May 29, 2008
From the vineyards of Tuscany to the olive groves of Puglia, here’s
to Chiantis, and Primitivos, castles and villas
The Three Tomatoes have just returned from another fabulous trip to
Italy. Our wallets are lighter, our waistlines are larger, but we’d do it all again in a New York minute.
We started our vacation in the glorious hills of Tuscany and ended it in the southern region of Puglia, in a beautifully restored
villa that sits on the ancient Via Appia, 7 miles from the Adriatic Sea. So pour yourself a lovely glass of Chianti or Primitivo,
set your iTunes to Pavarotti, and enjoy a vicarious trip to Italia this week. We promise to take you to places you have never
been. And we’ve posted a few of our photos too.
Under the Tuscan Umbrellas
Yes tomatoes, it does rain in Tuscany. And it did for the first several days
we were there. But even the rain can’t dampen the beauty of the region. And the copious quantities
of Chianti certainly helped too by the way. We visited some of the areas favorite spots including Siena (on a perfect sunny day)
and San Gimignano (on a perfect rainy day). There are no bad days in Tuscany. And as many of you who have been to Tuscany know, one
of the great joys is just heading out in the morning with no real plan in mind, and discovering whatever comes your way, like a little vineyard here
and there, and a little restaurant, with amazing food, tucked away at the top of a hill. One of our
“finds” was just such a restaurant, somewhere in the heart of Chianti. We’d love to tell you where it is, but
as those of you who have experienced driving in Tuscany know, these unplanned excursions come about mostly from getting lost, so we have no idea where
we were. But the restaurant was great, and the food highlight was a spaghetti flambé, which was made inside a gigantic
hollowed out parma cheese wheel and flambed with grappa. But the highlight of our Tuscany visit which was planned and
included a driver so we’d actually get there, was a tour of the Castello Banfi winery, and dinner at their Michelin starred restaurant in their
11th century castle.
Cum Laude and Frois Gras
If you are a regular reader, you know that The Three
Tomatoes’ wine expert is Cristina Mariani-May, who is co-CEO of Banfi Vinters, the largest importers of wine in the U.S. So we were
very excited about visiting their vineyards in Montalcino, and the restaurant at Castello Banfi which we had
heard is fabulous from other tomatoes who have been there. It did not disappoint. The winery is incredibly
impressive and has combined the art of old Italian wine making with state of the art technology to produce some fabulous wines, including their award
winning Brunellos. But our favorite wine, after trying several reds, is the Cum Laude, which is a blend of several grapes. Magnifico! The beautiful wine tasting room and the
intimate restaurant are in the medieval castle which is set high on a hill with some of the best views you will ever see. The food
was extraordinary, like quail stuffed with frois gras. And we had six people serving four of us. We were
celebrating the anniversary of two of our dearest friends, and we all agreed this was one of those truly special evenings we will always
remember.
Puglia’s American Celebrity
Last summer we wrote a column called “Living the Dream”.
It’s the story of New York City ad guy Paul Cappelli (Italian born, but Boston raised), who bought an ancient villa four years ago in
the little town of Terlizzi (where his mother is from) just northwest of Bari in the region of Puglia (the heel of the boot.) He has spent the
past four years restoring the villa, whose gardens date back to the 13th century and parts of the buildings date back to the
14th century. In doing so has become known, with much admiration throughout the region, as the “American who is restoring
the big villa”. When we interviewed Paul for the column, he invited us to visit the Villa. And being
smart tomatoes, we immediately took him up on his offer before he could change his mind. And are we glad we did.
The “Authentic” Italy
This was the first of what we hope will be several visits to Southern
Italy. And it is only because we love you tomatoes that we are willing to share this largely undiscovered jewel of an
area. We arrived at Bari airport, an hour plan ride from Rome, and 20 minutes later we arrived at Villa Cappelli which sits majestically on the ancient Via Appia.
Just making the turn onto this ancient dirt road that saw the march of Roman Legions thousands of years ago, was a thrill.
And when Paul swung open the gates that lead to the courtyard of the Villa (Pavoratti playing in the background), we were blown
away. We dropped our bags in the courtyard, and entered the beautifully restored and modernized stone farm house kitchen, where
Paul whipped up the Villa Cappelli house drink in a blender, a delicious vodka based, fresh fruit drink appropriately called the
“Cappelli”. We then went on a tour of the villa, which has at least twenty rooms (with more to come), a very
interesting cave, and a chapel. Our lovely and very comfortable bedrooms were on the second floor of the main part of the
villa, with terraces all around, off an antique filled sitting room. Our rooms had fabulous, huge bathrooms too.
We then walked over to Paul’s olive groves, from which he produces and sells his Villa Cappelli olive oil (among other great products).
And in between the olive trees are cherry trees. And there we stood eating just picked cherries, drinking our Cappellis, and
chatting with Paul. And while we were thinking it just doesn’t get any better than this, it actually did
keep getting better.
First, Paul is the most gracious host on the planet. And he
speaks fluent Italian (having been born there), and he speaks the dialect of Terlizzi. And he knows all the best spots to visit,
like ancient churches, medieval fishing towns, antique shops, ceramic studios, and terrific restaurants, that charge about 1/3 of
the prices of places in Tuscany. Oh, and about every other person in Terlizzi is a cousin of his.
Everything was a highlight, but here are some of the super highlights. You can also view our photo highlights too.
The ancient town of Terlizzi is charming with a clock tower that dates to the 12th
century. Since Paul knows the mayor, we also got a private tour of their beautiful City Hall with frescoed ceilings. The
church of Santa Maria di Cesano, just a half mile from the Villa, built in 1055 AD, has one of the most hauntingly beautiful frescos we’ve ever
seen. Paul made a call in the early evening and the caretaker opened the church for us. Just a few miles away is the fishing
port, Giovinazzo, on the Adriatic. Great views, incredibly picturesque, and spectacular medieval architecture. Another
half-hour’s drive inland from the Villa is Castel del Monte, one of the most beautiful castles we have ever seen in
Europe. Built by Frederick II, the Swabian king and Holy Roman Emperor, it has a breathtaking 360 degree view of northern Puglia.
And here’s the best part. There were no tourists (except for a few Germans visiting
Frederick’s Castle.) There were no crowds. And we for sure, were the only
Americans. It made Tuscany feel like Disney Land.
But the moments that will live forever in our minds and hearts, are of the
Sunday afternoon when Paul invited several friends and family members to the Villa for “lunch” and to meet us. Lunch
became a feast. Paul grilled lamb and every guest brought a specialty. Pastas with mussels, and pastas
with cheeses and sausages, and yellow peppers with fresh anchovies. Homemade Villa Cappelli wine, olive oils, and sundried tomato sauce. Foccacia
and gelato. But the best part was the laughter. For the most part, with the exception of Paul and his
beautiful daughter Casey, no one else spoke English. And we don’t speak Italian. But that
didn’t hinder the communications or the belly laughs, proving that homemade wine bridges cultures. It was
one of the most special days ever.
So dear tomatoes, there you have it. We’re back to
NYC reality - crowded streets, traffic jams, screeching sirens, Chinese take-out, but the
memory lingers on.
‘til next week,
The Three Tomatoes
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