Life...Italian Style

International Wine Tourism Conference Roundup

This year's International Wine Tourism Conference took place in Perugia and it was a really great event!  I was thrilled to be involved and taught a few cooking classes at the Terre Margaritelli Winery in Torgiano for various expert Wine Bloggers and Tour Operators.  Check out these articles to read all of the great things they had to say about us!:

From Mary Cressler of Vindulge Wine Blog:  "Terre Margaritelli Winery - Umbrian Hospitality" (posted on the IWINETC official site)

From Paul & Merrill Bonarrigo of Messina Hof Winery & Resort: "Terre Margaritelli Winery"

From Puy Trigueos (in Spanish) of Turista Compulsiva:  "Umbria: Maridaje de vino, pasta, chocolate y emociones" - some great food photos at the end of this article as well.

From Terry & Kathy Sullivan of Wine Trail Traveler:  "Making Flatbread and Gnocchi at Margaritelli Winery in Umbria"

Thanks everyone and we look foward to seeing you all in Umbria again soon!

International Wine Tourism Conference & Workshop

I am very pleased to announce that I will be leading 2 cooking class/dinners at the International Wine Tourism Conference & Workshop being held in Perugia, starting this weekend. 

I will be doing a pre-event Cooking Class and Dinner at the Terre Margaritelli Winery in Torgiano on Sunday, January 30th, the cost is €62 per person.  For more information on the itinerary and to reserve, go to the Strada dei Vini del Cantico website.

On Wednesday, February 1st,  I will be holding a Cooking Class and Dinner at the Terre Margaritelli Winery in Torgiano for a group of international wine bloggers for the Wine Blogger/ Media Fam Trip portion of the conference.

I'm really looking foward to meeting lots of new people in the wine world!

Umbria Lovers guest post

Please check out my guest post on the Umbria Lovers blog.  I wrote an article about what I would do if (the unthinkable happened) and I only had one day to spend in Umbria....

Ciao Thyme Culinary Intensive: Umbria

Spring has just sprung... but we are already thinking about Autumn!

Ciao Thyme of Bellingham, WA, in collaboration with me at Life...Italian Style present an Umbrian Culinary Intensive from October 20-28, 2011!

Itinerary:

Thursday, October 20:  Checking into the Trampetti Villa, Foligno
Welcome dinner catered by Ciao Thyme ‘Italia’

Friday, October 21:  The International EuroChocolate Festival; Perugina Chocolate Factory Private Tour; Hands-on Class and Dinner at the Villa

Saturday, October 22:  Countryside drive to Orvieto; Explore the city of Orvieto above and underground.

Sunday, October 23:  City Tour and Outdoor Market in Assisi; Lunch at La Stalla in Assisi; Drive over Mt Subasio; Hands-on Class and Dinner at the Villa

Monday, October 24:  Trampetti Olive Harvest and picnic lunch followed by olive pressing and olive oil tasting;  Dinner at Vesuvio Pizzeria in Foligno

Tuesday, October 25:  Cheesemaking and Saffron Picking in Cascia; Salumi galore in the famous salumi-making town of Norcia; Dinner at the Palazzo Seneca

Wednesday, October 26:  Tour 200-acre Chianina farm;  Hands-on lunch at farm; Terre Margaritelli winery tour/tasting; Dinner at L’Alchemista in Montefalco

Thursday, October 27:  A day of rest.  Take a train to a small town, enjoy a horse ride or a bicycle tour; Hands-on Class and Dinner at the Villa

Friday, October 28:  The grand visit to the Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco; Lunch at Taverna del Lupo, Farwell dinner at the Villa.

Contact Ciao Thyme for details!

Umbria goes to Seattle (starting this Saturday!)

Note to those searching for Il Bacco Felice...

Unfortunately Il Bacco Felice in Foligno has been closed indefinitely.  Please feel free to contact me for further information.

Outstanding in the Field

Here's a link to the Outstanding in the Field Blog from when Federico and I took Jim Denevan and Dave Sanford on a 36 hour whirlwind tour of Umbria - we are hoping to see them again this fall!

La Nostra Vacanza....

Our Vacation through Abruzzo, Puglia, and Basilicata:

12 days / giorni
c.  2000 kilometers
1 itinerary / programma
300+ photos/foto
2 motorcycles/ motociclette
4 stomachs / pancie
3 regions/ regioni
c. 20 towns / paesi
4 campsites / campeggi
2 UNESCO sites / siti UNESCO
1 kilo penne pasta (never eaten)
5 tins tuna / scatole tonno (mai mangiato)
2 boats / barche
1 Trip
1 Panz
100 arrosticini
267 cows / mucche
354 sheep / pecore
89 goats / capre
1 Marcello
1 poisonous sea anemone / anemone velenoso
2 poisonous mushroom / funghi velenosi
1 lake / lago
1 river / fiume
1 waterfall / cascata
6 beaches / spiaggi
1 farting donkey / asino scoreggiante
a few aperitifs / un paio di aperitivi
1 or 20 bottles of wine / bottiglie di vino

24+ food experiences / esperienze gastronomiche

photos arriving slowly but surely to flickr

VINITALY 2009

Sunday and Monday I was in Verona for my third annual VinItaly trip.  By chance I spent almost the entire day Sunday this year tasting wine from Abruzzo.  I had been going around with my friend Alessandro (also Abruzzese), so we really had been having fun talking with all of the people from the different wineries and hearing their stories. Needless to say, after all of these new aquaintances I had made (and with our plans to spend Easter in Lanciano, Abruzzo),  I was especially saddened by the news of the earthquake Monday morning - they and their families are in my thoughts everyday....

The tastings started out a little rough, as Ale wasn't exactly dressed for the part (this event is geared towards buyers and distributors), and none of the cantinas wanted to waste their time or wine on us... however we soon found out that my lovely american accent was music to their ears...and things changed....  There was much less of an American presence this year at the fair, much to the dismay of the producers trying to sell their wines oversees, so as soon as I asked to try something, business card in hand, they embraced us with open arms....and open bottles..... I loathe the fact that most Italians think that all Americans are rich, and convincing them otherwise is all but useless... but I have to admit, it worked to my advantage.   Next year I'm just going to make things easier for everyone and wear a Prada t-shirt that says:  Yes, I am American and I own a restaurant in Italy!

Favorites this year:
Cantina Pasetti:  Pasetti Pecorino I.G.T,  Terre di Chieti
                              Testarossa Rosso Montepulciano D.O.C. - this is a really original wine, un vino unico, and its inspired by the redheads in the family (testarossa), so of course its excellent!
Cantina Emidio Pepe:  all organic wines, and all excellent - I had a Trebbiano that was amazing,     and a desgutazione of different vintages of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo ranging from 2005 to 1982! (the 1982 bottle is when it comes in handy to be an american  who owns a restaurant in italy....)
Cantina del Glicine:  found these guys at the end of my tasting so my judgement could be a little fuzzy, but they definately win the award for best labels - all hand drawn and some with cats!  I liked:
                                     Il Mandolo, Roero Arneis
                                     La Sconsolata Barbera d'Alba
                                     Grappa di Arneis
Domenis Distilleria:  Storica Nera grappa - its a classic!

 

2 Events this Week at Basilikó!

L’Orto Bio Logico Ariel e la Trattoria Basilikò presentano

DALL’ORTO ALLA TAVOLA
Una serata BIO-LOGICA
alla scoperta dei sapori provenienti dalla nostra terra

protagonista: il CAVOLO NERO

insalata di cavolo nero con caprino del pastore
involtino di cavolo nero
“caldo verde” zuppa portoguese
gratìn di cavolo nero

€ 30 (compreso vino, cibo, discorsi, tutto!)
Mercoledì 25 febbraio
Ore 20:30

********************************
La Trattoria Basilikò in collaborazione con Bengodi
E La Cantina Zaccagnini presentano

“La Montanara”
Alla scoperta dell’ Appennino Abruzzese
   
Ventricina del Vastese
Pecorino di Farindola
Crostini alla Chietina
Pallotte Cace e Ove
Pizz’ e Fojie
Pecora al Cotturo
I Bocconotti
*******
€ 30 a persona
Tutto incluso

Venerdì 27 febbraio
Ore 20:30

Prenotazione Obbligatoria!