Italy
Tenuta Torciano

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    • Day 30

      Nine Wines—Fine Times

      May 8, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

      We are properly in Tuscany now, safely ensconced in a wonderful hotel called La Capucina just outside the historic town of San Gimignano. One of the very successful businessmen in Italy lives on a fabulous estate near San Gimignano. He owns several of the farms and vineyards nearby. He also owns two helicopters that fly VIP guests here from Rome and Venice. His parents were also successful, as were his grandparents, and great grandparents. In fact the Giachi family have successfully run this enterprise since 1720.

      In medieval times, while most of the nobility built out, limited space on top of these cliffs forced the nobility of San Gimignano to build up. Each family attempted to out-do their competitors by building a taller tower. Half a dozen of these towers have survived battles and earthquakes. Today the tallest tower still standing belongs to the Giachi family.

      Tonight we went to a wine tasting and dinner at the Giachi estate called Tenuta Torciano. We strode across the palatial grounds among statues of gods and goddesses to enter a festive dining room that could have been decorated for royalty. Nine wines, paired with the various courses of our meal ranged from a sparkling white wine, to a beefy Brunello di Montalcino. Each one was delicious. Each of the recipes Cousin Lilo served us was made from a recipe handed down from his great grandmother. The lasagna was especially good, consisting of flat noodles covered not with tomato sauce, but rather with a white bechamel. It took a great deal of discipline to avoid eating or drinking too much, and I must confess that none of us, except for Glenda, was successful.

      We returned to our hotel around 9:30 pm more than satisfied, contented by the nine wines and ready for a good night’s sleep.

      For more information visit:

      https://www.torciano.com/en/

      http://www.lacappuccina.com/mobile/index.asp?li…
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    • Day 31

      Pasta and Truffles and Lunch—Oh, My!

      May 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

      We were guests again today at Tenuta Torciano. In our morning cooking class Cousin Antonio taught us how to make pasta the Tuscan way. Half semolina and half regular flour, with a touch of salt, olive oil and one egg does the trick. We all rolled out our pasta paper thin, and then cut it with a knife to make the most delicious tagliatelle we have ever tasted.

      While the cooking crew completed the rest of our lunch using the fresh pasta we had just made, we went with an old gentleman named Signore Moreno, who has made a life of hunting truffles with his three dogs Viola, Vila, and a three-month-old puppy named Zora. He told us about the six kinds of black truffles and about the elusive white truffle, which cannot be cultivated. The white ones can only be found out in the wild, and just a few ounces will fetch a price of thousands of dollars.
      The training of the dogs begins before birth. Truffles are fed to the expectant bitch, and the flavor is infused in the breast milk she feeds her newborn pups. They become sensitized to that flavor and aroma from birth. Then truffles are placed inside a ball that the puppies fetch. Finally the ball with truffles inside is buried, and the young dog must dig it up and bring it to Signore Moreno. Today he released the three dogs in a wooded area and within minutes they began digging out black truffles. We petted and loved on the dogs and rewarded them with bits of cookies. Zora, the youngest dog, still insists on eating the truffles she finds. When he is not teaching a group of tourists, Signore Moreno trains little Zora alone so that he can stop her from consuming the product. He is sure she will eventually get the idea and turn into a good truffle hunter. Her mother Viola is regarded as a champion, and in 2018 found nearly 16 kilograms of white truffles. The cost of a dog like Viola can be as much as a new car.
      By the time all of the folks in our group had helped the dogs to dig out a black truffle, lunch was ready. Again our places at the table were set with a rainbow of white and red wines. We had fresh bruschetta and an antipasto plate of cheeses, melon, and dried beef, followed by the pasta we had made in the morning. The cooks had added sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and the truffles found in the woods we had just scoured. The main course was Tuscan steak with roasted potatoes and eggplant.
      The meal was remarkable not only because of the wonderful team in the kitchen at Tenuta Torciano, but also because we had contributed to making the ingredients of the meal.
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    • Day 6

      Florence - Day 2 - San Gimignano

      June 19, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

      San Gimignano was such a cool city! We also were able to go to a wine-tasting event and got to walk around a huge winery with acres upon acres of land and flowers as well as they had helicopter tours and a restaurant and more! We ate some incredible food and had a lot of laughs! One of the most memorable days for sure! Loved, loved, loved this day!Read more

    • Day 11

      Learning to cook pasta!

      May 19, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

      Final stop of the day was Tenuta Torciana, a family run winery just outside of San Gimigniano, where Antonio helped us make Pici, Ravioli and tagliatelle. Next his cousin Letizia walked us through tasting of 8 different wines, a 30 year old balsamic and some olive oil, along with pecorino cheese and salami. After the wine tasting we were served plates of the 3 pastas we had made and Tiramisu for dessert.Read more

    • Day 5

      Florence - Day 2 - San Gimignano

      June 18, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

      More pics from our wine tasting and amazing day in San Gimignano

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