You’ve asked for it and here it is again…and just in case you missed our new page about our amazing October 5-11 2014 tour in Lake Garda, here’s your chance for a first time looky-see. Join Deborah Scarpa and I for our Lake Garda Experience Tour which includes: Elegant wine tasting and vineyard dinner Lake Garda thermal water […]

One of my favorite things about the Italian countryside is the abundance of small, family owned hotels and the food they serve. Each has its own personality, expertise and of course, recipes. Col delle Rane, an agriturismo 30 miles northwest of Venice is one of these special places. Owned by the Gallina family for three […]

If you’re on Facebook, you probably know that I was in Italy for a couple of weeks since I posted a number of photos of my travels. I had a fabulous time with Monica, Cristina and Marisa and visited several beautiful towns in northern Italy while doing some serious research (aka eating and drinking…a lot). […]

To be perfectly honest, the first time I saw a sbrisolona, it didn’t do too much for me. It wasn’t interesting looking and in fact, to continue with my honesty, actually sort of boring. Originating in Mantova, sbrisolona is a dessert meant to be broken in pieces and eaten with wine, grappa or espresso and […]

  “What type of Pirlo would you like?” asked Nicoletta as we were sitting at a quiet outdoor café with a view of Lake Garda in the distance. “With Campari or Aperol?” Well, since I didn’t know what the heck a Pirlo was I said I’d try one of each.  I soon learned that a Pirlo is an aperitif […]

“Your cousin owns a gelato shop??!! Are you kidding me??? Of course I want to go!”, I  shrieked  (without hugging her too tightly) when Deborah invited me to Pinguino Giallo (Yellow Penguin) Gelateria in Gardone Riviera, a charming town on the western side of Lake Garda. Owned by Deborah’s Aunt Silvia for the past 25 […]

VinItaly, held in April, is definitely the main reference event to get acquainted with the best wine growing and cellar techniques as well as olive growing and olive oil technologies. It is the best place for passion-driven wine drinkers to meet wine producers, importers, distributors, restaurateurs, critics and wine journalists. 95,000 square meters, over 140,000 visitors and […]

Tickets were already in our hands for the 8:36 regional train, leaving for Venezia S.Lucia. Numerous families with their kids and friends were invading the train heading for the 35th annual event entitled in Venetian dialect “Su e Zo per i Ponti” which means ” Up and Down the Bridges” an unusual non competitive walk which was scheduled for […]

According to the legend, lemon plants were introduced into the Lake Garda region in the XIV century by the Franciscan friars. The first lemon houses (limonaia) arose on the Brescia (west) side of the lake, mostly in areas of Gargnano and Limone while some were built  on the Veronese coast, where the main centre for the […]

Here in the Veneto, we celebrate the Epiphany with an ages old traditional bonfire called “panevin”. “Pan e vin” is local dialect which means “pane e vino” in Italian, and  “bread and wine” in English. The origins of panevin are rooted in the Christian faith and the belief is that bonfires were made to light the way for the Three Kings while […]