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DOC, DOCG, IGT and DOG

What in the world is this about?! It’s about wine; that’s what it’s about!

“I’ll start with the highest classification system and go to the least restrictive”

Italy is unarguably* one of the best places in the world to grow grapes and vinify them into beautiful, outstanding wines. In the early 1960s, Italy came up with a regimented system to protect the quality of their wine. If a particular wine varietal (e.g. Brunello, Barolo, Chianti, Valpolicella, etc.) gains a reputation as a great wine, you don’t want some upstart winery coming in with their own formula using the very same varietal name to give that varietal wine a bad name and ruin everything. So, it’s kind of a marketing thing. And it’s kind of an safeguard thing. And, it’s kind of confusing thing on top of all of that.

You can see the DOCG designation written out at the top of the label, just above “2011”

So, the system that they developed is a series of laws that classifies Italian wines by quality of specific wine varietals, like those mentioned above. It’s a way to regiment the stature of Italian wines and to guarantee that they come from whence they say…in other words, they’re authentic. And not just where the wines come from, but their alcohol content, type of grape, and their aging are regulated in their classification systems.

It’s a good bit about geography, as wine zones have been set up within Italy. Within these zones, the growers and producers of wine must follow government regulations in order to have their wine certified within this system. You will find that most of the DOCG wines (defined for you just a bit later), for example, come from Tuscany (e.g. Brunello and Chianti), Veneto (e.g. Amarone, Valpolicella, and Soave), and Piemonte (e.g. Barolo and Barbaresco). This gives you a wide variety of wines from which to choose for your drinking pleasure.

And on the neck of the bottle is the serial number

Can the classifications lead you to the better Italian wines as you shop? Yes, they can. That’s pretty much the whole point. You will need to look for words on the label, like the words on the back label of the Banfi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino shown above where it says, “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita”, i.e. DOCG. There will also be a paper band that has a serial number on the neck of the bottle…or it might cover the cork, like the band on the neck of that same bottle of Banfi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino, as seen here. A serial number? Are you serious? Yes, these Italian law-makers are serious about their wines. [More on Banfi wines here]

You may hear the word ‘appellation’ used. This comes from the French system of classifying their own wines. Basically, it refers again to a specific wine varietal.

Now to the classification system. I’ll start with the highest classification system and go to the least restrictive. Here’s how it works.

DOCG

Short for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or in English, “Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin”.

DOCG is the highest level of quality recognition which can be bestowed on an Italian wine. Because there were so many DOC wines (covered next), and because not all of those wines were of equal quality, this DOCG designation was created in 1980 to ratchet down the quality designations of those wines. Government officials actually have to taste the wines to give DOCG status! Hello…can we get one of these jobs?

Besides taste, they make sure that the grapes were grown in the correct geographic region, have a lower portion of blending grapes, come from lower yield fields, have a higher alcohol content, and receive longer aging. All of this creates and opportunity for a great wine to emerge from the certification process.

Who got the first DOCG designations? Piemonte’s nebbiolo-graped Barolo and Barbaresco, and Tuscany’s Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, both of which come from the sangiovese grape. It was a presidential decree that gave these wines their DOCG status. Is it just me, or does the Italian government seem to be more on the ball than our own?! I mean, tasting wine, making decrees…life is good in Italy.

After the forces of government complete their evaluation, a wine is “guaranteed” with an official, government, serial-numbered seal/label, like the one shown a bit above. That’s what you look for whilst wine shopping. And, how many DOCG wine varietals might you find? That would be 74 at this moment.

Before we leave DOCG wines, I need to clarify something. Those 74 wines don’t represent 74 wines from 74 wine makers with a total of 74 wine labels. That number 74 represents the number of varietals of wines, not the number of producers with the label of DOCG attached to their bottles. For instance, whilst in Italy, I’ve seen hundreds of different bottles of Brunello di Montalcino with DOCG on their label in wine stores, and it’s the Brunello di Montalcino varietal that is but 1 in 74, not a particular wine makers issue of Brunello di Montalcino. It will clear things up a good bit if you click here to see the full list of DOCG varietals of Italy.

DOC

Right below DOCG is Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or Controlled Designation of Origin. The lack of the word ‘guaranteed’ is the key here. Those government sponsored DOCG sippers and spitters aren’t there to put their official guarantee on these wines. Compared to the DOCG rules, think of these rules as strict, but generous. The wines still must be scrutinized for quality, and there are still rules about permitted grape varieties, maximum harvest yields, and aging requirements, but the rules tend to be less stringent than with DOCG, which adds a quality tasting panel to the mix.

The label of the Renato Ratti ‘Ochetti’, just above the word ‘Nebbiolo’ (the varietal), clearly states on the label that it is “Denominazione di Origine Controllata”. [You can see more about Renato Ratti here]

So, DOC isn’t as stringent as DOCG. Does that mean that the wines won’t taste as good. Not at all. You are the determinant of what you like…not designations, wine raters, and government types.

The DOC rules vary by region, but there must exist a traditional formula for the vinification.

In this label, we find that even Vin Santo can have a DOC designation.

How many have DOC designation? At around 329, they are much more common, but the number is a bit slippery. You can see the current full list here.

IGT

One of our favorite wines is IGT- so don’t shy away from them

Indicazione geografica tipica, or “Geographical Indication”, or IGT, was created in 1992 to recognize the unusually high quality of many of the wines not making the DOCG or DOC category. Mostly what you get with an IGT designation is the locality of their creation.

Don’t confuse this lower ranked designation with poorer tasting wines, as many Super Tuscans are in the IGT classification, and they can be quite tasty.

And that label in this photo for Allegrini’s Palazzo della Torre, shows IGT status, and I can guarantee you that it is an outstanding and inexpensive wine. [See more about Allegrini wines, and in particular Palazzo della Torre and the unique way that it is made, here]

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE (at least it was of interest to me): Sometimes, when the harvested grapes in a particular year are not of a superior quality, a producer might abandon the production of their normal DOCG- or DOC-designated wine because, with asperations lowered, they don’t want to adhere to the more stringent and costly standards using a lesser-quality grape that just wouldn’t wind up meeting the standards for the wine that it winds up producing. So, they drop down to the IGT designation and move on. They might even do this a year or two into the vinification of a wine that was destined for appellation status to cut their losses, yet in the meantime, they produce a pretty darned tasty wine of IGT quality. One more thing: quality can be defined as meeting the customer’s expectations…so if you have less of an expectation of an IGT-priced wine, you are more likely to have your expectations met. IGT wines can have a high quality-to-price ratio.

VdT

Vino da Tavola (VdT), or simply ‘Table Wine’ is a lesser known designation. It doesn’t have a geographical component. The wine must be made from grapes grown in Italy. I’m not sure that you’ll see the VdT designation in your local wine store, as they normally aren’t worth the effort of shipping them here. Our experience is that most ‘vino della casa’ (house wines) of a ristorante in Italy, often served from a spigot like beer, are usually good with their pasta and pizza, and I’m guessing that many of these would be of the VdT variety.

The Settecani Castelvetro Winery had a mishap…but a good one!

Not to belabor the point about wine from a spigot too much, here is an interesting anecdote. We all know who once turned water into wine…right? Though this time it was just an accident, earlier this year the people of Settecani, Italy thought they were seeing a miracle as they turned on their faucets to see water turn to wine. People were literally showering in Lambrusco from the Settecani Castelvetro Winery as the winery’s valves got a little out of kilter.

DOG

Finally we get to DOG. That simply spells ‘dog’. We tend to like dogs, so I’m just throwing this in. Thought you’d want to know. In Italian, that designation would be ‘CANE’. And maybe you’ve heard of the dyslectic agnostic who didn’t believe in Dog? Sorry — I’ll stop now.

So, I’ve always said that ‘I don’t know what’s supposed to be good, but I know what I like’. That covers it for wine, too. But, I have to say that in our experience, the wines that we really, really like happen to fall into the DOCG appellation. In the ‘really, really like’ category we find in no particular order: Brunello, Amarone, Valpolicella, Rosa Regale (a magnificent type of Brachetto d'Acqui, or sweet spumante red wine), Soave, Prosecco, Moscato di Asti, Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Vin Santo, Florus, and many more. I just had an epiphany! Right here, at this moment, I’m creating a new ‘RRL’ appellation…for ‘Really, Really Like” — so look for a little RRL appellation sticker on the bottom of certain Steve-approved wines.

And by the way, Ellen and I are generally available to join you for a meal and to sip Italian wines. Really. Just call. I’m serious. And, if you don’t want to cook, we can just drink wine.

Ciao for now,

Steve

* I said ‘unarguably’, but I’m not sure that there is anything that one can’t argue about these days…though I’m not sure I agree with that!

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102 Blog Articles...But Who's Counting?

Index of Articles

That’s right…102! I had no idea that I had put out over 100 blog articles until I counted them this week. I’ve really been a bit chatty, haven’t I?!

I have enjoyed every minute in the production of these articles, mostly about my favorite place — Italy. ‘Why do you do this?’, you ask. Because I want you to be stimulated through my writing and photos to visit Italy yourself. And, as an added benefit, I get to travel voyeuristically along the way as I write and go through photos from great times gone by.

“I absolutely love doing this, and I certainly hope that you enjoy my blog articles, and that you find them helpful in some way”

Italy is a place with beautiful scenery highlighted by mountains, plains, coastlines and lakes…a prolific history of art and culture (I know that you’ve heard of Michelangelo and the Roman Empire)…vineyards and their wineries producing the world’s best wines, like Brunello…authentic (it has to be, right?) Italian food…and a loving, smiling, happy people.

Today, I thought I would give you of my ‘Top 10’ articles. I’ve categorized them into ‘Visiting a Particular Place’, ‘Experiences We’ve Enjoyed’ {that you would, too), and ‘Helpful Travel Tips”. These are my favorites because of memories of the times and places involved, be they humorous, joy-filled, frustrating, or whatever — or because I felt that they were particularly informative in preparation for your own upcoming Italy trip.

If one of the descriptions catches your eye, go ahead and link to the article so that you can enjoy a small slice of Italy, too.

[OK, I have a confession to make. There are actually 12 articles listed below…I just couldn’t pare it down to 10…sorry about that]

Each listing below has a clickable bolded heading that takes you to the original article.

Visiting A Particular Place

Stay Here, Eat Here, Drink Here: Banfi

A beautiful Tuscan day at the Banfi pool

This article lays out for you the full Banfi experience that you will just have to live through yourself one day. We’ve visited the Castello Banfi twice and found the experience to be absolutely wonderful. The tour of the Banfi winery is outstanding. And then there is the Castello Banfi itself…a must see, as well as a must stay. Dining? Yes, you have your choice of the informal La Taverna, as well as the fabulous La Sala dei Grappoli. The enoteca where you can taste and then purchase wine? The largest and most beautiful we’ve seen — and we’ve seen many. Published on May 24, 2016.

A Visit to Villa Cimbrone

The view along the walk from Ravello to Villa Cimbrone

If you will be visiting the Amalfi coast, with its breathtaking mountainous backdrop, you absolutely need to journey up those mountains to the the town of Ravello. It sits high above the town of Amalfi and has spectacular views from the Belvedere. The gardens are charming and there are several restaurants between the town and the Cimbrone Gardens from which to choose, like our selection, Il Flauto di Pan. Published June 7, 2016.

Renato Ratti Winery

Talk about a fabulous and unique winery and visit thereto! This Piemonte winery has been environmentally inserted into the side of the hill upon which the town of La Mora sits. Gravity provides an energy-saving way to transport the developing wine from vinification to storage. The grape of this Piemonte winery is the Nebbiolo and their top wine is Barolo, of course. Our tasting was of vintage Barolo wines going as far back as 1998, which gave us a personal and up-close education on a wine’s tannin, fruit and color over time. Published September 17, 2019.

Stay Here: Borgo San Felice

There is a beautiful place to stay and eat in the heart of Tuscany, and it is the Borgo San Felice. A friend had stayed here and highly recommended it…we are glad he did! The owners basically purchased a small Tuscan town and converted it into a marvelous resort hotel experience. From the ancient chapel to the modern swimming pool, we enjoyed it all during our two visits there. And the food of their Ristorante Poggio Rosso was delicious, whether at breakfast or dinner. Published January 12, 2016.

Stumbling Upon Something Magnificent

Just what was it that we stumbled upon? It was a church sitting high on a hillside overlooking Lago Lugano, just west of Lago di Como. Oh how dumbstruck we were when we opened the doors of the church of Albogasio Inferiore in the small, lakeside town of Albogasio-oria. They say that one can’t judge a book by its cover, and that goes too for churches. The inside has beautifully painted fresco walls and ceilings, as well as other gorgeous ornamentation. Published July 28, 2015.

Experiences We’ve Enjoyed

One Fine Day

The setting is the Amalfi Coast. The conveyance was a 38’ Itama boat, captained by a friendly Gian-Carlo. The day was wonderful. This is the quintessential way to see the Amalfi Coast — by boat. We cruised in luxury with prosecco in hand. We swam the White and Green Grottos. We dined waterside on the Isle of Capri. And every bit of this day was perfect. Published September 29, 2015.

Enjoying Italy-Bought Wine

It’s strange how certain things can trigger memories of the past. We had that experience one lazy day…and those memories were certainly fond ones. What was it that triggered these great memories? It was wine, of all things. It was a wine that we had tasted at lunch in Radda in Chianti and one that we subsequently purchased at a winery in Tuscany. The setting for this article is our living room…in front of a roaring fire…with good book in one hand and a good wine in the other. Published February 2, 2017.

Wild Goose Chase

I’ve chased a wild goose or two, and I’m sure that you have, too. This incident relates to the day we bought a nice wine, as discussed in the article just above. We were on our way to a highly praised dinner…as praised on Trip Advisor. What we found when we arrived at the very small hilltown of Poggio alla Croce was an unexpected mystery. We had a reservation that I had managed to pull off in Italian…at least I thought I had. Find out what happened and how our evening managed to end. Published February 2, 2016.

Your Romantic Gondola Ride

If you’ve been to Venice and you haven’t ridden in a gondola, then you haven’t really been to Venice. The ubiquitous gondola is the iconic symbol of Venice. Your gondola experience should be a romantic one. This means that there is a certain time for your ride…a time that is best for reasons more than just romance. And, as each time has its place, I give you a suggestion on the best place to start (and end) your ride. Published July 12, 2016.

Helpful Travel Tips

Getting There: Bellagio

Bellagio is undoubtedly the most charming town we have visited, and its important how you get there! It sits on the end of a peninsula on Lake Como. You can auto there, but the road is twisty-turny and you may arrive with a bit of fuzzy brain. You can arrive by train…kind of…at least you will be close, but will require a ferry ride from Varenna. And you can arrive by boat…but not just any boat. You definitely don’t want the hydrofoil. What you want is the slow boat from the town of Como. It’s a slow ride and it is absolutely beautiful. Published August 2, 2016.

Another Way Into Italy

Of course you can fly directly to Italy, but there is a way that you might find to be a lot more fun…and relaxing. Why not start your Italy adventure in Switzerland?! You start in Zurich and take one of three trains into Italy. That has been our favorite way because it is a fabulous way to overcome your jet lag…as well as seeing the beautiful Swiss countryside. Published July 30, 2019.

Please, Thank You, and Where's the Bathroom

Don't let the fear of not knowing the Italian language keep you from Italy. Our experience has shown that for most of the places that we go (i.e. not too far off the beaten path), English is well spoken. I do recommend the joy of giving Italian a try, as it’s kind of fun to order a light breakfast by saying, “Pane tostata con burro e marmellata di arance”. But for sure, don’t let the lack of parlando Italiano keep you from Italy. Published August 14, 2016.

Now you know what I know — that being that the above are my favorite article posts. Trust me when I say that it was super difficult to pare them down to those twelve.

I absolutely love doing this, and I certainly hope that you enjoy my blog articles, and that you find them helpful in some way. If a trip to Italy is in your future…and I certainly hope it is…then the article ‘A Trip to Italy in Your Future? Read On!’ is a guide to using the Index of Articles to help you plan for your trip.

And, I really would love to see you there in beautiful Italy! But, in the meantime…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Driving a Car in Italy - Part 1

Index of Articles

This is a big topic…with lots to cover. So, I’m breaking it into two articles.

“All fines are passed from the rental companies to the renter, sometimes after a year”

Part 1 will treat the issue of whether to rent a car, or not…with emphasis on what you can expect if you choose to drive. I asked a couple of friends who have lived in Italy for many years, and who have experienced much in their driving throughout Italy, to give us the benefit of their knowledge. You will find that knowledge, below.

Part 2 will assume that you’ve decided to rent a car, and will cover the rules of the road in Italy, as they are a bit different. This includes the best rental opportunities, licensing requirements, GPS vs Google Maps, Ferries, traffic signs, etc.

In both Parts, I have included photos with captions, which will give you an idea of what we have experienced as we have driven through Italy.

So, let’s start with…

Do You Need to Rent a Car?

We’ve explored Italy completely by train. It’s fun, economical and generally convenient. Can you get everywhere? No, but you can get fairly close to everywhere…but don’t then expect to get an Uber to your agriturismo lodging or small Tuscan village rental.

“If you will be finding yourself in the bigger cities getting culturated, and you have little time or interest in visiting the countryside, I would say that you should absolutely not rent a car…”

For example, let’s say you are in Firenze (Florence) and want to get to Castello Banfi in southern Tuscany, which we highly recommend (see Stay Here, Eat Here, Drink Here: Banfi). You would take a train from Firenze, arriving Siena, and then continue your trip to the small town…extremely small town…a community mostly…well, mostly just a train station - of Monte Antico. Though you can see Castello Banfi sitting on a hilltop just 2 miles away, you would be faced with a circuitous 3-1/2 hour walk unless you crossed over the Fiume Ombrone (river) via a train bridge, which one should absolutely not try. And, seeing as how Fiume Ombrone translates to ‘River of Shadows’, it sounds a bit ominous just thinking about it! So, going to Castello Banfi? Rent a car.

But, there is often bus service to get you to a destination away from a train station, like the bus from the train-accessible-from-Florence Poggibonsi train station to not-to-be-missed San Gimignano…we’ve done it and it was no problem.

This is me driving the main street into beautiful Bellagio….super narrow, and yes, it is the main street

And then again, we’ve explored Italy almost completely by rental car. I say ‘almost’ because we generally rent a car just for certain portions of our journey. When we’ve gone the rental route, we’ve had no problems…at least no significant problems. And using our family mantra of ‘tragedy plus time equals comedy’ we can now laugh about the times when things weren’t going peachy keen.

Only in a rental can you get onto beaten paths like this one

If you will be finding yourself in the bigger cities getting culturated, and you have little time or interest in visiting the countryside, I would say that you should absolutely not rent a car…it is much more trouble than not.

However, if you want to visit the remote, charming, historic, off-the-beaten-path, rural, wine-producing, quaint, pastoral, quiet, dreamy, absolutely lovely parts of Italy, then a rental car is just the thing.

HIRING A CAR WITH DRIVER FOR THE DAY: However, let me say here that if you just want to leave the city for one day of adventure (e.g. leaving Firenze [Florence] to explore the charms of Tuscany for only the day), then hiring a car with driver works well. Just do an internet search for ‘car tours’ like this one for Tuscany.

OK, You’ve Made Your Decision to Drive

What can you expect if you decide to drive in Italy? Let’s let a couple of friends give us some pointers. Pam and Elizabeth have lived and driven in Italy for many years. Pam since 1978, and Elizabeth has lived there for over 37 years. They love Italy, its lifestyle, the wine (especially!), and people. With some basic information and the benefit of their own experiences, they feel that you can do well if you give it a go.

So, below are Italy-driving tips from two seasoned drivers, as well as my own limited experiences. Their tips are shown in “quoted bold Italics”.

[By the way, this sloping type called ‘Italics’ is called such because it was introduced in Italy in 1501 by Aldus Manutius, a Venetian printer, when he printed his edition of Virgil]

Staying One Step Ahead of the Law

So, you thought you got out of Italy without being fined for your driving habits? “All fines are passed from the rental companies to the renter, sometimes after a year.” Yes, your rental car company is obligated to pass on your personal information to the policing authorities. We had just such a parking ticket experience which will be related a bit further below.

How Fast Can/Should You Drive?

KPH VS MPH: First, remember that speed limits are posted in kilometers per hour (kph), rather than miles per hour (mph). A sign indicating a speed limit of ‘80’ means 80kph, or about 50mph, and not 80mph. A quick mental multiplication of 80kph x 0.6 gives you a good approximation of the speed in mph.

The sign to the right is an Italian speed limit sign. This one is for…you tell me…how many mph can you drive…legally?

Speed Traps

“Fixed speed cameras have to be announced with road signs indicating “controllo elettronico della velocità” (‘electronic speed control’). There’s not much excuse for getting caught is there, as they give you fair warning. But, are you looking for speed-trap warnings, or are you looking at that beautiful row of cypress winding its way up the drive to that hillside palazzo?

This sign says, “Traffic police, electronic speed control”. Just like for heart disease, look for the warning signs!

But, how about those Italian drivers, themselves? “They are very frightened of getting points on their license for speeding, but they know where every electronic speed trap is and the quickly apply their brakes when approaching one.”

And, don’t think you know where every speeding camera is located, as there are mobile speed cameras. However, “Mobile speed cameras used by the police have to be announced also with road signs”. So, one must remain vigilant! The best way to not get caught speeding is to not speed…right?

But wait, there’s more! The other speed trap is the Sistema tutor, or Tutor System. This complicated system records your license plate number, and then “two speed machines clock the time it takes between the machines to calculate average speed” from two places along the autostrada (more on the Italian autostrada in the upcoming Driving in Italy - Part 2).

Parking

Arrgh! Parking can be such a pain! But, here’s a helpful tip for finding a place to park your rental: “Yellow parking spaces are for residents, blue spaces are subject to payment and white spaces are free.”

VERY LIMITED PARKING: Parking is a great reason to not rent a car in a metropolitan area…whether a major one or a very small one. Many roads in Italy were laid out centuries ago and parking was not something of concern at that time.

Some smaller towns do not allow un-permitted vehicles in their centro storico (historic town center) because of vary narrow streets (see ‘No-Go Zones’ below).

In some of the very small hill towns, there just physically isn’t room to park, and you park at an edge-of-town parking lot and walk into town. Many Italian towns are still walled cities, which are surrounded by large, protective walls with narrow portals here-and-there through which you must pass through by foot or you must have a vehicle permit.

HOW TO PAY IN A PARKING GARAGE: In Siena, for instance, there are large multi-level parking garages outside the walls of the city where you park your car. We learned after thirty minutes of backing up, going the wrong way on ramps, and getting out of the car to illegally lift drop-down gates to drive under them, that you use your machine-dispensed ticket received as you enter the parking structure to pay at a kiosk before you get in your car to leave. Ahhh, so that’s how you do it!

Google Map showing Parking locations in centro Verona

MAP HELP: Using Google Maps, you can zoom in on a city and type ‘parking’ into the search bar and see parking opportunities displayed, like this one for Verona. Though we did have to bypass two full lots before we were able to find one with availability, the map helped, especially with the display of one-way streets. And, using the ‘Directions’ function of the map, we were taken right to the lots going the correct way down the myriad of one-way streets.

DIGITAL PARKING: In Asti, we were directed to download the ‘Asti Parcheggi’ app to park on the street, in lieu of their use of parking meters. These are the blue painted spots mentioned above.

Small town polizia scoring a parking violation

DAUNTING PARKING: In Rome, parking our car at the Hotel Campo de Fiore was something I refused to do. They have arrangements to park cars in a garage a block away and the tunnel-like entrance was so narrow that I insisted that the garage attendant do the parking. He had no problem, and I had no problem with the glass of wine while he was doing it. And folding in the side mirrors was a necessity.

LOOK FOR THE SIGNS: Look for ‘no parking’ signs, which are a red circle on a blue field with a red slash, like this one. Wouldn’t it be more intuitive if there were a white ‘P’ included on that field of blue, under the slash? We saw these signs all over in Italian towns thinking that it was saying ‘do not enter’…but then again, we’ve been wrong about a lot of things before.

Here are some more parking related signs. (from left to right) Applicable 24hrs-a-Day; Applicable for Specific Hours; Parking Ahead to the Right; Detailed Hours of No Parking and Parking

A PARKING ANECDOTE: Arriving at the Hotel Convento in Amalfi, having driven the torturous Amalfi road, there was no place to park in front of said hotel. The Hotel Convento is up the side of the mountain a few hundred feet and there is no pullout in front of the hotel’s small street level elevator lobby. The bellman who came out said, “Just leave it there, I’ll park it for you later”. So, there it sat in the westbound lane of the two lane road along the Amalfi coast. The Italian drivers just drove around our car as if it wasn’t even there blocking the road…that’s just the way it’s done along the Amalfi coast.

That’s the just-mentioned road that you see in this photo below as Ellen takes life-in-hand to get to dinner.

Going to dinner in Amalfi…this is the main (and only) Amalfi Coast road…it is two lanes only

“Most streets have cleaning days which are posted, usually only in Italian.” Here is just such a posting. Can you figure out what it says?

Since ‘lunedì’ is Monday, and ‘venerdì’ is Friday, you best not park here on weekdays between the hours of 9:00pm and 4:00am. Otherwise, look for other signs and curb painting to see if you can park thereabouts.

PARKING TRAPS: Our friend Scott waited at the car in a pull through area for us to get our stored luggage from the Santa Maria Novella train station in Firenza (Florence). Two polizia chatted him up, let him know that he shouldn’t park there, and seemed to understand as he explained that he was waiting on his travelling companions to bring out their luggage. All seemed well, with nothing in hand, until he got a parking ticket for $220 in the mail several months later.

No-Go Zones

“All historical towns have a ZTL, zona di traffico limitato, restricted traffic areas, which are controlled by cameras.”

Do not drive in an area with a ZTL (limited traffic) sign or one marked Area Pedonale (pedestrian zones), unless you have special permission. Most cities and small towns near the centro storico (historic center) have these zones.

We had to get a permit from our hotel in San Gimignano to enter the ZTL…and we only fit through the portal by folding in the mirrors…a very tight fit! It’s kind of like getting the ship in the bottle. This is typical of the ancient walled cities wit… — We had to get a permit from our hotel in San Gimignano to enter the ZTL…and we only fit through the portal by folding in the mirrors…a very tight fit! It’s kind of like getting the ship in the bottle. This is typical of the ancient walled cities with their small, defense-minded portals.

“Access is allowed to hotels in the ZTL. The hotels have to enter the plate number into the system, otherwise there is a fine.” If your hotel is located in one of these zones (as I hope yours is, as it is more fun to stay in these historic areas than on the road leading out of town), your hotel can usually provide you with the necessary permissions– either to park, or just drop off your luggage before parking outside the ZTL. For example, in both San Gimignano and Riva del Garda, we were given a permit to drive into the ZTL to drop off luggage, but we then had to go outside the ZTL to park…repeating the process on the morning of departure.

Below you can see signage designating ZTL and pedestrian zones.

On the left is the sign to look for near the town centers. If you see this sign, don’t drive there.
In the middle we see the same sign, but with additional information. When could you drive into this zone? How about 8:00pm to 8:00am. And if you can’t read the other fine print in this sign, you’d best just not assume that it gives you special permissions to enter the ZTL.
On the right is a sign designating a pedestrian zone…like our pedestrian malls. Supplemental information suggests that there are three exceptions.

A ZTL Anecdote

For brother-in-law Craig’s birthday, we went to dinner on the shores of Lago Orta, in the town of Orta, at Locanda di Orta — we just figured that we orta do that! We drove on a road through the town that was so narrow that once again, we had to fold in the side mirrors and creep down the ‘street’.

The sign emphatically indicates (both signs actually) that going forward is a ZTL for 24 hours a day

Upon entering Piazza Mario Motta (not to be confused with Iron Chef Morimotto, by the way), we were surrounded by Saturday evening strollers with frowns on their beautiful Italian faces. One gentleman kindly informed us that “You are not supposed to drive here”. We had to backtrack down that same very skinny road to park in a lot at the edge of Orta.

What we failed to see, and what we would not have known at the time even if we had seen it, was the sign in this photo, which I have just now captured from Google street view. Plain as day, there’s a ZTL sign — two actually — prominently displayed. And, see the camera on the pole in the upper left…this was in the fall of 2018, so we may still get a ticket in the mail!

Google now tells us to avoid driving into lakeside Orta

We had used Google maps to plan our route to the restaurant, located just off of previously mentioned Piazza Mario Motta and we faithfully followed it to our Saturday-evening doom.

Now, I can see that said Google map actually indicates that you should not be driving along the route designated, where it plainly says (in Italian), “Start of Limited Traffic Zone”. Live and learn…and now, you’ve learned!

This ZTL in Riva del Garda was accessible with our rental for check in and check out…the car was then lodged in a parking garage

Summary

Now you have some idea of what it would be like to drive in Italy, thanks to two, seasoned, long-time Italy residents.

I hope we haven’t scared you off of the idea, because that is the only way you will see some magnificent countryside. Just learn a few important signs and stay within the speed limit…in kph…and you will do admirably.

In the next installment of Driving a Car in Italy, I will assume that you’ve decided to give driving a try, and I’ll give you some tips on car rental, maps, ferries, permits and other things to make your journey more enjoyable.

A special thanks to Pam and Elizabeth for their insight. Pam Mariani and her husband John’s family moved to Italy in the 1970s to start a wine producing business just south of Montalcino, Tuscany…the home of Brunello wines. Their pioneering adventure paid off and Banfi is now one of the largest wine producing companies in the world. Elizabeth Koenig has faithfully served as Banfi’s Hospitality Project Director since 1982…hospitality that we have experienced and enjoyed first hand.

As you drive those charming Tuscan roads, if you hear a honking horn behind you as you negotiate a narrow curve in the road, that will be me letting you know that I want to pass…just like an Italian!!!

Ciao for now,

Steve

Please provide comments below

Stay Here-Eat Here-Drink Here: Banfi

Warning: This article may change your life forever!

The Banfi Story

“This is my longest article thus far...but there is a reason. I want you to know all there is to know about the Banfi Experience so that, you too, might enjoy this fabulous place.”

In 1967, the Mariani brothers, John and Harry, traveled to Italy with the aim of importing a wine that would appeal to American tastes (we didn't have much of a wine palate at that time, did we?). They succeeded when they brought Riunite to the US. Remember the slogan, "Riunite on ice, that's nice!"?

[to refresh your memory, click here to see a '70s TV commercial for Riunite]

By 1983 they had become the number one imported wine in America, with 11,000,000 cases of this popular wine having been imported.

With funds in hand (you do the math on the sales of 11,000,000 cases of wine), they headed to Italy in 1977 to purchase around 1,800 acres of land just south of the town of Montalcino. Here, they established Castello Banfi, the centerpiece being the dramatic castle itself, which sits atop Poggio alle Mura, seen here.

From 1978, the goal of the two brothers was to create a state-of-the-art winery, combined with the most advanced science in the vineyards, for the production of premium wines. The Mariani family has succeeded in a big way.

John and Harry purchased properties in other areas of Italy that had established vineyards. But it is interesting to note that the thousands of acres that they purchased in the Montalcino area was mainly barren land, just waiting for them clear and plant.

Their Tuscan estate is most well known for their Brunello wine. Most people would agree that they were instrumental in bringing Brunello to center stage as Italy's premier wine. But, more on wine a bit later.

The Property

The Montalcino-area estate is comprised of over 7,000 acres. In the 18th century, a stone hamlet sprung up surrounding the Castello Poggio alle Mura. That hamlet became the borgo (hotel) and the principal tourist destination of the estate. Below is a photo of the castle, taken many years ago.

[click on an image for a larger view]

Today, the Castello Banfi still sits proud upon its knoll.

Here are a few more photos of the property surrounding the castle.

Here you can see one of the quiet courtyards, as well as the well-presented and educational Etruscan-glass museum.

Whilst the vintner makes the wine, the bees make the honey

Castello Banfi - Il Borgo (The Hotel)

For us, the main attraction of the property is the hotel, or 'borgo'. The Borgo is comprised of 6 rooms, 8 suites, and a junior suite. In this photo from their website, you can see some of the rooms that cascade down the hillside.

And here is my wife, Ellen, as she returns to our room from the pool on a path through rosemary...a heady experience.

That is rosemary…not the woman - that’s my wife Ellen…but the plant, which smells heavenly as it is pruned

Our room was the fabulous Summus Suite. Now, we are not accustomed to staying in suites...and that is not what we had booked. But owner Pam Mariani was very sweet to upgrade our room to this extraordinary lodging.

I was so stunned by our accommodation that I think I took only one interior photo during our stay. That photo is from our living room (there was also a very large bedroom and an expansive bathroom...any of the three rooms exceeded the size of a normal hotel room).

The view from our room of the Tuscan countryside was like a painting by Cezanne!

As I wrote to Pam, "We felt like royalty!"

A full breakfast was made available each morning in the guests-only breakfast room. We opted to dine on the terrace under the glorious Tuscan sun.

And then there was the pool, where we spent the good part of one day.

Cold, refreshing beverages await you!

We were joined at the pool by swifts that skimmed the pool to drink water as they flew by.

And what is that strange bird that kept visiting?

The greenery was well kept by the grounds keepers.

The Vineyards

A portion of Banfi's expansive vineyards surround the castle. Here are a few photos taken during our stroll through the makings of a future Brunello.

In this photo, you can see that olive groves and grape vines align on the Banfi lands.

Dining at Banfi

There are two dining options at Banfi -- La Taverna for a traditional, rustic lunch, and La Sala dei Grappoli for an elegant dinner.

La Taverna

In this photo, the entrance to La Taverna lies just ahead.

La Taverna is a classical Tuscan restaurant in the shade of the medieval castle of Poggio alle Mura. Taverna Banfi is positioned beneath the vaulted arches of the former barrel cellars of the castle, where Brunello once rested in large oak casks.

But today, the menu offers the traditional dishes of Montalcino and Tuscany.

On our 2012 visit to La Taverna, we had a special tasting menu with wine pairings.

We dined well on both of our trips to Banfi. Below are some photos from our meal with our great friends, Debbie and Scott Kennedy. For more on traveling to Italy with friends, see my blog article titled, "Traveling with Friends".

That’s me toasting our Banfi hosts…and a Brunello toast is always in order!

Both Daniela and Erney took care to make sure all was perfect, including the wines that were paired with our meal.

You can see that Erney is serving up our dessert wine, which is called 'Florus' -- it is hard to describe just how yummy this sweet wine is as it crosses the palate.

I have to say that it has surpassed Moscato d'Asti as my favorite dessert wine.

Here you can see the rich golden, straw-colored, dessert wine.

And here is the noon-time detritus that we left behind as we departed to explore the winery.

La Sala dei Grappoli

It is hard to top the fabulous lunch at La Taverna, but you will have to trust me when I say that La Sala dei Grappoli is an elegant treat. I am embarrased to say that I left my camera in our room when we dined there...so please settle for these photos from the Banfi web site.

The Winery

The Banfi winery is state-of-the-art. As new-comers, they were not tied to centuries-old traditions in wine making. So, Banfi defined state-of-the-art wine making through their revolutionary technical research and innovation. And do they keep all of their gained knowledge to themselves? No, they do not. They freely share all they have learned in wine making with their Montalcino-area neighbors, as they believe that it is not a single wine label that makes an area known to wine lovers, but a whole varietal area. As such, Banfi has put Brunello di Montalcino on the world-wide map.

Here are a few photos from our tour of the pristine Banfi winery, which is about 2 miles from Castello Banfi. What you see first is the incoming Sangiovese grape.

Michela was our lovely winery guide. She did an excellent job of explaining such Banfi inspired processes as their dual-material, oak and stainless steel fermentation vats…truly innovative.

Michela explains the intricacies of the Banfi winery

Here you see the hybrid stainless-steel and wood, temperature-controlled vinification tanks.

After vinification, their Brunello di Montalcino is held for a long, silent, two-year rest in wood, where it gains its distinctive characteristics of strength, elegance and longevity. There are more than 7,000 barrels laid out in orderly rows.

They poetically say that this aging in wooden barrels and casks, "make up the heart of Banfi, which beats in the silent and peaceful ambiance surrounding our winery."

I can say no more.

The Kennedys and the Burketts amid the aging Banfi wines

Enoteca

But, there is still the Enoteca, or wine shop. Here, one can taste and purchase wines for shipment home, including wines that are hard for us to find in the U.S.

Banfi’s Enoteca is the most beautiful of all the Italians that we have visited. Scott and Debbie were certainly pleased.

And, let's not forget that you can purchase Banfi's extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar (read below regarding quantity), also.

But, from whence does the balsamic come? Read on!

Balsameria

Banfi's balsamic is called 'Salsa Etrusca', in honor of the traditional methods of the ancient Etruscans.

While in the Enoteca, ask for a key to the balsamaeria. But be forewarned: prepare to have your head explode with the pungent, sweet goodness of aging balsamic! When you step through that door, as Ellen is doing here...wow!

The Trebbiano and Moscadello grapes are harvested late, when their sugars are concentrated, and they are then gently pressed. The must is filtered and then simmered to reduce it in volume and further concentrate its flavor. After cooling, it is transferred to wooden casks for 4 – 8 months.

In the balsameria, you can read about the process and see the barrels as the salsa balsamica ages. Note the linen cloths that sit above the evaporation hole in the barrel, held down with a circle of silver chain.

During this aging, the process of “balsamization” begins. Successively the balsamic is racked into progressively smaller barrels (from 60 to 25 liters) of different woods, in the order of oak, chestnut, cherry, ash and mulberry, until the filling of the 25 liter barrels. As liquid heaven is removed from the oldest barrels, an equal amount is added from it’s younger neighbor. After about 12 years of aging, you can enjoy the salsa balsamica.

I was flabbergasted to learn from their website that, because of the long process and limited number of barrels, each year only three liters of Salso Etrusca are bottled from the oldest finishing barrels. Because of its very limited production, pick it up in the Enoteca while you are there.

Our thanks to Daniela, Erney, Gabriella, Lucio, Magdalena, Marco, Margherita,

Massimo, Michela ,Paul, Sarena, and all of the others

who made our stay seem one as family, rather than clients.

“You might ask, “Do you drink only Banfi wines?” I’d have to say when it comes to wines of Italy, it accounts for the majority of wines that we drink, both whites and reds. ”

Well, that's Banfi as we see it. A magnificent place...not to be missed when visiting Tuscany. And if you are able, please plan to stay for a couple of nights...or more. I know that you will enjoy it as much as we enjoyed it.

Write if you plan to go. Maybe we can meet for a nice lunch or elegant dinner, just as we did with these friends.

Here are the webpages you will need to learn more about beautiful Banfi:

Ciao for now,

Steve

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p.s. Well, as I can't resist, one last, parting view of this magnificent retreat...