So, 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…
Nestled into the hills of Chianti is a magical place called Vignamaggio. The name has nothing to do with the month of May (Maggio in Italian), but is rather a direct reference to its prominence as a vineyard (vigna) that is the best (maggiore). Lucky me that I got to visit it on a balmy…
Wandering through the Tuscan countryside - something everyone should do at least once in a lifetime! - one stumbles upon hilltop towns that seem frozen in time. Montepulciano is a Medieval jewel, a place where the Medici family of Florence left their mark and who could blame them? Marvelous vistas inspire noble thoughts. Is…
Continue reading ➞ The Noblest of Wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Did you know that Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world? All that art and nature... wonderful, right? But how can one little country afford to preserve and promote all that beauty? We all have to pitch in, that's how! And the world of wine is doing its…
Continue reading ➞ The Culture of Wine Part 1: Tasca d’Almerita
You know I tell the truth here on Italian Grapevine. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth … on matters of Italian food, wine, culture and dolce vita living. I am la bocca della verità. Back in the Eternal City… What is the magic of this place? Could it be that you…
Warning: this is a post with a soundtrack, so crank up the volume! Altro che 3 Tenorini! as we would say. Italians love the number 3: remember Dante? So once upon a time, there were the 3 tenors (Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras). Then came the 3 Tenorini (actually one is a baritone), now called Il Volo.…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 