In the mid 90's, the Pasqua family buys a stunning estate immersed in a secular Valpolicella's woodland, turning it into a biodynamic winery and a luxury relais where to spend fun and relaxing time in touch with nature. For Maddalena Pasqua, business manager and passionate supporter of the biodynamic approach, Musella estate was love at first sight. Born and raised in Verona, she wasn’t used to live in the countryside. Yet, when in the mid 90’s the father showed her the prope

In Treviso, the family farm Torre d’Orlando produces a precious variety of Italian chicory, the radicchio tardivo. Legends, traditions and recipes linked to this vegetable are part of Veneto’s heritage. Stefano Dotto represents the fifth generation of a sharecropper’s family that, after about a hundred years in the service of a single landowner, in 1966 was able to redeem the land. Young, yet competent and enthusiast, he’s proud to assist his father Giovanni in the production

Nestled among the verdant hills of unspoilt Val d’Illasi, a wild portion of Valpolicella region, Tenuta Chiccheri is an exclusive estate that might be difficult to reach and, because of this, is even more charming. Giancarlo Ruffo, a successful entrepreneur from Verona who’s always been deeply attached to the countryside, in the early 80’s bought the farmhouse and turned it into a family retreat, whose 16 hectares surrounding land was covered in woods, fruit trees and olive g

When you are born to a Valpolicella vintners’ family and you spent your entire boyhood playing in the vineyards and following closely your ancestors’ hard work, then you know for sure that winemaking job is a matter of genuine passion and utmost devotion. And probably, if you’ve chosen this career, you will excel in it. This is what happened to Pietro Zardini, a young oenologist who, after a degree in Agriculture and a viticulture specialization, started to work for one of th

Owner of L'Antica Quercia farm and winery in the heart of Prosecco, the Francavilla family started a project that harmoniously connects the man-made with the surrounding environment. From the majestic oak tree (quercia, in fact) that always grew in this place to the local glera vine, brewed with indigenous yeasts, nature has been deeply respected and followed in its rythm. The winery, whose vineyard enjoys the wind blowing from the Dolomites, produces biological prosecco, spa

When Zanovello's family, in the 60's, bought this countryside refuge on the Euganean hills, probably didn't expect its descendants would convert it in a farm of 42 hectares, 25 of which are currently covered in vineyards. Franco and his sons Marco and Linda, along with some contributors, run Ca' Lustra winery not only with strenght of purpose, but with an original approach that suits perfectly the soil's unique geology. The territory, a Bio-District and a UNESCO MaB candidate

Walking through a vineyard may seem the least expected in Venice. Yet, on Sant'Erasmo island, home to the violet artichoke and considered for centuries the garden of Venice, it is possible. In this small nature paradise, almost 15 years ago, French wine lover Michel Thoulouze bought a piece of land and converted it in a grapevine. Last summer we visited this amazing place: here's a short story about it. Our water route twists and turns through the sand banks toward Northeast,

Celestino Gaspari's Zýmē vineyard, born in the heart of Valpolicella more than 15 years ago, is represented by a logo that itself stands clearly for the company values. A grape leaf overlaps a pentagon, whose five sides symbolize soil, water, sun, vine and man, five elements essential to yield one of the most exquisite wines in Veneto. The philosophy of Gaspari, a passionate character who learned to work the land according to tradition, sees wine production as research, testi

Cantine Schiavi, open in Dorsoduro since 19th century, is not only one of the most emblematic bacari in Venice, it is an autentic legend around here! Strolling into the wine shop and bar I feel at ease, not only as I've known for at least 3 decades the Gastaldi brothers, whose typical moodiness is utterly adorable, but also because I love browsing between their shelves, stocked with hundreds labels of mostly local, excellent wine. In fact, here you can buy a bottle to enjoy a

Should I make a list of the best bacari in Venice, certainly Al Prosecco would be on top of it. First and foremost, it is located in the stunning campo San Giacomo dall'Orio, one of my dearest ones. Out of the most beaten tracks and populated by Venetians, the lively campo hosts one of the oldest churches in the city, boasting splendid paintings by Lorenzo Lotto and Paolo Veronese. Shaded by tree areas, Al Prosecco offers typical cichetti prepared with the freshest ingredient

In the sleepy village of Premaor, nestled in the Prosecco verdant valleys, the Gregoletto family has been cultivating vines since 1600. Their work from the vines to the bottling is done by hand, artisanally, carefully and patiently, based on oral traditions passed down over the centuries. While the 83 year-old father Luigi represents the tradition, his two dynamic sons, Giovanni and Giuseppe, work hard on innovation. Get caught in conversation with Giovanni, a wonderfully ecc