A Day of Wine Tasting in Bolgheri

Our introduction to the wines at Tenuta Le Cologne began with a discussion about the topography and climate of the Bolgheri region.

One of Italy’s smaller, and perhaps lesser-known, wine regions is that of Bolgheri. Bolgheri is a town which has given its name both to a region, which lies along the coast of Tuscany south of Livorno, and to the wines produced there. 

Unlike some of the more well-known wines of Italy, commercial wine production is relatively recent in this area, taking off only in the 1970’s. But its roots go back further to when the first French style grapes were planted in the 1940’s. Production then was small, starting with a single vineyard, and just for family use. 

I like to imagine sitting with the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, sipping wine from his small vineyard, and seeing that “ah ha” moment on his face as he realized what a special wine he had.  That wine was called Sassicaia and today it is the most famous (and most expensive) of the Bolgheri wines.  

Someday I hope to taste this very special Bolgheri wine.

 The unique quality of Bolgheri wines comes from several factors.  First is the French varietal grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, sometimes blended with Syrah or Petit Verdot.  Second is the land and microclimate in which the grapes are grown.   Bolgheri vineyards closest to the coast are influenced by the sandy soil and sea breezes.  Moving inland and higher up the hills, the higher elevations have a more gravel type soil.  Each setting influences the flavors of the wines produced.  The third factor is the bowl (our guide called it an amphitheater) of hills which surround the area, giving a big hug to the vineyards.

The hills surrounding the Bolgheri vineyards help to create the climate, and the flavors, of the wines

 I am far from a wine expert; I learned all of this information on a day of wine tasting at two Bolgheri wine cellars. The trip was arranged by a group of friends, some of whom are much more knowledgeable about wines than am I. Of course, no one wants to be the designated driver on a wine tasting day, so we were lucky to have Giovanni Palmieri, from The Tuscan Wanderer, as our driver and guide for the day. Giovanni was able to share information not only about the wines but also about the countryside and the many small towns along the way. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to join this fun group for a day of tasting in Bolgheri and, as always, Giovanni was the perfect guide.

Tenuta Le Colonne

Our first stop was at Tenuta Le Colonne, a beautiful winery in the town of Donoratico in the most southern part of the Bolgheri region. The vineyards here are very close to the sea.  At Le Colonne we began to learn about Bolgheri wines and the characteristics of the region.  After a tour of the cellars we began our tasting. 

The dining room at Le Cologne

While many wine tastings come with a bit of bread and cheese, Le Colonne puts on a more elaborate spread in their elegant dining room. The addition of a special meal paired with a variety of wines made this a particularly enjoyable wine tasting.

 We were served an abundant lunch that began with a wide variety of appetizers: interesting stuffed focaccias, torta di ceci (a crispy chickpea pancake) with several different toppings, and a salumi and cheese board. 

The presentation was beautiful. We passed the plates family-style around the table, wanting to taste each appetizer. Perhaps the most surprising was a focaccia made with chocolate and filled with finocchiona (fennel) salami and goat cheese.

Next came a course of mostly crudo (raw) dishes. Tuna, Octopus, and a Beef Tartare were all available options. Again, each was artfully presented and delicious.

Finally, a tart shell filled with a most interesting (and delicious) combination.  A basil cream topped with fresh strawberries.

Each wine was described during the tasting.

Of course, each dish was paired with a wine.   The appetizer course began with a crisp Vermentino, a lovely wine.  (Although the Bolgheri region is mainly known for their reds, they also grow Vermentino grapes). The Vermentino was followed by the Le Colonne Rosato, a very light rosé blend of Merlot and Syrah.

Then it was on to the reds.  We sampled two, their Bolgheri Rosso DOC and their Bolgheri Superiore DOC. These are Le Colonne’s superstars.  Both were wonderful with the Superiore the more complex and intense of the two, made using only select grapes. Several bottles of the Superiore made it to our van for the trip back home.

The patio at Casa di Terra

 Our next stop was a short drive away to another Bolgheri winery in the more modern setting of Fattoria Casa di Terra, a family run winery. The winery building, with its steel and cement architecture, sits in the middle of the vines. 

The lowest levels house the tanks in which the wine is aged before bottling. There are large stainless ones along with some small urn shaped cement ones and beautiful large wooden ones. 

On the ground floor are the tables set for tastings and the wine shop. Up top, a wide terrace provides a view over the vines and is used for summer season aperitivo.    

It was interesting to taste similar wines – a Vermentino, a Rosato, and several reds, including their Bolgheri Superiore – and yet find different flavors and scents as compared to the earlier winery. Here I found the Rosato really appealing. In truth, my palate is not sophisticated enough to clearly sense all the underlying flavors in wine. You’ll never hear me say “oh, there are notes of tobacco, sage, and blackberry” and yet – peach – there was a definite peach flavor to this Rosato. 

Wine tasting at Fattoria Casa di Terra

It is hard to beat the combination of a beautiful spring day, blue skies, a drive through Tuscany towards the sea, good company, laughter, excellent wines and food, and the opportunity to learn about a new wine region. Now I know exactly why I have long found the wines of the Bolgheri region to be a favorite!

Contacts: Tenuta Le Colonne Via Vecchia Aurelia 418, 57022 Donoratico LI +39 0565775246 email: enoteca@tenutalecolonne.it

Fattoria Casa di Terra Località Le Ferrugini, 162/A 57022 Bolgheri LI. +39 0565749810. email: info@fattoriacasaditerra.com

The Tuscan Wanderer. +39 3664162266. email: thetuscanwander@gmail.com.

Le Colonne

Prato’s Museo del Tessuto (Textile Museum)

Tuscany is not all rolling hills, art, vineyards, olive groves, and Medieval streetscapes.  A different Tuscany presents itself in the city of Prato. While Prato does have a historic center worth exploring, it is better known as the center of a thiving textile and fashion industry. 

Displays in the Textile Museum recount the history of cloth making and the fashion industry in Prato, including the role of Chinese immigrants.

The creation of textiles in Prato goes back to the 12th century, but it was the industrial revolution of the late 1800’s which fostered the growth of the industry.  Another boom period came with the end of World War II when Prato became one of Europe’s largest districts for textile and clothing manufacturing. Prato’s role in textiles and fashion continues today, in large part supported by the Chinese immigrants who began arriving in the early 1990’s. 

The history of textiles in Prato is celebrated in a small but fascinating and well-curated museum, The Museo del Tessuto. Established 50 years ago, the museum is now housed in a historic building – the former Compolmi textile factory. The factory was opened in 1863 by Vicenzo and Leopoldo Compolmi in a building that formerly housed a mill (and before that a convent). One of the fascinating aspects of the museum is seeing the former factory’s collection of machinery used in the manufacturing process along with implements used during different periods of manufacturing. 

Displays throughout the museum explain the evolution of fashion and style as well as materials used during different time periods. There are displays on types of fabrics, materials used to spin thread, and agents for coloring fabric. Many of the educational displays are hands on, giving visitors the ability to feel how different raw materials are to the touch. I owe these displays a big thank you for most of the info contained in this post.

Recently, I had a chance to visit the museum and see two special exhibits.  One, Silk Treasures, showcases fabric, small remnants, larger pieces, and intact garments, from the 15th – 18th centuries. Many were originally designed for Europe’s wealthy class and later recycled into garments worn by the clergy. The fabrics are woven with gold and silver threads as well as intense blues and reds, forming intricate and beautiful patterns. That they have survived for centuries seems like a miracle. The Silk Treasures exhibit will be on display until December 21, 2025.

The second special exhibit is quite different.  It is a contemporary and futuristic display of clothing crafted from velvet fabrics.  Entitled Velvet Mi Amor, it was created by father and daughter designers Stefano and Corinna Chiassai.

The Velvet Mi Amor exhibit has an eye-catching group of patterns, colors, and textures.

The exhibit, which runs through June 8th, includes 24 otherworldly figures clothed in a diverse range of velvets – prints, patterns, inlays, and laser cuts all have a place.  The oversize pants, jackets, shoes and hats, all in velvet, pull you in to take a closer look. You may even find some hidden messages in the patterns.   

Prato is easily reached by train in about 30 minutes from Florence or 60 minutes from Lucca.  The museum, including its well-stocked gift shop, is definitely worth a visit. And Prato, which hosts Italy’s second largest Chinese population, is just the place for a post-museum Chinese food lunch.

The gift shop at Museo del Tessuto

Carnevale 2025

Corso Garibaldi is the street where the Magnolias bloom in Lucca.

We are on the cusp of a change of seasons in Italy.  No, not winter into spring quite yet (though here in Lucca the Magnolias are just beginning to bloom).  I mean the shift from the season of Carnevale into the season of Lent. 

The last Carnevale events in Lucca and Viareggio are scheduled for the first week of March, a last bit of fun and folly just before the seriousness of Lent begins on the 5th. 

In Lucca, the biggest Carnival event was the Sfilata delle Maschere (Parade of Masks) on February 23rd.  The procession began along Lucca’s historic walls and slowly worked its way to the center of town, ending in a big celebration in Piazza San Michele. 

The sfilata involved much more than just masks.  Viareggio sent groups of costumed performers and some of their smaller floats.

 While the huge floats in Viareggio’s parades require big crews to operate them and move them along, the ones sent to Lucca were the smaller carri (wagons) that take just one or two persons to operate. 

The parade began with the arrival of Burlamacco and Ondina, the official mascots of the event.  Their arrival was followed by a marching band and a special float – a large leopard created especially for Lucca.

This leopard was one of the biggest floats, requiring a tractor to pull it along the parade route.

Then came groups of costumed dancers and performers.  Could I tell you exactly what some of these groups represented?  Not a chance – but all were entertaining and, in the tradition of Viareggio’s Carnevale, a bit political, with a dash of the allegorical, and a whole lot of wild.

 One group of carri, each with a single person steering it, represented the spoils of war and the big money interests that favor it (at least that is my interpretation). The giant money hungry pig was certainly impressive. The sign on his float translates to “Lunch is served. As long there is war there is hope”. His waiters served up barrels of oil and tanks. This type of social commentary is exactly what I expect from Viareggio during Carnevale.

My favorite group of floats brought graceful acrobats twirling high above the crowd.  The were called In Equilibrio Sopra La Follia which translates to Balanced Above the Madness.  Seemed an appropriate theme for this year to me. 

The final float was the largest.  A train full of paper mâché people waving to the crowd.

Alongside the parade, the crowd included lots of costumed children and adults too. 

What a fun way to celebrate Carnevale before the much more sedate season of Lent arrives.

A February Week in Lucca

The last week or so here in Lucca has been mostly cold, rainy, and windy.  Some days saw just a slow drizzle but others were seriously rainy.  One night brought drama with thunder, lightning, hail, and brief periods of flickering lights.  Mixed in were periods of cloudy, chilly weather with breaks in the rain.  The rare days of sunshine felt like a gift with blue cloudless skies and some sunshine!

 Despite the less-than-ideal weather, there is a bit of buzz in the air. The long weeks of January are over, and the days are getting longer.  February is short and will land us one month closer to spring.

It is a time to make the best of breaks in the weather, go for walks about town, and see what might be new to discover.  Camera in hand (well, my IPhone camera) each bit of clear sky was a chance to set out and explore.

One walk last week brought a surprise encounter with a local group of Steam Punk enthusiasts.  All in costumes, they make for compelling photographic subjects. 

A lovely Steam Punk lady!

 Walks around Lucca last week also provided a chance to see Valentines Day themed window displays.  Look closely at the typewriter in the photo below – the brand name is most appropriate.

 A lot of the buzz in the air had to do with the start of Carnevale, an event that will go on until the beginning of Lent.  Viareggio is home to most of the Carnevale action, but the themes, masks, confetti, and  paper mâché creations spill over into Lucca in many ways. 

Last week it was in the arrival of the Skull Parade, a collaboration between Viareggio and Mexico City.  The large paper mâché creations reflect Mexican Day of the Dead culture with a splash of Italian Carnevale.  They are scattered throughout Lucca so you never know when you might stumble onto one.  Searching for these teschi (skulls) was good motivation to go out for a walk, even when an umbrella was required.

Other Carnevale related arrivals included a huge Gorilla mask, created by the Cinquini brothers, under the loggia in Piazza San Michele.   Could his eyes really be following me?  Indeed they can!

 A Carnevale event just for children on Saturday was a blizzard of confetti thrown by costumed kids.  It was a fun kind of chaos. A stilt walker threw streamers for the kids and the unicycle rider provided bags of confetti.  Give a kid a bag of confetti and just watch what happens.

Inside the Piazza Anfiteatro, the oval-shaped piazza that follows the outlines of the old Roman Amphitheater, nightfall brought Carnevale themed projections on the buildings.  It was just warm enough to sit outside in a cafe (cozied up to the gas flame heater), sip a glass of wine, and enjoy the light show.

 All this in one week! And what will next week will bring? More Carnevale events and hopefully some drier weather.

Keeping Busy on Cold Winter Days in Tuscany

Watching kids enjoy the giostra (carousel) on nice days is a good pastime.

It’s important to make the most of the cold January days in Lucca, even the rainy ones. 

While the heavy periods of rain have definitely kept me indoors at times, lighter rains and clear periods see me heading out for walks, window shopping, photography, meeting up with friends, watching the giostra (carousel) go round and round, and looking for general inspiration.

The monthly antiques market was a great diversion in between rain showers on a cold and cloudy day earlier this month.  Many of the vendors are the same from month to month, but a scavenger hunt to search for new and unusual finds is always fun.  

Cooking is a good rainy-day activity and, after finding some really nice guanciale in the market, I’ve been working on perfecting my pasta carbonara skills. But sometimes eating out is a good rainy-day activity too.

Pasta is cold weather comfort food and Macelleria Pucci is a butcher shop / restaurant that makes a great southern Italian spaghetti with polpettini (little meatballs). Lunch there with friends was a treat as it is unusual to find this dish in northern Italy. I requires lots of rainy afternoon walks to balance out those pasta calories!

Catching up with friends after being away from Italy over the holidays has been great too.  Lucca has lots of cafes, perfect for meeting over a cup of coffee, pot of tea, or glass of wine.  The indoor cafes are warm and cozy and have led to some great chats about world issues with locals at the next tables.  It is always interesting to get the Italian perspective on US and World events.  And it is great for practicing my Italian.

 A stop at the Saturday flower market, on one of the few sunny days this past weekend, brought a touch of spring and some bright color into my apartment, a necessity on these winter days.

The Saturday flower market in Piazza San Michele is great in any season

One of my favorite winter cold weather activities is planning spring travel and I’ve been busy doing just that.  Spring in Emilia- Romagna and Umbria is a welcome thought on these cold days. And the planning is almost as much fun as the travel will be.

 My book club selection for the month is The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli.  It has transported me to Florence in the late 1400s and Paris in the 1930s.  A great escape on a cold or cloudy day.

 And for real escapism, day dreaming about spring blossoms is hard to beat.  Photos can make the gray skies fade away and bring a reminder that spring is just around the corner.  I think that readers in the frigid parts of the US and Canada might appreciate these reminders as much as I do.  Stay warm everyone!