Congrats to Fattoria Viticcio Vineyards

Having spent a year enjoying the variety of wonderful wines from the vineyards of Fattoria Viticcio, we are thrilled for our friends and the recognition their wines have received in the October editions of Wine Spectator.

For a year we lived amidst the vines of the primary vineyard. Our apartment sat above the cellars and bottling rooms. Our windows looked over quintessential Tuscan country side. It was a year that encapsulated dreams. We loved each day and our lives continue to be enriched by the memories of those dreams.

Wine Spectator Loves Viticcio & I Greppi

Viticcio Toscana Bere 2007 Score 90 ($15) Oct. 31, 2009 Issue

There's a lot of Cabernet character on the nose and palate, with dried herbs and black currant. Full and very rich on the palate, with chewy yet fruit-coated tannins. Long and flavorful. Needs a little time to come together. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best after 2009. 2,500 cases made. –JS

Viticcio Chianti Classico 2007 Score 90 ($20) Oct 31,2009 Issue

Shows a lot of bright cherry and berry character, with hints of coffee. Full-bodied, with fine, well-integrated tannins, clean acidity and a long finish. Drink now. 12,500 cases made. –JS

Viticcio Chianti Classico

Riserva 2007 Score 93 ($32) Oct. 15, 2009 Issue

Fabulous aromas of blackberry, dark chocolate and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with supersilky tannins and amazing richness and subtlety. Goes on for minutes on the palate. Best from 2010 through 2015. 2,345 cases made. “Highly Recommended” –JS

Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva Lucius 2006 Score 91 ($40) Oct. 15, 2009 Issue

Intense aromas of plum and blackberry. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins, lots of beautiful fruit and vanilla oak character and a long-to-medium finish. Generous and delicious already. Best after 2009. 1,300 cases made. –JS

Viticcio Toscana Prunaio 2006 Score 93 ($55) Oct. 31, 2009 Issue

Displays very ripe raspberry on the nose, with black cherry. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins, toasty oak and an aftertaste of chocolate, coffee and fruit. A serious red. Sangiovese Grosso. Best after 2010. 1,250 cases made. –JS

Viticcio Toscana Monile 2006 Score 94 ($55) Oct. 31,2009 Issue

Currants, berries, lightly toasted oak and light coffee. Full-bodied, with lots of ripe fruit, soft, silky tannins and a rich finish. Ripe and beautiful. Lovely texture too. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best after 2012.—J.S.

I Greppi Bolgheri Greppicante 2007 Score 92 ($28) Oct. 31, 2009 Issue

Delivers currant, toasty oak and coffee aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a lot of rich fruit. Very polished and attractive. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2012. 5,265 cases made. –JS

I Greppi Bolgheri Superiore Greppicaia 2005 Score 93 ($70) Oct. 31, 2009 Issue

This has a fabulous nose of crushed raspberry and blackberry, with coffee, vanilla bean, tar and spices. Full-bodied, with rich, velvety tannins. There's plenty of fruit, but this is refined and persistent on the palate, with pretty oak influences. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2011. 1,500 cases made. –JS

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FRIENDS

ALESSANDRO, NICOLETTA AND SIGNORA FRANCA

Time for Goodbyes

Our time this year in Bella Italia is finito. Suitcases are packed and most are in the car—a laborious affair when places must be found for wine, olive oil, ceramiche, 00 flour, Italian books and dvd’s and gifts. No wonder we have one more duffel than arrived in France with us six long weeks ago.

Note though—the absence of clothes, shoes and purses in the list. Impressive? Not really.

I found a wonderful little ceramiche shop (warning site plays music) Galleria Machiavelli in Firenze. So, I used whatever I might have spent on clothes for an exquisite bowl and a couple of other little things that are being shipped home, hopefully not to follow in the footsteps of last year’s table disaster.

Remember?

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of these delicious new things before leaving the store so will provide them later for those who care.

We leave our Italian home at 7:30 tomorrow morning to arrive at our California home at 10 pm tomorrow night--which will be 7 am here. Our flight doesn't leave until 10 o'clock but there is all that stuff that needs doing before boarding.

We fly from Florence to Frankfurt with a two hour layover there. Then on to San Francisco--11 hours and then a 3.5 hour layover before heading to San Diego. To say I envy people who live on the East Coast is an understatement! Now there is even a direct flight from Pisa to New York a couple times a week--paint me green!

Tonight our landlord is having a barbecue for the families--ours and theirs. There will be hamburgers for Casey who believes Alessandro makes the best hamburgers in the entire world; pork for Nicoletta and me and who knows what else--maybe salmon as Camilla and Alessandro like that.

I just returned from the gelateria with 1.5 kg of stracciatella, fragola, limone and cocco which will be the dulce. And, of course, since we live on a vineyard, there will be excellent Chianti or maybe a Super Tuscan. So we will end our stay as we began, but this time it is a farewell dinner poolside rather than the welcome home meal which greeted us when we arrived.

Marcella the owner and chef of our favorite restaurant in the piazza, Il Portico, knows that Casey loves lasagna and had promised him that she would make it for him this year. Yesterday she sent word that today at lunch was the day.

It is so hot here now that this was a really specially nice thing to do for Casey. Of course, it was then on the menu for other diners. And..I must say, Marcella's lasagna is by far the best I have ever had. So, when you are in Greve, check and see what's on the menu.

Meet Marcella

This is Bruno whom you have met before. He has the gastronomia next to the forno on the piazza. He is Marcella's husband.

And, this is Sylvia who always waits on us and makes sure we get "our" table outside--except today was too hot so we ate in under the fan.

So tomorrow we leave until the next time. The surprising thing this year is that as much as we don't want to leave here, we are all looking forward to being home. This has not happened before. It must be that by now, we do really have two worlds and both welcome and delight us.

As far as next year, we just aren't sure what that will bring. We may skip a year here and show Casey some of his own country for a change. This is a difficult decision, for sure.

Right now, I'm going to go down and watch the children in the pool one last time. It is sheer pleasure.

Here They Are

ARRIVEDERCI

The More Things Change......

the more they stay the same.

Three years ago--minus 6 days--we began the adventure of calling Fattoria Viticcio in Greve-in-Chianti our home for a year. It was a quite glorious and wonderful year for all of us.

Casey met the challenge of attending the local elementary school and did well learning in a very different language. He loved the freedom of roaming and exploring the vineyards and hills; he loved playing in the piazza with friends as we finished our after dinner caffé; he loved Italy and began to think of himself as Italian. Above all, he formed an unbreakable bond with Camilla, the daughter of our landlord. These two children built memories usually found in story books--memories of idle summer days where there are no cares and the freedom just to be.

So, each year we return to the vineyard on the hill in lovely Tuscany. And each year I wonder what will happen when these two get together again--will there be an awkwardness stemming from new maturities or will they seamlessly begin where they left off the year before. And each year they prove that for them time collapses and yesterday was just the day before. It is a joy to watch such innocent friendship.




As far as Ken and I, we are doing what we do well--mostly not much. Yesterday mirrored so many of the days we had here--the days we treasure and enjoyed so much. We wandered roads with a destination in mind but soon forgotten when a different road beckoned to us. We found ourselves in Castelnovo Berendenga, which took just a short time to stroll through--not very much there to see or do. But, stopping in the tourist office, we found that San Felice vineyards and winery were quite close.

For many the highlight of visiting Tuscany is visiting wineries and tasting; however, for whatever reason, that just isn't us. But, liking San Felice wines and since it was time for lunch, we decided to go there, have lunch and then visit the enoteca and buy a couple bottles of wine. Which is just what we did.

The property is beautiful--an ancient borgo that has been transformed into a very elegant resort, and buying wines there is much less expensive than buying elsewhere. But, lunch was a major disappointment--costly and quite mediocre, unlike their wines. So, if you go, take time to explore the property, buy some wine and then eat elsewhere.

It is as beautiful as ever here--the views from each window have not changed, the skies are as blue and the clouds as white as always, the tree outside our door has donned its summer foliage and provides shade below, the sparrow nests are full and the rhythm of life continues as it was last year and the year before. It's nice to be here again.

Last night we went to dinner in the piazza--Alessandro, Nicoletta, Camilla and us. It was a good evening of conversation and laughter. As expected, the children finished before the adults and so left to roam the piazza while the "big" people finished up with caffe.

The day we arrived, Signora Franca, Alessandro's mother, made Casey's favorite dish--her lasagna and we ate outside by the pool. It was as if we were having a family reunion which, I guess, in some ways is just what it was. Gifts were exchanged with more rounds of hugs.

Now we have more days to laze and explore. Casey is going away to a camp in the mountains for 5 days with Camilla and Nicoletta and so Ken and I have an unexpected few days to do something by ourselves-kind of nice. After discarding Venice, Puglia and Rome, we decided to return to Piemonte. We have not had much time in that area of Italy and have always wanted to return. Fortunately, we were able to make reservations at a highly recommended Villa B and B--Villa Sampaguita. We are looking forward to leisurely drives, good food and visiting friends in Acqui Terme.

There is more planned--a spa day with friend Rita, lunch with friends in Umbria, a day in Florence with friends of ours and Casey's, meeting the parents of Casey's Italian tutor in San Diego, dinners with Valentina and Ricardo, Casey's tutor when we were here and other possibilities not yet confirmed. So...our few days here will be busy and full and August 15 is destined to come much too soon.

Perfection

Today my friend Nicoletta sent this picture. It evoked so much longing to be there. This lovely site is "our" vineyard in Greve in Chianti--the place we called home for a year and now return to each summer. But.........in all these times, we have not seen this. How lovely!

A Sleepy Day at Viticcio

Things are quiet here today. The sounds of the vineyard are muted, the air is quiet, the birds seems subdued in their calls to one another and Casey is taking his first nap in six years. The children spent their energies yesterday and last night.

Their birthday party was the success it was meant to be even though Camilla’s day was last November and Casey’s is not until next week. The reunion with classmates and friends from last year abounded with laughter, joy and just plain fun. Watch for Casey’s blog entry complete with pictures and a slide show—coming soon. For now, enjoy this sneak preview of some of the fun in the sun.

Ken and I have spent the day so totally lazy that I am bored—a state of being I didn’t think possible here in the land of dreams. Maybe a trip into town for gelato will help—I think so.
It’s worth a try—don’t you agree? Time to round up Casey and Camilla, giving an excuse to go….

********

We’re back and yes, gelato helped—a lot. I had albicocca and fiordilatte, quite good! Of course, since the children came with us a stop at L’Edicola was necessary in order to inspect Gromiti and animal cards which in turn meant spending vacation money—his not ours. For the uninitiated, these are Gromiti—previously only in Italy but lately migrated to the US. These, of course, are Italian.

I read today that creative, imaginative play is vital to growing up healthy. Clearly, Casey has no problem in this area and, with such criteria, will grow to be a very, very healthy man. I can relax.

Tomorrow he will spend the day at his friend Tommy’s house. This gives Ken and I time to do what we spent so many days doing while he was in school here—aimlessly driving, just to see. We have traveled many kilometers in such exploration but there are still a multitude of white roads to explore, little borgos to investigate and, of course, new places to find for lunch. This time I think we will go to Osteria le Panzanelle, a little place in Lucarelli, loved by many but, surprisingly, escaped by us before. This is good as "new" always holds anticipation. And..I will have another place to add to my Chianti recommendations of fine eateries.

Tomorrow will be another domani--a new day with much to stir the heart and share. I suspect there will be a country chapel, maybe some sheep, an evocative shrine, a curve with a surprising treat, something wonderful. Till then......time for a glass of chianti, fresh pasta and music.

Memories are Good Friends

Remembering is such a great way to use time —getting lost in memories of special places, special times and, best of all, special people. By remembering, I retouch moments and friendships from our story book, remarkable year in Tuscany. By remembering, what almost seems unreal becomes real once more. By remembering, I know that we actually lived the dream shared by many. By remembering, I know that dreams can be moved from the realm of wishes into the joys of reality.

Today I am remembering a special person from our days in the vineyard with its quintessential Tuscan views of hills and farmhouses and castle and evening light found only there where we lived.

Special Sara—so many talents wrapped up on one lovely woman.

Let’s see—what are her attributes?

Intelligent--very
Pretty--yes
Fun--absolutely
Thoughtful--without question
Competent--in everything
Reliable--without fail
Hardworking--always
Enjoys life--moment by moment
Problem solver--remarkably so.

Sara is what we in the States call an Office Manager but she is so much more than that. Really, I think that without her Viticcio would cease to function--but, please don't tell Alessandro that I said this.

Sara took very good care of us each and every time we had a problem--be it with the infamous, legitimately maligned Poste Italiane, a recalcitrant computer or taste tasting my chocolate chip cookies. She was always there for us. We love her.

Sara and her husband Francesco are dancers. They love to dance. It is their passion. They take dance classes, enter competitions and even make videos. This is their latest. Aren't they wonderful?

As far as I can determine, Sara has only one fault—but it is a big one—flying phobia. We wish that this were not the case as we would love to show off San Diego—but, it is hard to get here without boarding that big plane. Maybe some day she will make this dream come true—for us and for her.

Yes, Sara is a pleasure to know and call a friend. And…we all miss her and are anxious to exchange hugs in June.

Baci e Abbracci, Sara.

Saying Goodbye

This is a difficult week for us. The apartment looks forlorn and not ours anymore. Our “stuff” is either packed away in duffels awaiting their trip to the airport, strewn around the floor seeking a place in an unfilled duffel (hard to find), in boxes being left here for next year, in piles to give to friends or in bags to take to the Catholic charities.

But—the hardest part of the week is saying goodbye--to people, most of all, but also to places, drives, things we haven’t done and wanted to, the piazza, our favorite restaurants and a pace of life that suits us well.

Tears are being shed or held inside wet eyes. Hugs and kisses and inadequate words spill out with friends and shop keepers, with waiters and cooks, with grocery checkers and the gelato ladies. And we say parting words with the dear people with whom we have lived every day—Alessandro and his family, Sara who really runs everything, and all the men who work here, making this a lively, exciting place--making it our home.

And then—there is our tree. The one we have watched through the seasons when it was rich with leaves and when it was barren except for that one brown leave which stayed to welcome the new buds. Now the tree is just as it was when we arrived a year ago—green and full and the perfect landing place for new baby swallows leaving their nests in the eaves--testing their wings. Soon those nests will be empty--just like our apartment.

Photo of the Week

The Beauty of Where We Live

Through the Window

I started to write this entry quite a while ago—so much to tell—but instead I spent the minutes mesmerized by the blue skies, green hills, amber roofs and golden light right outside the window. The Tuscan scene that remains indelibly in the vision of any visitor is now our daily existence. The dream has for a short while become the reality. I would love to have words to truly share it with you.

We have been busy and yet at a slow pace since our arrival. Greve is a little village where basic needs can be met—groceries at a small COOP (name of a large market chain), several macelleria (butcher stores), farmacia, ristoranti, hardware, cinema, limited clothing etc—but for major shopping both groceries and other kinds we need to travel into either Firenze or Figline (a neighboring town).

In order to do this we need to plan our days as most businesses close for several hours during the afternoon and then reopen between 4 and 5 PM. Of course, once we are in a store, we are there for an extended period as we try to read the labels and signs which at this point are all in the proverbial "Greek to me" format. And then many of the products that we are so used to either don't exist here or come in a different form. (Example: For sour cream the best alternative is a Greek yogurt.) Fortunately there are other expats here who can share this type of wisdom with us newbies. Some of the shop owners are very friendly and work with our very limited vocabulary while others become quite brusque and not very helpful. I suspect that this is exactly what the foreigner in the U.S. experiences--maybe more so as we are such an nonbiligual country. In Europe a good portion of people have, minimally, some English skills. I know that I will try to be a friendly native when we return.

Casey and Camilla continue to build their friendship but they are each hesitant to make forays into the other's language and so now it is mostly playing UNO, being in the pool or other non-verbal activity. Then there are two children here from France who speak fluent English and so they and Casey spend a lot of time together. Right now Casey and Jack have walked to the little park nearby to play some calcio (soccer)--hopefully with some local boys.

Sunday night our families went to dinner at a lovely place in the San Michele Nature Park. The view from there is spectacular as the restaurant sits on top of the hills overlooking the luscious Tuscan countryside. The property was orginally a monastery with peasants working the surrounding land as they lived in great poverty and deprivation. There was not much livelihood to be earned from the land and then fifty percent of all they harvested and the wood they chopped went to the church. Now the property is owned by the state and is a park to be enjoyed by all.

We had a great time together--our landlord and his family of 5, the family of 4 from France and our little family of 3. As you can see, the children were having great fun playing UNO and hamming it up for the camera. Camilla is the little girl in front with the pink shirt.


Monday morning we needed to get up very early to catch a 7 AM bus to Firenze in order to go to the questura (police station) to apply for our Permisso di Soggiorno--the document that allows us to live in Italy. Without going into the details, let me just say that this is a rather trying experience as there are several hundred people in line for the same thing. Most of the people are from eastern Europe, Africa or other countries where people are leaving for better lives. Once the doors opened, numbers were handed out much like at a deli. Fortunately, we had a low number and so we were out of there in an hour. Without question, many would be there all day waiting their turns.

All of our documents were in order--a feat that no one ahead of us in line had mastered--and so it was just a matter of having them reviewed, stamped, being given our receipt and told to come back September 5 for the final document. Now we need to go the comune in Greve to apply for residency so that we can get our Carta d'Identità and be eligible for the health care system and other stuff. With all this we should stay for 5 years just to take full advantage of the efforts expended!

Ken just came in from the pasticceria with some wonderful aroma seeping from the bag he is carrying--so guess I will close this now and indulge in some dulce italiano.

Next: Pictures of our cozy, little apartment--which seems to be plenty roomy enough after all.

Ciao, Ciao