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A Typical Quiet Walk in Venice

“Join me now for a quiet walk in Venice’s Dorsoduro sestiere, with pleasant sights along he way”

It’s time to slow our lives down a bit and have a simple, quiet day in out-of-the-way locations of Venice. Tag along as I take a walk through quiet Dorsoduro, ending the day with a pleasant meal…and more.

For sure, there is a lot of hustle-and-bustle in Venice, especially in the districts of San Marco and San Polo, but you and I will be spending the day exploring Dorsoduro.

We plan to visit the Gallerie dell'Accademia (Venice’s art gallery), and have lunch somewhere along the way…though we know not where, as we start. There’s a mask shop I’ve heard about and into which I’d like to take a peek. And, if I have time, there’s Campo Santa Margherita, which is a great place to sit under a tree and do a bit of people watching. Not sure where we’ll go after that, but who cares, right?

So, let’s get going!

We Begin Our Walk

We need to get to Dorsoduro from the Hotel Flora, where we are staying in the sestiere of San Marco. We get to Dorsoduro by passing through Campo Santo Stefano, and then crossing over the Academia bridge. It’s taken us awhile to get away from the area of our hotel, as so many of our favorite shops are situated along Calle Larga XXII Marzo. Like La Ricerca, which we never pass up without going in to browse, purchase, and visit. His mother a master bookbinder 40 years ago, he keeps the tradition alive using a small group of gifted leather and bookbinding craftsmen to supply his small shop. Six years older in the right photo, but still the same great smile!

We pull ourselves away from the craft shops along the way until finally, we are in the quiet Dorsoduro.

As we cross the Accademia bridge, we note the ‘lover’s lock’ that Ellen and I placed there on a previous trip!

Actually, we don’t do that sort of thing. We put it in the same class as graffiti. For this photo, I borrowed the photo from Helen’s and Georg’s lock.

For your information, the Accademia bridge has been completely redesigned and reconstructed to prevent such appliques. Sorry Helen & Georg, no more displays of your true love.

Gallerie dell'Accademia

As the Gallerie dell'Accademia is right before us as we descend from the bridge, we may as well go in to see the magnificent art pieces that hang there.

A discussion of the Accademia will be held for another day, but I’ll just point out one art work that we’ll see on our visit today. It’s Giovanni Bellini’s “Madonna and Child between Saints Catherine and Magdalene”, shown here in a surreptitiously captured photo from a previous visit. There is such beautiful brushwork in this 23”x42” work of art.

We’ve spent a good bit of time in the Accademia, and we feel the pangs of hunger. It’s time to wander toward that lunch that I’d promised you.

We’ve heard good things about Ai Gondolieri, but that is not in the general direction that we had planned to wander…we want to get to the large Campo Santa Margherita to see what we can see. So, we’ll head west.

An Unusual Wine Shop

I’ll snap some photos of the sights whilst we stroll the calle of Venice. Like this wine shop where you bring in your own bottle and self-serve fill it with wine, right from the demijohn. I checked my pockets and didn’t have any bottles on me, so I’ll have to rely on whatever restaurant I find for us along the way.

Bridges Make For Hard Work In Venice

There are 409 bridges in Venice, and one rarely finds one that doesn’t have steps. And as there are no land-based vehicles in Venice, deliveries are made with hand trucks…like this one. This adds to the cost of goods. And it creates delivery men with great leg strength.

See the little wheels just to the front of his rubber tires? That’s the secret to working one’s way up and over the steps.

Stay Tuned for Next Week’s Article

Then here’s a rather non-descript door that I might be able to transform later for you. Maybe even next week. So, be sure to come back to see what I do with this blah snapshot.

A Quick Pharmacy Stop

Here we find a pharmacist, taking a telefonino break.

OK ladies, and you gentlemen interested in maintaining a youthful look, you might want to pick up some of that DÒLIVA advertised in the window of the farmacia. It suggests that you should ‘love your skin’, and promises it will contribute to the care of all 360° of your face. It’s amazing what olives can do for one’s complexion.

Floating Market

What’s this? A floating market..selling fresh produce from the mainland. And, not all is what we see in our own markets.

Ahoy, Matey!

As we take a sharp left to avoid falling into the Rio de San Trovaso canal and losing that bag of Doliva that you’re carrying, we see a father taking his two children on a water-bourn adventure. Are pirates in their future?

I doubt that we will see them in that little boat later on the busy Grand Canal.

Where The Gondole Go For Repair

Now we are along the canal known as Rio de San Trovaso. With a bit of guide-book research, we find that Rio de San Trovaso is the canal from which the gondole of Venice are maintained and repaired. Here is a photo of Campo San Trovaso, where the gondole are dragged up onto dry land (at least it’s dry at this moment, and a bit more on that later).

 

Seeing this rare site gives me the idea to write a blog article about the ubiquitous gondole soon…stay tuned for that.

And Now, Lunch…Finally!

Along this canal, we find a likely candidate for lunch. Taverna San Trovaso seems to be just what we are looking for…quiet and out of the way.

Here is the entrance to Taverna San Trovaso. Definitely unassuming…but the warm wood promises a warm-inside experience.

Here’s a photo from their website that well shows the inside first floor…which is less formal than the upstairs dinner spot.

 

Here’s what I’ve ordered for lunch.

First was crudo, stracchino. This translates to raw meat (raw, but well aged and cured prosciutto…you can read more about that in my previous article on Italian meats) and cheese. In this case, the cheese is stracchino (strak-KI-no). It’s a type of Italian cow's-milk cheese that’s eaten very young. It has a soft, creamy texture and normally a mild and delicate flavor. Here is my plate.

You can see that I’ve got a basket of bread and packaged grisini to go along with my crudo. And, I’m sure that you didn’t miss the small carafe of vino rosso. And those who know me well searched and found a can of Coca-Cola Light along the right edge of the photo.

As I’m into just a lite lunch today because I’m saving up my calories for a nice dinner at Antico Martini later tonight, I’ll just have a simple salad…this one with mozzarella, tomato and arugula, topped with a few savory olives. In Italy, mozzarella is made from the milk of water buffalo, and is referred to as ‘bufala’.

That about sums up my typical lunch for today. On other days, I might have worked in fresh seafood, because it is definitely fresh here in Venice.

And speaking of summing up, what has all this come to in Euros? Let’s check out the tab.

That’s a grand total of 30 Euro. I know you are about to say ‘Ouch!’, but remember that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, brought in and consumed in Venice is brought in by boat. Your wallet? Don’t leave home without it.

And, did you notice the wine and the Coca-Cola for the same price? On a budget, might as well drink the wine.

That last charge of 2 Euro is the ‘cover charge’. This is your ‘sitting down to eat’ charge. Many times, if you eat at the bar (and don’t mess up a table cloth and use the normal wait staff), you will not have a coperto charge.

 

You are asking, ‘Was your server a woman?’. Yes!

This has been a rare experience in our trips to Italy. So, I’ve decided that documentation is in order!

High Water Mark

We are fortunate that it is not the season of aqua alta, or high water. That season is generally around November, when tides and winds blowing to the northwest up the Adriatic pile a good bit of unwanted water into the Venetian lagoon. Take another look at the entrance to Taverna San Trovaso above, and then look at the photo below (which I snapped from a photo on the wall of the restaurant).

There’s danger in aqua alta! There are many calle that end at a small canal, with no wall or railing to keep you from falling into the canal. When the water is at a normal level, you can see that the calle ends, and you can avoid an unplanned dip. But when the water is high, and has flooded the calle upon which you walk, beware, as there may be a canal, and not an intersection with another calle. Locals know their way around, we don’t.

Let’s continue on our stroll high-and-dry through the calle of the Dorsoduro district.

A Friendly Maker of Venetian Masks

Here’s a friendly craftsman. This gentleman is the maker of the famous Venetian masks that are seen during Venice’s Carnevale (the equivalent of the New Orleans’s Mardi Gras).

Here he’s sitting outside his shop on this sunny day, forming what will become a festive mask.

Shhhh!

It must be a slow day for the gondola trade. Just so you know, I didn’t disturb him as I tiptoed by.

However, it’s not a completely unproductive day for gondoliers, as we can see as this happy couple seem to be enjoying their afternoon ride.

It’s Time for Reflection

Now, we pause to reflect on our day thus far…

Venetians, Doing What Venetians Do

And then there are the Venetians, going about their daily Venetian routines.

Joining In On A Fashion Shoot

Ahh, here’s a fashion shoot. I think I’ll join in. She looks beautiful, doesn’t she.

Hmmm. I seem to remember joining in on a photo shoot yesterday with this same model…that shoot was at the Rialto bridge. Yes, I think it’s the same beautiful model…though with a different wedding dress.

 

Is Anyone Home?

And here are the door bells for the Polizzi, Gervasoni, and Agnoli families. I wonder what the architect was thinking about when he created this design? Hmmm, I wonder.

An Afternoon Gathering of Friends

In a quiet place, we see two friends having a nice afternoon chat, both with a cappuccino, if I remember correctly.

Souvenir Shopping

And now a shop window, where one can purchase a souvenir hat to commemorate one’s visit to Venice.

Interested in Alfresco Dining?

And here, a typical al fresco dining situation in Venice…outside, but still classy.

We Need To Get A Move On!

Uh oh, that table setting reminds me that I need to get back to the Hotel Flora to freshen up and get ready for that dinner at Antico Martini. I’d hoped to get to Campo Santa Margherita to get supplies for a picnic tomorrow on the super-quiet and out-of-the way island of Torcello. I’ll have to pick up picnic items early tomorrow at the Rialto Market.

Antico Martini is a restaurant that has been in continuous operation since the 1700s and has seen a lot of Venetian history. And, I must say that I also made Antico Martini history, as years ago, I was the first person to ever make a reservation there using the internet! This distinction garnered fresh flowers on the table, as well as prosecco on the house! Thank you, Emilio.

So, it’s back to the hotel. Walking briskly along the Grand Canal, it starts to sprinkle just a bit. And here, I learn what the Venetians do as they drive their boats in the rain. Just what the rest of use do as we raise our umbrellas as we walk.

Stepping Out For Dinner And More

I’ve gathered the group at the Hotel Flora and we are heading out to dinner.

And, here we are at our favorite Venetian restaurant, Antico Martini…always a pleasant and relaxing meal after a long day in Venice.

Are we in the right place? I believe we are.

Scott and I peruse the wine list at Antico Martini, which has many tasty offerings.

Do you recognize the winged lion of San Marco on the wine-menu cover?

 

It’s time for a toast to friends not present…which unfortunately, includes you..this time.

 

Our dinner fare is not as simple as that at Taverna San Trovaso, but I was able to have another bufala salad…this one a caprese.

Our After-Dinner Destination

After dinner, one does not go to the movies in Venice…one goes to Piazza San Marco…and should one choose, dancing.

Only when we hear the campanile’s Marangona bell toll midnight do we leave…and then reluctantly. And then, It’s back to the hotel for a restful night’s sleep in this quiet, idyllic hotel.

I’m glad you got to spend the day walking the quiet calle of Dorsoduro with me. But now, at the end of the day, it’s time to spend a bit of time with my bride.

I hope that you enjoyed our stroll through the calle of Venice’s quiet Dorsoduro sestiere. And, Dorsoduro is just one of six sestieri that make up the amazing floating city of Venice. Maybe tomorrow we’ll run into each other in Cannaregio’s Ghetto. Or, maybe we can relive Venice’s sailing days at Castello’s Arsenale. Wherever you may roam in Venice, I know that you, too, will create many memories along the way.

Ciao for now,

Steve

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The Winged Lion of San Marco

Index of Articles

In Italian, it’s ‘San Marco’, and in English, it’s Saint Mark. As today’s article deals with the lion that is associated with the Republic of Venice, I will use the more appropriate Italian ‘San Marco’.

A beautiful example of a painting featuring the winged lion of San Marco

Venice is just full of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other artworks depicting a winged lion with it’s paw propping up a book. So, what’s that about? It’s the long-used symbol for Venice, whether referring to the Republic of Venice of old, or the City of Venice today. Oh, and not just in Venice, but in the Italian region of Veneto. And well, even in the US…hmm, that’s interesting…why’s that? And what does a winged lion have to do with our Biblical Gianni-Marco (John Mark) of Apostle fame?

[I’ll sprinkle in a few photos I’ve taken in Venice over the years, each featuring the winged lion of San Marco…just click on them for a larger view]

San Marco and the Venetian Republic

The ubiquitous wall plaque depicting the winged lion of San Marco

Let’s start with San Marco’s relationship to Venice and the Venetian empire. It’s roots are a bit tenuous, as it is a Venetian ‘tradition’, and may be nothing more than that…but on the other hand….

The story is that when San Marco traveled to Europe (which is well documented Biblically), he went through the lagoon which was to become the Venetian lagoon a few centuries later. While there in the lagoon, an angel appeared to him and said, "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum." So, there you have it.

 

Another wall plaque

Now, why does the lion have wings? OK. Sorry, that wasn’t nice of me just to leave you hanging…I’ll now get right back to the lagoon thingie to finish up that explanation.

The translation of that Latin phrase above boils down to, "Peace be with thee, O Mark, my evangelist. Here thy body will rest." So, according to this tradition, San Marco was destined to rest in what was to become, the Venetian lagoon. Which is where it does rest today. So, how did his body get to Venice?

 

Statue found in Campo Manin…Judy’s favorite

San Marco’s remains came back to the lagoon through a bit of skullduggery. In 828, Rustico da Torcello and Bon da Malamocco, who were merchants of Venice (not to be confused with THE merchant of Venice), traveled to Alexandria, Egypt to steal San Marco’s body. San Marco was there because he had established the Church of Alexandria around the year 48AD.

 

Painting by Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry

A few years later, San Marco was martyred by angry Alexandrians who objected to his leading the locals away from the worship of their traditional gods. San Marco was dragged through the streets of Alexandria with a rope around his neck until dead.

Here we see a 14th-century painting depicting this event.

 

So, our two merchants developed a plan to purloin the body of San Marco. After excavating his body, they packed it in a barrel and covered it with pork. The pork was to keep curious Muslim officials from examining the contents of the barrel. After our merchants arrived back in Venice, San Marco’s bones eventually made their way to a crypt in the Basilica San Marco, where his remains rest to this day.

The actions of these two merchants brought both religious and political clout to the Venetian republic

Here is a painting of our two merchants, along with their two Greek-monk co-conspirators.

“St Mark's Body Brought to Venice” by Tintoretto

In the Tintoretto painting, Marco’s body is in pretty decent shape for having been exhumed after 800 years, don’t you think?

So, that’s why San Marco is so important to the former Republic of Venice and the modern-day City of Venice. Now, what about that lion?

The front of the beautifully adorned Basilica San Marco, on Piazza San Marco

The Lion, and How He Gets His Wings

The origin of the relationship of the lion and San Marco is a bit loose, so bear with me.

According to Steve Burkett, in his blog article titled, “Transforming the Cathedral of San Andreas” [2015], he says, “…you will note [in a mosaic fronting the church] three animals and one man, all winged and haloed. These are the traditional symbols of the Apostles. To Christ’s extreme right is Mark, who is always shown as a lion (and as he is the Patron Saint of Venice, it is called ‘The Lion City’)…”. We are lucky that these words have lasted for…well, not centuries…but about 5 years, at least. The point is that it has long been a tradition to associate San Marco with a winged lion.

At the base of a Piazza San Marco flag pole

Here is another recent source that (in a rather poor translation) suggests that, “The lion, that is well-known as symbol of power, pride, magnificence, nobility and courage, was associated to Mark because it emphasizes the Resurrection power, the majesty and the regality of Christ and the characteristics of his Gospel…and in order to describe Giovanni Battista [John the Baptizer] who announces to the men the arrival of Jesus, began his book with the citation ‘the voice of one that shouts in the desert’ that makes people imagine to the roar of a lion.” This, according to the company "‘Arte 2000’, which is a handcrafted Italian workshop that works with marble. ‘Nough said, right?

So, now we have two somewhat questionable authorities explaining why the winged lion is associated with San Marco. Want something more credible? OK, read on.

As seen from your romantic gondola ride, the winged lion on the pedestal, and on the top of the campanile. Previous Venetian patron saint, Theodore, on the other pedestal.

The next source is the Holy Bible, in the book of Ezekiel. He says that he had a vision from God and in Ezekiel 1:10-11, he states, “The form of their faces was that of a man, …a lion on the right side…an ox on the left side, and…an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side…”.

This is reportedly the inspiration for the winged lion that became associated with San Marco, and became of interest to the Venetian empire after his relic remains were brought there. The three other creatures (the man, ox and eagle) became associated with the other three apostle gospel writers (Matthew, Luke, and John, respectively).

Well preserved winged lion located within The Frari

So, now we have San Marco associated with Venice because his relic bones came to rest there, and we have a lion associated with San Marco, and we have wings on that lion. The picture of the winged lion of San Marco is now complete. But, what about that book upon which the lion’s paw has rested for centuries?

This book has the inscription “Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus”, or ‘Peace be with thee, O Mark, my evangelist’. The first three words are on the left page, and the last two words are on the right page. You will often see it abbreviated a good bit to fit the size of the page.

The Winged Lion of San Marco & Venice in Art

So, I now give you several artistic interpretations of the Winged Lion of San Marco, handed down through antiquity. The first is the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice. The others are art works showing San Marco, each with his accompanying lion…some fierce, and some whimsical. The first is the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice. The second painting is a bit strange, don’t you think? I mean, Marco with a quill pen (is he checking to see if there is ink in there?), bound books, Renaissance-styled clothes…almost as strange as the goofy looking lion by his side. Click on the coat of arms to see larger versions.

Judging by these paintings, it’s pretty obvious that no one knew exactly what San Marco looked like!

In Connection with the USA

Earlier, way up above, I mentioned a winged-lion-of-San-Marco connection to the USA. Here is that explanation…actually, a couple of them.

Sleeve insignia of the US 332nd Infantry Regiment from WWI

First, here is a World War I connection. This uniform from WWI shows the sleeve insignia of the US 332nd Infantry Regiment (United States), which served alongside Italian troops…remember in WWI, we were on the same side.

 

US Army Africa insignia of Caserma Ederle

Second is a connection to our current military. It’s the United States ‘Army Africa’ insignia for our base in Caserma Ederle, which is in Vicenza, Italy. We have troops stationed at Caserma Ederle (Camp Ederle), should they be needed by Italian authorities.



 

The Flag of the Venetian Republic

I’ll leave you with the absolutely beautiful 17th century flag of the Venetian Republic. If their national anthem was related to this flag, as ours in the US is, it must have been a very complicated anthem.

Flag of the Republic of Venice

Now you have an idea why San Marco is associated with the Venetian Republic. And, you have some idea why a lion is related to Venice and its history. And you have some idea why there are wings on the feline animal of interest. And finally, you know how to read a bit of Latin. Yes, you now know it all. Go tell your friends…impress them with your knowledge.

And, I hope to gaze at the winged lions of San Marco along with you on some trip to Venice. Until then…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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New Article Category: Italian Wines

Index of Articles

I’ve started a new category for my blog articles. It’s about wine and it’s about time, right?!

Yep, it’s the category that captures all of the blog articles that I’ve created over the years that are concerned with Italian wines. I count 8 articles in that category.

If you click on the heading to the top right of this article titled ‘Index of Articles’, you will be taken to the ‘Index of Articles’ page…strange how that works, huh? If you scroll down a bit in the right-hand column of said index, you will find the new ‘Italian Wines’ category near the top…right where it ought to be.

To simplify things for today, I’ve summarized those 8 articles just below.

So, grab a bottle of your favorite Italian wine, open it, pour yourself a glass (if you need permission, you’ve got a standing approval from me), and read on. I list the articles beginning with the oldest, along with just a hint of what you find in the complete article.

Castello Brolio

08/25/2015

Castello Brolio of Chianti Fame

This article titled, “Beautiful Places Castello Brolio”, was written because of the importance of Castello Brolio to Tuscan wines. You’ve most likely enjoyed Chianti and Chianti Classico wines in the past…right? Well, they started right here at Castello Brolio. It was the castle’s owner, Baron Ricosoli, who created the formula for Chianti. After more than thirty years of research and experiments, he divulged his formula for Chianti in a letter in 1872.

As a reminder, the word “Classico” in Chianti Classico is not necessarily a designation of the quality of a wine, but is related to its geographic origin. It is a designation for wines grown in a certain place within the official Chianti region…it’s like the hole (Chianti Classico) in a donut (the overall Chianti region)…kind of. On the other hand, if you find the words “Riserva” after the words Chianti or Chianti Classico, you can assume that the extra aging has improved the taste of the wine.

Banfi Wines

05/24/2016

Castello Banfi sits proud south of Montalcio

Most of you know of my love for all things Banfi…be it the food, the castello, the borgo, the people, or the wine…they are all magnificent! In the article titled, “Stay Here, Eat Here, Drink Here: Banfi” you will get the full extent of what Banfi has to offer.

In the mid ‘70s, with earnings from their very successful importation of Riunite wines (remember, ‘Riunite on ice, that’s nice!’ commercials?), Brothers John and Harry Mariani went to Italy in search of the perfect place to start their own winery business…a business which has become an empire in the wine world.

A wine tasting is the best way to decide on your wine purchase

The prominent grape of the estate is Sangiovese, the same grape (among others) that is made into Chianti wine. But here, the wine of fame is Banfi’s Brunello. And then, Brunello isn’t the only wine made by the Mariani family, and you will find a good many of them available in the enoteca of the castello…like these that we tasted whilst there.

 

Sitting poolside at Il Borgo Banfi

I don’t use the word ‘castello’ (i.e. castle) lightly. Yes, the estate is centered around a castello sitting atop a scenic hilltop, as seen in the painting, above. And within that castello, you will find Il Borgo Banfi (the hotel). I can’t recommend a stay at this lovely, peaceful place enough. We have such great memories of our time there. And, who wouldn’t appreciate just a wee bit of time away from wine tasting, sitting poolside in the Tuscan countryside? We certainly did…and to prove it, I’m sure you recognize Ellen’s toes in this photo.

Just a part of our day of Italian wine

This article isn’t about a specific winery or wine type, though one does play heavily into the article. It is about spending a day being just a bit naughty, not doing anything other than relaxing and enjoying a bottle of wine that you purchased during one of your trips to Italy.

In this article titled, “Enjoying Your Italy-Bought Wine”, before we get to the wine that we sipped before a fire on a cold, winter day, you get the back story in the purchase of the wine.

There is the story of lunch at a fabulous restaurant in Radda in Chianti.

Then there’s the post-lunch drive on a Google-assured road that wasn’t much of a road after all.

And finally, we arrive for a wine tasting that turned to wine buying.

Ahhh, it was such a great day of enjoyment…both the day in Italy, and then the day at home, lounging away the day in our jammies. Give it a try…you’ll like it.

In addition to some of our favorite memories, this day’s activities led me to taking probably my favorite of all Italy photos, shown just below. The Tuscan countryside, just after an afternoon shower. Magnifico!

My favorite photo taken in Italy

By the way, that same day in Italy led to these articles, also: Get Lost!, and Wild-Goose Chase. I hope you enjoy these two articles, too…it was a fun, frustrating, and then an interesting day.

OK, first of all, who wouldn’t want to take a guided winery tour with Matteo? Right, ladies?

Beyond that, I can assure both male and female alike that getting around to the wineries of an area of Italy with a local, knowledgeable guide, is the way to go.

Our wine-travelling day with Matteo was spent in the Langhe area of Piemonte, in the heart of the Barolo wine area. If you plan to do a bit of wine tasting in Italy, you will find guides like Matteo (well, maybe not exactly like Matteo) throughout the Italian wine area.

 

Our first stop of the day was at the Aurelio Settimo winery. Here, Laura showed us both the traditional oak casks, as well as our first sighting of a glass-lined, concrete casks. Usage depends on the wine you are making, and the flavor you want to impart in that wine.

Next up was the DaMilano winery. Well, we didn’t actually tour the winery, but we spent a good bit of time, and money, at the DaMilano enoteca, where Alicia helped us sip and purchase. And, we were very pleased to find that DaMilano also produces the white wine called Arneis, which we had fallen in love with in the town of Nieve.

Next up was the Schiavenza winery. Here, Matteo’s buddy Waldo produces great wine in small quantiles. And, what’s Leslie measuring in the photo? Waldo had just told us how the casks were cleaned after being emptied. He says that he climbs through that little arched opening and brushes and hoses out the casks…and he wasn’t kidding.

And finally, we ended our day at the Giovanni Rosso winery. Here we had another new experience in wine tasting. Not only did we taste wine from the Giovanni Rosso bottles in their tasting room, but Francesca also tapped right into one of the wine casks for our tasting enjoyment…enjoyment you can see here on the faces of Matteo and Craig.

I neglected to tell you that we had a mid-day lunch at Trattoria Schiavenza. Sitting on the terrazza, we spent a bit of time with watercolors, painting the beautiful Piemonte-Langhe countryside.

Going to Italy? Going to taste a bit of wine? Check out Taking a Guided Winery Tour.

Renato Ratti Winery

09/17/2019

If you want to visit a winery that is state of the art…both in design and in presentation, then you definitely need to visit the Renato Ratti Winery.

Your entrance to the green-roofed Renato Ratti winery

First of all, the winery has been placed carefully into a hillside below the town of La Mora, where an environmentally-friendly green roof and gravity-fed winery have been expertly accomplished.

Next, you will find one of the most creative of winery introductions in a video developed by Pietro Ratti that is both fun and informative.

 

Christine takes us deep in the cellars of Renato Ratti winery

Then, take the tour of the wine making facility below you, deep down in the hillside.

 

Next, let Christine lead you through a series of vintage Barolo wines, where you can stick your nose in a glass and taste great wines. This way, you get to see how the ‘nose’, tannins, taste, and color change over time as a wine ages in-bottle. By the way, it changes in a good way! At least for Barolo wines.

And, note the view from the tasting room…probably the most magnificent in all of Italy as it frames the vines of the Nebbiolo grapes.

 

Finally, snap a photo with your hostess Christine, and engaging owner, Pietro Ratti.

Allegrini Winery

01/07/2020

Allegrini’s Villa della Torre

It’s time to learn about appassimento! And where better than at the Allegrini Winery? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way, as there is no better answer than at Allegrini.

The Villa della Allegrini sits just north of Verona, in the heart of the Valpolicella area…known for both Valpolicella and Amarone wines. And, then there’s their own Palazzo della Torre wine.

Palazzo della Torre is made using the appassimento process. Appassimento means ‘withering’, and that’s what happens to some of the grapes as they are raisinated, or dried for about 3 months.

Here you can see Olmo as he describes the crappy (sorry, pardon the language) soil in which Allegrini’s grapes are grown. Mineral, rather than organics desired by most farmers, are the key to a healthy wine-making grape.

 

Wondering what a grape looks like during the appassimento process? Check out this photo.

 

Amarone wine is also made with the appassimento process. And, unlike the marvelous Brunello of Tuscany, which uses just the one Sangiovese grape, the production of Allegrini’s famous Amarone wine uses a blend of four different grapes.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a view of what I would call, ‘The King of the North’…a bottle of Amarone, lying comfortably upon a pillow of withering grapes, ready for you to gently lift it up and then savor it.

Our last winery visit will be to the Michele Chiarlo winery. Here, not only did we visit the winery, but also the vineyards.

We started at the La Court vineyard pictured above in the eastern portion of Piemonte. Beautiful, isn’t it?

 

We met Alberto at the vineyards, where he explains the layout of the vineyard, and the importance of south- vs north-facing vines, and the compass points in between.

Then, it was on to the winery and tasting room. Leslie listens closely to find out more about their Arneis white wine. And seeing the bottling room was fascinating.

DOCG, DOC, IGT & DOG

11/17/2020

The most recent article concerning Italian wines dealt with government-issued geographic and quality guarantees.

The importance of these designations is one of quality control…Italy doesn’t want inferior wines being produced that would lower the already very-high bar of Italian wines. Thus, the governments involvement in the wines produced in Italy.

As this was recently published in November, I will assume that you read DOCG, DOC, IGT & DOG in the very serious state of mind in which government decrees should be carefully examined…so I won’t dwell on it here.

That’s it for today. Is that bottle empty, yet? No? Then get back to work on it! Meanwhile, I’ll cover the multitude of wine-producing grapes of Italy soon.

In closing, here is a toast of San Angelo Pinot Grigio from Banfi. This toast is to your continued health in 2021, and to your successful exit from 2020. Until next time…

 

Two Quick Transformations

Index of Articles

Ellen and I certainly hope that you had a great Christmas…and that Santa brought you just what you wanted!

I had asked for…and actually received…telepathic powers for Christmas…very convenient, I must say. So, I will go through the transformations of these two snapshots with just telepathic explanations of what was done. Please close your eyes and just focus on the verbiage that I’m mentality sending your way. But hmmm, you won’t be able to see the photos that way. So, instead, open your eyes and focus.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Happy New Year! And…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Transforming Double Windows

“May God bless you and yours, as He has ours”

It’s the holiday season…I’m going to be busy with shopping, wrapping, and playing Santa Claus. Rather than regaling you with wordy articles concerning Italy, I thought that I’d just focus on photography, instead. To be specific, I’m going to spend the next couple of weeks presenting some transformation of blah snapshots into fine art photos.

So, grab your coffee, hot cider, or whatever you enjoy in the morning, and spend some time just looking, without having to give much thought to what you are seeing.

As we stroll through Italy, I often take photos like the one below, where there really isn’t much of interest…or is there? At the time, I thought I could do something with this snapshot. You be the judge.

With just a bit of cropping and distraction removing, here is where we find ourselves.

The shutters are just too blah for me…so I’m going to jazz them up just a bit.

Crop the top, please. And add a bit of patina.

Next it is time to straighten the stonework just below the tiles. And that’s it.

That’s all folks. I hope you enjoyed this short journey from blah to ahhh.

For me, 2020 will go down as a year with both tribulations (my serious battle with Covid) and blessings (my successful recovery from that Covid). All-in-all, blessings won out over the tribulations!

My hope for you this Christmas season is that you will focus on peace, relaxation, family, friends, and the Reason for the Season. May God bless you and yours, as He has ours.

Ciao for now and Merry Christmas,

Steve

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