Beautiful alternative to the Cinque Terre: Camogli, santa margherita ligure, Portofino

Come and see with eyes wide open the dramatic natural beauty of this corner of the Italian Riviera overlooking the Ligurian Sea.

The three villages are part of the Natural Marine Reserve of Portofino and the Regional Natural Park of Portofino, an area protected by the region to preserve the extraordinary Promontory and seabed wildlife. Gourmet travellers will enjoy typical products – such as Pesto alla Genovese and Focaccia di Recco – and great Italian wines.

Camogli, in the Paradise Gulf

Camogli is a quaint village by the seaside that you will keep in mind for the first impression you’ll have at your arrival from the sea is about an infinite line of colourful houses built along the port. At a closer look you will find out the meticulous work of trompe-l’oeil and the drawings formed by countless shells on the houses façades.

The holiday resort is known for its old fishing tradition dating back to many centuries ago. If you love seafood, better travel to Camogli on May on the occasion of the Sagra del Pesce (Fish Festival), but you can always dinner at one of the typical restaurants surrounding the harbour to taste local specialities.

If you’re eager for thrilling itineraries, reach the Abbey of San Fruttuoso through the hiking path. Not only you will be rewarded by enchanting views of the sea, but you will also experience a great adventure, walking the trail perched in the mountain.

From Camogli, the village of Recco – where the PGI Focaccia di Recco col formaggio has been producing for years – is not far. You can visit the village or just order this typical Ligurian product in a few shops in Camogli where it is served. Among the basic ingredients there is extra virgin olive oil – the key element of the healthy Mediterranean gastronomy – and no yeast. The result is of a crunchy dough with a mouthwatering filling of cheese.

Pescaturimo – fishing tourism in Italy.

Pescaturismo might be a novel concept for many, but it can be a fun and a very interesting experience for everyone. The activity entails in going out on boats with the local fishermen in Camogli. Sailing at 8 am you will witness how the nets are lifted and help the fishermen to collect their catch. It is an interesting experience to learn where our food comes from. The experience includes a fish meal cooked directly on the boat wit the freshest fish you can ever taste.

Portofino, la Dolce Vita ideal setting

The view of the creek which hosts the fishing village of Portofino and its picturesque harbour is familiar to many for it has become the ideal holiday resort framed in postcards.

Take a stroll in Portofino waterfront to feel its relaxing lifestyle which attracts tourists and celebrities each year, since this is the right place to enjoy “la Dolce Vita”. In Portofino you may have the chance to meet international Jet Set, spot luxury villas and million dollar yachts as this is the destination preferred by VIPs from the fifties to nowadays.

To capture great views of the Tigullio Gulf and the Promontory, have a trip to the Castle Brown – a 16th century fort – and to the St Giorgio church, both situated on the hill.

Santa Margherita Ligure, in the Tigullio Gulf.

Santa Margherita Ligure is the first destination that you can visit if you travel through the highway A12 coming from La Spezia or the last one if you start your journey from Genova.

Anyway, if you wish to get the most out of your holidays in the Italian Riviera, reach Santa Margherita Ligure through a walking path from Portofino. You will have the chance to take scenic photos of the crystalline Ligurian Sea, coves, luxury villas.

It’s the biggest town among the three and offers many opportunities to enjoy its landscape and the seaside. Here you can either do water sports such as diving and windsurf or cruise in the Mediterrnean Sea to do dolphin and whale watching. Apart from excursions in the beautiful surroundings, nature enthusiasts should visit botanical gardens in Santa Margherita Ligure to explore the lush vegetation of hydrangea, camellia and other flower varieties.

Explore the stunning Riviera di Levante characterized by wonderful marina dotted with boats moored to their nice harbour and coloured by the houses reflecting in the water surface. This is the nicest place on heart tucked in between the green mountains and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Castles and Food of Piacenza – Bardi Arquato, Bobbio, and Coppa.

Emilia Delizia would be delighted to organise a castle, food and wine tour for your group departing from Piacenza, Parma and Milan. For more information about the castles of the Piacenza/Parma area, please check our article below.

Piacenza and Parma’s Castles, a unique experience in Emilia Romagna.

Planning a holiday in Italy is always a delight with such a lot to look forward to! The Emilia Romagna region in North-Eastern Italy is home to the town of Parma, and we all know that Parma is the birthplace of some of Italy’s favourite exports, Parmesano Reggiano (Parmesan Cheese) and Proscuitto di Parma (Parma Ham), but did you know that the province, (or duchy), of Parma and Piacenza is also home to more than 20 castles? Castles and fortresses are symbolic of the region; they are a constant reminder of the hundreds of years the region has been under siege by successive waves of marauding invaders intent upon destruction and mayhem; they are magical places to visit for adults and children alike and you should not miss the opportunity to include a few in your itinerary.

This area is acknowledged to be the best place to view some wonderful examples of the best-preserved castles in all of Italy, and they are relatively close together, making exploring easy. I will tell you a little about 3 of the castles:

Castello di Bardi. The fortress of Bardi is an excellent example of Military architecture and has stood for more than one thousand years. It was built for defence, but later (16th century) partially converted to an aristocratic residence. There is plenty to see, including the ancient patrol paths, the parade ground, the fortified towers and all you would expect to find in a structure dedicated to defence. The view from the towers is worth the climb, and you can also visit a Museum dedicated to the story of the ancient Valley-Dwelling Civilisation. The Castle is open from March to Nov and entrance is around €5.50 per adult.

Castello di Arquato is found in the little medieval town with the same name (Castell’Arquato) in the province of Piacenza. The Castle was built from 1342-1349, and was a strategic structure, designed for the defence of the area. The rectangular courtyard enclosure is dominated by the Tower (keep) composed of a series of small rooms built one on top of the other, and linked by a series of staircases leading to the very top. Once again, your climbing efforts will be rewarded by the views of the surrounding countryside. You can visit the castle all year round for €3.50 (If you plan to visit several castles, you can buy a discount ticket for €2.00 at the castle that will save you money at all the other castles in the region.)

Make sure to visit the Multimedia Museum of Medieval Life, then explore the pretty little town than spills down the hill and visit the 12th century church of Santa Maria to see some sculptures and frescoes dating from the 12th and 15th centuries.

Castello di Bobbio. Bobbio is a small town near Piacenza, mainly famous for its Abbey and its Christmas Eve Snail Festival! The castle, properly known as Malaspina Dal Verme Castle now lies within the city walls of the town. It was begun in 1304 on the hill overlooking the town and although it is no longer intact, it is still worth a visit. You will find ruins of the Bishops Tower, and another circular tower built on two levels; you can still see the ancient arrow slits on the battlements, now converted to windows. The interior has undergone several modifications but the original large barrel-vaulted main hall is still intact, as are some very old frescoes in the stairwell. The Castle is open all year round and it costs €2.00 to visit. The little town of Bobbio is a lovely place to spend a few hours and you should try to visit the Abbey while you are there.

Food and wine in the Piacenza province.

When all the sightseeing has made you hungry and thirsty, you will be delighted to find yourself in Emilia Romagna, the culinary capital of the country where good food and wine are the order of the day! You are certain to have tasted Parma Ham and Parmesan cheese, but here in Piacenza there are other specialities to try, namely the Coppa Piacentina, Salame Piacentino and Pancetta Piacentina; all of these are wonderful examples of cured meat from the region and have been awarded PDO status (Protected Designation of Origin).

Your meat platter is beautifully accompanied by a glass or two of Gutturnio wine from the hills of Piacenza; this mellow blend of red Barbera and Croatina grapes has recently been awarded DOC status – do not miss it! Salute!

Pecorino di Pienza – tour the jewel of the Val D’Orcia

The Val D’Orcia (Valley of Orcia) South of Sienna is the absolute epitome of what we all expect Tuscany to look like … a landscape of green valleys surrounded by rolling hills and a horizon punctuated by rows of lonely cypress trees. You really should take the time to visit this beautiful area of Tuscany and get to experience some of its’ wonderful artisan foods and wines at their source. The area is best known for the wonderful Pecorino di Pienza, made exclusively in and around the town of Pienza which is situated close to the wine producing towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano, home to the Tuscan classic wines.

What is Pecorino di Pienza Cheese?

Pecorino, famous all over the world, is named for the milk used to create it…Pecora is Italian for a ewe, and this cheese is made exclusively from whole, raw ewe’s milk. Pecorino is made all over Italy, but the Pecorino from Pienza is unique and special; the sheep who supply the milk are a tough breed, mostly the Sarda, originally from Sardinia, and are well adapted to the terrain of the area which is not suitable for crop farming, but wonderful for sheep! They feed exclusively on the indigenous vegetation of the area, a mixture of grasses and wild herbs including wormwood, meadow salsify, broom, juniper and burnet and it is this diet which makes the cheese special, as traces of herb can be detected in the cheese. It is a seasonal cheese, made only during the Summer when the milk quality is at its’ best, so you will only find young Pecorino in Summer; the mature cheese can, however, be enjoyed all year around.

To a certain extent the cheese has become mass-produced; demand has exceeded supply and has led to milk from other areas being “imported”, resulting in a change of the original character of the cheese. However, there are still at least two family-run Pecorino makers near Pienza where the cheese is still produced organically in the age-old way, and these are the two you should try and visit: Podere Il Casale and Cugisi.

Pecorino di Pienza Cheese tour at the local dairy.

The raw milk is mixed with rennet to curdle it. The curds sink to the bottom of the container and are scooped out to dry before being placed in a salt solution. The set cheese is then formed into “heads” or rounds. These are then wrapped in walnut leaves and placed in a cool humid cellar to mature. The rinds are periodically dampened with olive oil (Tuscan, of course!) and then grease and wax. At the moment there is no discipline in the production nor there is a PDO in place so production might vary from producer to producer. The only traditional pecorino is the one aged in wooden barriques.

Eating Pecorino di Pienza.

Pecorino is eaten either as a soft cheese after about 40 – 60 days’ maturation, or left in the cellar for up to 15 months (5 – 12 months is the average). When young,(Pecorino Fresco), you can expect the cheese to be soft and creamy, with a spicy undertone and the herby diet of the sheep really comes to the fore. The rind will be a creamy colour.

A more mature Pecorino will have a darker rind, generally red or black, and the texture is soft and crumbly on the palate with a slightly tannic after-taste; at this point the spicy tones are no longer evident. It is generally believed that Pecorino does improve with ageing, as it acquires more character and structure.

In Tuscany, the cheese is not often used in combination with other foods or used for cooking, but rather enjoyed in its’ own right. The Fresco (young Pecorino) is eaten with a light touch of great Tuscan olive oil or a little of the regions’ chestnut honey. It is sometimes served with sliced pears or raw fava beans and prosciutto as a lovely simply anti-pasti. The matured cheese, (Stagionato) is great to grate! Serve it over a wonderful pasta or risotto, or in thin slices with Proscuitto and other cured meats..

Of course, you need a really lovely wine from the region to complete the feast; the Rosso di Montalcino is just the perfect match. This is a young, unmatured Sangiovese, (only up to a year in the cask) and “baby brother” to the famous Brunello di Montecino, for which the region is famous. Another good wine from the region to try with the cheese is Rosso di Montepulciano; this is also a young, fresh tasting wine comprised of mainly Sangiovese grapes. If you love dessert wines try the Moscadello di Montalcino, a fine late-harvested Muscat which makes the most perfect simple ending to a great Tuscan meal; serve it with fresh seasonal fruit, local honey and some Pecorino Fresco. A perfect way to savoir the essence of the Val D’Orcia!

Emilia Delizia food tours in Tuscany.

If you are set to discover Italian foods, our company would be delighted to organise a cheese tour departing from Siena or Florence and go the Val D’Orcia to experience the production of Pecorino and Tuscan wines.

Parma: three festivals you should not miss

Parma is a beautiful city in Northern Italy. It is located in the region of Emilia Romagna, where you can also find other interesting towns as Bologna, Ferrara, Rimini or Piacenza. The cathedral, the theater Regio or the theater Farnese are very well known. But it is the gastronomy that has turned the world’s eyes to Parma. Do not miss the following events to discover it.

Festival del prosciutto, ham festival

Parma is the town where a delicious cured ham is produced. Made from pig’s ham the whole process can take one year and often even longer. If you want to know more on the production you can visit Parma during the Ham Festival held in middle September. Ham factories are open to public letting people see how they salt and cure the meat. But for those who prefer tasting the product there are many opportunities to do it during these days. Ham is often served as an antipasto with grissini. It can also be used with pasta or pizza as most of the visitors are often used to. If you do not have the time to stop and eat, then a sandwich with ham, a panino, will be your possibility to enjoy the product.

An important point during the festival is the Parma Ham and Deli Meats Museum in the Cattle Market. Other events organized in this period are special menus in restaurants, music and activities for children.

Cibus

During the month of May since 1985 it is held Cibus, an international food exhibition that attracts a large number of professionals from all over the world. It is a real window for the Italian agri-food sector trying to show the Made in Italy way to the rest of the world. More than sixty thousand visitors from seventy countries and ten thousand products presented are the key numbers. The event is addressed to restaurants, retailers, dieticians, bakers and catering companies. Food processing and machinery are exhibited at la Fiera di Parma where the event is located. The location has been chosen due to its proximity to the Italian Center for Agri-food Research. Next appointment is expected for May 2014.

Verdi festival, a tribute to the maestro

Roncole di Busseto, in the province of Parma is the native village of the great operas Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi and celebrations of the most famous citizen are held at the beginning of the Autumn. For twenty eight days one of his masterpieces is daily offered at Theater Regio. Otello, The Battle of Legnano, Rigoletto and many other operas are performed by young and great artists. But side events are also amazing and visitors enjoy them greatly. Do not miss Il gioco dell’Opera, an introduction to opera for children, or Premio Zanfi, an international contest for new performers. Concerts and other events are also held under the arcades of the Portici del Grano.

Music and gastronomy are the main activities in Parma, a modern city with an exciting past full of history and culture. Exquisite hotels, tours in the Old Town and unforgettable meals with parmigiano cheese and Italian wine wait for the visitors of the Ham Festival, Cibus and the Verdi Festival.

Venice: a gourmet guide to its culinary traditions

Everybody knows that Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But the local gastronomy is not so renowned as tourists usually concentrate on succulent dishes based on pasta and pizza. Nevertheless it is worth knowing more on culinary traditions such as fegato ala venesiana, sarde in saor and bigoli in salsa. If you are in Venice for your holidays you might consider taken some cooking classes or simply a food crawl in the city. Below we have listed some of the dishes that you might want to try

Fegato ala venesiana, an old recipe

The local Venetian dialect is widely spoken in the area and “Fegato ala venesiana” is the name of the typical recipe. The translation means liver in the Venetian way. It dates back to the Roman times when liver used to be cooked with figs in order to hide the strong smell it usually has. Over time the fruit was replaced by onions and it has become one of the most popular in Veneto. If you dare to prepare it, you must cut the onions into very thin slices and cook them in a pan with some olive oil and butter. After ten minutes, add up some vinegar and the liver cut into thin pieces. It will be prepared in five more minutes. Then you can add some salt and pepper and serve it with lemon slices. It must be eaten warm and never re-heat it to avoid the liver becoming too hard.

Sarde in saor, the taste of the sea

Sarde is the local word for sardines, the main ingredient of the recipe. While the fish is being fried, the other ingredients are prepared. Raisins are soaked for thirty minutes and onions are cut into thin slices and cooked in a pan with olive oil for ten minutes. Then some vinegar is added and cooking goes ahead until the onions are soft. Then the fried sardines are seasoned with plenty of vinegar in container and covered with the onions, sprinkled with pine nuts and raisins. Several layers of fish and seasoning are prepared and then marinated in a cool place for at least one day.

The result is a sweet and sour dish usually served as an appetizer. Back in the days of sea travel, sarde in saor was a way to preserve food for the seamen spending long time out on boats.

Bigoli in salsa, pasta in an original recipe

This recipe used to be prepared during days such as Christmas Eve or Good Friday. It is a very simple pasta dish to prepare but it is also really tasty and delicious. The main ingredients for the seasoning are onions again but this time accompanied by anchovies. And even if the pasta looks to you as spaghetti, it is not so. They are thicker and they have a rougher surface. That causes a difference in the taste and the sensation. And do not forget that the quality of the olive oil is important to obtain an exquisite dish.

If you enjoy Venetian gastronomy, you might be interested on other recipes such as risi e bisi (rice with peas), polenta, gnocchi or baccalà (codfish). And as dessert you can always try the sweet tiramisu or the typical pandoro.
Emilia Delizia oganises food activities in Venice that includes the typical cicchetti tour, cooking classes, and food and wine tours. If want to try the specialities listed above you can contact us and we will provide the best culinary experience in Italy.

Channel 4 “Food Unwrapped” comes to Modena to discover balsamic vinegar.

The British Television Channel 4 has dedicated one of the episodes of “Food unwrapped” to Balsamic vinegar. The food program is a TV series broadcast between 2012 and 2013 in the UK and aimed to discover the reality of food. The program compares and investigates what goes into what we eat.

In late March we were contacted by a subsidiary of Channel 4, in order to organise the shooting of the programme in Modena. With only one day to put together an itinerary for the crew, we worked hard to come up with the best ideas. Emilia Delizia organised a pick up for the crew, a English speaking guide, hotel accommodation, and a tour to three different balsamic vinegar producers. To make the programme comparative we selected 3 of them. One producer of PGI Balsamic vinegar, one producer of DOP vinegar and a producer of organic balsamic condiment. In short we provided them with a real insight of the vinegar industry.

Emilia Delizia selected Giusti as one of the best candidate for the shooting, as we reckoned they had the best array of products and also the longest experience in the field. The shooting went particularly well and the show presenter and celebrity chef Matt Tebbutt seemed to enjoy his time with Claudio Stefani during his discovery of Traditional balsamic vinegar DOP and the PGI vinegar.

DOP tradizionale Balsamic vinegar VS PGI Balsamic vinegar of Modena.

These are 2 quite different products that are both made in Modena. While the DOP version has to observe strict regulation imparted by the consortium, The PGI vinegar (PGI stands for Protected Geographic Indication) falls in a much more open domain of production where rules are much more permissive. However PGI Balsamic vinegar of Modena does not always mean to be industrial, with ample use of colouring and preservatives. In fact some of the PGI versions of the famous Modena vinegar can be very good without any additives and sold at a very fair price.

Giusti – Balsamic vinegar producer in Modena.

Giusti is the oldest and most prestigious company of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Founded in 1605 and at the 17^th generation, this family company was awarded with quality recognitions since 1800’s, when 14 gold medals were granted in Exhibitions like Florence 1861, Paris 1889 and 1900. Also, Giusti was bestowed with the Patent of the King of Italy as sole balsamic vinegar supplier.

Today Giusti boasts proudly the most important collection of ancient casks and barrels in the world of balsamic vinegar: more than 600 casks, all dating back to 1800’s and 1700’s, drawing flavors and aromas created centuries ago. This impressive collection, still perfectly working and producing excellent balsamic vinegars, can be visited in the old attics of the country house where Giusti vinegar is made, and where there is an internal museum with old objects from the history of Balsamic Vinegar.

The Giusti collection offers a range of high quality balsamic vinegars of various ageing, up to the oldest ones. They can be found in the most exclusive gourmet shops, and they are interpreted by the best chefs in the world. Like the “3 Gold Medals, Riccardo Giusti”, done with late grapes, extremely thick and sweet, aged for more 12 years, awarded best balsamic vinegar in Italy, Germany and US; the “Banda Rossa”, a delicious 20 years old Balsamic Vinegar, given by the grandfather Giuseppe Giusti as a special family gift in the 1960’s. The oldest Traditional Balsamic Vinegars of Modena DOP complete the offer .

The Giusti family is happy to welcome food lovers from all over the world, offering free guided tours with tastings of all his Balsamic Vinegars, to explore the origins, the history and legends, and how is made, one of the most celebrated Italian products all over the world.

Emilia Delizia and the Media.

Our company welcomes enquiries from the media about exploring Italian famous food products. If you are looking to produce a TV program, or a newspaper article we would be glad to help to get the best out of your time in Italy. It might be very complicated even for the most experienced journalist to have a real insight of the topic. Emilia Delizia has a long experience in the field and we would be happy to help you to put together your story.

Three dishes that best represent the culinary Traditions of Ferrara

While the city of Ferrara sparkled in all its beauty under the Este domination, during the Renaissance were elaborated fantastic dishes which entered in today typical food. Let be tempted by the following three gourmet delicacies of this corner of Emilia Romagna.

Pasticcio di Maccheroni alla ferrarese, the quintessential taste reside here

The full name “pasticcio di maccheroni alla ferrarese” discloses its main characteristic: the fact that it comes from a culinary tradition specific to Ferrara like no other town in Emilia Romagna.
It’s considered first course, but it’s so abundant that could be served as second too. That’s why you should order it at the trattoria after a day-long tour of the wonderful ancient Estense city.
When it’s brought to your table you will see a simple yet crunchy dome commonly known with the name of pasticcio. As soon as you cut a slice of it, you will find out the mouthwatering inside kept warm: maccheroni, the typical Italian pasta appreciated worldwide along with spaghetti. The pasticcio is filled with maccheroni dressed with Béchamel, porcini mushrooms, truffles. As it was not enough, the chicken liver and heart complete the dish.
Get the party started for your palate!

Coppia ferrarese, the PGI bread

It seems that the famous “couple” was already produced in local bakeries around 1200, but its official name was forged in 1500. From since, it has become a strong culinary tradition and today the typical bread is still homemade with devotion by family run businesses and you may notice it as you enter one of the shops smelling of flour and yeast in the city center: a smiling Italian floury-some boy may welcome you into the world of bread whose technique passed on from generation to generation. You won’t find the same crunchy and soft dough rolled like a ribbon anywhere else since Coppia Ferrarese gained PGI (Protected Geographical Identification) recognition.
As common the ingredients may seem – water, yeast, flour – the method and the conditions of preparation are unique to this area. Match it with sauces or olive oil to taste its deep flavour.
Combining a tasting tour during the Emilia Romagna Wine and Food Festival may turn into a fantastic idea to discover other local specialities.

Salama da Sugo, a speciality dating back to the time of the Estense court

The art of making salami in a particular way belongs to the province of Ferrara. Only the capital city and a few villages surrounding it – Madonna Boschi, Portomaggiore, Poggio Recanatico – produce excellent Salama da Sugo following the tradition with a touch of innovation in the choice of some ingredients. The original recipe dating back to the XV century, is based on the use of sow seasoned with many spices such as salt, nutmeg and even red wine. The flavour is not the only thing which makes the Salama – also known as Salamina – different from any other Italian sausage: its shape calls to mind the typical pottery of the Renaissance. Traditionally served cut into slices at the Christmas table, today the Salama da Sugo can be found all year round in any Italian salumeria. Take the chance to taste all the varieties of this gourmet ferrarese food at the Salamina da Sugo al Cucchiaio Festival held each year in Madonna Boschi.

During your holidays in Ferrara don’t miss a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Delta Po and Delizie Estensi, but if you really want to feel like a local eating at the Este table, include a gastronomic tour.

Le Marche: Italy’s culinary hidden gem – a tour into its cuisine

Beautiful seaside towns and resorts, long beaches for summer vacations, stunning countryside for walking tours and a strong seafood culinary tradition: Le Marche is all of that and much more. Nestled between the Adriatic shore and the Appennines ranges, the Italian region features typical food coming both from the inland and the seaside. For your next holidays in Italy, think about cooking vacations or gastronomic tours in Le Marche and don’t forget to taste the following recommended dishes.

Emilia Delizia organises culinary food tours in Le Marche region, if your group would like to discover the food, wine and majestic landscape of this region, our company would be delighted to put together an itinerary to die for. Emilia Delizia also organises cooking classes focussing on traditional dishes suchs as Vincisgrassi, Brodetto all’Anconetana, and the cripsy Olive all’Ascolana.

Try Vincisgrassi, a special kind of lasagne.

If you want to try lasagne as you have never tasted, Vincisgrassi is the traditional first course from Le Marche that you was looking for.
The recipe was first cited by Antonio Nebbia in his book “Il cuoco Maceratese” in 1783. As you many guess by the title, the recipe must have been created in the town of Macerata, but you can find it in many other tourist destinations of Le Marche. It seems to be named after Windischgratz, the Austrian general who is told to have enthusiastically eaten it after a victorious battle against Napoleon.
The secret which makes Vincisgrassi such a delicious dish, must be the flavourful tomato sauce placed among the layers of pasta since it is enriched with ragù made from pork, veal and chicken. If that wasn’t enough mushrooms and truffles are added to give a plentiful savour.
Order Vincisgrassi lasagne as main course in any typical restaurant in Le Marche region… every bite will be a mouthwatering experience for your palate!

Crisp olive all’ascolana – Stuffed and fried olives.

Large, crunchy, stuffed: they are “olive all’ascolana”, a delicacy of Le Marche region which received the DOP recognition in 2005. This famous appetizer can be ordered at restaurants, bars, pubs and you can find them listed in the Antipasto or Aperitivo section since Ascolana olives are used to be served as an antipasto along with other fried snacks or as finger food in cocktail hours.
The soft crisp external part hides a green olive and a heart of meat. You could even find the recipe to prepare it at home but… don’t make it that simple! The authentic recipe dating from the seventeenth century uses exclusively olives ascolane tenere – from Ascoli indeed – filled with pork, veal, chicken and vegetables.

Flavourful Brodetto all’Anconetana – A fish soup that you will never forget.

If you drop by the coastal towns of San Benedetto del Tronto, Ancona, Porto Recanati and Fano, you will be overwhelmed by the unique flavour of seafood coming from any restaurant, as you have a nice stroll in those quaint villages. So don’t think twice, time has come for you to stop and taste the regional delicacy Brodetto all’anconetana. This tasteful fish soup cooked with 13 or more different varieties of seafood – including mullet and cuttlefish – is a local tradition as old as fishing. Expert chefs in any Le Marche town have created signature versions of Brodetto all’anconetana, giving the opportunity to make an unforgettable gourmet journey. It is recommended to savour Brodetto with the DOC white wine Verdicchio, which best emphasises its characteristics.
Don’t miss to try other typical seafood dishes such as Stoccafisso all’anconetana (salted fish) and Mosciolo (mussel).

If you would like to breath the fresh air of unspoilt countryside and learn more about food traditions in Le Marche, book great gastronomic excursions or tasting tours in this region bordering Emilia Romagna.

Dozza, Brisighella: discover Sangiovese wine from Bologna

Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy is the region of the river Po’ and the Apennines mountains. Some popular destinations are Bologna, Parma, Rimini, and Ravenna while the coast is one of the Summer meccas for Italians. But there are more lovely places such as Dozza and Brisighella. Read more to know their secrets.

Dozza, painted walls and much more

Surrounded by hills and proud of its Medieval past, Dozza nowadays hosts an interesting event every two years since 1965. International and local artists paint the walls of the houses so that Dozza becomes an open air art gallery. The paintings remain giving a picturesque look to the town very attractive to locals and visitors.

When walking through its narrow historical center, visit the church with an amazing work by Marco Palmezzano, dating back to the 15th century. If you want to know everything about Romagna gastronomy, the Festa delle Arzdore, held during the first week of September, is your event. Tortellini, tagliatelle and green lasagne are some of the main regional dishes. But do not forget to taste mortadella, ragú and formaggio di fossa cheese.

Brisighella in the Valley of Lamone

Founded by Maghinardo Pagani, the town is marked by the presence of three rocky promontories, each one occupied by a different monument: the Manfredian Rock, Monticino Sanctuary and the Clock Tower. Defensive buildings meet up old churches near the main street know as Via del Borgo or Via degli Asini (the Donkeys Road). Visit La Pieve di Santa Maria in Tiberiaco and La Pieve di San Giovanni in Ottavo, both churches dating back more than one thousand years, though they have been rebuilt and restored over time.
Brisighella can boast nowadays of being one of the most beautiful towns in Italy enjoying a high quality of life, attracting many tourists during the Medieval fair held at the beginning of the Summer.

Brisighella has another important product: Brisighello olive oil. This is a recognised PDO product in italy. The olive oil trees are a native variety of the area that have unique tasting notes. The olive oil has a slight pleasantly bitter taste a characteristics given by the clay soils of the area. In the last week of November the town host the Olive oil festival, a must see for every olive oil fan.

Sangiovese wine

Both Dozza and Brisighella organize festivals dedicated to the production and distribution of their high quality wines. Sangiovese wine is the name of the red grape variety with the suggestive meaning of “the blood of Jove”. There are other types of wine in Emilia Romagna such as Lambrusco, but it is Sangiovese the flagship product for its top quality. High acidity and rustic full body are two of the main characteristics of Sangiovese wine which make it perfect to combine with typical Italian cuisine such as pasta and cured meats. But it is also good with roasts and smoked food, depending on the variety and the origin of the product.
The variety of Sangiovese grape has been planted in Italy since humanity began to live in the area. The wines produced have different features according to their origins, but they all have in common the perfect balance in acidity, tannins content and colour Fruit components in their taste, herbal after-taste and a relatively high alcohol content are some other features of the Sangiovese wine.

If you are planning to visit Emilia Romagna, wineries in the area of Bologna can be very interesting as well as tasting the delicious wines produced in them.

Soave: A Wine tour From Verona

Most probably you associate Verona with the eternal lovers Romeo and Juliet, but it is actually a modern town full of history, culture and art in conjunction with business and entertainment. Nearby you can find exciting and marvellous places such as the Lake of Garda and towns as Peschiera, Sirmione or Soave. Let’s focus on the last one and its top quality wines.

Soave, a town dedicated to wine.

The A4 highway communicates Soave with two key cities in Northern Italy: Milan and Venice. Driving from these important metropolis is a real pleasure thanks to the good conditions of the highway and its light traffic.
Its castle was already mentioned during the first millennium and it has an interesting past under the Republic of Venice or the Carraresi family from Padua. You can visit it nowadayas and admire the excellent state of the military building. Do not miss Palazzo Cavalli with frescoes by Falconetto or Santa Maria dei Domenicani church. But the real interest of the town is its excellent wine. Enjoy it during the Medieval fair held during the month of May.

Soave wine, classico and much more

The quality of Soave wine is assured and certified by the labels DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). A third type of control is named IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) and is preferred by some of the local producers. The main and key ingredient is Garganega grape. Most of the Soave Superiore is produced from vineyards fruits coming from the classico zone, and area created to mark off the best lands.
The zenith of the production took place during the 1970s and 80s as it was highly requested in the United States. As the demand decreased, producers chose to increase the quality instead of the quantity. Almond and citrus flavors are found as a result of the Garganega grapes but it also possesses a smoky and bitter touch coming from the volcanic lands of Verona.

Rocca Sveva winery, a must in Soave

One of the main producers of Soave wine is the renowned winery of Rocca Sveva, founded in 1898. Strategically located near the castle it is as visited as this one. Tradition and modernity are wisely combined to produce exceptional wines. Tunnels underground in which oak barrels are placed, a botanical garden, a meeting room and a tasting area are some of the facilities of the winery.
Spumante or sparkling wine is also produced as well as Valpolicella variety. The main foreign client is the United States, launching an office in Boston in 2010 as its main headquarter in the country.

Guided tours to discover Soave wines attract numerous tourists every year. They are usually willing to discover other local products as well, such as extra virgin olive oil, typically from the area of the Lake of Garda, or honey. But visitors in search of wine prefere to concentrate not only on Soave wines but also on Valpolicella, Bardolino, Lugana or Durello wines.