On 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…
Yours truly with Diego Bosoni Good thing I live so close to the Winery of the Year 2020 in these no-travel Covid times! Lucky me, I got to visit Cantine Lvnae twice, in late summer and early fall. We are talking southern Liguria, getting close to the Tuscan border. Can I say what a pleasure…
Almost three days have already flown by at Vinitaly, and we at Italian Grapevine are looking forward to a great last day tomorrow! This morning I had the chance to participate in Young to Young, a tasting led by the famous Food&Wine journalists Paolo Massobrio (La Stampa, Il Golosario) and Marco Gatti. Young to Young aims…
This Halloween, I’m reflecting on the moon and its incredible influence on us, and on agriculture. In 2018, we’ve even experienced some supermoons. Our grandfathers knew how to plant according to the moon’s cycles, and maybe we should be paying closer attention to what it’s doing to us, too. For years, I would pass through…
Molise: The Sound of Wine. Love that. Not sure I know what it means. But it doesn't matter. What sound does wine make? Lots of different sounds, depends on where you are, at what point the wine is (pouring? drinking? slurping the last delicious drop?), and who you're with. As the following photos will attest,…
On Holy Thursday and Good Friday in Italy, it is tradition to visit the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus, but not just one... many! Usually, the magic number is seven - but as any old Italian lady will tell you, as long as it's an odd number, you're OK. (Yes, there's a veneer of pagan superstition…
Continue reading ➞ It’s Good Friday: Do You Know Where Your Sepulchres Are?
'Tis the season to be jolly, and no matter what your mood, the bubbly will improve it! So since this is the ITALIAN Grapevine, make sure the bubbly that graces your New Year's table is something from the Bel Paese: Spumante - that's the Italian word for bubbly, but don't jump to conclusions! It doesn't…
When they invite you to a party in Portofino, you go. When they invite you to a party honoring Gualtiero Marchesi, you go. When they invite you to a party in Portofino honoring Gualtiero Marchesi, you can’t believe your good luck. The famous ‘cook’ (as he prefers to be called!), is the founder of new…
On a recent jaunt to Rome, I nearly OD'd on artichokes. I know, I know, do I have no self-control? It's just that Rome is more than the capital of Italy... It's the capital of artichokes! The Roman dialect word for artichokes is cimaroli, also called mammole, and this tender variety is round and without…
August is a special month in Italy: the entire country closes down for about 2 weeks and it all looks like a Hollywood set -- where did all the people go? To the beach, to the mountains, but no one stays in town! It is also the start of the harvest time, and that is…
Suzanne Branciforte's Italian Grapevine 