Italy Archives - Wine Country Getaways

Dario Cecchini – The Butcher of Chianti Classico

by Joe Becerra

Dario Cecchini is an 8th generation butcher but he has taken his skill to another level from his predecessors. Not only does he have innovative ideas about his profession, but his amazing outgoing personality, and his love for his trade and the people that come to his butcher shop and restaurant, are what sets him apart. He is truly a living legend in the land of Chianti Classico.

Pappa al Pomodoro – Our try at making this traditional Tuscan soup

by Joe Becerra

I took loads of photographs at the demo and also watched a YouTube video that one of the follow bloggers made, but I had to do some guesswork on the exact amounts of all ingredients. Here is my take on how to prepare and cook this wonderful soup, perfecto for these cold winter months.

Soave Wine Country – Italy’s Hidden Gem

by Joe Becerra

We took off from the hotel and drove directly to the hills above Soave. The roads are narrow and switchback among the vineyards. It is truly one of the most beautiful areas we have visited in all wine country. On a clear and beautiful day, the views are jaw dropping.

Umbria wine country – our adventures on the Umbria wine trail

by Joe Becerra

What a fabulous time we had in this beautiful country. During our three-week stay we enjoyed sightseeing, eating many superb meals, visiting wineries, and learning much about the many fine Italian wines. For the first two weeks, we lodged in a villa in Umbria.

Soave Wine Country – Italy’s Hidden Gem

by Joe Becerra

The Soave wine area is probably not on many wine traveler’s destinations when they visit Italy. Why go to Soave when there are the beautiful Tuscan hills, the land of Chianti and Brunello wines or the amazing Piemonte region, where Barolo and Barbaresco wines reign. We are very happy that we decided to travel to Soave; it is as spectacular and interesting as any wine country we have visited. The best part is that there are hardly any tourists around. We practically had all of Soave to ourselves.

Caparsa Estate in Chianti Classico

by Joe Becerra

The Caparsa Estate was the smallest of the wineries we visited on our Chianti Classico excursion and is owned by artisan winemaker Paolo Cianferoni. This was my favorite winery among the many we visited. The wineries were all wonderful and with great character, but the Caparsa winery is one I will not forget. Perhaps I see myself in the roll as Paolo making my own wine working the vineyards organically and selecting the finest grapes to go into my wine. If I owned a winery, I would tend to the land and make wine just like Paolo.

Touring and tasting in Chianti Classico

by Joe Becerra

We spent three days in one of wine country’s most beautiful and exciting locations, Chianti Classico in central Italy. We visited several wineries and tasted perhaps as many as 70 different Chianti Classico wines from producers both big and small. Our tour and tasting was all part of the European Wine Bloggers Post Conference sponsored by the Chianti Classico Consortium. They wined and dined 30 wine bloggers as though we all were potential Robert Parkers. They rolled out the red carpet to impress, and that we were. We loved the wineries and producers we visited and had a most memorable time. We learned much about Chianti Classico, its wines, tradition, and its many characteristics. We begin a series of posts with some general information and background about Chianti Classico and its wines.

Chianti Classico wine country — One of the many splendid views in Chianti Classico

Our Italian Wine Adventures – Brescia

by Joe Becerra

Our Italian Wine Adventures begin in the city of Brescia. We were not familiar with this city until we decided to attend the European Wine Bloggers Conference. It is one of those hidden gems that somehow remain relatively undiscovered by tourists. Brescia is mostly an industrial city but the city centre is magnificent with its beautiful Duomo, Piazza della Loggia, and the Santa Giulia City Museum, which is also the conference headquarters. Brescia sits in the Lombardy region at the northern end of Italy. Here lies Franciacorta wine territory, an area most famous for its sparkling wine, a wine that rivals that of Champagne and Cava. Like Champagne and Cava, by law no sparkling wine can be labeled Franciacorta unless it comes from this region and bears the DOCG designation on the label. We will be heading to Franciacorta wineries on Friday afternoon for a tour, tasting, and a fabulous Italian dinner.