Vinnie and I were driving down the motorway listening to one of the myriad of FM music stations with which Italian airwaves are awash. The Italians...
Travels In Italy
Hi! My name is Andy and Vinnie is my corkscrew…
….and we are on a mission. We are travelling the length and breadth of this enchanting country seeking out the finest artisanal wineries and vineyards for you to visit and enjoy the myriad different wines they produce.
My love affair with Italy goes back almost 20 years to the time I was seated outside a bar in Florence, enjoying the spring sunshine on my pallid English skin, when I was captivated by the beautiful intonation of a waiter taking an order from another customer. I subsequently discovered that he was speaking Tuscan Italian, considered to be the purest form of the language. At the time I could not understand a word and I knew I had to learn it..
So the journey began and, along the way, I bought a house in Italy, obtained a Master’s in Art History and led tour groups all over Italy, all the time enjoying the fruits of the winemakers’ arts.
Now the time has come to share with you what I discovered along the way, as I look for those devoted artisans who dedicate themselves to the art of viticulture and seek to produce wines that reflect the land which gave birth to them. As the famous Italian intellectual and gastronome, Luigi Veronelli wrote, “Il vino è il canto della terra verso il cielo,” – wine is the earth’s song to the heavens. So join me and let’s seek out these songs together.
A Fine Fiano
Because there is so much to see in Italy, from the dazzling Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna to the Renaissance glories of Florence, it can be...
A Great Grechetto
He is a fortunate man upon whom destiny choses to smile. However, the man who understands and cherishes his good fortune, he is truly blessed. Such...
A Lush Lacrima
The Adriatic coast is where many Italians choose to spend their holidays and the beaches around Senigallia in the Marche are always particularly...
Cacciatore di Cònero
Vinnie and I were driving in the Marche and heading towards Monte Cònero. This high peak, behind the regional capital, Ancona, has for thousands of...
A Very Particular Pergola
Vinnie and I were heading for the small town of Pergola in the Marche, a region to the east of the Apennine Mountains. As always, we were on the...
A Verdicchio To Savour
Vinnie and I were in the centre of the Marche, near the town of Jesi, inland from the coastal Adriatic port of Ancona. This part of Italy may not be...
A Luxurious Lacrima
Vinnie and I have seen all kinds of different approaches to wine-making in our travels across Italy, everything from minute one-person operations to...
A Veritable Verdicchio
As I explained to Vinnie, a long, long time ago - before he and I met - I was taking my first faltering steps in the world of wine. Back then I knew...
More Than Montepulciano
Vinnie and I were travelling through the hills that separate the mountainous Apennine peaks from the narrow coastal strip in northern Abruzzo when...