A Day in Chianti: Food, Wine and Shopping
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INSIDE: Radda and San Gimignano Walking in Favorites 5 CHIANTI A Villa Rental Tale 9 Cooking at Capovento 10 ?Resembles a Panzano’s Renaissance Floating Butcher 11 An Unforgettable Meal 12 Cocktail Party loven hoofprints were about SPECIAL REPORT: CHIANTI the last thing I expected to see C in Tuscany. But there they were, dozens of them, neatly stamped in the dream of soft mud surrounding a puddle on a dirt road here in deepest Chianti. “Devils?” I wondered. .< “Worse,” replied Tracee, a guide for Backroads, the adventure travel compa- ny. “Wild boars. If you surprise them, they might charge you.” ITALYVolume 3, Issue 8 www.dreamofitaly.com September 2004 In my extensive time in Tuscany, now rapidly approaching 24 hours, I had already been sucker-punched by its A Day in Chianti: vineyards, cypress-lined roads, tufts of bright-yellow broom and restored stone villas that had me daydreaming Food, Wine and Shopping of early retirement. As far as I could ascertain, the only thing remotely dan- lthough Chianti covers a hungry? Want a snack? Then we must gerous about the place was choosing a rather large wine-producing stop at the Forno Marconi, in Ferrone, mediocre vintage of Chianti Classico. region reaching all the way one of Chianti’s best bread makers. A out to Pisa, my favorite Marconi also serves coffee, sweets and And about the only thing I knew about stretch is along the main road sandwiches. The best bread wild boars, or cinghiale, is that they can 222 from Florence to Siena. they have is called guanciale, be transformed into delicious sausages. The breathtaking scenery a naturally leavened loaf But it turns out that in their presausage looks like a rich patchwork which is the size and shape state, boars can be as aggressive as quilt with hills covered in of a pillow for which it is a hungover truck driver on the olive orchards sprouting sil- named. It’s perfect for sand- autostrada. With their tusks, these 200- ver and green leaves, woods wiches and toasting over an pound beasts look like a Tasmanian filled with chestnut and oakCopen fire to make fettunta, the Tuscan devil crossed with an exceptionally trees, vineyards filled with San name for bruschetta. During the unattractive pig. Get caught between a Giovese grapes turning rich red in the September wine festival, Marconi sells female and her brood, and it’s any- fall and long elegant cypress trees schiacchiata con l’uva, a very rich and one’s guess as to who becomes sausage cutting into the skyline. It is said, dark grape bread made only once a first. Who knew that terror lurked in “Tuscans do not have to go to Paradise, year. the rolling hills of Chianti? they have created it here on earth.” Hop in and I’ll take you on a perfect Leaving Ferrone, the road continues I was here for a good walk with day trip through the Chianti I love. through the land of terracotta. In this Backroads, and I had a week to spare. area, we find some of the finest facto- So, apparently, do other Americans, Leaving from Florence’s Porta Romana, ries and studios in Tuscany making because Backroads runs about a dozen we head out toward Chianti following clay bricks, roof tiles and large pots continued on page 6 the SS2 road to Greve/Ferrone. Feeling continued on page 2 Chianti is 65 square miles of rolling hills and vineyards. A Day in Chianti continued from page 1 called orci, where families used to store Strada in Chianti there is a rooftop terrace for outside their freshly pressed olive oil. To visit a dining. kiln (fornaci), we follow the signs to After leaving through the main square A grappa stop-a Impruneta, and then turn onto Via Delle of Impruneta and turning right on road Fonte. We can buy some terracotta 222, we arrive on the crest of the hills One of the more fascinating stops on at Artenova, which sells over 400 which will bring us into the heart of this road is Distillerie Bonollo located in objects including Medici vases, panels Chianti. If we’re in the Greti. Using the copper tanks that his depicting the Madonna and statues of mood for an early lunch, uncle sent him from their larger factory animals. then we must stop at in the north, Luigi Bellentani continues Ristorante Padellina in the the family tradition dis- On the last Sunday in September, town of Strada in Chianti. tilling grape skins into a Impruneta holds the oldest wine festi- This is a temple to Dante magic potion known as val in Chianti, which began in 1926. Alighieri and Tuscan cui- grappa. If we call ahead The town’s four neighborhoods sine! Alvaro, your host, is a Dante fan for reservations, we can decorate floats in red and white and will recite poetry at the drop of the stop for a tasting and grapes. Another great time to visit this hat. His brother, chef Rolando Parenti, tour. The tour follows town is on October 18th, when a huge makes wonderful ribollita, pappardelle al the distilling process from the crushing community dinner is held at the sugo di Conigliolo, penne sul gallo, and room to the aging hall. Warning: We church in honor of Impruneta’s patron peposo alla fornacina. Their fabulous may get drunk just from breathing! saint, San Luca. wine list includes 150 local selections. A favorite with locals, Padellina over- Besides grappa, they also make many looks the valley and in nice weather other liqueurs; one of my favorites is 2 THE DETAILS Ferrone: Greve in Chianti: Panzano in Chianti: Castellina in Macelleria Falorni Gallleria Civetta Carlo Fagiani Chianti: Piazza Matteotti, 69 Piazza Matteotti, 42 Via G.da Verrazzano, 17 Al Gallopapa (39) 055 853029 (39) 055853557 (39) 055 852239 Via delle volte, 14/16 www.galleriacivetta.it (39) 0577 742939 Impruneta: Oltre il Giardino www.gallopapa.com Artenova Ceramiche Nerbone di Greve Piazza Bucciarelli, 42 Dinner only. Artistiche di Leonardo Parisi Piazza Matteotti, 22 (39) 055 852828 Reservations a must! Via Delle Fonte, 76 (39) 055-853-3-08 Closed Monday. (39) 055 2011060 Closed Tuesday. Antica Delizia www.terracotta-artenova.com Also open between lunch and Enoteca Baldi Via Fiorentina, 3 dinner in the summer. Piazza Bucciarelli, 25 (39) 0577 741 337 Strada in Chianti: (39) 055 852843 Closed Tuesday. Ristorante da Padellina Castello di Verrazzano Open everyday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Corso del Popolo, 54 (39) 055 854243 PEP Ceramics (39) 055 858388 www.verrazzano.com Il Vinaio Via Trento è Trieste, 12 Closed Thursday. Via Santa Maria, 22 (39) 0577 740738 Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti (39) 055 852603 www.pepbizzarrie.it Greti: Piazza delle Cantine, 2 Closed Tuesday. Distillerie Bonollo Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during (39) 055 854243 the summer. www.bonollo.com Pane del giorno, vino dell’anno, con amici di una vita! Bread nocino, made from green walnuts. It is Cantine di Greve in producers. The wine bar a wonderful digestivo for sipping after Chianti, near the at Enoteca Baldi offers dinner, or pouring on ice cream. The COOP grocery these wines by the glass distillery also has a museum and store. This wine as well as simple meals. library which includes everything from lover’s dream doles out over 100 wines For a larger various grappa stills to bottles seized in one ounce samplings. All of the meal and a beautiful view, from the Austrians in 1918. wines are available for purchase. we could stop at another one, Oltre il Giardino, Greve in Chianti Another excellent place for wine tast- owned by Paolo Baldini, Our next stop is Greve, the heart of the ing is Castello di Verrazzano, just outside the head of the sommeliers association. Chianti wine region. Greve in Chianti of town. This is where the aforemen- is a wonderful place to visit at almost tioned Verrazzano was born. If his Up the hill, Il Vinaio offers any time of the year, but especially name sounds familiar, that’s because a small terrace overlook- during the spring and fall. The lovely New York City’s Verrazzano Narrows ing the valley. I love their piazza, featuring a statue of local-born Bridge carries his name and was built panini corretti, heated explorer Giovanni di Verrazzano, is prob- with several stones from the family sandwiches with a touch ably one of the most photographed in castle. While this is one of Chianti’s of grappa or Vin Santo, what a kick! Chianti. Covered loggias protect the more commercial wineries, attracting Here, we can taste the fabulous wines town’s charming little shops and thousands of visitors a year, the beauti- produced by Fattoria La Massa di wine bars. ful grounds, professional tour guides Giampaolo Motta, including the and excellent wine make it well worth excellent Giorgio Primo. This winery Shopping is indeed a must in Greve. a visit. A big party is held in honor of has just broken away from the For hand embroidered items, we can Verrazzano Day on April 17th. continued on page 4 visit Grazia Giachi Ricami in Piazza 3 Matteotti. For an enticing mix of water- We can get directions to Montefioralle, dream of colors, modern ceramics and antique the tiny hill town above Greve. art, we must visit Khosrow Salehi’s Beautifully maintained, this is a great gallery, Galleria Civetta. Salehi, a place for photographers to go crazy. Persian architect, came to Italy to study The Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci ITALY in 1985.