The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Trail – Strada del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Pubblicato il 1 Dicembre 2013 da Genni

One of the most well-known landmarks in Tuscany is without doubt the beautiful walled medieval town of San Gimignano. Even from far away it is recognisable sitting on the hilltop with its crown of 14 towers, miraculously preserved through wars, catastrophes and urban renewal. Within the walls the medieval architecture, together with notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic, is well preserved and for this reason, since 1990, the historic centre of San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here one can admire the pointed arches typical of the Siena area.


Encircled by three walls, San Gimignano has eight entrances to town, set into the second wall, which date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The historic centre consists of four squares. Piazza Duomo, on which stands the Collegiate Church, the Palazzo Comunale and the Palazzo Podesta; Piazza della Cisterna, triangular in shape, is the main square of town; Piazza Pecori and Piazza delle Erbe.


Settled in the 3rd century BC by the Etruscans, it was during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era that San Gimignano expanded so as to accommodate the Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena. This development also improved other aspects of town life, especially in agriculture and trading thanks to the production of saffron, used both in cooking and dyeing cloth, and wine.


Today the town, in fact, is also renowned for its Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a white wine produced from an ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of this area. Said in the Middle Ages to inspire popes and poets, since the Renaissance it has been considered one of Italy’s finest white wines. The first records mentioning the Vernaccia di San Gimignano date back to 1276. Since then it has been successfully cultivated during the centuries with the exception of a period of crisis in the early 20th century when for 50 years the more prolific Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes were preferred. Today the beautiful Villa della Rocca di Montestaffoli, on the hilltop overlooking the vineyards, houses the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Museum. A tribute to the quality and prestige of this wine.


Together with the Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG are also produced red wine, San Gimignano Rosso DOC and Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG, and a rosé, San Gimignano Rosato DOC. Obviously there also exists a San Gimignano Vin Santo DOC, the dessert wine par excellence. The territory, however, also produces an excellent olive oil and the already mentioned precious saffron. The cultivation of saffron must be done with much patience and attention. The flowers are picked at dawn, when they are still closed, and have to be desiccated almost immediately. For just one kilo of saffron at least 150.000 flowers have to be picked!


The land around San Gimignano is also employed to breed pigs and wild boars which are used for a wide variety of sausages and cold meats. Typically the dry-cured ham Prosciutto Toscano DOP, the cured sausage Salame Toscano, the Finocchiona with fennel seeds, the salami with myrtle known as Mortito and the buristo, similar to black pudding. Obviously being in the Siena area, there are also sheep whose milk produce excellent cheese, such as pecorino or marzolino.


Another typical hilltop medieval village in Tuscany with a very generous soul.


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The Wine and Olive Oil Trail of the Etruscan Coast – Strada del Vino e dell’Olio Costa degli Etruschi

Pubblicato il 23 Novembre 2013 da Genni

Over a 150 km long, the Wine and Olive Oil Trail of the Etruscan Coast winds itself between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the hills overlooking it, through the Elba Island, across the whole province of Livorno and up into a fraction of Pisa. It is a coastal land with ancient hamlets and once the cradle of the Etruscan civilization. Here is where the Super Tuscan DOC Bolgheri is produced, such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia, just to mention the most famous. This “El Dorado of Italian wine”, as it was once defined, is the product of the generous nature of this land, its climate, and the individual talent of its producers.

A particular mention must also go to the top quality extra virgin olive oil produced by local farms with traditional techniques. Particularly suited to the organic food produced in the area and to its delicious specialities and flavours, the olive oil has obtained the IGP food certification and the acknowledgement of the Tuscan Olive Oil Cooperative. Together with the wines of this territory, the olive oil is symbiotically tied with the other typical local products, such as the wood fired bread, the cheese, cold meat, even jams and honey, in a gastronomic liaison with the land.

The Wine and Olive Oil Trail snakes its way along a suggestive itinerary, with woods and hills on one side, and the sea on the other, across huge estates and small farms, past old parish churches and medieval castles, in a magnificent yet cosy setting, and is broken down to 5 distinct trails.

The first trail one encounters starting from north is that of Montescudaio, in the province of Pisa, an area full of gently rolling hills, along the Cecina River which creates a circulation of fresh air even during summer, mitigating the high seasonal temperatures. The vineyards are mostly located on the hillsides and spread themselves through Castellina Marittima with its alabaster museum, Riparbella and its medieval centre, Casale Marittimo and its ancient walls, Guardistallo, with its 7th-century Lombard castle, and beautiful medieval Montescudaio.

Proceeding one enters the province of Livorno and starts on the Terratico di Bibbona trail. This is the Etruscan-Roman area that includes the towns of Collesalvetti, Rosignano Marittimo, Cecina and Bibbona. In the vicinities of Collesalvetti one can find a Medicean Villa, as well as the Leopoldino Aqueduct, commissioned in 1792 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany so as to provide water to Livorno. Along the ancient Via Aemilia one reaches Rosignano Marittimo renowned for both its red wine and honey, with which is made one of the most ancient alcoholic beverages known by man, mead. On a nearby hilltop sits the 12th-century medieval village of Bibbona, standing on the remains of an Etruscan settlement and developed around the Romanesque church of Sant’Ilario. Down on the coast, instead, is the charming sea resort of Castiglioncello, lazily strewn on a promontory, surrounded by pinewoods, it was the favourite destination of the Florentine impressionist painters, i macchiaioli. On the coast is also Cecina, another renowned tourist resort, with an archaeological park close by housing the remains of a Roman villa from the 1st century BC.

Just a couple of kilometres away is the Bolgheri DOC territory, home to Salsiccaia and other great wine protagonists. The double row of cypresses that leads to the town of Bolgheri is famous in the entire world and have been extolled by Giosuè Carducci in one of his most celebrated poems. The entrance to this tiny medieval village is through the 16th-century tower of its castle. The historic centre preserves its original ancient structure, and amongst alleys, craftsman’s studios and wine shops, in an atmosphere of ancient times, one can still find the Carducci family home. Nearby birdwatchers will find a paradise in the Bolgheri Fauna Shelter, an area of international interest covered in Mediterranean scrub dunes populated by typical Tuscan coastal wildlife. Further south is the town of Castagneto Carducci whose origins go back until the Etruscan period. The medieval castle and the church of San Lorenzo form the original town centre. Descending towards the coast, through olive groves, vineyards and chestnut woods one reaches the beautiful beaches of Marina di Castagneto with its lovely 18th-century fortress built for patrolling the coast.

Further south is the Val di Cornia where the minerals of the Colline Metallifere, the “metal-bearing hills”, bestow a particularly dark red colour to its wines. Campiglia Marittima is the first town one meets on this trail, with its magnificently preserved medieval centre and a breathtaking view over the whole valley. Slowing moving downwards there is Suvereto, the pulsing heart of the DOC wine zone, as well as enlisted as one of the most beautiful hamlets of Italy. The little village of Sassetta, instead, has a charming network of alleys as well as many lovely trails through the surrounding woods. On the border between the Val di Cornia and the Cecina basin is Monteverdi Marittimo, a village with feudal origins and Romanesque architecture, which stands isolated between the mountains. Proceeding down until the sea there is Piombino and San Vicenzo, Etruscan ports, who welcome visitors with their renowned fish markets and lovely town centres. Before reaching Piombino, however, it is worthwhile to stop in the magnificent Gulf of Baratti and visit the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia, where Etruscan ruins and a necropolis can be visited.

Crossing the sea from Piombino one reaches the Elba Island, where the aleatico passito reigns among the vintners. The vineyards are all over the island, often in incredibly beautiful locations. Travelling through Rio Marina, Porto Azzurro, and Capoliveri until Portoferraio one can’t help stopping continuously to take in the magnificence of this island.

These are the wines and locations one will meet on the Wine and Olive oil Trail of the Etruscan Coast. An itinerary through some of Tuscany’s local products, gastronomy and history.


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Fettunta, the naked bruschetta – a plunge into the sensual Tuscan cuisine

Pubblicato il 16 Novembre 2013 da Genni

It’s olive harvesting time here in Tuscany, and the oil mills are in full swing, so when our extra virgin olive oil starts flowing into the tanks I personally can’t wait to get back home and taste it on a slice of saltless Tuscan bread.


You slightly grill the bread, gently rub a clove of garlic and then top it with olive oil, in this case the first oil of the season, salt and pepper. In Tuscany, this is called the fettunta. It is not to be mistaken with its richer ‘cousin’, the bruschetta.


Actually I consider the fettunta the forerunner of the bruschetta. The name itself is the contraction of the words fetta unta, “oily slice”, which is clearly the basis of the bruschetta. The ‘decedent’s’ name, instead, comes from the old dialectal verb bruscare, meaning ‘to roast over coals’.


Today the bruschetta is well-known also outside Italy and generally served as a snack with a good glass of Tuscan wine or as appetizer during a meal. The original recipe uses the fettunta basis and then adds chopped tomatoes and basil to the topping. Preferably a trickle of olive oil is also poured over the tomatoes.


Variations may include adding chopped onions or other toppings of vegetables, beans, cured meat or cheese, such as mozzarella. Every Italian region has its favourite. Personally I stick to the cubed tomato version with a sprinkle of basil.


Whatever your preference, the secret of a good bruschetta is top quality ingredients and above all the olive oil.

Now let’s get back to the picking.

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The Valtiberina Flavour Trail – Strada dei Sapori Valtiberina

Pubblicato il 9 Novembre 2013 da Genni

The Tiber, Tevere for the Italians, is the main watercourse of Rome, which was founded on its eastern banks, but rises in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flows 406 kilometres through Tuscany, parallel to the Casentino, then Umbria and finally in Lazio. In Tuscany, precisely in the province of Arezzo, its valley is known as the Valtiberina and thanks to the river Tiber is a very rich land with many treasures. Every corner of the valley, from the fertile plains to the mountain, has a natural wealth: sheep, Chianina cattle, pigs of all races, orchards, vegetables, Kentucky tobacco, wheat, spelt, chestnuts, sweet herbs. This is the Valtiberina Flavour Trail.

The trail guides travellers through green plains, woodland and ancient villages, such as the lovely medieval hamlet of Anghiari. Enlisted as one of “the most beautiful villages in Italy”, I Borghi più Belli d’Italia, recipient of the Orange Flag for excellency in tourism, hospitality and environment, Anghiari sits on the top of a hill, surrounded by olive groves, with a breathtaking view over the valley. The town, however, is above all famous for the Battle of Anghiari, which took place here on June 29th 1440, when Florence beat Milan with a shrewd strategy. Today the village produces an excellent virgin olive oil and preserves ancient handicraft traditions such as woodcarvers and antique furniture restorers as well as goldsmiths. A typical dish of Anghiari is the bringoli, large homemade spaghettis.

The next stopping place is Monterchi, surrounded by fields of sunflowers and maize, which grounded into flour is used for the local dish: polenta. The town, in fact is renowned for its famous Polenta Festival held in Autumn in addition to the fresco of the Madonna del Parto, the Madonna of Childbirth, by Piero della Francesca. Spiralling up one passes through fields of Kentucky tobacco, for the Tuscan cigars, and reaches Sansepolcro, birthplace of many painters, among which Piero della Francesca. The town is also the home of Buitoni pasta, founded in 1827.

Proceeding towards Badia Tedalda, with the Riserva Naturale dell’Alpe della Luna, Moon Alp Wildlife Park in the vicinities, one crosses vast green pastures where the enormous white Chianina cattle are bred in the wild. The tiny village of Badia Tedalda is surrounded by thick forests, well-known for the truffles, mushrooms and sweet herbs one can pick here. These forests were once crossed by pilgrims on their way to Rome. Inhabited since the Neolithic period and then turned into a Roman municipium, the hamlet still preserves ancient memories.

Pieve Santo Stefano, founded by the Romans, is today famous for its collection of unpublished works conserved in the National Diaristic Registry Office. The fields are full of apple and pear trees as well as the true protagonist, the prugnolo, St. George’s mushroom, for which is held a festival in spring. Neighbouring Caprese Michelangelo is the birthplace of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Surrounded by chestnut groves, the village is renowned for the namesake chestnut as well as the mushrooms and other underbrush products which are picked in the woods. The chestnuts are generally dried and then grounded to produce the flour with which so many delicious local dishes are prepared.

Along the trail crossing these villages one can stop and savour the many generous products of this land. From the Chianina beef to the traditional cold meats and salami, from the tasty fruit of the brushwood to the wide variety of mushrooms and truffles, not to mention honey, cheese, bread, olive oil and wine. Truly a land to taste with both eyes and palate.

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The Casentino Flavour Trail – Strada dei Sapori Casentino

Pubblicato il 2 Novembre 2013 da Genni

Two hundred kilometres of road winding along valley floor and mountains, past castles and farmhouses, through parks and forests, this is a tour through flavour. The Casentino is one of the four valleys in which the province of Arezzo is divided and hosts Mount Falterona from which the river Arno starts. On this trail one will encounter cheese producers, honey makers, charcutiers and pig breeders and experience the fruits of other products such as chestnuts, maize flour, potatoes.

The Flavour Trail starts at Poppi, one of the most beautiful hamlets of the Casentino. The main monument here is the magnificent Poppi castle, already known in 1191, and once owned by the Counts Guidi. The inner courtyard is covered in frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi, a pupil of Giotto. The wall of the staircase, instead, has been covered, over the years, with coats of arms of the Florentine families that ruled from Poppi in the 15th and 16th century. Furthermore the castle houses a chapel with one of the most important cycles of frescoes of the whole province and a library containing rare manuscripts and incunabula.


Nearby lies the Hermitage of Camaldoli, the ancestral seat of the Camaldolese monastic order. Situated in an ancient forest of the Casentino, the monastery was founded about 1012 by Saint Romauld, a Benedictine monk. Today one can visit the monastery and admire the old pharmacy, once a laboratory where monks studied and worked with medicinal herbs, the ancient cell of Saint Romauld and the Baroque church containing works by Giorgio Vasari. A few kilometres farther up the mountain is the Sacred Hermitage which is the more ancient part of the foundation, serving as the heart of both the community and the order.

The Casentino Flavour Trail proceeds through the wide valley in a fascinating journey that touches on the most interesting features of this striking land. Farther up in the higher gorge of the river Arno there is Pratovecchio, near which is the beautiful Pieve di Romena, a gem of Romanesque architecture situated right at the foot of the same name castle, of which are visible some suggestive ruins. Nearby Stia, with its unusual triangular shape Piazza Tanucci hosting the 12th-century Pieve of Santa Maria Assunta, is the home of the woollen fabric known as “Panno Casentino”, originally made with yarn spun by local women at home. On the western borders of the Casentino are Castel San Niccolò and Montemignaio, the first, with the remains of its castle, perches over the hamlet of Strada renowned for its Dressed Stone Biennial, whereas the second is a small village surrounded by forests which yields excellent fruits such as mushrooms.

Heading south one encounters Ortignano Raggiolo with its Chestnut Ecomuseum. As one can easily assume here the economy of the town is based on the goods extracted from this woodland fruit such as the chestnut flour, main ingredient of the chestnut cake which is generally consumed together with ricotta cheese. Eastwards is Bibbiena, an interesting little town that preserves both medieval and Renaissance features. Returning south one passes the Pieve di Socana, an incredible architectural testimony of an ancient worship ground that still preserves the remains of an Etruscan sacrificial altar.


Taking the road eastwards one comes across La Verna, the sacred mountain of St Francis of Assisi, where one can also visit the sanctuary and admire the magnificent lead-glazed terracotta by Andrea Della Robbia. The journey back down to the valley floor takes us to Chitignano which hosts an original Gunpowder and Smuggling Museum. In the 19th century, in fact, Chitignano was an important centre for the production and trading of gun powder, whereas in the middle of the following century, after the II World War, the town became famous for its smuggling of tobacco and cigars. Finally, in the furthest southern tip of the Casentino is Subbiano, a combination of modern buildings and old farmhouses along the banks of the river Arno, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards.


The Casentino is a territory to both see and savour, with a basket of products, which together with the historical and artistic places, are a unique heritage. Originally from Valdichiana, where it was bred since Etruscan times, the Chianina cattle are also native of the Casentino. It is the largest and one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world and from its meat is also produced the famous bistecca alla fiorentina. Along the trail there are various cattle farms. The Casentino has a long tradition of cold meats, made from the various breeds of pig raised in the valley, from the autochthonous grey pig of the Casentino to the Cinta Senese, to the typical pink pig. Originally from a hamlet near Pratomagno are the famous red potatoes of Cetica, grown at over 500 m and used above all for making tortelli stuffed pasta. In the same area there is also the small white bean of Garliano, excellent cooked with tomato, onion, a clove of garlic, some sage leaves and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. The forests, instead, are very generous with truffles, up to 4 different varieties, boletus mushrooms and chestnuts from which is milled the flour for many different local dishes. Another precious fruit of the earth, is saffron, probably introduced by the Romans.

This is certainly a trail to recommend to anyone interested in a journey through art, nature and gastronomy, in a marriage between shapes, flavours and scents.

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