The warmer weather usually means it's time to switch from the fuller-bodied wines of winter to the lighter wines of spring time. Take a look at what I'm sipping and how there's even a wine for ramps!
https://youtu.be/wUIc169XTpI

PUNTA ALA, ITALY – My wife and I had already visited the country where my family originated just a few generations back. Now we faced the challenge of a trip that would have to offer something for everyone: it was time to travel with the entire family, with a wide range of ages and interests.

I hoped our sons and daughter-in-law, along with grandkids, Ellis, 16; Palmer, 13; and Barrett, 11; would find Italy as magical as we did.

How could they not? It's an ancient land where – over the last thousand years – culture, art and history have converged to create civilization, and where visitors can now walk, observe and taste this living, breathing encyclopedia of life.


However, I was forewarned by You Know Who that on this trip I would need to devote more time to walking and observing, and less time on the tasting components of Italian culture. And while I reluctantly conceded the point to my spouse, I also knew that my kids and grandkids had, thankfully, inherited my fondness for food and drink.

They know, as I do, that food gives us strength and that thirst is a terrible thing. So off we went.

Part of our strategy was to divide and conquer: while all three branches of the family arrived in Rome on the same day, each branch headed out in different directions. Son Bryan and his family would spend three days touring and exploring Rome while son Aaron went south to Naples and the Amalfi coast.

For our private getaway, Debbie and I decided to spend a couple of leisurely days at the beach. We had been looking for a coastal resort favored by Italians, and one that was within easy driving distance of Tuscany. It was our plan to meet there later and spend five days all together exploring the region and visiting the towns, castles, churches, vines and art in that storied part of Italy.

The Gallia Palace, a Relais & Chateaux resort hotel, was perfectly situated two-and-a-half hours north of Rome near the seaside port town of Punta Ala, along the Mediterranean coast in a region of Tuscany called Maremma.

This same area is home to vineyards that produce crisp white wines such as Vermentino, and superb red wines called “Super Tuscans.” These blended wines, made from grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and sangiovese, can rival the great reds of the world such as those produced in Bordeaux and Napa.

The Gallia is a small but very pretty property, set on a hillside in a spectacular natural setting. From our balcony, we could look down across the grounds to a stand of stately Stone Pine trees) that resemble umbrellas. And beyond the stone pines, just a kilometer away, was the sparkling blue Mediterranean with the Gallia's private beach.

But the highlight of the resort for me is the superb restaurant back at the hotel. Some of the dishes are like art on a plate, almost too pretty to eat, and the wine list features selections from all the major Italian regions. In fact, one of the most delightful wines of our entire trip (and there were many) was the 2014 Col D’orcia Brunello Di Montalcino made just an hour from the Gallia resort.


While we were enjoying our beach getaway, Bryan and family spent their days touring the antiquities of Rome and Aaron visited and explored the stony beaches and steep hills of the Amalfi Coast.

Then it was time for all of us to meet in Tuscany.

My daughter-in-law, Ericka, used VRBO to locate a large country home near (delete:Siena in ) the small village of Sovicille [so-va-CHIL-ah], that served as our base. La Dimora di Teresa (residence of Teresa) features four bedrooms and four baths along with a fully equipped kitchen and a large great room with cable TV and internet. It is also completely air-conditioned, which is not common everywhere in Italy, especially in large homes.

The outdoor spaces include a long covered porch, a swimming pool, an outdoor fireplace and even a pizza oven. Naturally, on our first night together, we took full advantage of this particular amenity and arranged to have a local chef, (delete: Chef Giulia) make custom pizzas for us in the outdoor, wood-fired oven. Our hungry group (delete: of eight ) ate, and ordered, and ate some more. What a treat!

Each of our days in Tuscany was spent exploring a different town, historical site or museum.

In Florence we were led on a private tour of the Uffizi and the Academia Museums, viewing priceless Renaissance artworks such as The David, along with the paintings of Michelangelo, Botticelli and DaVinci among others. We also visited the old walled city of Siena, marveled at the towers of San Gimignano and watched artisans carve alabaster into bowls, grapes and vases in the hill top town of Volterra.

And even the most modest restaurants served us amazingly fresh and delicious meals. We dined at two small eateries within five minutes of La Dimora di Teresa that were exceptional.


La Compagnia featured exquisite, mouth-watering pasta choices, including the best ever cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) and carbonara dishes I’ve ever eaten.
The traditional Bistecca alla Fiorentina (or beef steak of Florence) served at the other local establishment – Il Grillo Morro - is a giant, four-inch thick, bone-in rib eye that will melt in your mout

We ended our five-day tour of Tuscany with a visit to Il Borro, a relatively new winery owned by the Ferragamo family, more widely known for their famous namesake famous fashion and clothing company. The entire family toured the cellars, tasted the wines and had a very special lunch at Il Borro. You just knew I had to get a little more wine-time in, right?

When we departed our lovely Tuscan digs, Aaron headed to the airport and back to the U.S. while Bryan and family traveled just up the road to Lucca to attend an Elton John concert under the stars. They spent two more days exploring the canals of Venice before making their way to the airport and the long flight home.


We took the fast train to Rome and checked into the Palazzo Cinquecento Hotel in the center of the city. From this exceptional hotel, we were able to conveniently visit the most important Roman landmarks, as well as savor those last delicious bites of Cucina Italia before heading back to the mountains of home.

Photos from Top to Bottom:

1.  Grandkids marvel at the frescos in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel 

2. Sommelier at Gallia Palace pours us Brunello Di Montalcino

3. Chef making us pizzas at our Tuscan Villa

4. Bryan, Ericka and children tour Venice in a gondola

Remember when you thought Burgundy was a red wine that came in big green jugs? Watch WineBoy 26 and you'll get the skinny on Burgundy (a place in France where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rule) and the other distinct wine appellations in that country that some Americans love to hate -- except when they order wine. Brown will also tell you about the principal wines in each of those regions after which WineBoy nemesis, Pierre N'Cest Pas, will offer his scathing critique of his performance. Tune in and be both educated and entertained.

This is definitely the season to enjoy special wine dinners hosted by some of the best chefs in our state. I just returned from an excellent wine and food event at Canaan Valley Resort, where Chef Nemat Odeh worked his culinary magic. I’m happy to report that your next opportunity to sup and savor is on April 20, at Bridge Road Bistro in South Hills.

The Bistro is the culinary brain child of renowned chef Robert Wong, who seems to be on an evangelical mission to bring good food and wine to West Virginians in just about every hamlet and holler in this wild and wonderful state. (In addition to the Bistro, he has opened restaurants at Snowshoe, Glade Springs, Charleston, Beckley and Morgantown.) The April 20 event will feature a specially prepared menu by Bistro chef Paco Aceves and the wines of Cinnabar Vineyards in California. Rob Crandall, representing Cinnabar, will provide commentary on the wines selected for the dinner. If you’re interested in attending, contact Amy Sue Gates at the Bistro at 720-3500 for pricing and reservations. Here is the menu with accompanying wines.

Appetizers: Cinnabar, Mercury Rising Blanc, California, 2006 Smoked Salmon, Avocado & Sprouts with Wasabi Aioli Lemon-Dijon Tuna Tartare , Kiwi Citrus Grilled Scallop and Mini Crab Cake on Toasted Focaccia 1st Course: Cinnabar, Chardonnay, Monterey County, 2005Soft Shell Crab wrapped in Prosciutto, Morgan Country Honey and Lavender Aioli Baby Celery

2nd Course: Cinnabar, Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, 2005 Vanilla Apple Brined Muscovy Duck Breast, Plum Tart, Baby Lettuces Blackberry Vinaigrette

3rd Course: Cinnabar, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, 2003Cappuccino Crusted Venison Loin, Smoked Forest Mushroom and Leek Flan, Tomato Relish & Black Truffle Risotto stuffed Baby Squash

4th Course: Cinnabar, Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, 2006 Poached Vanilla Pear stuffed with Frangipane Couverture Swiss Chocolate, Toasted Almonds

Let me address a question I’ve gotten from a whole lot of you regarding the status of WineBoy – the webcast. As many of you have noted, it has been quite a while since we’ve abused the Internet with the rantings of Spud Dumplin, Umberto Lupini and Sir Reginald Winesot Clydesdale. The simple reason is resources. It takes considerable time to shoot, edit and present these exquisite productions and my good friends at the Gazette must prioritize how these resources are allocated.

In the larger scheme of producing a daily newspaper, WineBoy takes a back seat to the need for the Gazette to produce news-related video. I hope at some point we’ll be able to resume a somewhat regular schedule of Webcasts in the future, but that depends on a whole lot of considerations out of my control.

In the meantime, you can still catch some of the WineBoy webcasts at the links in past posts. After all, most of the shows have timeless content related to the world of wine. We might even index the shows we’ve already produced and make them available at the WineBoy website. Let me (and the Gazette) know what you think.