Mapping MONTALCINO

In a town where most peopble live on Brunello, it's a relief to see that some still don't. When the flower shop on Montalcino's main square closed down over a year ago, everybody expected that yet another wine shop was about to be opened.  But instead of cases of wine, two beautiful old Singer sewing machines were unpacked and bales of prime Italian fabric were delivered.  Twenty years ago every Italian town used to have a tailor on the main street. One of my favorite ones can still be found in Umbria, where Sartoria Trabalza has managed to resist the tide of globalization on Bevagna's beautiful town square. And  thanks to Renata Prinicipe's artisan spirit  another one has just been born in Montalcino. Craftswomenship has been running through her family for generations, and from clothes to table linens every single piece in the shop is handmade by Renata, her sister and her mom. The textiles at Sartoria Principe range from Tuscan classics like the famo...

November in Tuscany can be chilly and unfriendly. With icy cold Tramontana winds blowing from the north or unpleasant humid weather moving in from the coast.  Or it can look like this: Autumn lunch in our olive grove with new EVOO The ideal combination for mushroom gatherers is produced by a bit of rain followed by splendid sunshine - the perfect growing conditions for these fellas... Umbrella or UFO?

Sagra del Tordo 2013 Archery contests, medieval gear, Tuscan wine and food and plenty of shouting around are at the base of the Sagra del Tordo , Montalcino's main village festival.  But what's it all about? Read Lisa Maria Annicchiarico's   top ten reasons why you should visit  and  join the Montalcinesi at their favorite festival. The Sagra del Tordo isn't just popular with the locals, so make sure you come early for parking and to avoid the queues at the food stalls. 

Vineyards and olive groves: Castelnuovo dell'Abate seen from Sant'Antimo  Castelnuovo dell'Abate is one of Montalcino's beautiful small villages that most people only see from afar when visiting Sant'Antimo abbey.  It's time you took a closer look. The medieval village is alive and kicking and its inhabitants are proposing village feasts (in this case called Festa Campagnola) that are always fun to join.  CASTELNUOVO DELL'ABATE, SUNDAY, 12th of May - FESTA CAMPAGNOLA 9am opening of the food stalls (and remember it's totally acceptable to accompany your second breakfast with a glass of wine in Tuscany)  but make sure you leave some room for lunch at 12.30 pm at 4 pm dance it all off with the Ballo del Trescone (Montalcino's folk music group)  at 6 pm try and win a prosciutto, Pecorino cheese or Tuscan salami during the TOMBOLA GASTRONOMICA at 8 pm join everybody for dinner (better eat some more after all that wine) at 9.30 check wheth...

Spring in Montalcino means budbreak of the vines as  the earliest sign of a promising new vintage. But it also means countless foodie pleasures, even for the vegetarians between us. One of my favorite times in my Tuscan family is la baccellata - the moment when my father-in-law brings up the first broad beans from the garden and we eat them right away. The fresh pods (baccelli) are eaten raw paired with the first Pecorino cheese of the season, which is called Marzolino in reference to the month marzo (March). It looks like this:  Just add a glass of red wine: Baccelli beans and Marzolino  pecorino cheese

Italy's main truffle season is from October to January. But some lesser known fellows of the species keep growing all through winter, which is the foodie reason behind the March edition of the truffle fair in San Giovanni d'Asso (the autumn truffles can be tasted each year during a great fair on the first two November weekends). 2013 TARTUFO MARZUOLO (aka Bianchetto San Giovanni) SPRING TRUFFLE FAIR Saturday, 9th of March 11am opening of the food stalls 11,15am guided tour to a selection of artisan food producers in the Crete Senesi (on reservation only info@comune.sangiovannidasso.si.it or phone +39 0577 803268) 12,30pm Itinerario del Gusto - Foodie tasting tour: by one ticket to taste yor way through all the food stalls of the fair and meet San Giovanni's white March truffle in lot's of different preparations. 2,30pm Foodie Trekking: use and healing properties of wild herbs and salad greens. 5,30pm at the Castello (San Giovanni d'Asso's m...

Winter in Montalcino can be a little hard on the foodie side, as many restaurants close for a month or two once the December holiday season is over. Luckily one can always trust the quartieri (Montalcino's four neighborhoods), to come up with something tasty even once temperature drops.  This January, the Ruga neighborhood organizes its 5th Pinceria, an evening where the handmade pinci are rolled out in stacks, but not just with the traditional sauces (alle briciole, all'aglione), but - as the Italians say - in tutte le salse  (in every possible way or sauce). So better prepare for some innovative combinations!  If you're not in town or would like to try yourself on pinci making once back home - Jul's Kitchen has several pinci recipes on her great Tuscan cooking blog. Start off with the traditional pici all'aglione recipe , and if you understand some Italian read on about pici con le briciole , a post she wrote down for last year's Benvenuto Brunello wine...

There is a saying that young communists turn into fine conservatives once they've grown up. Makes me wonder whether that's what happened to me? Whilst I used to join political activists marches on many a first of May in the past, I nowadays spend them watching a donkey race in Sant'Angelo Scalo. Scalo (as it's known to locals) is no famous Tuscan hilltop village, and neither does it have a beautiful piazza, but it is still a part of the territory of the municipality of Montalcino. So before cheering the donkeys or listening to some folk music singing, there's plenty of opportunity to taste some fine Brunello or Rosso di Montalcino (Banfi and Col d'Orcia, two of the area's biggest wineries are based here) and one can have more than a mouthful of the local cuisine. You'll have to come mantled with patience though, as Scalo gets incredibly packed on the day. Looks like I'm not the only one in Tuscany who has given up on activist marches...