Shopping

The Marche: a land rich in wine tradition 
The Passion for Verdicchio Wine



Welcome my friends, 
You know, I'd like to introduce you to My Own Italy... Italy with My Personal Touch! 
Today I'd like to suggest you to taste the white wine Verdicchio.
Me at Colonnara Wine Farm: the magic Grapes!
Of course, the best way to know everything about this wine is to visit a wine farm, and try to understand which are the sectrets of the traditional  production.

I can suggest you Colonnara Wine Farm.
Colonnara's wines came from a perfect combination of several elements: the land, the microclimate, the work of man.
Wine modern production@ Colonnara
The Cooperative has 110 members, and in total 120 hectars of vineyards!
You can appreciate the modern way to produce wine and also the production of the first sparklings with the Martinotti method (fermented in closed vats) in the 70's while and the first Brut Metodo Classico (fermentation in the bottle) since 1980.
The Sparklings Production with traditional methods
  Enjoy this traditional wine, taste it and let me know!
I'm sure that all the staff of Colonnara will be happy to lead you in this fascinating world!
 
Ciao,
Carlotta

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Tuscany: Wine Tasting  Nobile di Montepulciano... enjoy!
Winery Ercolani, the "Underground City", historical aging cellar, museum and Etruscan tomb, Montepulciano
Hello my friends, 
You know, I'd like to introduce you to My Own Italy... Italy with My Personal Touch! 
Today you are going to discover the enchanted land of Tuscany and taste a fine red wine... follow me!
Enchanted Tuscany ... With My Personal Touch!


Walking around Montepulciano (Siena, Tuscany) , if you're curious and you want to dip in the medieval times, I would suggest to visit the "Underground City" of Winery Ercolani.

Room #5 in The Underground City
Going through different rooms, and also between Etruscan tombs, you can visit the cellars of wine making and aging wine "Nobile di Montepulciano"
Winery Ercolani, cellar of Wine Making (Montepulciano)
Breathing the air of the tradition is a fantastic experience: we are in the land of wine!

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano D.O.C.G. has always been a top product of Italian Enology.  
Even known since the Etruscan time, it continues to pass the flavors and aromas of the enchanted land of Montepulciano, in Tuscany until the present day.
"Vino Nobile di Montepulciano" is a red wine; it is made from an old clonal selection of Sangiovese grapes called "Prugnolo Gentile".
Actually I love the red wines.. Personally I prefer them to the white ones.
This is me tasting Nobile di Montepulciano (Winery Ercolani)
I could taste the Nobile di Montepulciano and it is simply delicious! 
Let me know if you enjoyed it :-) 
Ciao,
Carlotta

___________________________________ More about Rimini... with My Personal Touch! Shopping in the Hystorical Center of Rimini
Sugarbird Shop @ Rimini (Italy)

Looking through the streets of the old town of Rimini, going over Piazza Cavour, you are immersed in the fashion district.
Coloured Dresses @Sugarbird
Shop of famous Designers, shops with beautiful clothes and shoes .... Very Italian Style!
For example I've found a little shop where you can buy really very fashionable dresses amusing and alluring Sugarbird !
Me with Susanna and Carlo: I enjoyd this dress!
I enjoyed the colors and shapes of these dresses, I played a bit and I felt a little "diva" ....
  What do you think? Sometimes is good feeling important and believe to be models for a day :-)






Ciao,
Carlotta


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More about The Modena Hills... An Italian Masterpiece: Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano
Welcome my friends! Today I'd like to want to propose a truly unique experience: a visit to a cheese factory that produces the authentic Parmigiano Reggiano: here you will also able to buy directly the most famous cheese of Italy!
Master Cheesemaker Roberto and I: try to undestand his secrets!
Walking around the Modena Hills, and after visiting the pictoresque town of Zocca (Modena) you can proceed to Rosola.
Here you can find a surprise: the cheese factory of Rosola! (http://www.caseificiorosola.it/)
Caseificio Rosola, Modena Hills
The dairy is located in Rosola, a small village in the municipality of Zocca, Modenese Apennine mountains to 750 m. above sea level. The cooperative that manages the business was founded in 1966 by the will of local farmers tired of selling the milk produced in their stables to private dairies often run by unscrupulous real adventurers.  
Caseificio Rosola... with my Personal Touch!
Rosola cheese factory cooperative agricultural societies is now composed of only seven members, are the sons and grandsons of the founder members, who obstinately resist and continue the breeding of cattle despite a thousand difficulties. The size of the seven companies are very small, the land is all planted in the pasture with grass-cereal rotation every five years, all the fodder and all cereals are used to feed the cows so that the supply of materials the first is guaranteed by the production company.   And that's the strength of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and all dairy products Caseificio Rosola fact fodder products in mountain meadows are made up of dozens of plant species that give the milk and consequently the products derived from a variety aromas and flavors that strongly characterize the identity.
Every day in the Dairy Rosola they produce 6 forms including 2 forms of Bianca Modenese!
Master Cheesemaker Roberto @ Caseificio Rosola (Modena, Italy)
Buy directly your Parmigiano Reggiano
At the end of your visit, you can buy Parmigiano Reggiano directly in the Caseificio: directly enjoy the deliciousness of Parmigiano Reggiano: Mrs Daniela will advise, support and orient on the different types of cheese!





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The Modena Hills... With My Personal Touch!
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
Welcome to Acetaia "Cà dal Non" (Modena, Italy)
Through this my personal discovery of Italy far from the usual places, I had the opportunity to learn more about a product whose characteristics typically Italian but I was completely unknown. I am speaking of Modena Balsamic Vinegar. I visited the vinegar from Cà dal Non, in Vignola (Acetaia Cà dal Non).  
Old grape in Cà dal NoN
First of all, it's important to understand what Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is.
I asked mrs. Mariangela Montanari, owner or the Vinegar Cà dal Non,  to aswer this question and explain the characteristics of the product.
 (a video interview is coming..................!)

Production process of Balsamic Vinegar
This "Acetaia" is very old, and there is also a grape old more than 250 years! Also it's possible to visit the vinegar and know every detail of this traditional and sophisticated production in agreement with mrs. Mariangela: she will be happy to explain all the secrets of this ancient art.
The production of Balsamic Vinegar has ancient origins: even began in Roman times.
Balsamic Vinegar "Cà dal Non"
The tradition has been handed down to us, and the quality characteristics are governed by the law: only if they satisfy the requirements of the product it is allowed to be called "Traditional Balsamic Vinegar." Nothing is left to chance, even bottling!

 

A barrel of Juniper
During the visit you can enjoy and taste the specialties Acetaia, and can appreciate the differences in taste and processing that lead to products such delicate and sophisticated.
Of course, you can also buy the Balsamic Vinegar: Mrs. Mariangela will suggest the specialties closest to your needs and your tastes.
It will be also an excellent opportunity to meet some friends: as for me, for example, I spent a wonderful afternoon with Melissa, from New Zealand, and Bryce, from Nebraska, USA!


Ciao,  Carlotta