229. In search of truffles and Maracana

Well everyone seems to be talking about San Miniato's famous and groovy truffle festival and after work this morning I see a report on the TV about it which looks very interesting.

So this afternoon we decide to go and see what the fuss is all about... After all two weeks ago we failed to even get a sniff of a truffle, on what turned out to be a wild 'truffle' chase in the tiny town of Balconivisti near San Miniato.

We arrive in under an hour and somehow manage to park close to the centre in San Miniato Alto. There are stalls everywhere, with free tasting and friendly sellers telling you all about their products. Everything from cakes, biscuits, liqueres, marmalades and jams to cheeses, cold meats, oil, wine and of course the truffles! Or to be more precise, white truffles. This year they are selling for 180 euro for 100 grams. The black variety are going at a mere snip at 40 euro per 100 grams. This area is well known for the white variety. We try butter with truffles, cream with truffles, salami with truffles and even mortadella with truffles!

There are also a dozen wine stalls to keep me happy and we stumble on an enoteca with a bargain bucket of wines for 5 euro. There are some old vintages with damaged labels... let's hope they still taste ok! We put our big noses to good use in sniffing out some small white truffles to take home and eventually buy a small jar for 10 euro.

In the evening we cook up a wicked taglierini pasta dish with our tiny nuggets and open a bottle of 1996 5 Stelle Sfursat from Nino Negri... their 2001 was the Gambero rosso Italian wine of the year last year) It is an awesome combination...

Maracana

A hot and steamy Sunday evening at Florence's only Brazilian dinner and live show, including dancers with huge feathers and capoera dancers with a samba disco afterwards! Sounds like the perfect remedy for the November cold...

228. Extra Virgin

One of my students, Andrea from G.K.M. has invited me to help with the olive harvest. His father has about 500 trees that will take about a week to pick. Of course I jump at the chance to get back to nature and so on Sunday morning, Annette and I are on our way to Cerbaia, on the slopes overlooking the Castle of Poppiano.

Andrea has also invited some of his friends from different parts of Italy and so it makes for a really fun day. The weather is unbelievable, blue skies and very warm.

After a hard morning stripping the tres with little han rakes we all stop for a huge picnic lunch with slabs of pecorino cheese, prosciutto ham and Tuscan bread. The red wine is flowing and someone has brought a wonderful Amarone di Valpolicella from the Veneto.

We continue picking after lunch and manage to haul in many crates of olives. In the evening we're invirìted for dinner. It's here we discover the most incredible panettone, Christmas cake that someone has brought from a local pasticceria in Cerbaia.It's 'artigianale' and has apricots inside. Apparently they serve in in the 'Tende Rossa' a two-Michelin star restaurant also in Cerbaia. After dineer we listen to Andrea playing drums with his rock band to finish off a fabulous day!

227. Chocoblocoflop!

I was reading a newspaper article reviewing several chocolate festivals - one of which was the Perugia 'Eurchocolate' festival from 15-23 October and remembered that we missed last year's event by one week!


So this year the pilgrimage had to be made... We had planned to go last Sunday, but due to illness couldn't and choose the last day of the festival. Will there be any chocolate left?

We leave at 10.00 am and are taking our good friends, Gemma and Tiziano. A brief brunch stop off at the pretty Lake Trasimeno and we enjoy some glorious sun and views across the lake.


We arrive outside Perugia at around 1.30pm and decide on the park and ride option of getting into the city. Our first journey from the car park is a bus ride to Ellera station, followed by a train ride to Perugia station and then another bus ride to the city centre!


It seems as if the world and his wife have come to Perugia today and we spend the next few hours walking around like sardines in a can! It is totally overwhelming. We split up from gemma and Tiziano and fight our way through the crowds. There aren't many 'freebies' and people are scrabbling for a few tiny handouts. We eventually manage to see a 'lindt' show and a 'choc and wine' seminar, where they give us the most measely bit of chocolate you've ever seen in your life!!! We can't get away quick enough...


Exceptr the return bus, train, bus, car journey home is a complete nightmare... Never again!

226. Vin Ar and La Guide de l'Espresso release at the Stazione Leopolda

Well, just when I thought I'd seen it all... I find myself at the 'Vin Ar' exhibition at the Stazione Leopolda. It'a a kind of five senses journey into the world of wine. A wine Auction and seminars on the Saturday and Sunday and of course tasting. However the serious action is on the Thursday, when one of the top Italian wine guides, L'Espresso, is being nationally released, with tastings afterwards of the top 127 wines chosen. It's by invite only, but a few phone calls to the Florentine newspaper and the organisers and I'm in!

The place is absolutely packed, I pick up my free guide and settle down for the release. There is an amazing free buffet lunch and afterwards I have about three hours to try some of the finest wines in Italy...




This is the crème della crème, wines that I could not possibly afford to buy! I get to try some very special wines, the memory of which linger well on after this day...

Some highlights include;




Ferrari's 110 euro Riserva della Fondatore Spumante, arguably the best sparkling wine made in Italy.


Avignonesi's 185 euro Vin Santo, very rich and concentrated.


Gaja's Barbaresco retailing for about 250 euro.


Giacomo Conterno's  250 euro Monfortino Barolo.


Tua Rita's 250 euro Redigaffi


Roberto Voerzio's Cerrequio Barolo


Ornellaia's 2002 Masetto




The list is endless... it is one of those unforgettable days!


(23/10/05)

225. San Miniato

After last week's fiasco I manage not to get lost and manage to find San Miniato. Unfortunately I'm a bit under the weather (bad back and sore throat) still, the weather is glorious, so we just have to get out.

It's Saturday afternoon and we go for a pleasant ramble to the top of San Miniato (was it really three years ago that we were here?)

Sunday afternoon and we take a drive out to the Chianti and stop for a read on someone's vineyard between Impruneta and Falciani, I hope they didn't mind!