Slept really well in the cool, crisp air of the hills of Italy!! Definitely needed the covers last night and it was totally my favorite sleeping weather. As is typical, sleeping is not a problem for me, but when it is really cool, I sleep even better. :)
Started our Monday with a lovely breakfast prepared by Patrizia. She had a lovely table set for Leah, Mark, Carol and me. We had a small bowl of fruit and some bran/muesli cereal with milk and the option of yoghurt or toast as well. Giorgio is apparently famous for his cappuccino and even though I do not like coffee, I agreed to try it. It was much better when I put a little sugar in it (what’s not better with a little sugar), but even though it was alright, it still is not for me. I knew this would be a concern for the Italians because I don’t like coffee, but it’s just what it is, I guess. I will stick with water.
Breakfast was concluded with either lemon or hazelnut cake (not too sweet) and I chose the lemon cake with a touch of honey. Yummy...a great way to start the day.
So, on this perfectly clear and brisk morning, Leah, Mark, Carol and I (remember, Mark and Carol are also staying here at the B&B and are from San Diego) squished ourselves into Giorgio’s Alfa Romeo ~ yes, seriously...5 people!! ~ and headed southwest about 40 minutes to the village of Alba. This is a different region than in which we are staying, but is distinctive because it is the only place in the world that Barolo wine can been created. It is created from the Nebbiolo grapes (a specific variety) and these grapes are ONLY grown in this region in the entire world!! It is illegal to grow these grapes any where else and it is a highly regulated and monitored industry.
Alba is a very old town and is known as the ‘city of towers.’ It was the home of the last King and Queen (Savoys) of Italy. At one time there were about 100 towers shooting into the sky and now there seem to be about 6-8 left. Interestingly, they just seem to jut out into the sky and the existing buildings all seem to have been built around them, literally. It was an extremely lovely little village with beautiful cobble stone pathways and streets and because it was Monday, all the shops were closed so it wasn’t crowded at all. We went into the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, a beautiful cathedral in the main Piazza Duomo, which was a very different church/cathedral than we had seen here in Italy so far. It was extremely Byzantine in design and style (looked more eastern european than typical Italian) and apparently this was the influence of many different groups who had occupied this region in Italy many, many years ago before the Savoys took over. The other cool thing about this church was that the existing church is built directly OVER the ‘old’ church as Giorgio called it. Now, keep in mind the ‘new’ church was built in the 12th century and so the ‘old’ church is much more than just simply ‘old.’ I love the sense of time here.
Check out these photos...
 |
| Cattedrale di San Lorenzo |
 |
| Beautiful interior |
 |
| Love the ceiling |
 |
| One of the many towers amid the newer construction |
 |
| A great view. |
 |
| Vineyards |
Then it was time to head back to the Monferrato and the 5 Chimneys, as Leah and I were going to go with Giorgio to a winery that he is a part-owner/investor in nearby their home. Carol and Mark had already done the tour and wine tasting, but decided to join us today. So, the 5 of us sped off again to go and check out the winery and do some tasting.
We arrived and Franco, the 3rd generation owner, greeted us kindly. He was very kind, soft spoken, but incredibly passionate about his winery and wanted us to see everything. Giorgio has been kindly encouraging Franco to speak more English, so he practiced with us today and did a great job, I thought. We started out by going to see some of the wine being transferred from a holding/fermenting tank to another tank and the separation of the grape skins and seeds from the wine. Apparently, in Italy, the wine grower must sell the grape skins/seeds to a distiller for the production of Grappa (a strong alcohol). They have no choice, as it’s the law. The wine/grape growing industry in Italy is extremely regulated to keep the growers doing what has been done for centuries. They are not allowed to irrigate or use pesticides. Sounds good to me.
Franco’s grandfather and father took over this vineyard many, many years ago and it is on land right next to the church in the village where it is located. Apparently, there was a piece of paper found in the church that is dated to the 1600s that identifies which type of grapes are to be grown where on the property. Franco and his family have followed this ‘plan’ to the letter to ensure it is done the way it has always been done. Franco is also a lawyer, as his father wanted him to be, but has never practiced law because wine making is his passion. His father just passed away in April 2011 at the age of 92, I believe. Franco has a 10 year old son, who is considered the 4th generation wine grower, but apparently at this point, he has said he doesn’t want to make wine. :) We’ll see what happens.
We walked through the vineyard and the vines and Franco and Giorgio told us all about the 4 varietals they grow in the vineyard. Some of their vines are over 100 years old and then the most recent are 3 years old. You can feel the history of this vineyard as we were walking through. We tasted the varieties of grapes while strolling along and took in the gorgeous views.
Atop the hill, there was a very run-down house that used to house the workers many years ago, but hasn’t been used in some time and needs a little sprucing-up (i.e. major structural work, etc. ~ see below). Giorgio asked Leah for her ideas, so who knows...maybe she’ll get to be a part of its rebuild?!?!? I told her if she does have to come back for either further research (I took photos of all sides of the building for her already), that I would be happy to carry her portfolio or even her sunglasses. ;)
We finished our walk through the vineyard and then it was time to taste!! They have 5 wines they produce and they were all fantastic!! I particularly loved their Chardonnay, Grinolino and Barbera. I liked them so much, a case should be arriving at my house in a couple of weeks!!
 |
| Grape press |
Finally, it was about 730p and we headed back to the 5 Chimneys for dinner. Patrizia had been here all day, cleaning, making beds, cooking, etc., etc., etc.!! She takes such great care of everything. When we returned she asked me, “Did you sleep on the bed or on the floor?” I answered, “The bed.” She said when she came to make the bed it looked as though no one had slept in it. I think I must have been pretty content last night and not moved too much. Leah had made her bed and Patrizia thought that was so nice.
Before dinner, Giorgio took us down to his wine cellar and it was just amazing!! It was a fairly large room with a table + 4 chairs in the center and wine all around. They had left the original wine bottles that are super-dusty where they had been for years and years. They had grapes drying to make raisins and vegetables stored for use, as well as lots of canned salsa that Patrizia had made.
Dinner was lovely, in the kitchen which is so great and Mark provided us all a bottle of Barbaresco to share with dinner. Dinner was so delicious and prepared with such care and love. We topped it off with a small dish of tiramisu!!
Well, again, I am tired and am going to read a bit now. Am hoping that I get to put these posts up tomorrow...fingers crossed.
I know it will be another fantastic day...
Buona notte...
xoxo
Stacy
No comments:
Post a Comment