Chianti



In Italy, there are some places (Rome comes to mind) where most of us are overcome with the desire to see the most tangible remains of its ancient architecture and culture and the present day beauty of tributes to its glory. For my first trip to this beautiful country, Tom and I, like hordes of others, visited the great tourist attractions. Now, I wouldn't have missed personally beholding these impressive sites, but I know I look forward to our next visit when I won't be spending time waiting in all those lines. Here's why: In our reminiscing about Italy's cities, magnificent with their ancient marvels and Renaissance beauty, Tom and I realized that our fondest memories are of being in the places we discovered without queuing. There are some small hotels we remember as much for the hospitality of the people who run them as for their rooms. We still talk about a tiny, off the beaten track "ristorante" where a talented cook prepares food according to the region's method using fresh local ingredients. Our visit there was especially memorable because of these little gems, and it's those that we'll most look forward to next time. We can easily see ruins and find breathtaking views of Renaissance buildings by just walking.



For this first edition, here are some of our discoveries in Chianti. You may already know Tuscany, but if you don't, believe those who tell you that its remarkable beauty cannot be overstated. The panoramic views of hilltop towns with their church's bell-tower and red tile-roofed houses are never-ending. You can drive to areas that for as far as you can see there are geometric rows of grape vines and olive groves, and those tall, thin cypress trees planted in smooth lines. We stayed at a "agriturismo" at Strada in Chianti. Some farmhouse! Il Leccio is a gorgeous eighteenth century villa parts of which which were a tower built in 1200. It is reached by driving along a long tree-lined private drive. The first room we were in was the "nuptual room" with a canopied bed and windows overlooking the Chianti countryside. The second room was the even larger "patron's room," with the same magnificent views, and a bathroom suite the size of some apartments. Both rooms have hand-carved armoires with enough room to walk around in. I especially loved the Tuscan red paint on the bedroom walls. All the rooms have enormously high ceilings and there are wide, stone staircases throughout the interior of the house which reminded us of the famous stairway designed by Michelangelo in the San Lorenzo Bibliotec in Florence. The huge main rooms on the first floor of the house are all furnished elegantly, however, with the comfort of an affluent rustic home and in keeping with the period, as well. After escorting us to our room, and handing us our key, our hostess gave us a list of some restaurants, then encouraged us to use the house as if it were ours. (To give you an idea of how small Strada-in-Chianti is, only one restaurant on the list was local; others ranged from 10 minutes to 40 minutes away. A car is essential, and we did not notice any taxies.) Il Leccio is so large it felt as if we were in a private villa, but better: in the morning, breakfast was set out and waiting for us to take to one of the huge dining tables or to carry outside to more intimate areas set in the gardens.



In the little town of Strada, the owners of Ristorante Da Padellina, Alvaro and Rolando Parenti do the cooking and wait on tables. Nothing fancy, unless you count the breathtaking view of Chianti from a huge window that spans the width of the room. Oh, yes, and the food, and, of course, the local wine. As part of their captive audience, however, you may have to endure Alvaro's somewhat lengthy discourse on Dante. If you don't speak Italian, just nod appreciatively and enjoy pasta fagioli unlike any you're likely to find elsewhere. They make a Florentine beef stew we'd heard about called Francesina. I found a cookbook with a recipe for it and have since made it at home. It turned out very, very good; however, I'm not a Parenti and, besides, this is not Chianti. But if you're interested, I'll share the recipe.



Another restaurant we found is new and unadvertised: Locando il Gallo in a small village (Chiocchio) at Greve in Chianti. This time we tried another traditional dish we'd heard about: bread and tomato soup. They also cook a pasta dish with zucchini and a light saffron sauce. Our waiter recommended one of the many local wines.



Panzano has steep cliffs surrounding its church area. We walked around a bit admiring the astonishing view seen from backyards of even the most modest homes, and noticed a tiny "bar", Il Vescovino, across the piazza from the church that in the back opened up onto an outside terrace with small chestnut trees growing in the middle, the tops sharing space with grapevines. From any table, there is that stunning, complete view over the hills. We felt somewhat smug for having discovered this "little gem" rather than searching in the next town for a larger restaurant, our original intent.



In the town of Gaiole, the 13th century Castle Di Meleto is open for tours. Tom found that if we booked the tour we would also receive two free bottles of local Chianti. We almost decided to not bother taking home the wine, since, we reasoned, it couldn't be very good if they wanted to give it away. We packed it anyway, and a few weeks later opened one of the bottles to accompany my first attempt at cooking Francesina. Were we surprised! Then, soon after, in a wine store's ad in the New York Times, I noticed it was on sale. If you like Chianti Classico, this is an excellent one. It's labeled Castello Di Meleto (2004) and you can expect to pay about $18 a bottle, less if you can find it on sale like we did. Or, better, go to Gaiole in Chianti, enjoy the tour and get your own two free bottles.



The discoveries Tom and I made have a very special place in our hearts. As my late Aunt Virginia used to say, "We made memories." And if you would enjoy sharing some of yours, we will, from time to time, include them in a "special edition" of the newsletter. At this point, it's hard to say how often we will be sending an issue out. After all, we don't travel that often to enough places to write about on a regular basis. But, for now, we do have more of our Italy discoveries to share, so I'll be writing about those over the next few weeks. Florence will be next. Would you like to know of a hotel where the owner and manager welcome you with a cup of cappuccino, no matter the time of day when you arrive? And where you can view original 16th century frescoes on your bedroom ceiling? Actually, it was Mario, the hotel's manager who arranged for our "farmhouse" accommodation in Chianti. On the other hand, maybe we should wait to tell you more until after we've scheduled our next stay. It would be disappointing to us to find those beautiful frescoed rooms booked.



We hope that you visit (and revisit) many beautiful places in your travels and that you have as much joy finding your own little gems as we did ours. Tom and I wish you a very Happy New Year of discoveries.



-Marie Bunn



To contribute to this section, or to request a recipe, or even to share your comments, please email me at marie@fearofflying.com