The Italian Scrapbook

As a kid, teenager and adult travelling overseas, I used to always bring one lined notepad or blank scrapbook that my mother had gifted me. Together we kept travel diaries filled with sketches and writing. They acted as beautiful momentoes of where we went with various scribbles on my end (or artwork on my mother’s end) of random experiences like what colour the sky was in front of that historical castle, tickets of a show we went to, the business card of a restaurant we dined at, or even a sketch of the view at the top of a village. This way of doodling my experiences has stuck with me during most of my travels. It’s a way of capturing the moment with a personal touch. Naturally, in order to keep a travel diary like this you need to allocate time during the travels to be able to scrawl in the books. It isn’t always possible…

Exactly one month ago I returned from a three week escapade in Italy. Two-thirds of that journey were work-based as I found myself at the famous Vinitaly fair in Verona, with the nine days after that travelling with a colleague through five different Italian regions and visiting thirteen wine producers. Considering I was in bella Italia, I bet there are many who thought that I was spending my days doing this:

The truth, however, is that during that two week period, there was hardly enough time to unpack my bag let alone keep a detailed record or sketch of my time there. Instead I had to do what any time-poor traveller would do and took photos with my iPhone (shakes head shamefully). I did get to jot down some lovely stories and taste beautiful wines with the people I met. In fact, the whole experience was incredibly enriching and exhausting at the same time. I found a sort of kinship with the humble vignerons and winemakers. Finally getting the opportunity to spend time with producers whose wines I had thoroughly researched was the most rewarding part of my journey. I had read about some of the personalities before, yet wanted to understand them for myself. I made sure to do just that.

I intend to gradually trickle through the stories I recorded. In the meantime, here is a small album depicting my time in Italy and where the three weeks took me.

Dessert at Dodici Apostile

The Colli Piacentini at Castello di Luzzano (borders Emilia Romagna and Lombardia)

The Santa Caterina Ligurian property on the most magical day

Flaccianello 2000 100% Sangiovese. Incredible wine discovered in the depths of Ettore’s cellar en route to Sienna

The soil at Montalcino

Ristorante Dodici Apostoli – recommended for dinner in Verona

Chatting with Giovanella and her winemaker at the Castello di Luzzano estate

Old cash register at Dodici Apostile

Verona

Montalcino

Lunch at Verona on my own was pretty delightful

Natural pastures at Santa Caterina, Liguria

Sipping some quality Timorasso from Costa del Vento with Walter Massa

Aldo Vacca opening all the good Nebbiolo

Castello di Luzzano

The always smiling Maurizio Ferron of the rice fame

The coloured tiled artwork at Castello di Ama

Giovanella Fugazza’s cellar at Castello di Luzzano

With friend Sophia in Castelfranco Veneto

Artwork at Castello di Ama

Verona

Barolo area

Walter Massa pointing out the Timorasso vineyards

Castello di Ama in Chianti Classico

Out the front of the incredible Dodici Apostile

The Wine Spectator journalist had these opened for him yesterday. Today I savour the left overs.

Vineyard at Castello di Ama

An incredible artwork in the cellar at Castello di Ama

The most divine and gentle woman, Milena Vaira of G.D.Vajra in Piedmont

Sienna centre

Verona

Artwork at Castello di Ama

Artwork at Castello di Ama

My beautiful/incredibly cheeky cousin Giovanni Gios in Asiago

Entree at Dodici Apostile. All I heard was truffles…

Andrea Kilghren of Santa Caterina in Liguria explaining the simplicity of what he does.

The elegant Elisabetta Geppetti of Fattoria Le Pupille in the Scansano area, Tuscany

Bud burst at Santa Caterina, Liguria

Castello di Luzzano area in Emilia Romagna/Lombardy

I forgot to take the picture of my meal before…

Evening wine while catching up with other Australian importers of Italian wine. Nice choice, Neville Yates.

At San Felice in their Pugnitello vineyard

He sat here in the restaurant Dodici Apostile in Verona

Entering the headquarters of the rice producer, Ferron

Anyone for a spritz in Verona?

Martin keen on the desserts

The winery at Mastrojanni filled with cement tanks

Romeo & Juliet wannabes

Sharing a moment with Walter Massa, standing next to Pigi.

Sharing a jovial dinner with San Filippo Fanti

Happy birthday to me at Castello di Luzzano

Hanging with the two sons of Benanti at Vin Italy. Lovely chaps.

With San Filippo Fanti and the crew in Montalcino, Castelnuovo dell’Abate

Floral beauty at Santa Caterina

Andrea Kilghren of Santa Caterina

The rocks in the soil at Castello di Ama, Chianti Classico

Getting the full treatment at Vigneti Massa

Sharing my second ever Toscanello cigar with my cousin, Gabrielle.

Castello di Ama artwork

With the Zaccagnini crew at Vin Italy

Castello di Luzzano

Verona markets in Piazza Erbe

Federico and Stefano Almondo from Roero’s great Giovanni Almondo Arneis producer

Inspiring Verdicchio by organic producer, Fattoria Coroncino

Barolo from Bricco delle Viole

Getting lost in the Vin Italy carpark with Giuseppe and Aldo Vaira

Artwork at Castello di Ama

Pietro Ratti takes us through the goods

Pietro Ratti showing a cut out in the winery walls with the natural soil exposed

Andrea Kilghren of Santa Caterina in Liguria

Afternoon sun at Barolo

Feeling the almost wet rice after being gently pounded – at Ferron, Pila Vecia

Four wonderful days in Asiago where my family are from in the Veneto

Perpetrators of the continuous smoke cloud outside the Vin Italy buildings

Duomo at Sienna

Bassano del Grappa

Lovely statue in Verona

In awe of Castello di Luzzano’s Giovanella Fugazza

Revolution / Love at Castello di Ama

Raffaella, commanding and passionate lady of Braida

The view of the Langhe explained

Beautiful Chianti Classico

A bit stoked and awe-struck by the father-son team at Fattoria Coroncino in Le Marche

Watching the rice being filtered at Ferron, Pila Vecia

More guests of Dodici Apostile resturant in Verona

Vineyard at Castello di Ama, Tuscany

The cellar at Produttori del Barbaresco

A large rock in the middle of the Bellavista vineyard at Castello di Ama

That ain’t Juliet…

Padova

Some of the guests at Dodici Apostile

The line-up from Santa Caterina, Liguria

Capturing the pooch twice at Castello di Ama

Le Donne del Vino

Tags: Experience, fair, Italy, Photo, show, Travel, Verona, Vinitaly, Wine