Growing up part Italian, my father was full blooded Italian, I have wonderfully fond memories of my great grandfather "Poppa Donne" and the times I spent with him. He spoke English but chose to speak Italian more. All that was missing at his home was the fact that it was in Pennsylvania on a farm and not in Italy on a vineyard estate. Each and every Sunday Poppa would have the entire family for dinner. Dinner would consist of homemade spaghetti (handmade noodles) homemade sauce from the tomatoes and herbs of his garden, and homemade wine. Poppa would give each great grandchild a shot glass full of his homemade brew. Our parents would argue...No...but Poppa won each time. "Good for their blood" he would tell them! The old timers knew what they were talking about. It was a wonderful celebration each and every Sunday I will never forget. Running and playing on the farm with the fresh air. Climbing the plum trees and picking fruit while Poppa watched with a careful eye as he sat under his grape arbor where he would gaze upon the fruit he would change to wine when harvest season came. I spent many afternoons and evenings sitting with Poppa listening to his stories in broken English of how he made the wines. I would look at the grape clusters and vines and leaves and think "my what a gorgeous site" Never did I think I would someday be doing a study on wine and yearn to be sitting at my Poppa's feet again, not as a young girl of 9 or 10, but as a woman in her late 50's. If only I could have one more sitting with Poppa it would not be just a one way conversation...but now I could chime in with my bits of knowledge I am learning. So my first experience with wine was at about age 7 or 8 and Poppa's was the first to give me happy memories. Now a plan of homes is on the site of Poppa's farmland.....a cousin of mine lives in one of the homes, and we still remember times on the farm & those Sunday meals with Poppa and our family. I had a very fortunate childhood. I not only had both sets of grandparents from mom and dad I also had a great grandfather who was remarkable.
My father's father was Roman, his mother was a Brazilian Italian. I have learned that in ancient Rome wine was linked to authority. If you had a vineyard you had power. Here in America I think Tuscany is the area most people want to visit for wine. Wine is on every table for every meal with the exclusion of breakfast (maybe?) sometimes the meal itself is a slice of bread and the wine. I have been know to do this after a long day at the office and not even bother with a meal...I guess it is my heritage coming through.
The whites grapes of Tuscany are: Chardonnay (the regions most expensive white) Malvasia (now the grape most known for vin santo the desert wine), Sauvignon Blanc (very limited amounts are grown),Trebbiano (used for dry whites), Vernaccia (Tuscany's most traditional refreshing white wine). The reds grapes of Tuscany are Cabernet Sauvignon (often times blended with sangiovese to make Chianti), Canaiolo (declining in use) Merlot (also used to make Chianti), and Sangiovese (the major Tuscan grape).
There is so much to cover with Italian wines. I will get deeper into the study in the next day or so. Some times I need to reread a section to be sure I have the proper understanding. It is written in English but the depth of what they are relaying to the reader is a lot to behold. So till tomorrow....Chow!
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