A Slow Food Journey in Italy

I’m standing in a 1,000 year old wine cellar in the medieval Tuscan hilltop town of Montepulciano, listening to a venerable wine master whose career spans 50 years. This is the beginning of a week long “Boutique Journey” introduced by Brendan Vacations in association with Slow Food Travel and I’m already captivated!

The Slow Food Movement was founded in 1989 by Italian food writer Carlo Petrini as an alternative to fast food and fast life and as a means to promote local sustainable food. It recognizes the strong connections between plate and planet and takes the position that our daily food choices have a major impact on our health as well as the health of animals, the environment, and society as a whole.

It is said that Tuscany produces the world’s best wine and our small group continues our tour of the ancientEnoteca Contucci wine cellars. We learn about the Contucci family who has lived in Montepulciano since the 11th century, celebrating 1,000 years in 2008. At the conclusio

A Slow Food Journey in Italy http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/news-articles/a-slow-food-journey-in-italy-18458.php

 

Zero residui, record made in Italy

Due terzi dei prodotti agroalimentari italiani sono privi di residui di agrofarmaci, un terzo presenta residui entro i limiti di legge mentre le irregolarità sono ferme allo 0,6%, pari a un campione ogni 200 analizzati. I dati racchiusi nell’ultimo rapporto di Legambiente (provocatoriamente chiamato “I pesticidi nel piatto”) sono decisamente rassicuranti, ma non bastano a curare l’ansia da sicurezza dell’associazione ambientalista. Il presidente Vittorio Cogliati Dezzapunta infatti il dito contro i multiresidui. A suo dire la presenza di più residui entro i limiti di legge celerebbe rischi per la salute, mai provati scientificamente. Nello stesso report di Legambiente – elaborato su dati forniti da Arpa, Asl e uffici pubblici regionali – i campioni con multiresidui scendono al 17% (erano 18,5% nel 2011).

Zero residui, record made in Italy http://www.agricoltura24.com/articoli/0,1254,54_ART_6208,00.html via @agricoltura24

A Veneto journey to farm and table in one

I went looking for a slice of ancient Italy and somehow landed in Iowa.

Past the town of Treviso, in the hills far above the canals of Venice, we had left that morning, is a little dairy farm where the Gallina family is in its fourth generation of making cheese. I don’t know what I expected a fourth-generation Italian artisanal cheese maker to look like, but when Luca Gallina welcomed us sporting a plaid shirt, baseball cap and faded jeans, he looked more Cedar Rapids farmer than keeper of ancient Italian culinary rites.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/A-Veneto-journey-to-farm-and-table-in-one-4044723.php#ixzz2DdotdTDS

A Veneto journey to farm and table in one – via @SFGate http://ow.ly/fAVmN

The romantic Amalfi Coast | The Australian

THE joys of discovering Atrani on Italy’s romantic Amalfi Coast.

THE INSIDERS
Amanda Tabberer, author

STAY: Hotel Luna Convento
Atrani is one of the prettiest and least busy towns on Italy’s Amalfi Coast and is very easy to get around. This delightful historic hotel, with a seaside position between Atrani and Amalfi (the two are a stone’s throw from each other), has cloisters dating from 1200 and a magnificent courtyard. It is one of the loveliest places to stay in the area; lunahotel.it.

EAT: Ristorante A’Paranza
This restaurant has been open for decades and is still one of the best on the Amalfi Coast. There are no spectacular views, penguin-suited waiters or fancy decor, but the Proto brothers have the best formula for an ideal Italian eatery – excellent food. Roberto Proto’s seafood risotto is one of the best you’ll find in the region; ristoranteparanza.com. …

The romantic Amalfi Coast | The Australian: http://ow.ly/fAVxZ

 

A little night magic http://thne.ws/UPiW

The moment had finally arrived. This was to be the crowning point of my entire visit to Italy. It was 9:00 pm in Rome but the last rays of the sun continued to illuminate the monuments on either side of the Via Dei Fori Imperiali (so called because of the public spaces or fora built by different Roman emperors on either side of the road). I made my way anxiously to the Colosseum, afraid I might somehow miss my narrow window of time. I had to be at the gates at exactly 9.05 pm, 15 minutes before my group’s allotted time. We were going to visit the Colosseum, Rome’s most famous and recognised monument, by night.

A little night magic http://thne.ws/UPiWxI via @thehindu

The underground sections of the Colosseum. Photo: S. Ramanujan