leone Conti. One of his wines, Emozioni, is actually named after a famous Italian song. To better understand and appreciate the wine, Leone put on the record and sang the song as we tasted! Dear Leone, you are definitely invited to my next party.
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