Any time I visit cellars in the Langhe area I always come back home full of positive energy and lots of inspiring stories and ideas. It couldn’t be different after my meeting with Sara Vezza Saffirio, a young and entrepreneurial winemaker at Josetta Saffirio in Casteletto (Monforte d’Alba). As 23-year-old girl she already decided to stay in the area and to continue a family tradition of making wines.
In Piedmont once we have spring time in the middle of winter, and sometimes we are overtaken by intensive snow falling on the edge of spring…. The weather is sometimes like a woman – variable and full of surprises. 🙂 And even though I’m not the fan of snow (maybe because I don’t practice winter sports which would compensate difficulties on the roads), I must admit I was charmed by white Langhe hills, grapevines hidden under a light duvet, crystals sparkling in the sun light… Usually views you can enjoy in the Langhe and Roero are breathtaking, but the landscape in white scenery, with fluffy curves of hills with spread over little towns and castles looked really fabulous…
Torino. The city that knows how to surprise. Once it charms with its elegance, spoil with chocolate sweets, gives a lot of emotions during the Juve match, invites for outdoor night parties, whereas another time it irritates by chaos on the streets and a complete lack of parking spaces. But while on one Saturday of January I was walking in the city center bathed in the sunlight, I need to admit Torino won my heart. A light warm wind, the streets full of people, a big queues outside gelaterie, street artists and a flea market that always drives my attention… Let’s have a virtual walk on central streets and squares of the capital of Piedmont.
This year, quite unusual (maybe because it’s untypical year for me), I spent Christmas holidays in Italy. Instead of Christmas tree I prepared decorations of picea branches, despite traditional Polish dishes I cooked Italian risotto with funghi porcini (my recipe you can find below) and as a bonus I was enjoying wonderful views and warm, sunny weather…
Old cellars covering 5000 square meters, long lyrical illuminated corridors and lots of bottles with fermenting wine. While I was visiting the ancient basements of Contratto, a party took over the place above. The huge elegant courtyard, of the oldest Italian producer of millesimato metodo classico, hosted a significant number of guests. This time I will not write about the reception (although I had so much fun and I don’t remember when was the last time I danced so much…), this article is about an unusual winery that can boast almost 150 years of tradition.
