We
are on an adventure "Under the Tuscan Sun & Swiss Alps," doesn't
that just sound lovely? We have explored the art of wine making in San
Gimignano. The love of the craft, its history, its inspiration spills
over into our hostess's passionate comments.
They
still produce great, great, great grandfather's wine recipe. They speak about
the wines as if they are relatives, describing their personalities and compatibility. Did you know that the pressed grape skins are what is used to
make Grappa, the potent elixir that most Italians end their meals?
Food
is such an important part of the Italian culture. Many stores close for a two
to four hour lunch break. (must be the Grappa) Honestly, true Italian spirit is
about living and enjoying beautiful things. Their world doesn't revolve around
work and money. Sigh.
We
toured a farm where the same family had been making balsamic vinegar for
several centuries in the Modena area. Aged in small barrels of various woods
and shapes, the good stuff is at least 30 years old. When the cooked grape
juice goes in the cask, they say "It will be ready when the baby
marries." We were given the chance to taste a barrel of 100 year old
balsamic. Can you imagine starting a food product that you won't live to see
the results?
We
made our way to Parma, following highways lined with vineyards. The older,
woody plants leafing out in stages, pruned to perfection. Fruit trees were
trellised and groomed to grow flat to make the care and harvest easier. A rosy
faced ham man greeted us to tour his family operation in production of
prosciutto.
Thousands
of pork backsides make it into this small, spotless processing plant. The tiny
crew of two brothers plus three, trim, salt, massage, hang, inspect, rotate,
prepare, market and sell this staple of Italian diets. It is thinly sliced and
served with melon, with bread, oil and cheese. The ham man uses a needle-like
tool from the femur of a horse to pierce the meat. He sniffs the bone to insure
proper seasoning and not spoilage. This labor of love takes two years for
the good stuff to be ready for the plate.
When
you sit down to a proper Italian meal of year old wine, two year old ham,
100 year old balsamic vinegar and without adding in the sun dried tomatoes,
black olives and aged cheese, it makes us understand why their lunch needs at
least a few hours to enjoy. Magnifico!
