Travel Tips

Berlucchi Sparkling Wines: a Brief History

The history of Berlucchi, the well-known Italian sparkling wine, is strictly connected to the engaging events experienced by the company that has the same name, and which is today on the top of the global oenology.

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Berlucchi Winery Franciacorta Brescia Italy

The company was born in 1961, thanks to the lucky encounter between Guido Berlucchi, young countryman who was producing a simple wine called “Pinot del Castello” and Franco Ziliani, an ambitious winemaker, led by great dreams and expectations, who was interested in the idea of producing bubbly wine already at a early age, but he would have never imagined to reach such a great success.

The Beginning. 

The wine produced by Berlucchi with dedication and ambition, using grapes cultivated close to the Borgonato castle, presented unfortunately a problem of stability: once bottled, it tended to roil. And at this point Ziliani other than solving the inconvenience, confessed to Berlucchi his lifelong dream: to produce wines similarly to the French Champagne, high quality sparkling wines which can compete with the centuries-old French tradition.
The challenge was really ambitious even because, until recently, in Franciacorta we could only find very mediocre red wines, impossible to compare to the Champagne, beloved by Ziliani, who decided to start his ambitious project during his wine making training.

The First Italian Bubbly.

Giorgio Lanciani, Guido’s colleague and friend, takes part in the project.
In 1954, the three founded the “Guido Berlucchi & C.” Of course, their project took some time and many attempts before the production in 1961 of their first 3000 bottles of sparkling wine: the “Pinot di Franciacorta”.
The judgements were  immediately positives: the product was excellent and it could be compared with French Champagne.
The success of the new Italian wine was so overwhelming that the demand of production raised to the point that we can actually say that a new myth was born: the one of Franciacorta.
The winning characteristic of the product was the perfect price/performance combination: in fact it is Ziliani who believed that the selling point of their sparkling wines was the availability and the accessible price.
Now the production never stops; on the contrary, it continues to grow, thanks to the positive feedback of the consumers. The company can now get rich in new labels and renovate with new knowledge and technology.
The sparkling wine Berlucchi, in its classic variation, is straw-coloured with green reflections. It smells like white flowers and ripe fruits. Its flavour is embracing, fresh and lively.

Berlucchi 1961
The First Berlucchi Sparkling Wine made in 1961

The headquarters of Berlucchi wine is still today in Borgonato, community of Franciacorta, in the province of Brescia. The wine cellar is open from Monday to Friday (and a weekend per month from April to September) for guided tour and tasting itinerary. Don’t forget that you need to book a week earlier.

Coffee: Become a Master Barista With This Masterclass in Italy

Being a barista is something that can be done wherever there is a coffee house, but the role finds its roots in the Italian tradition of coffee making, and with the Terzi Coffee School you can finally learn this incredible and refined trade.

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Terzi coffee shop where you can become a certified barista.

The Terzi Coffeehouses of Italy provide the chance to take part in lessons and courses at the Terzi School for Coffee and Foodies, located in Vignola, no matter your starting skill level. Coffee lovers, baristas and tourists who seek a truly Italian hands-on experience will be taught by an English-speaking (other languages available) master barista all about the different types and techniques of coffee making and most of the classes – that range between short, half-day ones, one-day experiences and multi-day classes – also include breakfast, lunch and/or dinner of the best local Emilia Romagna dishes.

The aim of the owner of Caffè Terzi of Italy, Mr. Manuel Terzi, is to spread his knowledge and coffee expertise to anyone who’s willing to learn. The school doesn’t just cater to those who wish to become more familiar with the world of coffee, but also to foodies and food-lovers, and the school offers insight about the best dishes of Italian cuisine, the best pairings between coffee and cheese, information about coffee beans and all you wanted to know about the history of coffee, the methods to harvest and grind the beans, the equipment needed for the Italian techniques as well as the other methods of extraction available and also how to make the perfect drink (you can learn over 125 coffee drinks!), latte art, and the perfect cappuccino.

There are many online courses about the art of coffee making, but the Terzi School offers a first-person experience, with focused training, not detached demonstrations. The participants will take part in the activities and will be engaged in an all-around experience in a friendly atmosphere, with small classes that allow for individual attention for optimal learning. The course will be tailored on your needs, and there are many curricula available on the school’s website to choose from. Registration is easy and the prices range from 35€ for a simple lunch/dinner to join your friends who have taken part in a class (this option doesn’t include the class itself), to 195€ for a 4hrs class where you can learn how to make the perfect espresso or cappuccino, and up to more expensive classes for the coffee die-hards who want to know everything about coffee roasting. Barista classes are available for beginners (3.5hrs/195€), intermediate participants (4.5hrs/250€) or advanced baristas (8hrs/495€), so that anyone with any level of experience can find the course that best fits their wishes.

The world of coffee is wonderful, and perhaps a bit complicated at first glance, but the Terzi School of Italy just opened its doors and it’s a chance to learn all you wanted to know about coffee you just can’t miss.

Gelato Museum and Masterclasses in Bologna

Tourism in Italy revolves around two main aspects of our culture: food and art. For people visiting this amazing country there are plenty of chances to experience them in a multitude of ways, but few of them allow tourists to savour both at the same time.
The production of homemade gelato is one of such art forms and thanks to the Carpigiani brand, one of the best known artisan gelato foundations in the field, tourists and visitors will have the chance to learn and experience the world, history and culture of Italian gelato.

Carpigiani Gelato University graduation

The museum is located inside a 1000 square meter industrial structure converted into a creative space in Anzola dell’Emilia (near Bologna), offers workshops, classes and interactive tours that will showcase a collection of 20 original gelato makers, interactive presentations, and over 10,000 historical images, tools and documents that will take you through the history and the improvements of the technologies employed in gelato making through the centuries. In the museum, three main themes will be covered: the evolution of gelato, the history of production technology, and the places and ways gelato is consumed

The main workshops available are those of the Gelato Emotions 2015-2016:

“Taste the History of Gelato” is a tour and gelato tasting experience.

“Discovering Gelato” is a visit of the museum and a tasting experience of the duration of 1h45 with a lesson in gelato making.

“Gelatology” a tasting experience through the history of gelato and a guided tour of the museum.

Other experiences offered inside the Museum include a “Gelato Masterclass”, that will have participants prepare their own gelato with instructors from the Carpigiani Gelato University, and a “Gelato Team Building” activity where participants will create their team and challenge opponents to create the most creative gelato flavour (that will be judged and awarded by a panel of experts).

The Carpigiani Gelato Museum also partners with the Carpigiani Gelato University, a way for those interested in learning and improving their work in the field of artisan ice-cream production through courses and lessons with professionals.

Prices and an extended overlook of the workshops and professional courses offered by the Carpigiani brand can be seen on the Museum and University’s websites. Prepare yourselves for a whirlwind of taste, tradition and creativity!
The Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9AM to 6PM and reservation is required for both visits and workshops and can be done by mailing the Carpigiani 

5 Apps to Discover Emilia Romagna

Emilia Romagna is synonymous with true elegance and picturesque backdrops. Situated in Northern Italy, this oasis of calm is nestled within a serene and tranquil environment. From its vibrant Byzantine mosaics and university to lavish outdoor cafes and venues, the region is a haven for domestic shopkeepers and international tourists. Whether you love fishing and nautical activities or fine dining and cuisine, Emilia Romagna will truly dazzle the taste buds and senses. While there are several guided tours available, one of the best ways to access information is via apps. The following programs have been heralded for being the ultimate ways to discover this enchanted and fascinating locale.

Le Jour ni l’Heure 1465 : amphithéâtre anatomique, 1637-1649, par Antonio Paolucci dit Il Levanti, archigymnase de Bologne, Émilie-Romagne, Italie, lundi 19 décembre 2011,16:08:22
Bologna Archiginnasio – Oldest University in Western Europe.

Best Beaches in Emilia Romagna

KFrame Interactive is a great app for discovering the sparkling waters and sandy beaches of the region. Designed for Android users, this 5 star app is easy to use and offers timely details and directions. The zoom in and zoom out feature is especially helpful in exploring the rocky shores and miles of coastline that inhabit the region. There are also tons of photos shared by tourists for a true interactive experience. From the hottest nightlife spots to 5-star restaurants and eateries, KFrame offers the perfect Emilia Romagna experience right at the touch of your fingers.

Emilia Romagna Touring Club

The Touring Editor app has received mixed reviews and is designed for Android users. This app is especially helpful in finding the best restaurants and cafes in the region. From traditional Italian delicacies to continental favorites, the Touring Editor is perfect for those that want to have the best culinary experience. The app is also great for locating hospitality venues, hotels, and motels. With its user-friendly interface and all- app compatibility, this program is simply perfect for culinary enthusiasts and aficionados. The app has also received stellar reviews for the most part; however, some users have opted for other apps that offer more intricate and detailed features.

Trenit

Trenit is the premier transportation app for Emilia Romagna. This Android app helps users find train and bus schedules for the region, along with touring guides and even limousine services. From cost-affordable transportation companies to private services, Trenit has received 4 stars and continues to be an app that most everyone enjoys. The Italian Trains Timetable is particularly helpful since it also features transportation hubs and services to and from the region.

Bologna Maps and Walks

This app is for i-Phone and i-Pad users, and is designed to find the best guides tours and walks in the region. The convenient built-in features are also great for creating your own personalized and customized walking tour. In fact, the screenshots easily correlates with real-time information – allowing users to access vital information on where they are and where they are going!

Spas Emilia Romagna

This wonderful app is designed for I-Phone and I-Pad users, and helps customers find a myriad of lavish and elegant spa services. From manicure and pedicures to facials, this unique app is perfect for those that want to experience the sensuality and romance of this beloved region. The app has also received great reviews and client testimonials across the board.

Pepèn in Parma Best Street Food in Emilia.

If you are visiting Parma forget Culatello and Parma ham for a moment, you have to try this place at least once. Pepèn is a panini place in Parma that has been very popular with the locals for the last 50 years. The small shop can have huge crowds waiting for their meal consisting mainly of sandwiches. Everything seemed very nice and tasty so the choice can be hard to make. We tried the tasty “Carciofa” a savory tart with ricotta cheese, parmesan and artichokes, also the famous panino Spacca Balle (ball breaker) with roast beef and also the Panino con cavallo crudo, a very tasty sandwich with horse tartare, of course only for those foodies who are a bit adventurous. One of the best street food that we have tried in Italy at very convenient prices, expect to pay 5 euros per sandwich with a menu that changes depending on the day of the week, also serve wines and beers. Opens for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. It is very central at Borgo S.Ambrogio 2, 43100 Parma, Italy. Here you will find their official Facebook page.

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Raw horse meat panini in Parma

Rome Testaccio Market: Where to Eat Traditional Cuisine.

Testaccio: Off the Beaten Track in Rome.

If you are a foodie you cannot miss the Testaccio food market and try at least once the Panino con la trippa (tripe sandwich). The Testaccio  in Rome is a residential area where most  tourists would not adventure but if you want to explore the real local food it is the place to go. Testaccio is a short bus ride from  the Colosseum  and central Rome. It has  lots of local produce including fresh vegetables, fresh and cured  meats, and also it has a good variety of street food served from the market stalls daily except on Mondays. The tripe sandwich is particularly indicated if you want to try something really Roman beside the usual pasta and pizza. We recommend to  try  Mordi e Vai for the panino con la trippa. Also around there other stalls offering delicious fried artichokes, and sandwiches  with the bollito (boiled meats).

Panino con la Trippa
While in Rome Eat Panino Con la Trippa
Roa graffiti in Testaccio Rome
Roa graffiti in Testaccio Rome

 

Traditional Osteria in Rome – Lo Scopettaro Lungotevere.

Lo Scopettaro (literally the broom seller  in the roman dialect) is a traditional osteria in Roma Lungotevere off the tourist track worth trying because of the care taken to prepare the dishes on offer. We particularly appreciated the pasta courses. Of course we could not miss to try  rigatoni alla carbonara, and  tonnarelli  cacio e pepe which are freshly made spaghetti (alla chitarra) and a very simple sauce made with pecorino romano (cacio) and black pepper that it is skillfully blended with the pasta cooking water in order to obtain this creamy and tasty sauce.

Carbonara Pasta
Rigatoni alla Carbonara – Lo Scopettaro – Rome
Cacio e Pepe
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe – Lo Scopettaro – Rome

You should pay at least a visit to  Eataly in Rome.

Eataly in Rome is 3rd food mall opened by the company of Mr Farinetti. After the success of Turin and New York, now it is time for Rome. Again a little off the beaten track, you will find Eataly Rome at the Piramide metro stop, not far from the city center. Farinnetti the food entrepreneur this time used a disused railway building to open this mega food mall that has on sale many Italian food items from every possible corner of the country. Foodies will also find restaurants and street food outlets serving anything from fish carpaccio, to piadina to pizza fritta (see picture below).  

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Eataly Rome
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Pizza Fritta – Eataly Rome

 

Review of Amerigo. Savigno (Near) Bologna: Where The Good Meals Are.

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Amerigo shop front a sign of the good old days with a modern touch.

Amerigo is not exactly in central Bologna, it  will take at least a good 40 minutes by car from the city center to reach Savigno where Amerigo is. This Michelin starred traditional osteria has been pleasing the Bolognese since 1934 when the original owner opened to the public, and then handed down to family members since then. The atmosphere is representing the time gone by but the food is very modern and also reasonably priced considering the quality of the ingredients and the attention to the preparation. Most diners will go there to try the truffle dishes (this is what Amerigo is famous for) but the traditional menu with tortellini is also worth to explore.

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Some of the dishes from Amerigo, including tortellini, truffled polenta, and traditional balsamic vinegar fiordilatte icecream.

The dishes that we tried from top left corner:

Polentina con tartufo bianco: a runny polenta topped with the seasonal and local white truffles. If you go all the way to Savigno you should include some truffle dishes to your  lunch or dinner. Emilia Delizia also offer truffle hunts in Savigno.

Calzagatti con Lardo: Calzagatti (the cat’s socks) it is a traditional dish from the Modena and Bologna mountains. It is basically polenta with beans that can be eaten grilled or fried. In this case each individual piece was wrapped in lardo di colonnata.

Gnocchi al Tartufo Nero: An Italian classic, potato gnocchi with seasonal Savigno black truffle.

Tortellini in Brodo: Another classic of the Bologna and Modena culinary tradition. In this case the tortellini were truly tiny, and served in a meat stock (brodo di carne).

Risotto con gli Ovuli: it is mushroom season in October so here another classic Italian risotto with Caesar mushrooms (amanita caesarea).

Leprotto:  It is a younger hare. In this case it  was served  on a bed of pickled crunchy vegetables. Game is also a classic dish when you visit the Italian mountains.

Guancia di Vitella: The Veal’s cheek is often discarded and considered of low value, but in fact it is a very tasty part of the animal that too often goes neglected. At Amerigo it was served stewed with its own gravy and fried onions.

Gelato Fior di Latte: Made with fulll fat milk and cream and then topped with traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena. It is simple but the best  way to end a nice meal.

Save Parmesan Cheese From EU Bureaucrats

Slow Food, an international movement that strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine, has started a petition on change.org to stop the usage of powdered milk in the production of cheese and dairy products. The petition will back up the Italian law established in 1974 that bans the usage of powdered milk for yogurt, caciotta, robiola, mozzarella cheese and other dairy products. It’s a law that contributes to protect Italy’s heritage in the field of cheese production and dairy traditions.

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This law has been discusses starting from the decision of the European Commission, pressured by the Italian dairy industry itself, that has asked Italy to change 1974’s law by the end of July to guarantee free trade of goods. This action is an attempt, and not the first in its kind, to lower standards in the name of free market, at the expense of consumers and quality producers. The result of this change would increase quantity over quality, standardizing a product that is typical, unique and protected by definition. The production of regional cheeses is based upon the quality and origins of the milk used, enabling producers to use powdered milk would, for all intents and purposes, endanger DOP and IGP (protected geographical identity) products. Most of the consumers purchase products based on their price, and the usage of powdered milk would make the cost of production, and of sale, lower, along with its quality standards, thus making it less likely for consumers to rely on traditional and high quality dairy products.

Powdered milk poses no threats for the health of its consumers, but using it in the production of cheeses would only bring increased profits for the multinationals already involved in the dairy industry and a standardization of the product. The usage of powdered milk would also lead to a penalization of a high-quality product that should reflect the biodiversity of Italy and, along with it, it would also penalize local and family-owned businesses.

In this discussion, Slow Food claims that using powdered milk is the last attempt to lower and level the production of dairy products in favor of big companies that care more about profit than they do about biodiversity and quality. The petition was started by Slow Food in order to “mobilize the public opinion, and bring together consumers, shepherds, farmers, artisans and chefs to counter the latest attack made by European bureaucracy against quality production of made in Italy dairy products”.
The petition backs the Italian minister Martina, who fights to defend the Italian law on the subject and with it hundreds of small producers and the heritage of milks, techniques, traditions, professions and communities that make up the Italian dairy tradition.

The Italian dairy production is a vital aspect of Italian cuisine, and features as one of its most prominent and recognizable products Parmesan cheese, one of many cheeses that prides itself in its traditional and protected geographical origin of production.

 

Parmesan Might Have Similar Effects Of Impotence medications, Scientist found.

Parmesan cheese in popular culture:

Not just cheese, more than a staple for those in Emilia-Romagna and the entire word, Parmesan Cheese is a myth, a tradition and at the core of Italian cuisine. The elderly of Modena, one of the areas where the production of Parmesan is safeguarded and brought forward, have always considered Parmigiano Reggiano a cheese with energetic and energizing properties, but there’s more. They also believe this cheese to have aphrodisiac properties and to be able to make those who eat it “horny”. The younger generations might not know of this bit of trivia from their parents or grandparents, but Parmigiano cheese is said to enhance a person’s sexual desire. This was considered a legend until recently, as it hadn’t been proved by scientific research, but folk tales do prove to be true sometimes, as is the case for Parmesan.

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You might not need the blue bill after all – source

Parmesan cheese and science:

Local professor Mario Baraldi (http://www.fondazionebaraldi.com/curriculum.php) has a 50 years’ long experience in pharmacology and started researching Parmigiano Reggiano’s purported aphrodisiac properties with a scientific study based on the fact that about 15/20% of the male population has erectile dysfunction. His study was conducted on sexually sluggish male rats and then published on the Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition Science because the professor discovered that feeding Parmesan cheese to the rats over a period of time improved their sexual performance. In fact, Parmesan is constituted for the 30% of free amino acids that are  precursors and building blocks for nervous system stimulants such as dopamine.

Parmesan cheese and its synergic effect with traditional Balsamic vinegar:

Often the two products are consumed together. It’s really an experience to try, and purely from a gastronomic standpoint it’s something you’ll have to taste for yourself to completely appreciate the characteristics and strengths of both foods. The salty, grainy consistence of the cheese, paired with the smooth, sweet but slightly sour taste of Balsamic vinegar (also traditionally produced in the area of Modena and nearby) meet in an extremely enjoyable way. Balsamic is advertised as being a good partner for a wide array of different foods and dishes, but pairing it with Parmigiano Reggiano is like a meeting that was meant to happen. Some people pour a few drops on top of the cheese – which must not be cut in a straight direction, but flaked roughly with a special knife – while other people prefer to pour a small pool of Balsamic vinegar on their plates and dip the Parmesan flake in it. The different qualities of Balsamic vinegar ease the choice, since the more expensive the product chosen, the less drops each of us will use, both for the quality and the quantity needed to appreciate the taste.

Professor Baraldi reckons that consuming both products together can prove beneficial: the Balsamic vinegar helps the stomach in receiving and absorbing the cheese because of its unique sweet and sour taste. This way, the synergy created is not only a pleasant eating experience for your palate, but also for your body and sexual life.

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