The Wines of Montefioralle

Montefioralle must be one of the most beautiful parts of Tuscany to sit down with a glass of wine. It's all there in the name: Monte- meaning mount or small mountain and fioralle - of the flowers.
The south-east facing slopes at around 300m above sea level are ideal for the Sangiovase grape which by law must make up at least 80% of a bottle of Chianti Classico. It will come as no surprise then to learn that the church once owned these slopes and used them for exactly the same purpose. Whatever else can be said of the Catholic church in those times you can be sure it would have had its pick of the best locations for starting a vineyard. But all this was a long time ago...well, about 600 years ago.
The wines produced by the Sieni family are Chianti Classico (of course), a Riserva Chianti Classico, SuperTuscan and Vin Santo. If you do come for a wine tasting here remember to pace yourself; there are at least 4 vintages of the Chianti Classico to compare and wines get stronger as you progress from the Riserva to Vin Santo.

Insalata di seppie

Amo cucinare ma non sono mai stata brava a descrivere con precisione le mie ricette, mi limiterò quindi a raccontarle. Quest'insalata, per esempio, nasce da una manciata di seppioline fresche comprate al mercato. La prima idea era stata quella di preparare un primo piatto con un sughetto alle seppie ma il caldo dell'ultima settimana mi ha fatto desistere.

Un pò di foglioline di radicchi misti, una carota, una patata, un cipollotto e un ciuffetto di prezzemolo, tutto del nostro orto, hanno fatto il resto...

Dopo aver fatto dorare leggermente la cipolla in un tegame con un filo d'olio di oliva extravergine, ho aggiunto la carota, la patata a tocchetti e un pò di pepe nero e infine le seppie. A fine cottura ho "sfumato" con una spruzzata di vino bianco. Ho preparato un letto di insalatina sui piatti e adagiato sopra le seppie. Prezzemolo è il gioco è fatto!

Un piatto leggero, veloce e buono anche freddo.

The heat goes on.

Florence is hot. Tuscany is hot. I can't remember the last time it rained, moreover I can't seem to remember the feeling of rain. The vines and olives survive, even thrive, when put to the test of producing their crop in the driest of clay soils.

The roots of the olive trees get their moisture by spreading out far and wide; their renowned hardiness proven by some living more than 2000 years. The vines send down roots to ten or fifteen feet where the dampness remains year round.

Insalata di trippa

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Piacevole domenica estiva passata fuori dalla città'.

Un posto fresco, gli amici e una bottiglia di buon vino, cosa volere di più'?

All'ombra di un pergolato abbiamo cominciato il pranzo con una serie di antipasti da intenditori: fiori di zucca, dell'orto di Angelo, fritti in modo insuperabile da Lino, melanzane grigliate condite con pomodorini secchi preparate da Alberta e poi, avete mai provato l'insalata di trippa?

Si, lo so, che molti storceranno il naso, ma vi consiglio di provarla almeno una volta.

Ecco la ricetta per i piu' coraggiosi: 500 gr. di trippa cotta, 1 cipolla rossa, 1 cuore di sedano, 250 gr. di pomodorini, sale, pepe e olio d'oliva. Mescolate tutto e lasciate riposare al fresco.

...And then the question of which wine to go with it...any Chianti Classico or pure Sangiovese for a typical Florentine meal however the Primitivo di Manduria (yes, someone brought wine with a label!) was most welcome and received few complaints.

Vintage Italian Cars Day.

Something a little different this week. When a friend Riccardo suggested we take a couple of classic Italian cars out for a tour, how could we refuse?

The baby-blue Fiat 127 and navy Alfa Romeo Alfetta are both in pristine condition and stepping inside takes you suddenly back to a by-gone era. No satellite navigation, radio or airbags here...though both are fitted with the latest up-to-date safety features of their day....seat belts. The air-conditioning is operated by rotating a small handle attached to the door which lowers or raises the side windows. But we're not here for modern gadgets: it's the feel of these cars and their ability to raise a smile wherever they go that makes it an unforgettable day.

It is time to replace the barrels at the vineyard. At Montefioralle only French Oak is used for producing Chianti Classico, and never fresh 'first cycle' barrels which would impart too strong a flavour on the wine. After the barrels have be used to store a more robust grape variety, say Cabernet Sauvignon for the first cycle, they are then ready to be used for the Sangiovese.

The barrels then undergo several cycles; a year for the regular Chianti Classico, two years for the Chianti Classico Riserva. At the end of the their lives the barrels may find a life of retirement by being sawn in half and used as flower planters....if not, they become some of the most costly firewood know to man.

View from Panzano

The Piaggio Ape is one of Italy's best loved vehicles. Designed in the immediate post war days of frugality the Ape sneaked into the workaday life of Italians through its economy, practicality and durability...and found itself taken into the heart of Italian culture.

Ryan and Patricia it was great meeting you both. I hope you enjoyed your day in Tuscany. Now get back to those 14 hour days selling superconductors!!