Archive for 'Food and Wine'

If you find a vacation rental in Sicily, you will likely find yourself in the capital city of Palermo at some point. Or you might find a vacation rental in Palermo itself. This incredible city is a melting pot of cultures and history with its stunning Arab-Norman architectural gems, rich and diverse cuisine, Italian traditions but uniquely Sicilian identity, and almost tropical weather. Like many cities in Italy, it boasts historic markets including Ballarò, Il Capo, Mercato delle Pulci, and Lattarini but one of the best-known and most beloved is La Vucciria. Extending between via Roma, La Cala, the Cassaro, along Via Cassari, Piazza del Garraffello, Via Argenteria Nuova, Piazza Caracciolo, and Via Maccheronai, within the Castellammare district, it was originally largely a meat market. In fact, the name comes from the word, “bucceria,” taken from the French, “boucherie,” meaning butcher's shop. Over time, it also became a market for the sale of fish, fruit, and vegetables and became a vibrant and integral part of the city. However, “vuccirìa," also means, “confusion,” in Palermo, which is rather fitting as the market is a place full of loud colours, scents, flavours, and voices all clamouring for attention.

If you have found yourself a vacation rental in Verona and you are planning on spending time in that famously most romantic of cities, you're likely looking to plan out some equally romantic activities to enjoy while you are there. Once you have done all of the classics like visiting Juliet's balcony, Romeo's house, the pretty jewellery box-like Church of Sant'Eufemia, dining in any one (or several) of the endless candlelit restaurants in town, and then going to wander through the truly picturesque streets of the historic core of the city, then you might decide to head out of town for a few hours and to plan a visit to one of the nearby wineries to sample some of the delicious wines from the Veneto region.

An excellent option among the many wineries of the Veneto is the Cantine Bertani in the famously stunning Valpantena. From the Greek for, “Valley of the God,” and known in Verona as the, “Valley of all Wines,” this area has long been home to grapevines and the Romans are recorded as having been totally enamoured by the flavours of the wines coming from the valley, believing the soil of Valpantena to be ideal for growing grapes. The area has also long been known for its beauty, with a rich history of written records of this such as when Francesco Corna from Soncino noted in his “Fioretto de le antiche croniche de Verona e de tuti i soi confini” (“Choice passages from the old chronicles of Verona and surrounding”) in 1477 that this area was, “an idyllic valley marked by springs and dales, delightful fountains and vineyards which abound in Valpantena”.

We have written about a lot of different cocktails that come from Italy in the past but, somehow, we have always managed to miss out on, and overlook, the Mi-To. A variant on the more famous Italian classics such as the Americano and the Negroni, it is actually their forefather and, therefore, is the true classic among them all. So, if you have an interest in cocktails, foodie history, and Italian culinary adventures, then this more obscure example is one to seek out should you find a vacation rental in Milan and find yourself spending some time in the city in which it was born or should you be thinking of planning a trip to the area some time in the future and in need of an excellent cocktail pairing to go with your search as you browse our vacation rentals in Lombardy and vacation rentals in Italy.

The Mi-To is the more commonly used name for, and abbreviation of, the Milano-Torino cocktail, a drink that was invented around 1860 in Gaspare Campari’s famous café-bar in Milan by the proprietor himself. Named for the two birthplaces of its key main ingredients – Campari from Milan and Vermouth di Torino from Turin – this truly legendary drink came from a similarly legendary bar and creator. In fact, in addition to being an incredible and game-changing barman and cocktail-inventor, it was actually Gaspare Campari himself who had created the bitters-style aperitif (featuring a closely guarded secret recipe that boasts 60 natural ingredients including herbs, spices, barks, and fruit peels) that would eventually become the famous Italian liqueur that is now named for its creator and is known as Campari and which is such an integral part of the Mi-To recipe.

Beautiful and historic wineries that are located in the most extraordinary settings are not unusual in Tuscany but, though there are many and many that we have discussed in this blog on numerous occasions in the past, there are many more excellent examples that we have yet to discover and for visitors to the region to discover. So, if you're a serious wine-lover who is thinking of planning a vacation sometime soon, there can be no doubt that Tuscany makes for a truly idyllic and perfect holiday destination to go and see where great Italian wines are made, taste wines, learn about them, buy and ship bottles home, and to engage in a vibrant and ancient wine culture.

One particularly scenic and lovely winery in which one can do all of the above and more besides is the beautiful Castello di Monsanto. While the Castello di Monsanto actually dates back to the middle of the 18th century and wine production in the area goes back centuries, it is in the last fifty years that the estate has become home to the Bianchi family and their beloved wines. Located in Barberino Val d'Elsa, in western Chianti Classico, a bit northwest of Castellina in Chianti, this incredible historic castle was where founder Aldo Bianchi, a native of San Gimignano who had first left Tuscany before the Second World War to seek fortune elsewhere in the North of Italy, found himself at a wedding. Taking in the amazing views across at his hometown of San Gimignano, over the hills of the Chianti Fiorentino region, and right to Monte Amiata and the Apuan Alps from the terrace of the castle, Aldo fell in love. Within a few months, he owned the Castello di Monsanto.

The Aperol Spritz is more than just a drink in its native Venice, it is an institution and, in recent years, it has become a beloved alcoholic beverage the world over that is just the ticket on summer days. Tart, refreshing, and easy to make, it is the perfect drink to make and enjoy while relaxing during a sunny evening. While a trip to Venice is still a little time away yet, you can bring a little bit of Venice to you by making yourself a Spritz from the comfort and safety of your own home.

Born in 1800s Venice, while the city was part of the Austrian Empire, the predecessor to the Aperol Spritz was the Austrian Spritzer, which was originally a combination of equal parts of white wine and water and was invented by the soldiers, merchants, diplomats, and employees of the Habsburg Empire who were not used to the high alcohol content of Italian wines. As a result, they would ask for some water to be sprayed (“spritzen”, in German) into the wines to make them lighter and it eventually became a drink in its own right.