Discovering the Chianti Classico of Casale dello Sparviero

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Center, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , , , , ,

“When my father, in the mid-70s, decided to invest in Tuscany, I was enchanted by the nature that surrounded the farm. I soon realized that behind a bottle of wine there was a world of passion and effort that took years to show its fruits. I tried to pass on the same passion handed down…

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Dreaming of a Scintillating Gold Christmas at Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotel

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome, , , , ,

This year’s Christmas and New Year holiday season at Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria Hotel will be as fascinating and richer as it was in the past seasons. Tinsels, garlands, stars, snowflakes, ribbons, candles, swags, balls and all things that shimmer in gold contrasted with black, pearl and teal will be decorated in abundance around the…

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The Regional Artisan Organic Food and Wine Offerings of Salotto Retrò of Bellegra

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Central Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy, , , ,

At 815 meters asl, the mountain town of Bellegra gives a splendid panorama of the valley below. Bellegra of the Lazio region, sits on Monte Celeste, between the valley of Aniene and Sacco Rivers. Monte Celeste is at the center of an immense amphitheater of mountains making it a predominantly hilly and mountainous territory. Bellegra…

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Sofitel Wine Days 2021 Features the Wines of Lazio at Sofitel Rome

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Events, Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , ,

Sofitel, the luxury brand ambassador of the French Art de Vivre of the Accor Group, launched its 2021edition of the international event, Sofitel Wine Days. The event gives a unique opportunity in deepening the wine culture with the guidance of wine experts for the whole harvest period by hosting tastings, meetings and events and in…

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Sagraincasa: From Garden to Plate Lessons with a Chef in an Umbrian Farmhouse

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Central Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy, , , ,

A special occasion concluded by the cooking of a talented chef for dinner was what Torre di Bisenzio Winery proprietors Mike and Neena Rees planned for the day of their new cellar’s inauguration. To finally settle down in front of an inviting setting of an outdoor dining table was what everyone needed after a hectic…

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Torre Bisenzio in Umbria: Wine and Stay Experience in an Italian Wine Estate

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Center, Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , , ,

Tasting wines couldn’t have been as panoramic as the setting that husband and wife Mike and Neena Rees chose for their new tasting room in the middle of their 265-hectare wine estate in Umbria. A typical Umbrian stone building with two floors, the newest addition to Torre Bisenzio wine estate was celebrated with an inauguration…

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The Gourmet Restaurant of I Capricci di Merion Resort & Spa in Umbria

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Central Italy, Hotels, Hotels in Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy, , , , ,

If you translate “i capricci di Merion” to English, you would come out with: the whims of Merion. It’s a very curious name for a hotel, perhaps even a name that cannot be replicated for it is unique and rightfully its own. The name, as explained by husband and wife proprietors Stefano Santuari and Arianna…

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La Glacere, The Artisan Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP Paired With Pitars Wines

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Northern Italy, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy, , , ,

When you hear the name San Daniele, only one thing comes into mind. The mouthwatering Italian prosciutto with the picking-red color and white colored fat, aromas of salted aged meat with notes of toasted nuts which become more pronounced as it ages. And the best part, the distinctive delicate tastes of saltiness. They are easily…

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Pitars Winery’s Bond to the Tagliamento River in Friuli Venezia-Giulia

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
North, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , , , ,

Pitars is a winery located in San Martino al Tagliamento in Friuli-Venezia Giulia with 160 hectares of vineyards in the three estates. Behind this vast activity is the Pittaro family, the founder of which is Romano Pittaro when back in 1880 he planted a vine of Merlot imported from France in his vineyards. But it…

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Living a Luxury Tuscan Dream: Dining at Ristorante Castello di Fighine

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Central Italy, Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy, , , , ,

Ristorante Castello di Fighine. The setting is the splendid 11th-century Castello di Fighine which has been restored and refurbished by South African couple Max and Joy Ulfane to a luxury resort. It is a historic castle perched on a hilltop in San Casciano dei Bagni at 650 meters high which overlooks the scenic Tuscan countryside.…

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Fifty Years of Custoza DOC Wine: A Unique Blend of White Grapes in Lago di Garda

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
North, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , , , ,

We are in Lago di Garda, the largest lake in Italy moving towards the southeast area of the lake in a small historical hamlet called Custoza. Looking towards the east you can see Verona while towards the north you can see the imposing view of the Monte Baldo mountain range. It is a land of…

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Terra Restaurant in Eataly Rome Lights Up Its Unique Wood-Fired Artisan Oven Again

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Restaurants, Restaurants in Italy, Restaurants in Rome, , ,

Terra Restaurant, now arriving on its third year after its opening in November 2018, located on the second floor of Eataly Rome, opens its doors again after a long pause and turns on its one-of-a-kind oven to showcase their grilled cuisine. This three-meter machine was specially created by an artisan in Spain in a span…

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Maido: Japanese Street Food Hits Rome

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Restaurants, Restaurants in Rome, , ,

Meaning “every time”, maido is a friendly Japanese greeting to thank (usually attached to arigato gozaimasu which means thank you) customers for the continued patronage. It never misses the capacity to brighten up someone’s salutation before leaving a place. Maido is the name that Costanza Zanolini gave to the restaurant that specializes in Osaka-style Japanese…

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The Preview Tasting at the Anteprima Sagrantino 2017 in Montefalco

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
Center, Events, Italian Wine Labels, Italy, Wine Labels, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , , , ,

The beginning of the year 2021 amplifies the cautious step towards a new normality. One of them is the resumption of physical presence in wine tastings which puts the virtual tastings at the backseat. The Anteprima Sagrantino, organized by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco (consortium of Montefalco wine producers to safeguard and promote the wines)…

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Nicola Biasi and His Vin de la Neu Johanitter at the Italian Land of Apples

By: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina
North, Wineries, Wineries in Italy, , , , ,

It’s a challenge alright, but Nicola Biasi was pertinacious in planting small vineyards in the backyard of his father’s ancestral home in the town of Coredo, the heart of Val di Non to produce the right wine he had in mind. Apples are the symbolic production of this area of northern Italy in the region…

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