Category: Art
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Campania Felix Part I: Sunny Sannio
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When the Romans ruled the world, the region of Naples – Campania – was the breadbasket for the Empire. No mistake then that Pliny the Elder (who actually died in the eruption of Vesuvius at nearby Pompeii!) called it Campania Felix, or the happy countryside. The fertility of this land and its bounty are readily…
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Villa Le Corti and the Tuscan Prince
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I had seen the villa with its symmetrical towers for years. Stately, it dominated its crest and serenely looked out over the valleys of San Casciano Val di Pesa. But when I finally met the owners, spoke with them, walked the grounds of the villa and visited its cellars, I was deeply touched by the…
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Dante’s March
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in Amarone, Art, Culture, Dante, Liguria, Literature, Made in Italy, Montefalco, Piedmont, Renaissance, Sagrantino, Tuscany, Umbria, Uncategorized, Veneto, WineOn March 25, Italy celebrated the second Dantedì (Heaven forbid we use English and call it Dante’s Day, Dante would roll over in his grave!). This important celebration marks the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death in 1321. I hear you: “Why the Inferno March 25?” As recognized by most scholars of the Divine Comedy, on…
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May Your Days Be Merry and Bright…
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And may all your Christmases … and wines… be white! Italian Grapevine is going to dedicate two posts to a review of the year’s highlights – the best of the reds and the whites we’ve sampled this year. Granted, it was a tough year: practically no wine fairs, no travel, no restaurants. For heaven’s sake,…
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Tuscan Quintet Part V: Tenuta Il Corno
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Tenuta Il Corno sits on a ridge in the Tuscan countryside just outside San Casciano Val di Pesa. The first time I visited the estate was on a dark and rainy January late afternoon. Struck by its austere and impressive façade, with a medieval bell tower to boot, the place oozed history. It was an…
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Masterpieces of Taste
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‘Tis the season… to be running from wine exhibit to anteprima to wine fair. Whether you are a producer or a taster, February kicks off the new vintages and it’s hard to keep up! A new addition to the Calendar is Wine and Siena: Masterpieces of Taste (the subtitle is new too!), a 4-year old…
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On the Road Again…
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Italian Grapevine has been on the road, as far away as South Africa, and the good news is: Italian wine is alive and well and living in Johannesburg! During the recent festivities for the week of Italian Cuisine in the World, held worldwide November 18 -24, 2019, I happened to be in the bustling South…
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A Wine Adventure
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in architecture, Art, Chianti, Culture, Dolce Vita, Food, Italian Cinema, Lazio, Made in Italy, Olive Oil, Rome, Slow Food, Uncategorized, WineSo, have you ever dreamed of leaving the rat race behind, buying a vineyard and creating your own wine surrounded by gorgeous nature? Maybe creating a restaurant that features homegrown vegetables and local cheeses, keeping things rigorously organic? That is just what the Stefano Matturro and Gabriella Grassi did. Careers in Milan and Brescia in…
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The Da Vinci Code for Wine
Milano Wine Week recently gave me the excuse to flit through Via Montenapoleone dressed to the nines and sip vintages while taking in the view of fancy pants fashion-conscious wine lovers. From the Duomo (left) to Via Montenapoleone, it’s all a catwalk! A lot was going on during this Wine Week, from workshops to master…