Vignamaggio

Vignamaggio was everyone's favorite place, hands-down.  Our eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when we pulled up to the villa.  Having gotten to know each other a little better after three days into the tour, we felt free to take peeks into each other's rooms, exclaiming at the different details: views from windows, linens, stationery, ceramics, etc.  Mine and D's room was more like an apartment -- complete with master bedroom, living room, two small lofts with single beds, and a higher "observation deck" with a small ottoman -- presumably, to look out over the amazing view.

The first evening (of three) there, we went on a tour of the on-site winery.  Our guide told us the history of Vignamaggio, which was originally owned by the familyof a guy who married a nearby villa owner's daughter and later commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint her portrait: the Mona Lisa.  Back in the 90s, Vignamaggio was the filming site of "Much Ado About Nothing," with Kenneth Branaugh and Emma Thompson; if you haven't seen it, you should!  It's one of my favorites.

The kitchen was downstairs, so each morning I awoke to the smell of freshly baked bread.  I had fresh cappuccinos along with meats and fruits and fruit juices.  We also had a terrific dinner there; I can still taste the lemon mashed potatoes.  On the last afternoon we had a traditional Tuscan cooking class.  If we didn't have all those other wineries to visit, I'm sure we all would have been quite happy to stay at Vignamaggio the entire three days.

   

   

 

   

   

What a truly special, magical space. Beautiful grounds. Wine in every room and corridor.  Two pools. History with the Mona Lisa.  Filming venue for a great movie.  In short: a great story, a great stay. 

This is definitely on the short list for the 5-year plan to spend a month in Italy with the gals.

Remembering Renzo

Renzo Marinai is a veterinarian by education and training, but is now a wine maker. We visited his beautiful grounds in Tuscany's Conca d'Oro (Golden Shell), where he and his dog led us on a tour and tasting.

What's cool about Renzo's small operation is his "back to basics" approach. (Instead of creating separate grape and olive fields) He plants olive trees among the vineyards -- and wheat, too. He believes living together helps their immune systems as well as the soil. Of course, in addition to the wine from grapes, he makes oil from the olives, and pasta -- and perfume -- from the wheat.

I bought a bottle of the perfume, Vita, for myself. It smells heavenly: clean, fresh, Tuscan. It was a bit of a risk, considering I haven't worn perfume for years now on account of allergies.  But the risk paid off: no rashes.  So I get to be reminded a bit of Italy now and again.

But you really want to know about the wine, right?  Panzano, where Renzo lives, is in Tuscany.  Which means the wine is Chianti.  As most wine makers do, he ferments in stainless steel and ages in oak.  But his wine ages to the sound of Mozart.  According to Renzo, the candence of the composition is reverberated by the wood, enhancing the aging process.  I especially liked the Chianti Classico Riserva. And he also poured some of his Kadar for us to try -- a special treat because there are only 290 bottles of the stuff!

   

This was one of the more memorable winery tours.  It's one of the smaller wineries in the region, but is very unique in terms of philosophy and product line.  And the tour was by the proprieter himself -- who, for someone of my parents' generation, is a pretty spiffy dresser!

It's been over two months since the trip, and although I have tons of photos and can probably write an individual post on each of the vineyards we visited, I'll abbreviate the process by sharing a list of the others we visited:

• Villa Le Corti


• Fontodi


• Castello Romitorio


• Castello Banfi


• Plus, Frantoio Fraci for olive oil tasting

One last and special post to go, and I can say, "Ciao, Italia!" for now.

 

Artsy Autumn: Uffizi

We had a choice between a pasta-making workshop or tour of the Uffizi. Most people opted to cook. But I chose art.

On the walk to the Ufizzi we came across a medieval parade.  Turns out it was the feast day of Saint Reparata, the patron saint of Florence.  The cathedral was segmented off, bands played.  But we couldn't stay to watch.  Off to the museum!

Our "docent" was actually the head of the Art History department at the Florence University of the Arts, which is a part of the Palazzi school that handled most of the Florence segment of our tour. She was really friendly and knowledgable, asking each of us what we know about art so she could determine what story to tell for every piece of art.  It brought back a lot of memories of the first class I took in Art History, when I studied abroad in the U.K, and the wonder of going from slideshows (on carousels, not even PPT!) to the real thing.

I've already mentioned how I feel about taking pictures of paintings, so I purposely don't have the Fra Angelicos and Boticellis to share (you've got to go to Florence yourself!). Instead I've got one of my best photos of the trip; it's a view of the Ponte Vecchio from the second story of the Uffizi, and yes, it's Instagram:

Marsha commented that she'd seen the same view 20 or so years ago, and it hasn't changed -- which makes sense, because it looks the same as when I saw it over a dozen years ago, too. 

It was another morning of walking along cobbled streets and through long galleries of art, competing with other (larger) tour groups.  My feet weren't doing so well, but a four-course lunch was upon us, which meant I could slip off my shoes under the table for a good while. So: totally worth it.

Savignola

This was another memorable wine tour and meal. Our trip organizer rented from this elderly couple, Carlo and Valeria, when he was on sabbatical in Italy, so it was a homecoming for him.  We made a 10-minute trek from where we were staying, through a vineyard, to get there.  It felt very homey. Walking out to greet us as we arrived, Carlo held up two hiking poles, saying to our leader, "You left these here from five years ago! Storage fees are very expensive here in Italy!" It was the beginning of a delightful afternoon.

   

   

    

Carlo and Valeria hosted a home-cooked meal of pate and jelly with crackers and homemade bacon ciabatta, lasagna, salad, veggies, and a lovely dessert spread.  All the while, Carlo poured his own wine for us, cracking jokes the entire time.  We ate out on their terrace, which has an extremely pleasant view of the typical Tuscan vineyards and olive groves. 

Afterwards, their daughter, Ludo -- Philosophy Ph.D. turned 5th-generation winemaker -- gave us a tour of their operation.  You can read more about their story here.  We picked up a few bottles for our BYO dinner later that evening (at Solociccia). And a few of us made away with some bottles of jam and pepper jelly, handmade by Valeria, with lid coverings crocheted by Ludo's mother-in-law.  (Sadly, my marmalade was confiscated by the French as having, "beaucoup de liquide."  I'm still sad about it.)

We were sad to leave, but there was another tasting to attend!  Mille grazie for a wonderful visit and meal!

Artsy Autumn: Florence Architectural Walking Tour

You know that saying about not breaking in new shoes while traveling? I was stubborn. I thought my feet impervious to new leather. Then I opted for the architectural walking tour and walked all over Florence -- on cobbled streets, no less (beautiful to look at, painful to walk on).

First off, mad props to our tour guide, a chic Italian young lady named Alfreida who was an Art History student.  I loved her accent and the way she spoke of the city and the sights and their creators with such love and admiration and understanding, claiming these places and people not simply as names or pieces to be memorized for a course of study, but as part of her history, her identity, her very self.  It's always so rewarding to witness a person in their element, exuding their passion. 

A day of spotty rain made the smell of leather all but permeate the city.  It was a nice, organic smell as we walked by the San Lorenzo central market and across long rows of stalls selling belts, wallets, purses, and more.  The cathedral itself is quite old; I snapped a neat shot of colorful bikes leaning against bricks that are hundreds of years old.  We walked onwards towards the Dome and Cathedral, stopping to look at Giotto's reliefs of Bible stories on the Baptistery doors.  Then to the Palazzio Vecchio, which is now City Hall. Past the old Palazzo di Medici, all the way up to the Piazzale  Michelangelo, where you find that sweeping, panoramic view of the entire city.  I waited patiently for the clouds to move so I could get a picture of the sun shining on the Dome.

    

    

    

Walked back to city center to meet the rest of the tour group, who had opted for the cooking class.  We were met with heaping plates of bruschetta, risotto, a braised pork.  And wine.  (Yes, for lunch--we were on vacation!)  I promptly sat down and slipped my shoes off, giving my poor, swollen feet a bit of respite.  By the end of the trip the shoes were worn in.  It was worth it, but I won't be repeating that on my next trip.

[doorknobs]

Speaking of architectural details: throughout the trip I took pictures of some doorknobs as I walked by residences, businesses, and other spaces.  My travel mates began making fun of me for taking "strange" shots, but I trusted my vision.  It came together quite nicely, if I do say so myself!  I have one of doors and windows, too, which came together by chance.  Thank you, Picasa, for making it fun and easy to create collages!