The GastroNomad

Piemonte delights, with a Pira Marenca Barolo 2015.

2007 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova with a Pienza Pecorino. Perfect pairing. Anticipating our return to Italy to enjoy these treasures and attend Benvenuto Brunello 2022.

Foods and flavors of Valpolicella, a beautiful accompaniment to its wines. Petto d’anatra (duckbreast), white meat ragu, zucchini flowers with ricotta, Passata di Pomodoro (tomato soup) with Stracciatella di Burrata, and tiramisù to finish it off.

Something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving day!

Italy to launch first 'virus-free' flights between US and Europe Italy is to offer Europe's first coronavirus-free flights to the United States for passengers who have tested negative for Covid-19, scrapping the obligation for new arrivals to quarantine

My favorite season for cuisine in italy is autumn. Here’s one from October. Egg and cheese fondue with truffles, melt in your mouth homemade pumpkin ravioli with goose liver lamellae, and slow cooked pork loin with licorice sauce and caramelized onion ice cream. And for wine? A Sandro Fay Valtellina Superiore Valgella DOCG 2016.

10 Top-Scoring Barbarescos From the 2017 Vintage | Wine Enthusiast Barbaresco's 2017 vintage offers Nebbiolo that's built to last, at prices within reach for many wine collecters. Here are 10 that stood above the pack.

Last week’s tasting tasting experience at Bruno Rocca with their wonderful host Giulia. Super Barbaresco 2014 Riservas (Curra and Rabajà), 2016 Barbaresco Currà, 2018 Nebbiolo Fralù, Barbera d’ Alba and Dolecetta. Really enjoyed the Currà MGA wines, but all were excellent.

Views from Barolo center

Italian fine wines at ‘historic levels of growth’ Yesterday morning (25 August) Liv-ex said that the value of Italian wines traded so far this year surpassed that of 2019 and volume would soon follow.

'We're out of the storm': Health minister says Italy is past the worst of the Covid-19 crisis Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said Italy is now past the worst of the crisis, but stressed that caution is still needed.

An amazing day of wine tasting, lunch and waterfalls in Valtellina and Lake Como.

Most wonderful experience at our B&B in Cinque Terre. The staff were so exceptional we extended our stay. On our last evening our lovely and incredible chef Emmanuwel made my favorite pasta con aragosta. The food and service was beyond our expectations so we had three meals there. Our gracious and friendly hosts Yasi, Paola and her Mom took great care of us. We will return.

Cinque Terre 2020

Chilling at our favorite cantina Cantina Follie Tremezzo on Lake Como. Enjoying a champagne method sparkling Rosé made with Groppello, Barbera, Sangiovese and Marzemino grapes.

The cuisine of Valtellina. Local meats, cheeses and bread. Schiatt and Pizzocheri pasta, all paired with .nicola Sassella, Inferno and Sforzato Nebbiolo based wines. If you enjoy Barolo, Barbaresco or Amarone, give Valtellina wines a try. 😀🍷

A perfect summer day visiting the vineyards of .nicola, Inferno subzone of Valtellina. Beautiful Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) based wines. Heroic vineyards of Valtellina well worth a visit. Grazie mille for the hospitality.

Our last trip to Tuscany was in February for the Benvenuto Brunello, a fabulous event and we look forward to attend in Feb 2021. If you have not tried any 2015 Brunello di Montalcino yet, we highly recommend you sample at least a few.

Some Wine News From Italy That You May Have Missed The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino wines have been greeted with accolades and will be in the market soon.

Italy is open to EU and UK visitors and so are our restaurants. No quarantine required after arrival.

Yesterday we enjoyed al fresco dining in Lake Como - mixed fried seafood platter, risotto with pesto, stracciatella and prawns. Washed down with a Villa Franciacorta Extra Brut Millesimato DOCG. We took a stroll along the lake to burn it all off and enjoyed some beautiful views.

Great news for Italy 🇮🇹👍

Italy confirms travel can restart between all regions from June 3rd The Italian government has confirmed that unrestricted travel between regions can restart from Wednesday June 3rd as planned, with health experts urging caution.

In celebration of the newly designated Prosecco Rosé DOC, available next year, we enjoyed a Treviso sparkling Rosé for aperitivo at a local bar. Can’t wait to design a tour or your own private trip for 2021. It’s a stunning region, just outside of Venice.

Meet the winemakers: virtual masterclasses to enjoy at home - Decanter Wineries around the world are seizing the opportunity to present their wines directly to you. With these virtual tastings you can get to know some of the top names in the wine world...

Beautiful stories from the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como

Something positive to start off another week of self-isolation.

2016 was a year with superb conditions in many of Italy's wine regions. Barolo wines from that year, recently released, are proving to be exceptional and something you may want to start adding to your collection.

One of the journalists we follow for advice and updates in the Italian wine regions is Tom Hyland. Tom is a wine educator, and Italian wine specialist for many leading travel and wine publications. Here is his excellent review of the 2016 Barolo, including some quotes from producers and last but not least, his recommendations based on his tastings.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2020/04/the-2016-barolo-is-here-at-last

We are very hopeful that we can resume our private and small tours by October and November, the most popular time to visit Piedmont, during the Alba white truffle season. We also have tours for spring of 2021, where we can still sample the 2016 Barolo, including vertical tastings (same producer, same wine, different years) or horizontal tastings (2016 Barolo from various producers).

https://www.the-gastronomad.com/piedmont-food-and-wine-tours

The 2016 Barolo is Here at Last | Wine-Searcher News & Features Finally, some good news we can all get behind – Barolo's latest offering is one for the ages. Read the latest wine news & features on wine-searcher

We very much look forward to the day we can once again travel in beautiful Italy. In the meantime, if you also can't wait, here are some tips for enjoying a virtual travel experience of this amazing and wonderful country.

https://www.cntraveller.com/article/travel-italy-from-home?utm_term&utm_source=Postcard+of+the+Day&utm_content=Here%E2%80%99s+how+to+go+to+Italy+without+leaving+home&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Postcard+of+the+Day_+20200404210911&fbclid=IwAR1plFm575_SbkOHmkTRcw1ckwa0g2c7Vzt_cJY4UPCJ3ysWozMeWiTRqIE

Here's how to go to Italy without leaving home The books to read, the films to watch and the wine to drink to recreate the Italian experience at home.

If you're not a fan of places overrun with tourism, we have a 2020 Italian holiday for you

We have recently seen numerous articles and posts describing the need to purchase tickets to visit the most popular Italian tourist destinations. See the post below by Travel and Leisure magazine for one example.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/beach-vacations/sardinia-pelosa-beach-admission-italy-tourism-overtourism

Italy is a gorgeous country but in the past decade has become one of the top worldwide destinations for holidays, but still there are numerous undiscovered beautiful and charming regions and villages. We offer authentic Italian tours, focusing on wine, food and culture and aim to take you to hidden gems and wonderful venues where you will have an exclusive experience without waiting in lines.

Check out our website for more details:

https://the-gastronomad.com

We recently added -Alto Adige to our 2020 tours. We have combined it with the region of Valpolicella (where you can taste Valpolicella Superiore, Ripasso, , Recioto di Valpolicella wines). Our first trip this year is in mid April, just after , the largest Italian wine trade event held annually in Verona. Here's a sampling of some of the delicious meals we had in the two regions. We hope it's enough to entice you to take our tour!

https://www.the-gastronomad.com/amarone-alto-adige-food-wine-tour