Podcasts about Tuscany

Welcome to episode 710 - On The Road Edition with Stevie Kim. Today Stevie is in Milan, sitting down with Diego Bosoni of Lunae Bosoni. Stevie Kim was able to talk to him during the incredibly unusual vertical tasting of Vermentino, and she got the chance to do this with a special wine called Numero Chiuso from Lunae Bosoni Winery! About today's guest & Winery: Diego Bosoni and his family have been making wine for five generations. The Lunae Bosoni winery is located right on the edge of the Liguria region on the border with Tuscany, in the lush Lunigiana area. They carry on the long winemaking tradition of these places, based on the principles of ancient practices, the valorisation of local and forgotten vines, and respect for the cycles of nature. Among the rows of vines, located between the plains and the hills, and subdivided into small plots of 2-3 hectares, we find interesting and unobtainable varieties, such as Pollera Nera, Massaretta, Vermentino Nero and Albarola, alongside the undisputed star of the area, Vermentino. The Ca' Lunae, is the former winery building where the wines mature and the great bottles are stored, If you want to learn more about today's winery, you can by visiting: https://cantinelunae.com/en/ More about the host Stevie Kim: Stevie hosts Clubhouse sessions each week (visit Italian Wine Club & Wine Business on Clubhouse), these recorded sessions are then released on the podcast to immortalize them! She often also joins Professor Scienza in his shows to lend a hand keeping our Professor in check! You can also find her taking a hit for the team when she goes “On the Road”, all over the Italian countryside, visiting wineries and interviewing producers, enjoying their best food and wine – all in the name of bringing us great Pods! To find out more about Stevie Kim visit: Facebook: @steviekim222 Instagram: @steviekim222 Website: https://vinitalyinternational.com/wordpress/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ We also want to give a shout out to our sponsor Ferrowine. The largest alcoholic beverage shop in Italy since 1920! They have generously provided us with our brand new Italian Wine Podcast T-shirts, and we love them! Check out Ferrowine's site, they have great wines, food pairings and so much more! https://www.ferrowine.it/ Until next time, Cin Cin!

Dr. Jennifer Cook, Assistant Professor at Marquette University, and Dr. Caroline O'Hara, Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, join Drs. Gina and Gideon to talk about social class in counseling supervision. References: Cook, J. M., & O'Hara, C. (2020). An emerging theory of the persistence of social class microaggressions: an interpretative phenomenological study. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 33(4), 516-540. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2019.1596880 O'Hara, C., & Cook, J. M. (2018). Doctoral‐level counseling students' experiences of social class microaggressions. Counselor Education and Supervision, 57(4), 255-270. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceas.12115 O'Hara, C., Chang, C. Y., & Giordano, A. L. (2021). Multicultural competence in counseling research: The cornerstone of scholarship. Journal of Counseling & Development, 99(2), 200–209. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12367 Clark, M., Cook, J. M., Nair, D., & Wojcik, K. (2018). A content analysis of social class in ACA journals from 2000 to 2016. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 9(1), 16-27. Nosrat, S. (2017). Salt, fat, acid, heat: Mastering the elements of good cooking. Simon & Schuster. Backman, F. (2020). Anxious people. Atria Books. Backman, F. (2015). A man called Ove. Washington Square Press. Nelson Spielman, L. (2020). The star-crossed sisters of Tuscany. Berkeley Books. Hosts: Gina Martin PhD, LPC, NCC Gideon Litherland PhD, LCPC, CCMHC, ACS Credits: Marty Jencius PhD, Executive Producer Connect with us and share feedback at SupervisionTimePodcast@gmail.com

Hello #InVinoFab friends! We've been sharing the @InVinoFab #SommStory for season 6 in collaboration with our friends at the Telesomm app! Yay! This group of wine savvy professionals are bringing vino experiences to you -- in-person and online! Listen to this episode where we share part of the virtual event we hosted this past summer. Virtual Event:  “Taste the Italian Wine Story” July 29th with Sommelier: Katarina Andersson of grapevineadventures.comWe tasted three (3) wine varietals purchased from our local wine shop or via wine.com:  1 rosé/natural wine - ideally a Lambrusco or a rosé wine 1 Pinot Noir or Lagrein wine ideally from Alto Adige 1 Brunello di Montalcino/Rosso di Montalcino wine from Tuscany or Aglianico - ideally a Taurasi DOCG - from Campania To learn more about our sommelier and the Italian wine regions we tasted from: Katarina's blog and website Here's a great Italian wine map  Italian Wine Regions  Sparkling Red Wine – Misunderstood and Utterly Delicious - Lambrusco Alto Adige: The 4 Wines You Must Know Italian Wine Map and Exploration Guide (for our future trip to taste vino in Italy) Huge thanks to all that joined us for the live event: Michelle, Beth, Nicholas, Etta, Valerie, and Fiachra. Vanessa -- thanks for organizing and connecting us to Katarina! It was fun! Book your Telesomm event for the holidays today! Twitter: @telesomm IG: telesomm.app Telesomm YouTube Channel ----Want to learn more about Telesomm? Do you have a wine question or topics we should ask a somm? Let us know! Subscribe to the pod + Follow on Twitter: @InVinoFab & IG: invinofab Get the Telesomm App + Follow on Twitter: @Telesomm & IG: telesomm.app Connect to the hosts: @laurapasquini & @Profpatrice Music credit: The song Travel to the City by Lesfm has been remixed under a CC-BY license. 

Book Vs. Movie: Pinocchio The Italian Children's Novel Vs the 1940 Animated Film The Margos are feeling very Italian in this episode devoted to the famous story about a marionette who wishes to be a real boy when he grows up. The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi was originally published in a series of magazine articles in 1881. When it was released as a book, it became a worldwide hit and is one of the most translated books of all time.  The story takes place in Tuscany, Italy as Gepetto, a lonely craftsman, finds a piece of wood that talks ad he decides to create a marionette boy to be his son. Right away, his nose grows when he tells a lie and Pinocchio proves to be a handful as a child. He runs away as soon as he is built and Gepetto is arrested for supposedly mistreating him. Pinocchio kills the cricket who tries to warn him about behaving badly!  The plot of this book is next level kooky with killer cats and foxes, talking crickets, fairies, and ‘The Green Fisherman”. It's amazing, but wow!  In 1940, Walt Disney Productions presented Pinocchio as their second animated feature (after Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) and though it did well at the Academy Awards, it was something of a flop at the time. This being a Disney production, that only meant that eventually, it would find an audience and the classic we know it is now.  So, between the original story and the animated movie--which did we prefer?  In this ep the Margos discuss: The complicated plotting of the story The long-lasting pop culture references from the story The main differences between the children's novel & film.  Starring: Dick Jones (Pinocchio,) Cliff Edwards (Jiminy Cricket,) Christian Rub (Geppetto,) Clarence Nash (Figaro,) Charles Judels (Stromboli,) and Evelyn Venable as the Blue Fairy.  Clips used: Pinocchio “I've Got No Strings” Pinocchio  trailer “Monstro!” Pinocchio and Lampwick Pinocchio is a boy Music by Leigh Harline and Paul J. Smith  Book Vs. Movie is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find more podcasts you will love Frolic.Media/podcasts .  Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie  Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/ Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/  Our logo was designed by Madeleine Gainey/Studio 39 Marketing Follow on Instagram @Studio39Marketing & @musicalmadeleine 

The Storm Skiing Podcast is sponsored by Mountain Gazette - Listen to the podcast for discount codes on subscriptions and merch.WhoMary Kate Buckley, President of Jackson Hole Mountain ResortRecorded onNovember 15, 2021Why I interviewed herIn a nation machine-stamped with endless copies of Burger Kings and Sunoco stations and cut-out-of-a-cornfield housing developments, very few things truly stand out. Your buddy gives you a house tour and you’re like, “Wow Seth five bathrooms that’s so many more bathrooms than I expected you would ever have when we used to throw stale donuts at backyard racoons for sport.” But really do you care about Seth’s bathroom inventory? You don’t care.I don’t know how many bathrooms Jackson Hole has. And neither do you. And neither does anyone else, because no one has ever counted them. Because the point of Jackson is not boujee American materialism but the tram blowing 4,000-plus feet up the mountain and the rowdy endless kingdom of snowy lines beneath it. This is a place that stands out. In any context. It is the peak of U.S. skiing. It has biggers but no betters. A few peers, maybe. Alta-Snowbird. Palisades Tahoe. Big Sky. What else? For raw terrain, no one. Not in this country. It may be – it probably is – our greatest ski resort. If the aliens arrived and said “Hey you’ve got 24 hours to evacuate before we blow up your planet and I’m sorry but you’re only allowed to bring one ski area per country,” I have little doubt that U.S. Americans would choose Jackson Hole to load aboard the space ark. Lines are gonna be long though because I heard the aliens floated by Costco and picked up a few crates of Ikon Passes on their way off the planet. Sorry bros.What we talked aboutMary Kate’s globe-trotting decades with Disney and Nike at the dawn of ecommerce; running a vineyard in Tuscany and how that connected back to skiing; settling down in Jackson Hole after living and skiing all over the world; why she joined the ski area’s board of directors and eventually accepted an offer to become the resort’s president; how much the head of Jackson Hole gets to ski; taming the beast to open pieces of Jackson’s vast terrain to beginners and families; the mountain’s fierce terrain; how to prepare to drop into Corbet’s Couloir; whether Jackson Hole could ever expand its managed footprint out onto the gated terrain that surrounds it; where the ski area thinned glades over the summer; why the Jackson Hole Tram is the true alpha lift of American skiing; whether the mountain would ever install a redundant lift to the summit; the benefits of limiting uphill capacity; details on coming replacements for Thunder and Sublette; where the mountain could install an all-new lift; whether we could ever see a lift on the Hobacks; whether we could see a six- or eight-pack on Jackson Hole; how and why the resort limits the number of skiers on the mountain; where the mountain widened trails over the summer; why Jackson Hole closes down in early April despite a healthy snowbase remaining on the mountain; the mountain’s growing reliance on and commitment to renewable energy; the Ikon Pass lands like an asteroid; the persistence of anti-Ikon sentiment; why the resort can’t share Ikon Pass visit numbers and why it wishes it could; why Jackson Hole moved off of the Ikon Base Pass and how that decision turned out; how Jackson Hole season passholders reacted to the inclusion of an Ikon Base Pass with their JHMR season pass; whether the ski area would ever leave the Ikon Pass; how JHMR locals and tourists can get along; why Jackson Hole has stayed on the Mountain Collective Pass even as the Ikon has taken root; the impossible puzzle of mountain-town housing amid the short-term rental phenomenon and Covid-era remote-worker relocations; staffing challenges as ski season closes in; thoughts on diversifying Jackson Hole’s workforce and clientele; developing more opportunities for women to run a ski resort; reflections on the 2020-21 ski season versus expectations over the uncertain summer of 2020; looking forward to fully loading lifts this season; Covid-era adaptations that will stick and those that will fade; and thoughts on Jackson Hole owner Jay Kemmerer’s political activities and their fallout.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewBecause there seems to be few issues inside or outside of skiing that Jackson Hole is not sitting dead in the middle of. It is a ski area too grand not to visit, irresistible to the resort-hopping megapass set who blow into town on the ever-improving transit routes, which have transformed a once-semi-hidden ski-bum paradise into skiing’s Times Square. It’s the archetype of the broken mountain town, its housing model shattered by short-term rentals and cityfolk Covid refugees, a place struggling to keep its sense of place. On the hill, it’s a living experiment in skiing’s ongoing calibration between uphill capacity and overall capacity. It’s the flagship resort for a white-majority sport in an increasingly diversifying nation; an enormous, energy-intensive operation reliant on historical weather patterns to survive; and a woman-led institution in a sport whose gender-diversity efforts have been, historically, poor. It’s seated in a state determined to have it out with the federal government over mask mandates, owned by a rich benefactor to Qanon conspiracists, turned upside down by the Covid disruption that’s undone us all to some degree. Name a modern controversy, and it’s unfolding in some form or another beneath this amazing mountain, a place as complex and labyrinthian and nuanced as the nation it’s stationed in.Why you should ski Jackson HoleI mean do I really need to include this section? For Jackson Hole?OK fine. First, some historical perspective, from the 1966 edition of America’s Ski Book:Just below the Aspen-Vail-Sun Valley quality are a series of resorts of more specialized appeal. At Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a massive complex is taking shape offering the longest vertical drop in the United States – 4,135 vertical feet. It is too early to tell what role Jackson will play in the Rocky Mountain scheme of things, but it is bound to loom large.Then this, from Jeremy Evans’ In Search of Powder:…Jackson Hole opened in 1965 with minimal success, totaling about 19,000 skier visits that season. … Jackson Hole had some built-in disadvantages in its quest to become a major player in American skiing. It had a visionary owner, sure, but Paul [McCollister] wasn’t very realistic. Jackson was more isolated than Aspen and Vail, which were within five hours of Denver, and to a lesser degree Sun Valley. All three were considered the finest places to ski in the country. … After numerous complications involving funding, weather, and construction, the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram opened in 1966, and the resort experienced low visits that season as well. … [But] regardless of who owned the resort or how many hotels, shops, and restaurants were in Teton Village, Jackson Hole had a problem no amount of infrastructure could solve: nobody was good enough to ski it.Well I am happy to report from the future that Jackson Hole turned out just fine. Gear got better, skiers got better, access got easier, and here we are. Jackson Hole is it. For U.S. Americans, it’s the closest thing we have to a skier’s pilgrimage. You have to do it. Lap the tram, peer over the edge of Corbet’s, go for it or don’t. Meander back down or race the tram. Repeat as long as you can take it.What I got wrongSeveral times, I referred to Mary Kate’s job as resort “CEO,” when she is in fact resort president. More Jackson HoleLift Blog’s inventory of Jackson Hole’s lift fleetHistoric Jackson Hole trailmaps on skimap.orgMary Kate is a cofounder and co-owner of Urlari wines.A note on my claim in the intro that Jackson Hole has the largest contiguous lift-served vertical drop in America: yes, Timberline now claims more vert, at 4,540 feet. But it’s a convoluted route available only when the upper mountain is open and roads between the core Timberline ski area and tiny Summit Pass are snow-covered. The return trip to the top takes a shuttle, a chairlift, a hot-air balloon ride, a rope bridge across a chasm, a swim through an alligator-infested swamp, an the A-Team-style assembly of a combat vehicle from a barn full of old parts near the summit. So yeah not the same thing as just taking a tram to the top.More on Big Red:Some basic stoke:Support The Storm by shopping at our partners: Patagonia | Helly Hansen | Rossignol | Salomon | Utah Skis | Berg’s Ski and Snowboard Shop | Peter Glenn | Kemper Snowboards | Gravity Coalition | Darn Tough | Skier's Peak | Hagan Ski Mountaineering | Moosejaw | Skis.com |The House | Telos Snowboards | Christy Sports | Evo | Black Diamond Subscribe at www.stormskiing.com

After seeing the gruesome spectacle of the plague in Florence through the eyes of Giovani bocaccio we follow the rising tension in the city and all over Tuscany that would eventually erupt in the rebellion known as the "Revolt of the Ciompi". In the meantime, Florence also finds time to participate in the war of the eight Saints. Lots of fun in the 14th century for Tuscany!

It starts with a simple philosophy -- "Better teaching makes better students, and makes a better future." Today, a better future for Italy is the mission inspiring Nick Autiello and Andrea Pastorelli, two passionate Italians behind the early success of "Teach For Italy" (TFI). Built on the model of the highly-effective non-governmental organization "Teach For America," the project is the brainchild of Pastorelli, a young thought leader from Tuscany who brings years of experience working on global issues back to his motherland to focus on the most important issue of all, the future of our young people! Nick Autiello, an Italian American with roots in Campania, is a member of the board of directors of "Friends of Teach For Italy," an American nonprofit organization created to support this valuable young initiative. On this week's episode, they're joining us to discuss the inner workings of this program that identifies young Italian university graduates to serve a two-year fellowship teaching in Italy's most underserved primary schools. They couldn't be rendering a more important service to their nation, as decades of underinvestment and stagnation have brought Italy's education system into what can only be called a crisis. We'll examine this educational crisis in Italy today, look at how its structure differs from the system here in the United States, and what TFI is doing to form not just teachers, but future leaders. And, we'll explore how Italian Americans are making a contribution to this effort through the works of Friends of TFI. Join us for this fascinating look into this most consequential of issues, and then check out the work Teach For Italy and Friends of Teach For Italy are doing to address this problem, and perhaps to become a part of the solution yourself! This episode is sponsored by Mediaset Italia.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Matteo Bocelli over Zoom video!  Capitol Records released acclaimed singer/songwriter Matteo Bocelli's debut solo single, aptly entitled “Solo.” Over lush orchestral arrangements, delicate piano played by Matteo himself, and the vivid neons of modern pop production from GRAMMY® winner Jesse Shaktin, he sings passionately and clearly about lost romance, forging a new path and the void felt when a loved one is just out of reach. “Missing you with every breath I take,” he sings. “Wishing you were with me when I wake.” Matteo wrote the song with Fiona Bevan and Marco Guazzone. Download / stream “Solo” HERE. The accompanying video, which was also released today, is rich with symbolism and the natural beauty of the majestic Dolomites mountains, located in northeast Italy. It was directed by Gaetano Morbioli, who also helmed the official video for “Fall On Me,” a duet that paired Matteo with his father, opera legend Andrea Bocelli. View the official video for “Solo” HERE. Matteo Bocelli, who is graduating at the Conservatory of Lucca in Tuscany, says, “Over the past three years, Capitol Records has given me a rare opportunity – to have time, to study, to write new music, to rehearse – and I'm really proud to be able to release this first song.”Much of the world first heard Matteo on “Fall on Me,” the English/Italian song that he co-wrote for the elder Bocelli's acclaimed 2018 album, Sì, which topped the Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums chart. The song, which has amassed nearly 300 million combined global streams, went on to soundtrack Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. The pair performed “Fall on Me” at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl as well as on numerous television programs, including “Dancing with the Stars,” Colbert, “Good Morning America,” “Royal Family Variety Performance” and “Strictly Come Dancing.” It was a powerful introduction, yet Matteo's musical journey began when he was a child. By age six, he was learning piano, and at 18 he debuted on stage to sing Verdi at the Rome Colosseum. He's worked his whole life to master his craft. But the melodies that emerge whenever the young man opens his mouth feel real in a way that can't be explained by a classical education. He sings with a purity of expression that seems innate, with charisma and clarity of purpose. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #MatteoBocelli #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! 

Top international best selling author Dinah Jefferies is back with a stunning World War II epic, the first book in a new series that went straight to the top of the Sunday Times bestseller list. Daughters of War is a tale of three sisters, secrets, and bravery in the darkness of war-torn France. Hi there, I'm your host, Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading today Dinah talks about growing up in Malaysia, the book that helped her break through as an international author and why she enjoys books that are rooted in community stories. We've got three eBook copies of Daughters of War to give away to three lucky readers. You can enter the draw on the website, www.thejoysofbingereading.com or on our Binge Reading Facebook page. ENTER THE DRAW If you are interested in seeing exclusive bonus content – like Dinah's answers to the Getting-to-Know-You five quickfire questions – then consider supporting the podcast on Patreon. For as little as a cup of coffee a month, you would be helping fund the show and you would also share in some entertaining Behind the Scenes news. SUPPORT BINGE READING ON PATREON Six things you'll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode: Why the theme of separation resonates in Dinah's storiesHer path from Asian set books to World War IIThe breakthrough book that made her an international bestsellerThe origins of The Tuscan ContessaThe writers she's reading right nowWhat she'd do differently second time around Where to find Dinah Jefferies:  Website: https://www.dinahjefferies.com/ Facebook: @dinahjefferiesbooks Twitter: @dinahjefferies Pinterest: @DinahJefferies Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dinah-jefferies What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions. But now here's Dinah. Jenny Wheeler: Hello there, Dinah and welcome to the show. It's good to have you with us. Dinah Jefferies: Thank you for having me. Introducing international bestselling author Dinah Jefferies Dinah Jefferies - international best selling author. Jenny Wheeler: You are an international bestselling author of historical fiction. Normally you've tackled Asian settings but the last two books, Daughters of War – which is the one we're talking about today – and the one before that, The Tuscan Contessa, are both set in Europe in the Second World War. Why did you make that change? Dinah Jefferies: I had done six books set in the East. I was born in Malaysia and lived there as a child, so it was familiar to me although they were all different countries – Burma or rather Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, those kinds of countries. But there came a point when I needed something new. I needed a new challenge. I didn't know what that new challenge was, but the most obvious thing to begin with was a change of location. That's really all it was, and Tuscany was the first choice because I was staying there on a family holiday. I hadn't thought of it as a World War II book, or even a book set in Tuscany, but I fell headfirst down some steps, twisted my foot, and had to spend most of the holiday with my foot up covered in ice. I read a lot of books about what had happened in Northern Tuscany in the mountains during the Second World War, and it was so intriguing I thought, that's what I'm going to do. It's gone from there. Setting the scene for the new World War II series I thought, after Tuscany, if I do another World War II book, where would I like to set that? That is when I hit on the idea of a rural village in the Dordogne, and that's all the change was about. And as well as wanting to do a different kind of book or a book set in a different location, I'd had enough of all the long-haul flights, because I always go to the places I set my books and Europe is a lot easier from here. Jenny Wheeler: That's right. To digress for a moment,

Les Legendes R Bordeaux Rouge Aia Vecchia Lagone In this episode, Rob, Scott, and Becky have a competition to see if Italy can beat France in the world of value priced Bordeaux Blends.  To do this they review Les Legendes R Rouge from Baron Rothschild, and Aia Vecchia Lagone.  Will France prove superior, or will Becky be subject to the orders of her superiors and sabotage the proceedings?  We shall see...on The Wine Vault.

I did promise you an episode on Matilda of Tuscany, and here it is. But, it is not mine. This episode is from the fantastic podcast "A History of Italy" by Mike Corradi. I cam across it when I was researching the Matilda Episode and I realised in horror, that if I wee to create a Matilda Episode, it would be very much like this one, only worse. So I asked Mike whether I could borrow his work. Listening to Mike will give you a great though different perspective of the same events and I cget teh chance to lounge about the house, watch Netflix and eat crisps..... If you enjoy Mike's work, why don't you subscribe to his podcast. His website is here: https://ahistoryofitaly.com/podcast/ Support this podcast

Italy can be therapeutic.  People from all walks of life flock to Italy for all sorts of reasons. We've never met a person who left the country and didn't say to themselves, wow! That's the way life should be.  Andrew Cotto recently returned from Italy, where he was on a three-week "work" trip drumming up stories. Andrew is a fantastic journalist; one of his stories from this trip will be coming out in Italy Magazine. He will be pitching several more articles to other travel sites and publications.  In addition to his travel writing, Andrew has a new book out. Pasta Mike, a story of friendship and loss. Losing your best friend is not easy. In our conversation on this podcast, you can hear in Andrew's voice the pain he's still going through.  Friendship never dies, and Pasta Mike is a reminder of how important it is to have people in your life who you love, trust, depend on, and yes, even say goodbye to even if you aren't ready to.  Please take the time to give this podcast a "like," share it with friends, and follow us on your favorite podcast platform, so you know when new episodes are released. Click the social media icons below and or search Total Tuscany and join our community. 

Welcome to another episode of On The Road Edition. Today Stevie Kim is in Bolgheri, sitting down with Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja Before telling you more about our great episode we want to give a shout out to our new Sponsor Vivino! the world's largest online wine marketplace - The Vivino app makes it easy to choose wine. Enjoy expert team support, door-to-door delivery and honest wine reviews to help you choose the perfect wine for every occassion. Vivino - Download the app on Apple or Android and discover an easier way to choose wine! Find out more about by visiting: https://www.vivino.com/IT/en/ or download the app: https://www.vivino.com/app About today's guest: Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of Marchesi de' Frescobaldi SpA and Chief Executive Officer for Ornellaia E Masseto SA SRL (a subsidiary of Marchesi de' Frescobaldi SpA). He studied Economics at the University of Florence and entered the wine business in Italy in the early 1970s, eventually becoming CEO of Rémy Cointreau's Italian company. After 12 years as CEO of Antinori, he took on the challenge of reorganizing the worldwide distribution for the Remy Cointreau Group. At the same time, he started consulting for Frescobaldi on their joint venture project called “Luce della Vite,” with the Robert Mondavi Corporation. In 1996, Giovanni became CEO of Frescobaldi and in 1999 became CEO of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which produces Ornellaia and Masseto. About Ornellaia ORNELLAIA is synonymous with Tuscany. The estate encompasses 115 hectares under vine along the Tuscan coastline. Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore is the estate's top wine, followed by Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia and Le Volte dell'Ornellaia, and the whites Ornellaia Bianco and Poggio alle Gazze dell'Ornellaia. In little over thirty years (the first vintage of Ornellaia was in 1985). The wines here are famous and coveted all over the world. About Masseto Masseto, since 1986 is one wine, from one vineyard, and one estate. The potential of the acclivity where the Masseto vineyard stands along the Tuscan coast was glimpsed at the beginning of the Eighties. The blue clay, refreshing coastal breezes and the superlative refraction of the light guaranteed by the Mediterranean Sea all contribute to the intriguing blend of power, elegance and complexity that distinguishes the wine from the estate. Since the 2017 vintage, Masseto has been accompanied by the second wine Massetino. Both begin their journey on the Masseto hillslope in 11 hectares densely planted under vine and progress from prized grapes to coveted bottles of wine that refine in the estate's cellar, designed by architectural firm Zito Mori, which was inaugurated in April 2019. This marks the point of departure for both wines around the world, every autumn, through Place de Bordeaux. If you want to learn more about today's wineries, you can by visiting: http://www.masseto.com http://www.ornellaia.com More about the host Stevie Kim: Stevie hosts Clubhouse sessions each week (visit Italian Wine Club & Wine Business on Clubhouse), these recorded sessions are then released on the podcast to immortalize them! She often also joins Professor Scienza in his shows to lend a hand keeping our Professor in check! You can also find her taking a hit for the team when she goes “On the Road”, all over the Italian countryside, visiting wineries and interviewing producers, enjoying their best food and wine – all in the name of bringing us great Pods! To find out more about Stevie Kim visit: Facebook: @steviekim222 Instagram: @steviekim222 Website: https://vinitalyinternational.com/wordpress/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!

Laura Davis is the author of seven books, including The Courage to Heal and I Thought We‘d Never Speak Again. Her groundbreaking books have been translated into 11 languages and sold two million copies. In addition to writing books that inspire and change people's lives, the work of Laura's heart is to teach. For more than twenty years, she's helped people find their voices, tell their stories, and hone their craft. Laura loves creating supportive, intimate writing communities online, in person, and internationally. Laura has posted the first five chapters of her book for free on her website. Laura's new memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story is the riveting story of her embattled relationship with her mother Temme, their determination to love one another, and the dramatic and surprising collision course they ended up on at the end of Temme's life. For the millions of readers of Laura's first book, The Courage to Heal, The Burning Light of Two Stars is both prequel and sequel, revealing in page-turning, intimate detail how Laura reconciled with the mother who betrayed her, and came to care for her in her final days. You can also read the opening chapters here: https://lauradavis.net/the-burning-light-of-two-stars/ If you're a writer or want to use writing as a tool for healing or self-discovery, you can learn about Laura's online writing workshops and in-person domestic and international retreats here: www.lauradavis.net And if you want to go to Tuscany with Laura in June of 2022, check it out here! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lolacommunity/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lolacommunity/support

Well here we are at episode four of our podcast! And this one is a special edition of Something to Eat and Something to Read where we talk to author Sarah Winman and food writer Emiko Davies about what food means to them and how it shapes their stories. Thank you to Sarah for chatting with us about the kindness of strangers, how being given a meal or a good coffee can make you feel more than your circumstances, how food is memory and place, and how the idea for  Still Life found her. Both of us love this book, a true “four course nourishment” that sweeps across four decades of the lives of Ulysses and his friends who become family as they move from England at the end of WW2 to Florence in Tuscany and start a new life.  And thank you to Emiko for sharing her story with us too, how she writes about all the senses when writing about food, her food memories, the importance of birthday cake and how she came to be Sill Life's food consultant! And read right to the end please for a very delicious recipe Emiko was good enough to share with us! Our interviews with Sarah and Emiko are available to listen now on Apple podcasts.  For more show notes and recipes, pls subscribe to our Substack newsletter. 

In this week's episode, we sit down with Duane Forrest singer-songwriter and multimedia artist on the Paris leg of his current European tour. We talk very vivid dreams of ivory coast, live dock shows in cottage country, heartbreak, chopped salad, Tuscany, all the coasts and all the black communities, Duane's decision to have a vinyl offering for his latest album #LeSol and much, much more! Sol e Sol builds on themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery, reflecting musically Duane's growth as an artist and a human being.  Please make sure you comment, rate and subscribe. Send us your feedback at contact@youngeastafricangirl.com Recommendations from this episode: In 2011 Duane founded Genesis Community of the Arts, a registered Canadian charity offering music and arts education to marginalized children and youth in Toronto and Central America. To find out more about Genesis please visit www.genesisartschool.com and donate if you can! Marvin Gaye on Vinyl  Joni Mitchell on Vinyl Mother Cocktail Bar

When we think of bravery and self-sacrifice, we usually think of heroic acts during war. We focus on famous battles and epic outcomes. As we consider what it means to sacrifice for others, it's fitting that we spotlight a woman who gave up much to save many.   John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."   Florence Nightingale was born into a rich family and lived in Tuscany. Not exactly a training ground for self-sacrifice!   Florence, though, made a decision to dedicate her life to helping others. By making this choice, she gave up her own personal dreams.   During the Crimean War, she made the rounds at night to check on wounded soldiers. Later, she used her writing skills to build support for better nursing techniques and hospital facilities. Today she is known for her innovative ideas that saved countless lives.   In this way, the girl born into wealth and a life of ease became a symbol of self-sacrifice. While traveling in Egypt once, she wrote to her sister that she felt “Called to God.”   It was the perfect description of a woman who thought of others first, and last.   Let's pray. Lord, please give us a heart for people like Florence Nightingale! Help us love others more than we love ourselves. Amen.   How can we pray for you today? Members of Team Kerusso meet on a regular basis to pray, and we would be honored to pray for you. Visit Kerusso.com/pray to submit a request.

Building the app while on sabbatical from Microsoft in 2003, Eric LeVine, CEO and founder of CellarTracker, had been close to a one-person show until recently.  Yet, he's built one of the most useful productivity tools for wine collectors, an engaged community of geeky wine lovers, and a respectable business that he's now investing in to grow and take to new heights for the benefit of the CellarTracker community.  Eric's openness and candor provide an in-depth look at how one of the leading wine platforms was founded, built, and where it's going next. Detailed Show Notes:Eric's background“Tech geek” to “wine geek”He was at Microsoft from 1992 - 2005; his last project was the “send error report” feature1999 - took a biking trip to Tuscany and fell in love with wine and started collectingBuilt a tool to keep track of his cellar, then let a few friends use it, which morphed a personal spreadsheet into a relational databaseEric created CellarTracker while on sabbatical from Microsoft in 2003, then in April 2004, launched it publicly and left Microsoft a few months laterCellarTracker overviewCore element - a productivity tool to catalog and manage every aspect of the wine experience (e.g., purchasing, tracking, consuming)Byproduct - “Yelp for wine” - the aggregated wisdom of the community from tasting notes, drinking windowsUser base10M unique people visit the site~750k registered users~300k active usersWine database4M wines created135M bottles in cellars9.1M tasting notes in the community + 1.3M professional tasting notesFeatures and functionsOptical recognition of labels - partners with VivinoMost used features - tasting notes (~10M visitors/year on the website, most people reading or researching the tasting notes; ~9.1M tasting notes growing ~750k / year / ~2k / day)Features collectors use - what wines do they have, when do they want to drink them, what are wines worth (the main premium feature)Wine valuations - partner with Wine Market Journal for appraisals, overlaid with what people are paying for the wines in CellarTrackerDrinking windows - updated by users, partnership with review publications to overlay their data for subscribers of their contentSurprise & Delight feature - the ability to print a restaurant-style wine listGeekiest feature - can print unique barcodes for your bottles and use a scanner to check them in and outDefault mode - creates a unique barcode for each specific bottleFor restaurants - uses same code for each wine of a particular sizeConducted research into the wine collector space~18M people in the US store wine at home / in a wine fridge~10% awareness of CellarTracker in the US~5-10% awareness of CellarTracker globallyData analyticsThey just hired the 1st data scientist several weeks ago (as of Oct 2021)They haven't done a lot to dateUser ratings - can track/follow specific authors, most often used for older wines at auction as one of the only sources of data for older winesRichard Bazinet authored research in 2016 of an analysis of community ratings vs. professional publicationsNever specifically built tools to enhance “influencers” in the system, was anti “gamification” elements to incentivize people to write tasting notesData accuracy - has a team of 4 (some PT/ some FT) to curate the wine database and look for duplicates, use both automation and humans to have duplicate detectionBusiness model“Voluntary Payment” - one of the early “Freemium” business modelsEstablished this because the value of CellarTracker is in the active community, and the data it creates makes the platform more robust and valuableSuggested payment based on the size of collection - avg ~$57/year$40/year for

Episode 696 Rebecca Lawrence interviews Alberto Martinez Interiano in this episode of Voices on the Italian Wine Podcast. Before telling you more about our great episode we want to give a shout out to our new Sponsor Vivino! the world's largest online wine marketplace - The Vivino app makes it easy to choose wine. Enjoy expert team support, door to door delivery and honest wine reviews to help you choose the perfect wine for every occassion. Vivino - Download the app on Apple or Android and discover an easier way to choose wine! Find out more about by visiting: https://www.vivino.com/IT/en/ or download the app: https://www.vivino.com/app About today's guest: Alberto Martinez Interiano is a wine educator and writer based in Seattle, WA. He currently works as an instructor at The Cellar Muse Wine School in Seattle, and also teaches Italian and Spanish wine courses at the Wine & Spirit Archive in Portland, OR. His passion for wine started when he lived in Tuscany as a student, where he fell in love with Chianti and rustic Italian food. After being bitten by the wine bug, his curiosity led him to read all the wine books he could get his hands on, join multiple tasting groups, and later pursue a formal wine education in San Francisco and Seattle. Alberto is a big fan of Italian wines, in particular old-school Barolo & Barbaresco, Etna (Rosso & Bianco) and Campanian whites. He's traveled extensively throughout Northern and Central Italy and next on his travel wish list are trips to Sicily and Sardinia. He's an VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, holds the WSET Diploma (with Honors) and has an MBA in Marketing and International Business. He speaks Spanish, Italian and is now working on his French. He writes for his blog www.vinointeriano.com and is a contributing blogger at the Vintner Project: www.vintnerproject.com If you want to learn more about today's guest, you can by visiting: Website: wwwvinointeriano.com Instagram: @vinointeriano Twitter: @vinointeriano More about the host Rebecca Lawrence: Future voice of the BBC and English Language voice of Professor Attilio Scienza, Rebecca Lawrence has stepped in to host special this series on the Italian Wine Podcast. An esteemed wine educator, writer, and all-around polymath Rebecca is adding a fresh voice to the Italian Wine Podcast lineup. Her show Voices focuses on diversity and allyship in the wine sector, often interviewing guests that are doing their part to enact positive changes within the wine industry all over the world. To find out more about Rebecca visit: https://www.rosmarinoevino.com/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ We also want to give a shout out to our sponsor Ferrowine. The largest alcoholic beverage shop in Italy since 1920! They have generously provided us with our brand new Italian Wine Podcast T-shirts, and we love them! Check out Ferrowine's site, they have great wines, food pairings and so much more! https://www.ferrowine.it/ Until next time, Cin Cin!

After following Florence and Tuscany through a mini golden age from the 1280's to the 1330's we see things really start to go downhill with social tensions between the Arti Maggiori, the greater guilds, and the arti minori, the lesser guilds, exacerbated also by the very brief dominion over Florence by Walter of Brienne. We then take a brief look at the life of Giovani bocaccio and see the plague through his eyes with his great work the Decameron.

Rupert's oldest son Lachlan may have won the Murdoch family succession battle when he became CEO of the Fox Corporation. But that's not where the Murdoch drama ends. On this brand new episode, New York Times assistant editor Ed Lee joins Aricia and Brooke to unpack some big news from James Murdoch. Later, culture writer Hunter Harris gives an update on the new season of HBO's Succession. Harris flew to Tuscany to interview the cast and crew while they shot the final episodes of season three.Read Ed Lee's reporting on the Murdochs:https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/business/media/james-murdoch-resigns-news-corp.htmlCheck out Hunter Harris's Vulture article about her time in Italy with the cast of Succession:https://www.vulture.com/article/succession-season-three.htmlIndeed- Get started with a $75 credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/RICH!Each & Every- Listeners get 30% your first purchase of Each & Every at eachandevery.com/RICH, and use the promo code: RICH!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Basilicata is a tiny region that represents the arch of the Italy's boot -the small area that borders Calabria in the west, Puglia in the east, Campania in the north and the Gulf of Taranto in the south. In this, Italy's 3rd least populous region, wine has been made for thousands of years but today, what remains is just 2,006 ha/5,000 acres of vineyards, which is 0.15% of Italy's total wine production. Of the 2% that is DOC wine, there is a shining star – a wine that can rival the best of the best in all of Italy – Aglianico del Vulture (ahl-LYAh-nee-koh del VOOL-too-ray). In this show we discuss the background of this southern Italian region and discuss the jewel in its crown.     Here are the show notes… We first discuss the location and land of Basilicata In the southern Apennines, Basilicata is the most mountainous region in the south of Italy. 47% is covered by mountains, 45% is hilly, and only 8% is plains. The west is the hillier area, the east runs into flatter land into Puglia. There is a small stretch of coastline between Campania and Calabria and a longer one along the Gulf of Taranto, between Puglia and Calabria. Photo: Getty Images We do a good look at the history of Basilicata, but the highlights are: People (or really ancestors of modern people) have inhabited the area since Paleolithic times. Matera is considered one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world. Its Sassi district, which has now become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has caves on a rocky hillside that were inhabited by people as far back as the Paleolithic times. Greeks settled in Basilicata from at least the 8th c BCE and likely brought Aglianico with them. Basilicata has been conquered by nearly everyone who paraded through southern Italy over the centuries. In the 1970s and 80s there was a renaissance in wine in Basilicata but it didn't last. Today, there is renewed hope and investments, as a new generation of winemakers takes over their family domaines, establishes new properties and combines traditional and modern winemaking to make excellent wines.   We mention several DOCs of Basilicata: Photo of Matera: Getty Images Matera DOC was granted in 2005 It is 50 ha / 124 acres, and produces about 11,200 cases per year REDS: Matera Primitivo (90%+ Primitivo/Zinfandel grape), Matera Rosso (at least 60% Sangiovese and 30% Primitivo), and Matera Moro, (a minimum of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Primitivo and 10% Merlot). There are basic and Riserva levels Whites: Matera Greco (85%+ Greco), Matera Bianco (minimum of 85% Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata) There is also spumante (sparkling) made in the Champagne method   Grottino di Roccanova DOC was granted in 2009 8 ha / 20 acres, and producers about 3,000 cases per year White/Bianco (Minimum of 80% Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata) Red/Rosso: Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignino, Malvasia Nera di Basilicata, Montepulciano   Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri DOC was granted in 2003. At 11 ha / 27 acres, the area makes a mere 3,840 cases a year. Vineyards can be no higher than 800 m/ 2,625 ft Red/Rosato: Rosso (Minimum 50% Merlot; minimum 30% Cabernet Sauvignon; maximum 20% other red grapes). Riserva and regular versions Photo: Getty Images, Val d'Agri   We spend the rest of the show discussing  Aglianico del Vulture DOC/DOCG, which is 25% of Basilicata's total production Vulture's land… Vulture is an extinct volcano that was last active about 130,000 years ago. It is 56 km/35 miles north of Potenza at an altitude of 1,326m/4,350 ft, close to borders with Puglia and Campania. Woods surround the area and the top of the slope has more volcanic soils and lower lying vineyards have more mixed, colluvial, and clay soils. The elevations are specified by the DOC – too low or too high and you won't get great flavor development or quality wine, so the range is 200-700 m/660 -2300 ft. The variety of soils, elevations and exposures mean that there are different styles of Aglianico del Vulture. Photo: Getty Images Vulture's climate… Vulture is continental in climate and it has lower average daily temperatures than Sicily or Tuscany. There are cool breezes that sweep in from the Adriatic, cooling the area and preventing humidity. Elevation also keeps things cooler, especially at night, which means the grapes experience a long growing season, building flavor in the hot sun during the day, and cooling at night to hoard acidity.  The rain shadow of Mount Vulture also keeps the weather cool and dry.  That said, in some years the drought is fierce, grapes can get sunburned, the tannins can be tough, and the wine can be overly alcoholic.     Characteristics of Aglianico del Vulture Aglianico is a thick-skinned grape that needs mineral-rich soils with clay and limestone (like what is on Vulture). It can be overcropped, so careful tending to the grapes leads to better results (this is kind of a dumb thing to say, since that's the case with all grapes, but I'm putting it out there anyway!).   Flavors range in Aglianico del Vulture. Younger wines are high in tannins and acidity, with black cherry, chocolate, flowers, minerals, dark-fruit, and shrubby, forest notes. With a few years (5 or more), you may get nuances of Earl gray tea, black tea, licorice, earth, tar, spice, and violets. The tannins calm with age, but the acidity remains – with age (7-10 years) these wines are pretty impressive. We discuss the fact that there are some lighter styles and some savory, complex ones, but most are minerally with tannin in some form. Photo of Aglianico: Getty Images  Aglianico del Vulture was made a DOC in 1971 It is 520/1,284 acres, and it's average production is 235,000 cases The wine is red or spumante – all is 100% Aglianico (the sparkling must be made in the Champagne method). Reds are required to be aged for 9-10 months in a vessel of the producer's choice before release (oak isn't required). Spumante must rest for 9 months on the lees. Photo: Monte Vulture, Getty Images Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG/ Riserva Superiore DOCG was created in 2010. It is within the Aglianico del Vulture DOC but is only 89 ha/220 acres Production is much smaller, at 6,670 cases. The wine is 100% Aglianico. Superiore is required to spend 12 months in oak, 12 months in a bottle, cannot be sold until at least three years after harvest. Superiore Riserva spends 24 months in oak, 12 in bottle, and cannot be released until at least 5 years after harvest. Both categories must reach a minimum of 13.5% ABV (basically a guarantee that the grapes are ripe!)     In the show we discuss the food of Basilicata and mention a few specialties: M.C. Ice was surprised that in this area, bread crumbs were a cheese substitute, sprinkled over pasta, meat, and vegetables. Horseradish is common here, along with Italian hot peppers, beans, pork sausage, and the famed bread of Matera, which is a Protected Georgraphical Indication and uses wheat grown locally and a yeast infused with fruit.     Producers are vital to getting a quality wine. This is my list… D'Angelo (Split into D'Angelo and Donato D'Angelo recently, and each is good) Paternoster (recently sold to Veneto's Tommasi family) Cantine del Notaio Elena Fucci Terre degli Svevi /Re Manfredi Grifalco Eubea and Basilisco (both small-production bottlings) Bisceglia (we were drinking the 2018 Terre di Vulcano, which was about $18) DOC wines are around US$20/GBP£15, DOCG wines are more like US$45/GBP£43.   __________________________ Thanks for our sponsors this week: Wine Access: Access to the best wines for the best prices! For 15% off your next order, go to www.wineaccess.com/normal   If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!  www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes _____________________________ Some interesting sources I used for this show: Italian Wine Central (Great for data on DOCs/DOCGs) "The Wines of Basilicata Paradise Lost and Found" 4/17, Vinous, by Ian d'Agata  NY Times Article on Aglianico

Listen to Legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz talk about his life and career, friends Gary Winogrand, Tony Ray Jones and Lee Friedlander, looking at the street, the importance of the Bronx, his Robert Frank epiphany, how baseball trained him for street photography, getting away with murder on the streets, the importance of scale, his promise to his audience, it's not too late for fashion, the mystery of his 8x10 Deardorf, the best part of his days in Tuscany and more. 

Our 200th episode kicks off a series of podcast episodes covering Kim and Tamara's recent EPIC trip to Portugal. This week we are joined by Kirsten Maxwell, from Kids Are a Trip and Multigenerational Vacations to talk about visiting Porto and the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal. Stay tuned for future episodes on the Alentejo, Algarve and Azores regions of Portugal! Disclosure: Our trip was hosted by EPIC Travel, a boutique travel agency specializing in arranging custom itineraries in Portugal and Morocco. EPIC's in-country travel planners have close relationships with hotels, guides, drivers and tour operators and can design the perfect trip for your travel style and interests. EPIC focuses on adventure and cultural experiences to allow you to have a deeper and more epic journey. Visiting Porto & the Douro Valley Porto is similar to Lisbon but much smaller and more compact, easier to explore in just a couple of days. Start off your visiting with a walking tour (we used Explore Sideways) to get a feel of the city. Be sure to walk across one of the bridges, or take a water taxi, to Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river World of Wine is an entertainment complex with multiple museums, restaurants, and bars in Vila Nova de Gaia -- offering so much to do for families, friends, and couples. WOW offers a Chocolate Museum and experience where you can take workshops such as a chocolate and port pairing class. There is also a museum about Porto and Portuguese history and even a Rosé museum! You can learn a lot about Port wine with a tour and tasting at Taylor's, one of the major port producers, which is located right next to WOW. We stayed at Vila Foz, a luxury boutique property in the Foz district of Porto, about 10 minutes from downtown. It is located right across from the coast, along a coastal pathway great for walking, running, or biking. Vila Foz offers both a historic manor house and more modern rooms. The service and food are excellent and the hotel has a very nice spa, making it ideal for couples or a girlfriend getaway. To visit the Douro Valley, you can either rent a car and self-drive, or take a day trip tour from Porto. Even if you are staying in the Valley, we would recommend that you hire a driver or take a wine tour (we worked with Lab Tours Portugal) when you want to go wine tasting. Also keep in mind that driving in the cities is quite harrowing, as are the narrow streets you will find in many of the small towns in the countryside. So if you are not comfortable with that, be sure to hire a driver instead. The Douro River Valley is a UNESCO Heritage site for its terraced vineyards. It is a popular river cruise destination but if you are visiting by land, you can get a good sense of it in just one to two days. If you want time to relax and enjoy activities at your hotel, then plan on staying longer. The Douro River Valley is ideal for couples or friends because the main activity is wine tasting. However, if you are visiting with kids you can find other activities like hiking and kayaking. You can also take a Douro River boat cruise from the town of Pinhaõ on one of the historic boats used to transport barrels of port wine down the river to Porto. If traveling with young kids, be sure to stay at a hotel that offers on-site activities and/or babysitting. Douro 41 is located between Porto and the Douro Valley, but on the Douro River, and it is a great choice for families with young kids or teens. They offer many activities on site including picnics, boat cruises, kayaking, and paddleboards. The hotel also has a movie corner and game room with a snooker table and board games. When going wine tasting, you will want to make reservations ahead of time and be sure to plan out your day as the quintas are all very spread out and there aren't a lot of restaurants and things around. It is best to work with a wine tour company like Lab Tours Portugal. For a high-end, luxury stay, book a room at the Six Senses Douro Valley. The Six Senses offers a convenient location, great rooms, wonderful food, and tons of activities on site for adults as well as children from pickling classes to making your own bath products. Some are complimentary and some are additional. The Vintage House in Pinhao is a more traditional British style hotel located right on the river in a convenient location for exploring the small town. There is a wonderful on-site restaurant, outdoor terrace, and lovely pool. Full Episode Transcript [00:00:00.190] - Kim Tate Discover why you should visit the second biggest city in Portugal.   [00:00:15.950] - Announcer Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We 3Travel.   [00:00:30.410] - Kim Tate So, Tamara, we are back from our massive epic trip to Portugal, and we are going to dive in on some coverage and talk about our trip over the next few episodes.   [00:00:41.990] - Tamara Gruber Actually, I know we have to apologize for having, like, an extra week break in there, but we were just too tired last week. Guys, we couldn't do it, I think.   [00:00:51.050] - Kim Tate My eight hour time zone change. I'm still not recovered one weekend. There was no way we were making it happen. So hopefully you guys forgiven us for our extra delay.   [00:01:03.530] - Tamara Gruber We had a very busy trip. And so when we were on the trip, we decided that the best way to do to cover it for our listeners would be to break it up into the different regions that we visited. Because as much as you may like us, you probably don't want to have us going on and on for about 4 hours trying to cover everything that we did in our trip, and then we probably still couldn't get to it.   [00:01:25.310] - Kim Tate Yeah. I think 17 days in one podcast episode is too much to ask of anyone. So I think we made the right choice. And I think that we learned about the variety of Portugal and how much more there is than just Lisbon. And that's what we're hoping to help share with you guys with these episodes. And having multiple episodes is that we can help you see that there is variety. It's not just pretty tiles and Rivers. So we're going to help share some of that.   [00:01:53.810] - Tamara Gruber So let's break down where we went and we're just going to probably cover things maybe not exactly chronologically the way that we did them, but breaking up into regions. But our trip started out in Porto, which is a Northern city of Portugal. And from there we explored the Douro River Valley, and those two areas are what we're going to talk about today, because a lot of that would be captured in one trip. But I think as we work our way through the different episodes, you'll kind of get a better sense of if you want to do this region in that region, like what things kind of go together.   [00:02:29.390] - Tamara Gruber But after Porto and Douro, what do we cover next?   [00:02:33.350] - Kim Tate I think we're going to move to the Alentejo region, which is the biggest region of Portugal. And it's kind of that whole middle section in between kind of the Northern section, which is Porto Douro, and then the Southern section, which is the Algarve. It was a real delight for me to discover. It's definitely a wine region, has some epic night skies and sunsets, and we're going to kind of get more information about that region.   [00:03:02.090] - Tamara Gruber I kind of think of it as if you like Southern Spain or if you like Tuscany, like you would probably really like Alentejo. It has a lot of that kind of rolling Hills. There's some small hillside, historic towns, big wine farms, I should say, big vineyards as well as wine, hotels and estates that are on those properties. So a lot to offer families, couples, really any type of travelers, especially those that like to get a little bit more off the beaten path. But then from Alentejo, we're going to go.   [00:03:37.070] - Tamara Gruber I don't know if we'll cover it this way, but on our trip, we went down to the Algarve, which is going from off the beaten path to probably very much the beaten path with many tourists. But it was some place I've never been to, and I've always wanted to go because I don't care how busy something is. Those gorgeous coastlines and the caves and the cliffs is just something that I needed to see for myself.   [00:03:59.090] - Kim Tate Agreed. It's quite beautiful. And again, another amazing place to find sunsets. And yeah, it was neat to see that. And then I think then we'll wrap up. We came back into Lisbon after the Algarve and flew over to the Azores, which is kind of I think that's probably the trendiest place that people seem to be most excited about hearing about based on social shares that I've seen all of us, the comments we've been getting.   [00:04:24.710] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I think not as many people have gone. It's on a lot of bucket lists. There's a lot of curiosity in terms of where do you go? How do you do it? There's a lot more information out there about Lisbon and Porto, so definitely look forward to sharing that. Of course, we only had a chance to visit one of the Islands, but we try to see as much of that island as we could, so definitely stay tuned, lots of content. But this week we're going to start off with Porto and Douro.   [00:04:52.490] - Tamara Gruber And since you probably don't want to hear just from us, we're going to try to bring in some other people on these episodes, too. That joined us on the trip or that helped us plan the trip.   [00:05:02.330] - Kim Tate So we're starting off today with Kirsten, who is with us for the first seven days. And so with her, we are going to talk all about Porto and Douro Valley.   [00:05:18.810] - Tamara Gruber So this week we're here with Kirsten Maxwell, who is founder of Kids Are A Trip. And you may remember her from previous episodes where we talked about what do we talk about? We've talked about kids with allergies I know. You've been on many times. Kirsten right.   [00:05:31.350] - Kirsten Maxwell That's right. I also did all inclusive Mexico resorts with you guys yes.   [00:05:36.270] - Tamara Gruber Such a good resource. So this time, we're having on to talk about Porto and the Douro Valley in Portugal because we were all just there together.   [00:05:44.190] - Kirsten Maxwell We're so fun. Yeah.   [00:05:46.230] - Tamara Gruber So before we get into talking about that particular region, I just wanted to kind of go through a Disclaimer and talk a little bit about how we did our trip. So for this trip, we worked with Epic Travel. Epic is a boutique travel agency that focuses exclusively on Portugal and Morocco, and they create custom itineraries for families and couples and others that are looking to explore a little deeper and add some adventure and culture into their journey through Portugal. And so we worked with them to try to get a sense of what type of experiences and things that they can arrange.   [00:06:23.430] - Tamara Gruber And so just as a Disclaimer, our trip was hosted by both Epic, and their travel partners, different hotels and activity providers. And our flights were provided by TAP Airlines. So big thank you to them. But in the meantime, if anyone is interested in planning a trip after you're inspired by our little discussion here today, then you can reach out it's Epic Travel and check out what they have to offer. But let's talk about it. So, Kirsten, you've been to Portugal before, but I think this was your first time in Porto or the Douro Valley.   [00:06:57.450] - Tamara Gruber What did you expect when we went? What were your overall thoughts about that part of the trip?   [00:07:03.630] - Kirsten Maxwell This was my first time to visit both those areas. And I think what I expected was a smaller version of Lisbon, which I kind of feel like Porto is and with the Douro Valley, I had no idea what to expect. I mean, I knew it was a wine region famous for its river cruises, but no idea what we would find there.   [00:07:24.750] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I've heard about it being very pretty and a UNESCO heritage site with the terraced river valleys. Also, I knew it was the birthplace of Port, but I was not thinking of it exclusively as Port. And then when we were in Porto, we learned so much about Port that I got worried. I know it's going to be only Port. I was relieved to find out that they actually do a lot of other wine there as well.   [00:07:49.650] - Kirsten Maxwell I think I probably have the same misconception as well.   [00:07:52.470] - Kim Tate Well, I was kind of excited to see how each of the Quintas as we soon learned what they call their farms and kind of wineries out there. They do wine differently than I think in the States that we're used to where it's like, oh, these are the Cab grapes, and this is our cab. Sov and this is our Merlot or whatever it is. And there they just kind of say, oh, we're just going to grab all the grapes, mix them together and see what we get.   [00:08:18.990] - Kirsten Maxwell That's true.   [00:08:20.790] - Tamara Gruber Mix and match different way of planting. Yes.   [00:08:25.110] - Kim Tate So we only had two days in Porto, but why don't you kind of highlight some of the things that stood out to you? And how long do you think people should maybe plan on spending in Porto?   [00:08:37.710] - Kirsten Maxwell We did pack in a lot in two days. I think I had mentioned maybe to Tamara while we were walking around through the city. I mean, that was my favorite part, just walking through the little back alleyways and seeing the historic buildings and seeing all the people outside enjoying dining and the restaurant terraces. I really thought that was part of the fun was just kind of going through the back alleyways and finding those hidden gems I still love.We went to this place called the World of Wine or WOW World of Wine and it is massive. I can call it like an entertainment complex with I think there's seven different museums, twelve restaurants. It has everything you could want to spend, like a fun day out with family, kids, husband, girlfriends, whatever. For as many days, I would say at least two days minimum in Porto. And you probably could go up to maybe four with, like, a day trip to the Door Valley.   [00:09:39.030] - Tamara Gruber Probably. Especially if you wanted to build in some of the workshops or experiences that they had. It. Well, like we did the chocolate and Port tasting, but even for kids and families, they have, like the chocolate pop cake, pop making and the whole chocolate Museum. I think my kid could spend a good amount of time in there, especially when they got to the tasting section.   [00:09:59.730] - Kirsten Maxwell Agree that and the Rose place. I can't remember what it was called, but I think a teenager that was of drinking age would really enjoy doing all the selfies that they had to offer. Yeah.   [00:10:11.430] - Kim Tate You can tell that that whole Museum district was definitely designed with kind of Instagram and very modern tourism take on stuff.   [00:10:20.910] - Kirsten Maxwell That's cool.   [00:10:23.610] - Kim Tate I think you made a good point, though. That one of the highlights for me was that they arranged that walking tour for us because I think Porto is definitely one of those cities, and I think this is like it. I mean, Tamara does food tours a lot, but just when you're new to an international city, getting a tour early on can really, I think help you know what you want to do on the other days as well and kind of give you more of a feel for the city and help you identify things that maybe you wouldn't have noticed before.   [00:10:55.110] - Kim Tate And so I love those local walking tours when you kind of get a feel for the city and being able to find where to eat and where to get stuff. I mean, that was huge. Yeah.   [00:11:05.850] - Tamara Gruber And I found it really interesting, too, to learn about some of the history of Porto as you're walking around, you see all these names that sound very English, like Taylors and Sandman. So you're like, what is that connection with Port and the English? And you learned about this, like, 500 year old history and this alliance and how they developed Port because the regular wine didn't make the journey up to England, and so they fortified it. And just so many interesting little facts that help you feel like you understand the place a bit more.   [00:11:34.530] - Tamara Gruber I mean, look, we learned all about these kind of winemaking families in the Douro Valley and competition or competitiveness, I guess, between some of them.   [00:11:44.190] - Kirsten Maxwell Yeah. And I would agree it was such a nice introduction to the city in the area to do a walking tour. And for us, that's one of the best places to start. Like you said, you do different classes and stuff when you travel for us. It's a tour because it gives you the instant layout of the city. And usually the tour guides are a great resource for where to eat or what not to miss or a special gem. So definitely recommend taking a tour.   [00:12:10.590] - Tamara Gruber So what did you think of Porto in general compared to Lisbon? I have a feeling I know what Kim is going to answer, but I want to hear what yours is first.   [00:12:18.090] - Kirsten Maxwell So it's such a hard thing to say because they're totally the same but different if you understand what I mean. Porto is smaller, but it's got the Atlantic Coast, it has surfing, it has rocky shorelines, it's much more compact. And I think that Lisbon is just humongous. I mean, it's just hard to explore in a day or two. You really have to set yourself there and make time to see everything. But now I want to know what Kim has to say.   [00:12:52.290] - Kim Tate It's so funny because I fell in love with Lisbon, but I really liked Porto, and I think it's for a little bit of the same reasons. They have much of the similar feel. I liked that Porto was kind of a little more compact. And then I really liked how they had, like, the two feels of the town, like Porto and then going across, I can't remember what it was called Gaia. And then it's called something like Novella Gaia or whatever. But I like that kind of how they had little sectors that they considered.   [00:13:24.030] - Kim Tate And I really liked Porto. I just thought it was a cool thing. I loved staying at where we stayed. I love being able to see the rocky shoreline and kind of walk around. And then all the bridges were just so amazing. And I remember we were on one of the bridges and looking out and seeing all these modernist type buildings and boats and everything. And then there's like this Castle wall right there as well. And I love that about Portugal, that it's just such a really unique blend of history and old with kind of modern life still and I just love that.   [00:13:54.810] - Kim Tate I think I liked Porto slightly more than Lisbon, but I love them both, so I'm not sure.   [00:14:00.330] - Tamara Gruber Visit them both, I guess.   [00:14:03.270] - Kim Tate I think it is really we can talk about this later. But I do think for people who are planning to go over there, I think it makes a lot of sense to fly into Porto and back out of Lisbon and do some stuff in between. I think that makes a lot of sense.   [00:14:17.250] - Tamara Gruber Well, Kim, you mentioned where we stayed, which was a little bit outside of the downtown historic center of Porto in this neighborhood called Foz with Foz. And we really all loved our stay at Villa Foz. I think it was one of our favorites of the trip. And so Kirsten, I guess maybe you could tell our listeners a little bit about this hotel. Like, why did we like it so much? And would you recommend that people stay there, or do you think it's better to be in town?   [00:14:45.330] - Kirsten Maxwell Yeah, sure. So like you mentioned, it's kind of on the outskirts of Porto, and it's a former Manor home and a newer building hotel building kind of attached to it, but attached to an underground. And the decor is phenomenal. I mean, it's just stunning when you walk in and you're just greeted by these high ceilings and wood and beautiful, deep, rich colors. And I will say the hospitality, I think we can all agree with second to none. You felt like wherever you turn, there was somebody there who could help you with anything you needed.   [00:15:20.910] - Kirsten Maxwell And I think that as far as who should stay there definitely families. Maybe if you're looking for a little bit somewhere close to the beaches, it has good beach access, but more maybe for couples because they had a great spa and the restaurant top notch, one of the best meals we had there.   [00:15:43.170] - Kim Tate Yeah, I agree with what you said. What do you think, Tamara? What did you think of Vila Foz?   [00:15:48.150] - Tamara Gruber I mean, I loved it. Definitely. Like you said the service, the breakfast was great. I mean, not many places have oysters and champagne for their breakfast buffet. Not that I was ever up for oysters and champagne after, like, late night chef's tasting dinner with wine courses. But it was nice that it was there if I wanted it true. But yeah, I definitely thought it was great. And I agree it would be good for couples.   [00:16:12.090] - Kim Tate And I think it was nice that they did have the set up where they did arrange transportation in and out of the city via Uber, but they kind of managed it themselves. So that is a little bit of a perk. It's maybe a little clunky right now how that works. But for people who are maybe looking to be not in the middle of the city necessarily. And like those lazy mornings and kind of being on site and eating, I think that's a good option, because you can then just get transportation into the city and then back home when you're ready or back to the hotel.   [00:16:43.050] - Kim Tate But building on that, why don't we talk about maybe getting from place to place? Because we got to explore a lot of Portugal, which was one of my favorite things that I kind of got outside of the cities and got to see more of what Portugal is like the countryside. So what do you think your recommendation is for families or couples, whoever. How should they get around Portugal? Because don't you agree that there's more to Portugal to see than just Lisbon and Porto?   [00:17:10.350] - Kirsten Maxwell Yes. Absolutely. And I think that was one of my favorite parts of this whole trip was getting outside of the major cities and seeing the countryside both in the Douro Valley and in Alentejo. And I think for families because usually have more than two, three, four people. I would recommend probably renting a car or hiring a driver, I think definitely hire a driver if you're going to do wine tasting. I highly recommend that I have had experiences many times with the transportation system, the public transport in Portugal, and it's not the most efficient.   [00:17:49.710] - Kirsten Maxwell So for me, it just kind of makes more sense to do it on your own or hire a driver or like you said, take a plane, fly into one, fly out of the other, rent a car in between the two. I think that would be a great idea. What did you guys think?   [00:18:04.890] - Kim Tate I definitely felt like the highways and everything are very easy to drive. It's normal, right sided driving. So for those who are used to driving in the States and everything, it's easy and things are well marked and all of that. The only thing is little towns. There are some tiny, tiny streets, and I would definitely not want to be doing that. So that's where if you're going to be touring little towns or like you're getting in and out of Lisbon or Porto, I would be a little hesitant to be driving in the city itself, but definitely small cars are going to be your friends there, which is going to be a little trickier for families with a lot of luggage.   [00:18:44.850] - Tamara Gruber I feel like with so many cities, the idea is if you have to have a car, drop it off, like outside of the city, right. We saw Kirsten, you weren't there, but driving in Lisbon is just impossible. There's no way I'd want to attempt that. And I definitely would also agree with certainly hiring a driver for the Douro Valley and having someone that is maybe not just a driver, but that can arrange a wine tour for you to visit different wineries, because like many places, it's something where you need to have an appointment.   [00:19:17.250] - Tamara Gruber But we saw, like, especially on I think it was the north side of the river. The roads aren't even as fully developed. So we were on some very narrow, gravely roads that were like Cliff right there, and there's no way you'd want to go wine tasting and beyond those roads. So 100% you need a driver then?   [00:19:35.850] - Kim Tate Yeah. Absolutely agree.   [00:19:37.770] - Tamara Gruber Since we're talking about the Douro Valley, we should talk to a little bit about kind of what it's like when we touched on it briefly. We know it's popular as a river cruise destination. So what are some of your overall thoughts about the region? Just what are the things to do outside of wine tasting? Or is this strictly something that you would recommend for people if they're looking for kind of beautiful scenery and wine?   [00:20:05.190] - Kirsten Maxwell That's an interesting question. I think that there probably is a lot to do. We didn't have a lot of time to explore outside the vineyards, but we had a conversation with our host at Douro 41 Hotel, and they were talking to us about going kayaking, that there's several national parks nearby that you can go and explore and do hiking and stuff like that. So I think you could make time out of it. A little bit of a city escape where you're sitting by the pool or you're going out and doing some hikes.   [00:20:39.090] - Kirsten Maxwell For the most part, though, I probably stick to couples, girls trips, single travel, even. I think that it really is all about the wine region for the most part there.   [00:20:51.390] - Kim Tate Yeah, we did do that boat tour on the river out of when we were in Pinhaõ, and I think that was quite fun and neat and would be great for families. And maybe we didn't spend enough time in that city specifically. But I agree 100%. I think that region the real gem of it is visiting the different Quintas and tasting Port and wine and having some lazy lunches and definitely can find some luxury and high end stuff there as well. So maybe not the best for families, depending on how much time you want or what your family's travel style is, I think.   [00:21:31.230] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. I must feel like if you have little kids, you could stay at a place where there's a lot of very kid focused activities and do some relaxation and then just take a day trip, even if they had kind of the babysitting or kids club activities, maybe just the parents go off and do some wine tasting and come back. But you need to look at it as like this is the downtime, quieter time of the trip.   [00:21:54.390] - Kim Tate Or just like your hotel base type. It's the kind of destination where you're going to really enjoy your hotel activities. Yeah, that's fine.   [00:22:03.390] - Kim Tate So do you think, Tamara, you recommend the Douro, just like Kirsten said, you think it's good for mostly couples or girlfriend getaways type thing.   [00:22:11.010] - Tamara Gruber I think it would be ideal for that again. Like with little kids. I think you want to be at a hotel that has hotel based activities. And then for teens, maybe you want to be a little bit more like where we were at Douro 41, which is somewhere between Porto and the Douro Valley, where you can do a lot more adventure and active types of things.   [00:22:31.530] - Kim Tate I definitely think that was kind of a little gem there, with the Douro 41 being kind of on the Porto side of the Douro Valley, and it seemed like they did have more. They were saying they're pretty popular families and had, like, the movie nights and stuff. But then they had beaches and water activity on the riverfront, so definitely more of a fit for families there. So what do you think about any tips for visiting Douro? I feel like we kind of went through Porto pretty quickly, but maybe those together.   [00:23:01.410] - Kim Tate What do you think are the tips for visiting the Douro region? And what about anything to follow up with Porto either?   [00:23:08.130] - Kirsten Maxwell Yeah, I think we covered some of the small tidbits. But number one, Tamara talked about the roads. Definitely. If you're not comfortable driving small roads or winding roads or have a kid that gets car sick, you might want to make a mental note and consider an alternative option of exploring, which would be by a river cruise or just a day trip. Even from Porto, you could take a cruise up there might be easier and then making appointments at the different Quintas because they aren't like, I know a lot of places in the States you can just drop in.   [00:23:41.730] - Kirsten Maxwell It seemed like many of them were making appointments ahead of time. I'm sure maybe some of the bigger ones you can drop in, but I'm not even sure about that. Which is why it comes in helpful to have somebody do that for you.   [00:23:54.870] - Kirsten Maxwell I think that the hotels, restaurants, everything else seemed to be pretty spread out. So you want to have a clear plan going into things like have your itinerary sketched out of where you're going to go. What you're going to see what you're going to do ahead of time because it's not really let's wing it kind of a trip.   [00:24:15.210] - Kim Tate Yeah, I know. Let's get on the road. Oh, let's stop there. That looks good.   [00:24:19.170] - Kim Tate It's not really not that kind of part of your trip.   [00:24:22.350] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. I found that, especially in the Douro Valley, that it wasn't like they were just restaurants all along. You had some that were tied into Quintas, which I think you pretty much needed the reservations for. There was that one. Was it called like, Doc, I think. Yeah, Doc or something? That was, I think, a Michelin star chef, but it's a very nice restaurant right on the river. And then there's only really a couple of little towns there's Pinhao that we stayed at that seemed pretty small in terms of restaurants and things.   [00:24:51.450] - Tamara Gruber And then there was one larger town gosh. I can't remember the name of it. I remember, it wasn't, like, super attractive.   [00:25:00.450] - Tamara Gruber You definitely need some planning. And we all enjoyed our experience with Lab Tours Portugal.   [00:25:08.310] - Kim Tate I was going to say I really think he did a great job, and I would recommend that way of doing it and even doing it from, like Kirsten said, a day trip from Porto kind of getting over there and getting picked up. That's really great.   [00:25:21.390] - Tamara Gruber Well, we talked a little bit about some of the hotels that we experienced. One of the things that as we get into more of our Portugal trip, we'll find that we moved around a lot. But the good news is we got to experience, like, a lot of different hotels, which some of them would appeal to different types of travelers. And so we can break down some of the ones that we experienced in the Douro Valley when we stayed at two and then we had lunch and took a tour of another.   [00:25:46.650] - Tamara Gruber So should we start at the top and just talk about six senses?   [00:25:50.730] - Kirsten Maxwell I mean, how do you not? I think it's one of the most popular accommodations in the Douro Valley. If I'm correct it's very high end luxury property and tons of activities for families, families, adults, friends. They've really kind of thought about everything when it comes to six senses. I think that's kind of what they're known for. I would definitely recommend that for families with young children because I believe they had a child care there. You guys can correct me if I'm wrong and definitely had activities. Teens might like it, but I could see them getting kind of bored.   [00:26:29.490] - Kirsten Maxwell You'd have to schedule some off property activities, which I'm sure they could schedule for you.   [00:26:34.470] - Kim Tate I did see they did have quite a few activities each day that some were complementary and some were extra. But there were things like four by four tours and things like that. So I think if you're splurging to stay at the Six Senses, you can probably afford a few of those activities, and you could keep teens entertained so that could work. But yeah, and I think when you talk about luxury, we all looked up kind of the pricing there, and it's definitely you're going to be paying for that.   [00:26:59.970] - Kim Tate But it's a very nice property. I loved how it was decorated and everything, and especially their little hotel dog Aqua.   [00:27:09.210] - Kirsten Maxwell So cute.   [00:27:10.950] - Tamara Gruber It's always nice to have a little friendly greeter like that. I feel like a lot of the programming that they had. I agree. It would definitely like that younger age group would be wonderful. We did something in the spa where we made a scrub. So they do those types of things for adults. But then they had that whole little workshop where they did types of things from the ground. So they would do things with herbs or pickle vegetables, or they seem like all types of different, very unique hands on types of things that I think some younger kids can really get into.   [00:27:44.070] - Tamara Gruber So definitely, if you can spring for six senses would be a great way to go. But then we had another stay at Vintage House, which was a very different vibe, but very nice in its own way. So can you describe that one Kirsten?   [00:27:58.050] - Kirsten Maxwell The Vintage house is. I call it traditionally British kind of hotel. It's very classical decor, something you'd expect to find in England almost was located right on the river, which was perfect. And you can kind of see the boats coming and going from your balcony in the room. They had lovely restaurant. We had really good dinner there, and it's located in the town of Pinhao. So if you wanted to walk into town and explore, you could do that. But it really was for them all about I think the location and their food. They had a great pool to be wonderful during the summer for kids and families, but there wasn't really much I felt going on for a family stay. Do you guys agree? Disagree.   [00:28:48.030] - Kim Tate I agree. That's where we took that river cruise and they offer longer river cruises. We did, like a 1 hour one. I think that was ideal. So for families or even couples, it gives you a good little taste, but it's not so long that you're like, okay. Yeah, I've seen this. There's another Quinta on the Hill, so I definitely think that that was really nice and its location right there on the river was great. I loved the decor and kind of the classicness.   [00:29:15.810] - Kim Tate They mentioned that it's going to be going through a remodel soon because you definitely had the it's very old and classic and kind of original. It's the original building. And so it's kind of got some really quaint and cool things like that. But I wish we would have had more time to kind of explore that city because I feel like if we knew more about Pinhao and what it was like, then maybe that would be more of a gem. So if you're thinking of kind of a little bit of a city stay in the Douro Valley region, you might look at Vintage House and Pinhao out and see what it kind of attracts.   [00:29:46.530] - Kim Tate But I think overall, as we kind of expressed, Douro is kind of a maybe one or two night stay type destination, depending on what type of vacation you're looking for.   [00:29:58.710] - Tamara Gruber Definitely central location. Good for that short stay. If somebody did want to stay longer in Douro, then stay at one of the other properties where they have much more going on on site. And it's more of a relaxation. This is kind of like a great place to lay your head while you're exploring the Douro Valley.   [00:30:15.450] - Tamara Gruber So we already talked a little bit about the other one that we see. That Douro 41. But, Kirsten, what are your thoughts about Douro 41?   [00:30:22.810] - Kirsten Maxwell I love six senses because it was super over the top and amazing. But Douro 41 is more of the reachable hotel for most families. What I loved about the rooms is you really felt like you walked in. Then you had floor to ceiling windows right overlooking the river. And it feels like you're almost on a river cruise. It seemed like that was kind of the feel that you got in the room. And then there were so many different little nooks and crannies around the hotel for families.   [00:30:53.910] - Kirsten Maxwell There was a game area, there was a snooker table, there was a movie night area. They had pizza making classes, so many different things they had to offer for families that I thought it would make a really good stay if you wanted to escape from the city. Yeah.   [00:31:11.370] - Tamara Gruber I was really impressed by some of the things they did from arranging picnics and doing the boat rides, doing the stand up paddle boards and kayaks. It just seemed like there was really such a great range for different age groups. And while it wasn't right there by anything, there were some restaurants. They said they were, like, 15 minutes away. Plus, they have two restaurants on site. One was like, I think a Michelin Star chef, and the other one was a casual, more of a casual pizzeria. So, like having those options around it.   [00:31:40.170] - Tamara Gruber So you're not in the middle of a certain region or town, but there's still plenty to do, especially if you're willing to drive a little bit. Yeah.   [00:31:48.330] - Kim Tate Agree. So any final thoughts about Porto and Douro Valley? Kirsten, you start then maybe Tamara you can kind of give your chime in about what you thought of those two areas. And just so people know, they're the north. They're on the north side of Portugal. So to give you a feel for the country, that's where we're talking.   [00:32:09.030] - Kirsten Maxwell I think they're definitely must visit places in Portugal. I think so many people get trapped into the Lisbon Algarve experience because that's what they hear.   [00:32:21.750] - Kirsten Maxwell But I think Porto is one of those. I mean, it's a huge city. Don't get me wrong, but there's still something about that seems a little bit hidden gem exploration kind of thing. Douro Valley. I really loved it, but I kind of feel like it's once you do it, then you can be. I don't know that I would go back to experience it's. Maybe with my husband. It just didn't give me that vibe of, like, hey, everything here is unique and felt very repetitive for me. The region.   [00:32:54.870] - Kim Tate I totally agree.   [00:32:57.270] - Tamara Gruber Before I went, I've heard so many people, especially young people, like, really raving about Porto, and I was never quite sure if it was just because it's like, the new thing versus Lisbon, like Lisbon being a little bit over touristed and trying to find that new thing. So it kind of had really high expectations of Porto. And with the Douro Valley. I've heard descriptions and I've seen some pictures and I kept thinking, oh, it would be a great place to do one of those week long river cruises, like a Viking cruise or something like that.   [00:33:29.010] - Tamara Gruber So my two impressions, like leaving are that I really love Porto, but I didn't love it like that much more than Lisbon. So I think it's maybe just if people went to Lisbon and it was a little too crowded that Porto would possibly be a better alternative. I think we were also there at a nice time in fall when it's maybe not high season, but those nice shoulder seasons. So I definitely enjoyed it. And then the Douro Valley, I am pretty sure I would not need to take a river cruise through there.   [00:33:59.790] - Tamara Gruber I think spending the two to three days there, it was definitely good. I think a week would feel kind of long. And then also, I guess there was our experience in the lounge of seeing all the people going on the Viking cruise, where we were kind of convinced that maybe we should pick a different one, right?   [00:34:17.010] - Kirsten Maxwell Yeah. Different demographic than us.   [00:34:19.770] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. So I feel like if you want to go to Portugal for just a few days, like, maybe you have, like, a five day trip in mind. If you did just Porto and Douro, you could do that. And if you wanted to do a longer trip, then you want to add in those other things and do it. Kim said, which is like, go into one and out of the other. That would make a lot of sense. But it would be nice, like, as a pairing if you want to do just a five day trip or if you want to stretch it into a week and just have a little bit more downtime to relax.   [00:34:49.350] - Kim Tate Yeah. I think that's all good. Those are all good points.   [00:34:51.750] - Kirsten Maxwell I agree.   [00:34:52.170] - Kim Tate I think the one thing we're not giving enough credit to Douro Valley is that no, I think we're doing enough credit, but that's the thing to know. It's amazing to see. And I remember the first day when we drove into there. We're like, Can you please pull over the car and we're all taking pictures? It was just amazing.   [00:35:06.630] - Tamara Gruber It was so beautiful.   [00:35:07.650] - Kim Tate And so it's breathtaking like that. It's a very unique area, and you can see why it's UNESCO World Heritage Site. However you get that and then you've gotten it. So you're good. So that's the thing to know about it. We're a week long vacation. It's kind of like, okay. Well, I guess we're going to go this do this again. So I think that that's good points for people to know. And I think that if you do, like Port and you do like wine tasting. It is a fun destination to go like that.   [00:35:33.450] - Kim Tate However, it's also not like Napa, where you're able to just drive down the street and find another winery. I mean, they're spread out very far, and it's in a region that's not overly developed. So they were saying, like we were talking when we were on the river, like Kirsten said, one side, there's like no roads, barely. And the other side is where the main road is. And so if you're doing wine tasting and you work with a driver or a tour guide, they're going to help, you know, to stay on that other side of the river where you can visit a couple at a time.   [00:36:02.010] - Kim Tate Because if you go across and try and drive on those no road type places, you're going to spend your whole day getting to one quinta, and you're going to miss out on when you maybe would have been able to visit two or three on the other side.   [00:36:13.590] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Great points. Great point, Kirsten. We obviously worked with Epic to plan this trip, and they kind of took what we were interested in covering and developed an itinerary for us. When do you think it would make sense for a family to work with someone like Epic when they're planning a trip to Portugal?   [00:36:32.970] - Kirsten Maxwell Wow. There are so many good times, I think, to use a boutique travel agency like Epic, it was so nice to be able to tell them our interest and have them kind of figure out what would be a good itinerary to go along with that. I think too often if you book, like, one of the major group tour travel agencies, you're stuck with a big group of people and you're going to the places that they pick for you versus Epic. I mean, they're working with you to customize everything from the beginning of your day to the time your head hits the bed at night and to kind of relieve yourself of all that stress of planning.   [00:37:15.270] - Kirsten Maxwell There's just something to be said for that. And I think they did a phenomenal job of just hitting everything kind of right for us and what we were looking for.   [00:37:24.270] - Kim Tate I think one of the other things that was huge about them is they're able to arrange kind of these unique things that maybe you wouldn't necessarily know to ask for to look for. And I think that's where the fact that they're not just a general travel agency, they only focus on Morocco and Portugal, and they live in those countries, so they know the guides, they know the hotels, they have personal relationships. Like we were there. Tamara and I were on talking to one of the Epic girls that was traveling with us, and she was like, oh, yeah.   [00:37:50.670] - Kim Tate I'm just checking in with the hotel about some clients that are coming in next week, and I just want to make sure everything is set up for them. It's like a real personal experience. They're making sure everything is ready for you. And I think that's a huge thing. And little things, like, Tamara and I were going to the source, and we needed to have a negative PCR test. And so they arranged all of that in Lisbon for us. So we had the appointment, they got that all set up.   [00:38:19.110] - Kim Tate So that kind of having someone that just knows what to do and helps you set all that up is huge.   [00:38:25.290] - Tamara Gruber And the experiences that they can do, and they really focus on finding those unique things. I mean, it's easy enough nowadays to be like, oh, I want to do a food tour, walking tour, like, when you're in a city, fine. Like, you can find that. But then there's always, like, that next level of experiences. Like, I remember when we were taking the tram into downtown Porto, they were telling us about some things they did, like, they can arrange to do a private tram with a dinner on it with a great chef.   [00:38:52.710] - Tamara Gruber Where you're doing, like, a chef's tasting while you're on the tram, going around the city. And one of those bridges, they do this experience where you're I don't know what you'd call it, like bridge climbing, like, you're like cable. So if you're into adventure, I mean, I'm thinking some teens, especially, would love something like that. It just seemed like there were so many of these things that they can do throughout the country that were so unique. And, like you said, you wouldn't know to ask for it.   [00:39:20.550] - Tamara Gruber You many know I want to take a walking tour. I want to take a wine tour. Things like that. But these are things that you would never even come up with. But because they've spent so much time getting to know people personally, they have these relationships can do these types of things. So if you say, hey, I know I if I was working with them, I'd be like, hey, my daughter really loves stargazing, and we definitely would have been doing that. They can find those interests and things and then just make that next level experience and then having that hands on knowledge and even things when it comes to the hotel rooms, like, okay, this one is going to be better for, like, this room type is going to be better for you, like, knowing things to that level.   [00:40:01.470] - Kim Tate Well, even me, like you said, I mentioned, oh, when we're in Lisbon, I really want to see a great sunset. Can you help us figure out and arrange so at sunset, we were at some kind of lookout or really great sunset. And they ran with that. And they were like, we ended up on a private Chartered sailboat river cruise for sunset. Right. Tamara? And she said it was all because you mentioned that you wanted to have a great sunset in Lisbon. And that's what we ended up with.   [00:40:26.610] - Kim Tate So that's the kind of stuff that they do.   [00:40:29.310] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. And that's the kind of thing where that's just the moment that you remember with the trip, right? Like, something like that is the best way to start a trip or end a trip. It's just so like, wow, special.   [00:40:42.210] - Kim Tate Well, Kirsten, we've probably already asked you what you like to wear when you travel since you've been a guest before. But what about anything new, any new travel products or apps or anything you've discovered recently that you want to share with our listeners. Okay.   [00:40:54.090] - Kirsten Maxwell I came up with two things that I thought. Okay, maybe you haven't discussed on here before, but number one, because of the whole thing with having to carry your vaccine card. Now I've invested in a passport wallet so that I can always keep the vaccine passport and vaccine card with my passport anywhere I go. So I found that carrying one of those kind of wallets has been super helpful for me, especially when I'm usually tasked with carrying everybody's passports in our family. So it's kind of nice to have them all in one place.   [00:41:26.970] - Kirsten Maxwell And then the other thing that I've found for individual traveling is a doorstop. And you guys maybe have seen these, but that you put underneath your hotel door and that if anybody tries to get into your room, it makes a big alarm, super blaring alarm to let you know somebody's trying to break into your room. But I feel like when you travel alone, you can never be too safe. So in addition to checking out your surroundings, like, I think it's a nice peace of mind to just stick it under the door at night, go to bed and then enjoy the rest of your trip.   [00:42:01.890] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, that is a good idea. I feel like I've thought about those in the past, and I haven't invested in one. And I said I'm thinking about that time I forget where we were, which hotel. But I went to take a shower and I came out and they had made a delivery of, like, an Amenity or something. And I'm like, that wasn't fair when I went in the shower. Yeah.   [00:42:20.970] - Kim Tate I'm thinking even with being the mom of two teen girls as they start going off on their own travels or stuff, maybe with girlfriends or whatever by themselves, then that would be a good little.   [00:42:31.650] - Tamara Gruber Or you can have them in a separate room, right?   [00:42:33.930] - Kirsten Maxwell Yeah. Exactly.   [00:42:36.630] - Tamara Gruber Good suggestion, Kirsten.   [00:42:38.010] - Kirsten Maxwell Oh, thank you.   [00:42:39.090] - Tamara Gruber So can you remind our listeners where they can find you online? Absolutely.   [00:42:44.430] - Kirsten Maxwell You can find me at kidsratrip.Com.   [00:42:48.030] - Kirsten Maxwell That's A-R-E-A. Versus just the letter R. And then I'm at multigenerationalvacations.Com.   [00:42:55.530] - Kirsten Maxwell That's my site about multigenerationalfamily travel.   [00:42:58.830] - Tamara Gruber Awesome.   [00:42:59.370] - Kim Tate Well, thanks again for being a guest. And I'm so glad we all got to travel again. It was really fun, and there's nothing quite like taking a trip with your girlfriends so thank you.   [00:43:10.050] - Kirsten Maxwell Guys, thanks so much for having me. This was such a fun trip, and I would love to repeat it again with a different destination because there were so many good times that I'm like, oh, my God. That was really fun. Having a good time relaxing and enjoying life without the stresses of family.   [00:43:28.110] - Tamara Gruber 2022 Here we come. Thank you.   [00:43:32.250] - Kirsten Maxwell Thanks.   [00:43:32.610] - Tamara Gruber Bye.   [00:43:32.850] - Kirsten Maxwell Thanks, guys.   [00:43:37.690] - Tamara Gruber Well, thanks for listening to another episode of vacation mavens, I hope you enjoyed hearing about our first few days in Portugal, and we are going to take a little break from our Portuguese coverage.   [00:43:46.990] - Kim Tate So tune in next time because we are going to be talking about cruising and how cruising is coming back, which I know we just booked a spring break cruise. So I'm definitely interested in hearing about this. And maybe you are, too.   [00:43:57.610] - Tamara Gruber Yes, lots of new policies, new ships, things to talk about. So we're going to get a couple of cruise experts on to dive into some details. So see you next time. Talk to you soon. Bye.  

In this episode, Walter Chiapponi, Creative Director of Tuscany luxury brand Tod's, talks with Erica about endless inspiration, traditional Italian craftsmanship, sustainability and sensibility. Tod's Ciao Bella INSTAGRAM: @ericafirpo TWITTER  @moscerina

Wandering around the medieval city of Volterra in Tuscany, what could be more appropriate than entering the main piazza to the sounds of an authentic crossbow competition taking place? Here you can hear the practice session ahead of the main competition, with the thwack of bolts hitting the target on the other side of the piazza, and the sound reverberating off every wall. Midway through, the bells from the campanile start to chime to bring even more interest and atmosphere to the recording. Binaural recording by Cities and Memory.

Episode 687 Stevie Kim moderates Clubhouse's Ambassadors Corner. In this episode Slawek Kominski interviews Michele Scienza - These sessions are recorded from Clubhouse and replayed here on the Italian Wine Podcast! Listen in on this series as Italian Wine Ambassadors all over the world chat with Stevie and their chosen wine producer. Which producer would you interview if you had your pick? Before telling you more about our great episode we want to give a shout out to our new Sponsor Vivino! the world's largest online wine marketplace - The Vivino app makes it easy to choose wine. Enjoy expert team support, door to door delivery and honest wine reviews to help you choose the perfect wine for every occassion. Vivino - Download the app on Apple or Android and discover an easier way to choose wine! Find out more about by visiting: https://www.vivino.com/IT/en/ or download the app: https://www.vivino.com/app About today's guest host: He is the Founder, Owner & General Manager of MineWine.pl Slawomir Komiński is a wine lover, especially one of Italian wine, and has a strong determination to turn the combination of his passion for wine and business into a success. A formidable communicator, he has excellent interpersonal skills and an entrepreneurial spirit. He is a wine expert with a deep knowledge of the wine business, including warehousing, logistics, customer service and marketing. He has gained numerous work experience with cross-functional teams, acquiring a dynamic and result-oriented management style, with a problem solving attitude. He is always looking to optimise processes and identify opportunities for growth. Sławek has an in-depth knowledge of digital media and online marketing tools, as well as advanced business negotiation skills and a natural aptitude that helps him establish and maintain long-term relationships with business partners. For 12 years, Sławek Komiński has been the founder, owner and general manager of MineWine.pl, which operates in the Polish wine retail market. To find out more by visiting: Website: www.minewine.pl Instagram: www.instagram.com/s.kominski/ www.instagram.com/minewine.pl/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/s.kominski www.facebook.com/Minewinepl Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/slawomir-kominski-bb00713/ About today's guest producer: Michele Scienza is a co owner and personally takes care of the vineyard and the winery in Guado al Melo. He has lived in the world of wine since childhood, becoming passionate about the production aspects. His dream was to be a winemaker, like his grandparents. During and after the technical and scientific studies, he built a knowledge, experience and sensibility on enology, working in the family business and also outside. His roots are in Trentino Alto-Adige but he moved to Bolgheri in the 1990s and there, in coastal Tuscany, he started to realize his dream and passion to wine production thanks to the support of his family especially his father professor Atillio Scienza and his wife Analisa. If you want to learn more about today's guest producer, you can by visiting: https://www.guadoalmelo.it/en/ More about the moderator Stevie Kim: Stevie hosts Clubhouse sessions each week (visit Italian Wine Club & Wine Business on Clubhouse), these recorded sessions are then released on the podcast to immortalize them! She often also joins Professor Scienza in his shows to lend a hand keeping our Professor in check! To find out more about Stevie Kim visit: Facebook: @steviekim222 Instagram: @steviekim222 Website: https://vinitalyinternational.com/wordpress/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, Cin Cin!

Chance Chancellor and Jesse Gaines presumed dead; Adam or Billy? Pick one or die!; Nick and Phyllis trouble in Tuscany; Lauren lambastes Sally; Adam and Sally on hold; Saying goodbye to Tuscany; A new chapter (and a new obstacle) for Mariah and Tessa! I love hearing from YOU! Please feel free to comment, call, subscribe, […]

The evolution of chianti and the wines of Tuscany. Learn more with Jack Farrell with Haskell's Wines and Spirits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You wouldn't expect a chef from Tuscany to be dishing up fabulous food in the small town of Mulvane, Kansas. Learn how this place convinced absentee property owners to be a part of the process of bringing this town back to life and how Luciano's is just one of several businesses that is doing well in an unexpected place. It's a plan that could work in much of rural and agricultural America.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The great Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS 2015 by Siro Pacenti winery conquers, for the second time, DiWineTaste five diamonds and the title of best wine of the month. A Brunello - a Sangiovese - of monumental elegance and class, an extraordinary wine of incredible and impeccable greatness, to be counted - without a doubt - among the greatest vintages and interpretations of Sangiovese from the land of Montalcino.

Massimo and Cecilia tell James about this year's harvest and how the lack of water and a hailstorm affected Castiglion del Bosco's vineyards, and James looks back on how weather conditions affected the other vintages. James was in Tuscany in the summer of 2017, and he said it was hot and dry. "You must have made some severe selections, because the wine is very fresh," James said of the 2017. Cecilia concurs, saying technical aspects in the winery came into play, such as longer maturation in wood.

Italy is open for business.  The Covid-19 pandemic of the last year and a half has crushed travel and tourism in Italy. We've shared the stories of hardship on previous podcasts.  There is hope on the horizon. Slowly but surely, people are returning, including the co-publisher of Total Tuscany, Pat Campagna. Pat recently spent close to a week and a half exploring his family roots.  The name Campagna is a dead giveaway that he's Italian.  But not from the mainland. On this trip, Pat skips out on Tuscany and enjoys the island life of Sicily.  In this episode of the Total Tuscany Podcast, Pat is the guest on his own show. We go in deep on what it's like to travel with current Covid restrictions and testing. What's the difference between Sicily and Tuscany?  Where there are several, but there are also similarities.  Can we ask a favor of you?  Please like this podcast and give it a review? Your reviews help more people who want to travel to Tuscany and Italy find us. If you haven't done so already, follow Total Tuscany on social media. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even Tik-Tok.  If you have travel questions or need assistance booking a tour or tour guides in Tuscany, email us, totaltuscany@gmail.com.

San Francisco's Beautiful Ugly Truth “[W]however wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all” (Mk. 10). How do you know if Christianity is true? Proving that there is a personal God or heaven, the trinity or the divinity of Christ might be difficult. Arguing that our religion is the best religion seems silly. I'd much rather hear about what I can learn from other religions than debate their relative deficiencies. Instead I want to ask about perhaps the central teaching in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus is talking about status and its meaning in our life. Quite simply is it better for us as individuals and a society when people use power to dominate others, or should they act in Jesus' words like “servants.” This question concerns every aspect of our social life. You can see it built into our material world. I want to begin with two things I love about San Francisco and what they say about our history. The first is Victorian houses. Between 1850 and 1900 about 40,000 of them were built in San Francisco.[i] The writer Thomas Aidala writes that the, “city was put together out of buildings that roar with fun, that never… take themselves so seriously that they forget to smile.”[ii] Victorian houses were built using the latest technology.[iii] They were thoroughly modern and made to look old. They were mostly sold to working and middle class people. Despite all the changes in real estate markets they still feel like eccentric mansions for ordinary people. Another thing I love about San Francisco are the Sutro Baths out at Lands End.[iv] Adolf Sutro loved watching the waves at Fisherman's Cove and in 1884 he built a living 100 foot by 100 foot aquarium. By 1887 it could be emptied of 250,000 gallons of water in five minutes. In 1888 Sutro started running a steam train (that started from the corner of Presidio and California). It cost a nickel (compared to the 20 cent Southern Pacific line).[v] The Sutro Baths opened for bathing in 1896. At 500 feet long and 354 feet wide with six saltwater tanks, it was the largest indoor swimming complex in the world. Sutro had a passion for, “making amenities affordable for the common” person.[vi] But initially they excluded black people. After John Harris won a law suit in 1897 everyone was welcome.[vii] There could be as many as 8,000 visitors on a weekend day. The whole thing burned down in June 1966, but even the ruins are beautiful and available to everyone. My point is that an idea is built into this place. Even in the past we had more millionaires here than other cities, but back then people understood that radical differences in wealth destabilized community and made it harder for the ones who served others to be respected. They wanted to make the really good things in life available to everyone. I understand that our experience of inequality in this particular place is affected by markets, property arrangements and tax codes beyond our control. But something is missing at the heart of our experience of San Francisco today. The force of our gospel gets obscured because we do not know the full context of the story (which begins with Mk. 10:32). Jesus is walking along ahead of everyone. Mark explains that they are amazed and also afraid. Jesus takes his twelve closest friends aside and tells them exactly what is going to happen to him, that he will be condemned and then tortured to death. Then in the next sentence James and John, the two brothers who with Peter constitute Jesus' inmost circle, ask to be seated next to Jesus in his “glory.” We the hearers know the irony of this request because Jesus will be crucified. Despite being plainly told they still do not understand. This scene in which Jesus 1. tells the disciples what will happen to him, 2. they misunderstand and 3. Jesus tries to teach them, is repeated three times. To further emphasize the disciple's refusal to see, these three scenes take place sequentially between two stories about Jesus healing blind people.[viii] The cross, a suffering messiah who dies for the people, a new way to be human in which we no longer try to dominate others but serve them instead – this is hard for them and for us. On Saturday night we saw the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. In the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus longs for his friends to be with him they wear headphones and sleep through his moment of need. This seems like the nearly universal response to him. Jesus gives his life as a ransom for many, so that we can be free. Jesus tries to show us how to be free from the constant preoccupation with status that destroys our life. And the cross, that cynical instrument of torture and death, cannot obscure this truth. The nations have rulers who lord it over them. Their great ones are tyrants. “But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Mk. 10). Humans are not the only ones consumed by questions about status. Stanford professor Robert Sapolsky studies how various other primates (but particularly baboons) “lord it over” each other.[ix] Through MRI studies he concludes, that primates are, “fantastically attuned to status differences.” We perceive these differences subconsciously, in less time than it takes to blink our eye.[x] High levels of inequality make us less likely to believe that other people can be trusted, less inclined to join groups. Inequality erodes social capital which is the trust, reciprocity and cooperation that we need to live together in peace. High inequality makes us treat each other more poorly.[xi] Those people who scientists of have studied and who especially value prestige and power seem less able to care about those who are less fortunate.[xii] Furthermore lower socioeconomic status has an immensely detrimental effect on our health. It's not just that the poor have bad health and everyone else is doing equally well. Every step down the ladder means worse health. This is not just because poor people have less access to healthcare. This phenomenon can be observed even in countries with socialized medicine. He concludes that the problem is that “the psychological stress” of having a low socioeconomic status is what decreases health.[xiii] Sapolsky concludes writing, “When humans invented material inequality, they came up with a way of subjugating the low ranking like nothing ever before seen in the primate world.”[xiv] I began by asking how we know if Christianity is true. A central part of the Gospel of Mark has to do with the role that status plays in our life. We are like the headphone wearing disciples. We cannot hear because we cannot imagine what it would be like to really be free of our attachment to status and power. But Jesus persists in calling us back home to God. He warns us that our preoccupation with status damages us as a society and as individuals. Learning to put others first is how we realize this promise of freedom. This is not at all easy. We are entangled in so many contradictions. But church can help us to live in this new reality. We offer each other the chance to really act as if every single person has infinite value as a child of God, as if Jesus gave his life even for that person who irritates us most. On 1 April 1989 there was a funeral in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, of the Empress Zita of Austria/Hungary, the widow of the last Emperor Charles 1 who died 70 years before. She was 96. It was a two hour service with 6000 people. They sang Mozart's Requiem. Then they went to the church of the Capuchins – the burial place of the Hapsburgs. When the procession arrived, the doors were closed. The chamberlain knocked three times and one of the friars inside called out: “Who requests entry?” The reply was formidable and spoke of a vanished Europe. “Her Majesty Zita, Empress of Austria, crowned Queen of Hungary, Queen of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galizia, Illyria, Queen of Jerusalem, Archduchess of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Cracow, Duchess of Lorraine, Salzburg – the list went with over twenty more titles. There then followed her orders which were not modest. After all this the friar replied, “We do not know her. Who requires entry?” “Her Majesty Zita, Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary.” Again the reply came, “We do not know her. Who requires entry?” This time the chamberlain replied: “Our sister Zita, a poor mortal sinner.” And the gates were thrown open.[xv] There is a desire in our hearts to live in equality which I see built into the landscape of this city. But still we lose ourselves in our own ego. We hunger for recognition in a way that set us at odds with others. And yet the gates of this Cathedral are thrown open for us. I have always loved the “Brotherhood Window” in the South Transept. James and John, the brothers who were so blind to Jesus' teachings and infuriated their fellow disciples are actually honored in the window at Jesus' right and left hand. What they wanted was misguided and showed their ignorance and yet somehow their dream was realized two thousand years later in this Cathedral in a faraway land that they had never heard of. May the impossible contradictions of our life find resolution in God's holiness. Let us Pray: Dear God, give us peace in the restless slumber of our egotism. When the thought of you wakes in our hearts, let it not awaken like a frightened bird that flies away in dismay but like a child waking from its sleep with a heavenly smile. Amen.

Binaural recording from one of the most striking cities in Tuscany, San Gimignano. This is a recording of passing crowds in the unusually-shaped Piazza della Cisterna, surrounded by tall buildings with a lovely reverberation. Recorded by Cities and Memory.

The passion for travel can inspire more than just memories—it can also become a successful career. That's the story of Tara Cappel, Founder and CEO of For the Love of (FTLO) Travel and Sojrn. She joined host Sarah Dandashy on Say Yes to Travel to talk about travel trends and her launch of Sojrn.“Travel has always been a driver in my decisions in life, so I wanted to help others see the world,” Cappel said.FTLO Travel is modern group travel for young professionals. The company takes care of all the planning, including curated inclusions and slow sustainable travel. When the pandemic hit, the business halted.“We stopped running trips in March 2020 and turned back to community and bringing people together to maintain that excitement for travel,” Cappel explained.During this time, Cappel and her team began to think about the long-term impact of the pandemic on work, life, and travel trends. That path took them to Sojrn, a “work from home meets study abroad” experience. Travelers spend a month abroad at one of their chapter destinations, where they can work, play, and connect. They started with chapters in Athens, Tuscany, Bali, and Medellin, with plans to add Cape Town, Mexico City, Rome, and Barcelona in 2022.“We take care of accommodations and a workspace. Each chapter has a culturally relevant theme. We sold out immediately and have 5000 people on the waitlist,” Cappel shared.Next, Cappel offered some thoughts on trends. “I think people are reprioritizing things in their lives and looking at those bucket list trips. There's going to be a lot of demand.”

In the latest episode of the Empowerography Podcast, my guest is Liz Wadden. My name is Liz, a Canadian girl, turned Italian wife and mom after meeting my husband while working at sea as a Personal Shopper for 12 years. I come from a very small town in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and got the travel bug after completing my last year of university in Spain. I started working on cruise ships and didn't stop until I was 6 months pregnant! With that, came the end of my career and the beginning of a new one….Mom! Living in Europe, Italy especially was, IS amazing! The lifestyle is so free and I feel Italy (especially Tuscany) is one of the best places on earth to raise a family. But, as a Canadian that really didn't speak much Italian and a husband who was at sea 8+ months of the year….how was I to work again? Then one of my cruise ship BFFs told me to take a look at network marketing with a nutrition company that she was introduced to a couple years earlier. She was feeling great, looking AMAZING and working in the pockets of her day making extra money. Perfect! So I got started in 2015 and never looked back. Now with partnerships of almost 2000 people and businesses (about to explode in Europe & UK) I help other Moms, Dads, people who want more time freedom and extra money for themselves and their families make that “dream” become a reality. I no longer believe that the only way to “have it all” in terms of health, wealth, and freedom is to live in constant struggle. Because I AM LIVING PROOF. In this episode we discuss entrepreneurship, network marketing, lifestyle adjustments, culture shock, connection and transitions. Website - http://www.joinlizwadden.com IG - http://www.instagram.com/lizwaddencappa FB - https://www.facebook.com/lizwaddencappa LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizwadden/ "I mean the big thing was to slow down" - 00:04:15 "People used to say to me when I first started, ohhhh that's a pyramid scheme" - 00:17:05 "In network marketing, what you put into it, you get out of it" - 00:18:34 Empowerography would like to offer you a discount code to one of our exclusive partners, Quartz & Canary Jewelry & Wellness Co. Please use CODE EMPOWER15 to receive 15% off upon check out at www.quartzandcanary.com. Quartz & Canary is truly the place, where spirituality meets style.

Bells in San Gimignano reimagined by Jase Warner. "'Campane Italiane' features a field recording of bells ringing out in San Gimignano, a hill town in Italy's Tuscany region. "The composition is made up of multiple layers of the original recording, each accompanied with its own particular drone texture. Synthesiser tracks have also been added to compliment the patterns and movement of the bells."

Do you want Victoria and Ashland to be married? Big secrets revealed; Billy buys Jesse and Adam busts Billy; Sally’s got the dress!; Our viewing vacation to Tuscany; Baby Dom crisis for Devon and Amanda?; and More Mariah mentality. I love hearing from YOU! Please feel free to comment, call, subscribe, and get extra Young […]

Did you have itchy feet and a yearn to travel as a teenager? Or do you know a teen that is curious about the world beyond their neighborhood or country and can't wait to explore?  This week's guest trip reporter Tyla knew without a doubt that she wanted to explore Europe even before she finished high school and embarked on a series of Italian adventures - with many more to come.Tyla shares her experiences traveling and living in Italy both as a student and on a bonding trip with her mother (and Italian boyfriend in tow!). She spent time in Florence, discovered a gorgeous seaside town in Tuscany, enjoyed the magic of the Dolomites and fell head over heels in love with Italy.More information > Untold Italy Insiders Want information about the places mentioned and full show notes for this episode? Head over to: https://untolditaly.com/93Support the show (https://untolditaly.com/shop)

Episode 672 Stevie Kim moderates Clubhouse's Ambassadors Corner. In this episode Alberto Martinez Interiano interviews Christoph Künzli - These sessions are recorded from Clubhouse and replayed here on the Italian Wine Podcast! Listen in on this series as Italian Wine Ambassadors all over the world chat with Stevie and their chosen wine producer. Which producer would you interview if you had your pick? Before telling you more about our great episode we want to give a shout out to our new Sponsor Vivino! the world's largest online wine marketplace - The Vivino app makes it easy to choose wine. Enjoy expert team support, door to door delivery and honest wine reviews to help you choose the perfect wine for every occassion. Vivino - Download the app on Apple or Android and discover an easier way to choose wine! Find out more about by visiting: https://www.vivino.com/IT/en/ or download the app: https://www.vivino.com/app About today's guest host Alberto Martinez Interiano: Alberto is a wine educator and writer based in Seattle, WA. He currently works as an instructor at The Cellar Muse Wine School in Seattle and the Wine & Spirit Archive in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches WSET, and Italian and Spanish wine certification courses. He also writes for his blog www.vinointeriano.com and is a contributing blogger at the Vintner Project and other media publications. His passion for Italian wines started when he lived in Tuscany as a student, where he fell in love with Chianti, rustic Italian food, and all things Italian. He holds the WSET Diploma and recently became a VIA Ambassador (Verona Class of 2021) If you want to learn more about today's guest host, you can by visiting: www.vinointeriano.com About today's guest producer Christoph Künzli: Christoph Künzli is owner of Le Piane, the leading producer in Boca DOC in Alto Piemonte. Originally from Switzerland, Christoph worked as an importer of Italian wine & in one of his travels became acquainted with the region of «Boca» in 1988 as well as with Antonio Cerri, one of the last local winegrowers in the area. He fell in love with the uniqueness & beauty of the vineyards on the hillsides near Boca, so much so, that he decided to buy land & relocate there soon after. Since then, he's been making wines in the traditional style, maintaining old vines with local training methods, aging the wines in large Slavonian oak and working with native and traditional grape varieties. If you want to learn more about today's guest producer, you can by visiting: https://www.bocapiane.com/en/winery/ More about the moderator Stevie Kim: Stevie hosts Clubhouse sessions each week (visit Italian Wine Club & Wine Business on Clubhouse), these recorded sessions are then released on the podcast to immortalize them! She often also joins Professor Scienza in his shows to lend a hand keeping our Professor in check! You can also find her taking a hit for the team when she goes “On the Road”, all over the Italian countryside, visiting wineries and interviewing producers, enjoying their best food and wine – all in the name of bringing us great Pods! To find out more about Stevie Kim visit: Facebook: @steviekim222 Instagram: @steviekim222 Website: https://vinitalyinternational.com/wordpress/ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ We also want to give a shout out to our sponsor Ferrowine. The largest alcoholic beverage shop in Italy since 1920! They have generously provided us with our brand new Italian Wine Podcast T-shirts, and we love them! Check out Ferrowine's site, they have great wines, food pairings and so much more! https://www.ferrowine.it/ Until next time, Cin Cin!

The biddies take on Tuscany in this final episode of the Italy Passport Tour. World-renowned for delicious Italian wines, this region was literally known as the ‘land of wine' in Ancient times. Tuscany provided plenty to talk about from the Etruscans to the first wines granted DOC status so grab a glass of Chianti or anything you'd like from the region and tune in. For more information boozybiddies.com/56

When wandering around Florence, if you're observant, you may notice little nooks in the sides of buildings in the shape of a tiny door or window. Present for centuries, this building feature was not only pretty but practical. These Medieval curiosities were a way for Florentines to buy their supply of wine.  Well over 150 wine windows or buchette del vino have been identified in Florence. Our guest, sommelier and photographer Robbin Gheesling, joins us to share the stories and myths around this unique architectural feature, where to find them and how they've been adapted into the life of modern Florence. Want information about the places mentioned and full show notes for this episode? Head over to: https://untolditaly.com/92Support the show (https://untolditaly.com/shop)

Season 2 Episode 15 – We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Wine Drinking Pete and VinoMike are back! We'd say, “And better than ever,” but we can't lie. They are here, though, and let you in on what happened during the hiatus. Hint – Life is busy, complicated, and needs much more wine. While the guys catch up, they pop a very special bottle of Syrah from Cortona in Tuscany. The 2007 Tenimenti Luigi d'Alessandro “Migliara” Syrah is literally a bottle of fun. Tannic, structured, and boasting a ton of flavor, this is a really great wine to get us back into the swing of the podcast. Mostly, this is about the guys reconnecting. If you find yourself with more questions, feel free to send a note and they'll be happy to fill you in even more. Thank you for listening to That Wine Pod! Be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast app. And remember… Life's short. Drink what you like tonight! Website: That Wine Pod Follow That Wine Pod: Instagram @ThatWinePod Twitter @ThatWinePod Facebook.com/ThatWinePod Connect with VinoMike & Pete: Instagram @VinoMike Instagram @FatManStories Facebook.com/fatmanstories Music from https://filmmusic.io "Protofunk" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) SUPPORT That Wine Pod Please subscribe on your favorite podcast app and share with your friends or enemies, we'll take any listeners we can. Also, please rate & review That Wine Pod on Apple Podcasts. Spread the wine love! Be sure to check out Pete's other podcasts: The No Fear Project, Be Better Today, and FatMan Chronicles! That Wine Pod is a production of Paragon Media. Copyright 2021 – All Rights Reserved

On today's episode of our daily NYFF59 podcasts, NYFF Director of Programming Dennis Lim is joined by Paul Verhoeven, whose latest film, Benedetta, is a Main Slate selection of this year's festival and will be opening at the Film at Lincoln Center on December 3rd. Based on true events, Benedetta unearths the story of Benedetta Carlini, a 17th-century nun in Tuscany who believed she saw visions of Christ and engaged in a sexual relationship with a fellow sister at her abbey. Because this is a film by genre auteur par excellence Paul Verhoeven (whose movies include Robocop, Basic Instinct, and NYFF54 selection Elle), the result is anything but a reverent treatment of an odd footnote in Catholic European history. Forgoing the hallmarks of prestige cinema, this delirious, erotic, and violent melodrama is told with a boundless spirit for scandal, and unabashedly courts blasphemy as it unfolds its tale of religious hypocrisy. Wildly entertaining, and featuring standout performances from Virginie Efira as the title character and Charlotte Rampling as the stoic, conflicted Mother Abbess, Benedetta maintains both a feverish pitch and a fascinating ambiguity in its depiction of the miraculous and the mundane, the sacred and the profane. To learn more and get tickets for this year's NYFF, taking place through October 10 indoors and outdoors throughout NYC, visit filmlinc.org/nyff.

Welcome back to The Sister Diary! This week, Lauren shares what her first week at boarding school was like. She talks about her new schedule, the challenges of living at school, how she likes having a roommate, and if she thinks that this year will successfully prepare her for university (or not). Maddie and Lauren also discuss the second part of the Orlando's trip to Italy, recapping their time in Tuscany. Finally, they make an important announcement about their plans for the future of the podcast.  Produced by Dear Media.

As a college student on her first trip to the Tuscan town of Lucca, writer Lisa Abend discovered a shop that specializes in customized ex libris, also known as bookplates. She desperately wanted one, but knew she needed more life experience before she could commit to such a personal thing. Three decades later, she returned to Lucca in search of that print shop—and her very own ex libris. Read the full story. Subscribe to Lisa's newsletter. And read her book!

Petit Verdot is often the secret weapon in a blend -- providing unique aromas and flavors plus acidity and tannin. In this show, we discuss this essential grape and the vital role it plays in wines around the world. What is Petit Verdot? The name means “little green one”, since it's hard to ripen, the berries remain green when other grapes are ready to harvest The grape is used in Bordeaux blends but sometimes made as a varietal wine Petit Verdot ripens later than other varieties and is used for tannin, color and flavor, gives structure to mid palate Photo: Virginia Wine Origins: Around in Bordeaux before Cabernet Sauvignon Could have been brought to Bordeaux by Romans Probably from Southwest France around the Pyrénées but gained recognition in the Médoc and Graves (on the Left Bank of Bordeaux) Plantings shrunk after phylloxera and the big 1956 frost in Bordeaux Petit Verdot was uprooted to be replaced in Bordeaux with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon Now – more being planted, can withstand heat and drought   The grape: Small, thick-skinned berries that look almost black because of high anthocyanins -- lots of color and tannin! Early budding, late ripening -sometimes too late for the Bordeaux climate but that is changing (more similar to Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot in the vineyards   In the vineyard: Best on warm, well-drained, gravel-based soils  Canopy management to maximize sun exposure is important If the weather does not cooperate in the spring during flowering, the fruit will not ripen well  Sensitive to water stress Winemaking: Even in small amounts (0.5%!), Petit Verdot can make a big difference Most winemakers will age these wines in oak, fostering undercurrents of vanilla   Aromas/flavors: Pencil shavings, violet, black fruit, spice, tannins, acidity Very acidic if not fully ripe but can be elegant and refreshing if it's ripe Cool climate: Dried herbs (sage, thyme), blueberry, blackberry with violet, leathery, pencil shavings Warm climate: Jammy, spicy, dark fruit, full-bodied, decent acidity, high tannin   Old World France Almost all Petit Verdot in France is in the Médoc of Bordeaux Big proportions are in: Chateau Margaux, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Pichon Lalande (Pauillac), Chateau Lagrange in St. Julien, Chateau La Lagune, Chateau Siran in Margaux Italy Primarily in Tuscany in the Maremma Toscana DOC (we mention the PV by Podere San Cristoforo), and in Sicily in the Menfi and Sicilia DOCs. Some in Lazio and Puglia Other Old World Places: Spain: Petit Verdot grow in warmer areas like Castilla y Leon, Jumilla, La Mancha, Alicante, Méntrida DO Portugal: Success in Alentejo Found in Turkey, Israel   New World United States Virginia: Often blended with Merlot of Cab Franc Needs free-draining soils (gravel is best) and high heat We get a firsthand account of PV from Elizabeth Smith of Afton Mountain, who makes outstanding wines. California: Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Lodi, Central Valley used in Meritage/blends often, with a few boutique standalones Washington State: PV is grown and made in Columbia Valley, Walla Walla, Yakima, Red Mountain Other Places: Planted in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, PA, Maryland, New York, and more   Canada: Okanagan Valley of BC, Niagara Peninsula in Canada   Australia Used to make big bodied, lots of floral and dark fruit flavor single varietal wines. The grape has good acidity and tannin that will age for several years Ripens very late, often weeks or a month later than Shiraz Regions:  More bulk wine: Riverland, Murray Valley, Riverina, region is home to Australia's largest plantings of Petit Verdot (which maintains acidity, even in heat) Better areas: McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Barossa, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, and the Limestone Coast.     Argentina Every region from Patagonia to Calcahquí but mostly in Mendoza -70% or more is there. Verdot has good results in Bordeaux style blends Other South America: Peru, Chile, Uruguay – in blends and a varietal wine   South Africa: Mainly in Bordeaux blends and as a varietal too   Food Pairings with PV: Grilled or roasted red meat or hearty vegetables Spicy pork and spicy foods in general – Latin American spices ____________________________________________________________ Thanks for our sponsors this week: Wine Access: Access to the best wines for the best prices! For 15% off your next order, go to www.wineaccess.com/normal   To become a member of Patreon go to www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes  

She's in Canada and he's in Australia. They haven't seen each other in months, but they're about to be married. A bride-to-be tells Geth how she found love in Tuscany.

Photo: Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano The Nobile Wine of Montepulciano is a wine based on a clone of Sangiovese and from a small hillside town in Tuscany called Montepulciano. It is, indeed, one of the great wines of the world. Although often overshadowed by its neighbors – Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico – and confused with a grapey, high yielding producer in Abruzzo (the Montepulciano grape), this wine has class, style, and a legacy of greatness to back it up.   After ups and downs over nearly 2000 years of winemaking, Vino Nobile is experiencing a quiet revival and it's one of my favorite wines in Italy. Moderate in body with an interplay of fruit, herb, and brooding tea and forest-y aromas and flavors, this is a wine that those in the know (you!) will immediately fall in love with. With its latest comeback, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is back and better than ever. And who doesn't love a comeback story? Photo: Getty Images Here are the show notes: We discuss where exactly this hillside town is: in Tuscany, southeast of Siena, 40 minutes east of Montalcino We talk about the specific regulations the region has built into law to try to improve the wines: Grapes must grow on the slopes to qualify for the Vino Nobile DOCG 70-100% Sangiovese or 30% other red varietals (Colorino, Canaiolo Nero, Mammolo, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, other local grapes) and up to 5% Malvasia and other whites You can find all the laws here, as well as the requirements for aging. Here is the official page from the Consorzio del Vino di Montepulciano with the latest rules on aging, yields, etc. They also have proposed Pieve, as of 2021. We address the elephant in the room: Montepulciano IS not the grape, this wine is from the PLACE called Montepulciano!!! We get you squared away on the difference between these two wines – Montepulciano is a grape that makes an US$8-$10 wine. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is the noble wine made from Sangiovese in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano. It is based on a clone Sangiovese – Prugnolo Gentile History The wine has been noted since 55 AD. Montepulciano has been praised by merchants, authors, Popes, and politicians like Thomas Jefferson Phylloxera, mildews, World Wars, the Depression, and then an emphasis on quantity versus quality put the wines of Montepulciano in a real funk. It got lumped in with Chianti, lost its status, and that was a real setback for the region In 2017, six like-minded Montepulciano winemakers created a small association called Alliance Vinum to show the purest expression of single-vineyard Sangiovese/Prugnolo Gentile. The group calls these wines Nobile instead of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to avoid confusion with the southern Italian grape. Here are the wines of this group: Avignonesi: Nobile Poggetto di Sopra Boscarelli: Costa Grande Cantine Dei: Madonna della Querce La Braccesca, an estate of the Antinori family: Podere Maggiarino Poliziano: Le Caggiole after a 20-year pause, Salcheto: Salco Vecchie Viti Photo: Getty Images Other wines we mention… Rosso di Montepulciano  Vin Santo    We review Pairing Suggestions with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Antipasti --Grilled Vegetables, fresh cheeses, cured meats like prosciutto, salami Pasta with tomato, truffle, Bolognese, mushrooms sauces Risottos with mushrooms Pizza, lasagna, eggplant Braised and roasted game, red meats. Stews. Portabella mushrooms Ribollita Hard cheeses Photo: Getty Images ______________________________________________ Thanks for our sponsors this week: Wine Access: Access to the best wines for the best prices! For 15% off your next order, go to www.wineaccess.com/normal   To become a member of Patreon go to www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople   To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes