Experience a truly enchanting holiday in one of my Tuscan Villas
Enough of the Tuscan sun. Enough with the cypress trees, the ochre-colored villas and the knots of tourists draining every trattoria of oxygen and charm. A Florentine friend bemoaned that his beloved city had become a Renaissance theme park. Ditto the countryside, though the theme is different….
2002 Ornellaia, Bolgheri Superiore DOC, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
One of the great Super-Tuscan estates, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia was founded in 1981 in what has proved to be one of Italy’s most interesting and expressive wine-making areas, the maritime hills of Bolgheri within the greater wine region of . Maremma is an extremely interesting sub region of for food and wine lovers to visit. Although for centuries it was considered unfit for vineyards, in the past few decades this coastal area has become one of the most ultra exclusive wine producing regions of Italy. Ornellaia’s 97-hectare estate stretches out along the Tyrrhenian Sea, just north of the Maremma between Leghorn and the Island of Elba, and is the birthplace of the now-iconic wines Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia, Masseto and Le Volte.
Founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori, brother of the powerful and esteemed Piero Antinori, Ornellaia is not one of Tuscany’s most historic wineries, but it has become one of its most respected. Its success is due both to its staunch commitment to the philosophy of “quality without compromise” and to the unique climate and terrain here. While in some ways similar to Bordeaux’s, the estate’s terroir is truly something special; ever-changing and composite, it includes marine, alluvial and volcanic soils, allowing each grape variety to be planted in its ideal type of soil. Ornellaia enjoys some famous neighbors such as Sassicaia, one of the most legendary Tuscan estates. Sassicaia is owned (not coincidentally) by Antinori’s uncle, who made the first Super Tuscan and began the trend that continues today.
The estate’s signature wine, Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore, a Cabernet-Merlot blend, first stepped onto the scene in 1985. It’s been a collector’s favorite ever since, with all bottles being sold before the wine has even been made. Less expensive and exclusive, although also intriguing and complex, are wines like Le Volte (a Sangiovese-Cabernet-Sauvignon blend).
Tenuta dell’Ornellaia actually occupies two separate estates in Tuscany’s low, hilly coastal region. The original property, which Antinori inherited, is home to a stylish, clean-lined winery and 30 hectares of vineyards. Nearby is the second estate, Bellaria, with 46 hectares. Lodovico Antinori is no longer involved with the winery he founded; in 2002, the Mondavi winery of California acquired full ownership, and in 2005 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi took over. Today, a young and enthusiastic team manages operations.
If you would like to visit Ornellaia´s winery as part of a luxury wine tour of the Maremma in Tuscany, contact us at info@planningatour.com
This is a true picture regarding a famous village of Riviera Ligure… can yuo tell me which one? For the solution, see yah tomorrow… 🙂
This is Portovenere…
Festa della Madonna Bianca, ignition of torches placed along the picturesque promontory of San Pietro, Portovenere ( La Spezia – Liguria – Italy )
For a charming dinner in one of many restaurants on the Viareggio’s Passeggiata. To don’t miss!
It is known as a seaside resort as well as being the home of the famous carnival of Viareggio (dating back to 1873), and its papier-mâché floats, which (since 1925), parade along the promenade known as “Passeggiata a mare”, in the weeks preceding Easter.
Main sights:
Hi my friends,
Today I invite you to discover more about this little corner of Tuscany: Colonnata and the Lardo di Colonnata. This is a Protected Geographical Indication of the typical village on the Apuan Alps (Tuscany), in the province of Massa Carrara. The Lardo di Colonnata is produced by fat pig seasoned in the hollows of Carrara marble.
In these areas the marble is used to store food. From the marble fact derive the hollows in which they are stowed in layers alternate surface of pig lard and salt with the aromas: pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, sage, rosemary. The basins, rubbed with garlic, temperatures and humidity, so the finished product has unique characteristics. The bathtub is full deck, and then checked periodically reopened around 6-10 months later to maturing completed.
The lardo di Colonnata it looks wet, white light pink and presents a uniform and soft texture. It has a delicate flavor and crisp, almost sweet, savoury when coming from the area of the buttocks, enriched with the herbs and spices used in processing and the fragrant scent.
His ideal is to use natural, cut into thin slices. In the past was considered a simple condiment or companatico “poor” for workers in quarries. Over time has been re-evaluated today and you can taste as flat-alone or in unusual combinations, such as with the shellfish.
Why don’t visit this autentic part of Tuscany and discover more about the deep story of this products? Just a suggestion!