This week’s Wine, Shine & Dine event in Cortona on Thursday, July 11th, will feature Livio Felluga with very special guest, Maurizio Felluga. Livio Felluga, located in the Friuli region, is considered on of the area’s most impressive wineries and is also credited with re-establishing the area’s winemaking heritage after World War II by reviving old vineyards, planting new ones and bringing about fresh ideas. These are the wines...

Friday evening in Cortona there was a wonderful collaboration between Baracchi Winery and Ristorante Il Comanchero, located just outside of the walls of the Cortona on the hillside with beautiful views of the Val di Chiana. Guests were greeted with a glass of Baracchi sparkling wine and this blogging diva was encouraged by Benedetto Baracchi to help open one of the bottles in a very traditional way using a sciabola (sword). Benedetto showed me...

Tasting menu for dinner by Trattoria Dardano at Agriturismo Castel Girardi:  APERITIVO : Fantasia di antipasto a buffet Pensiero Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2012 Tuscan Sun Wines ANTIPASTO : Sformatino al Tartufo Tondo Tondo IGT Toscana 2011 Tuscan Sun Wines PRIMO PIATTO : Pennette allo Speck – Tagliatelle al profumo di bosco Sentiero alla casa IGT Toscana 2012 Tuscan Sun Wines SECONDO PIATTO : Caramelle di maiale ai funghi porcini con...

This week’s Wine, Shine & Dine event featured the Vino Libero Progetto, an enterprising project by Farinetti, also of the infamous Eataly. The project is composed of 12 wine producers fromall over Italy who have embraced Vino Libero’s objectives which are to not use pesticides, chemicals, or excess sulfites in their wine. Vino Libero is pretty serious about their objectives, they even have a “manifesto” on their...

Sunday evening Il Falconiere hosted a “Sparkling Cocktail Party & Live Dj Set” at their gorgeous Relais & Chateaux property nestled in the hills just below Cortona.  I had been invited by my good friend Sebastian of Del Brenna Jewellery who was also there with his beautiful artisan jewelry helping sponsor the event. It was a perfect evening for an outdoor event and the Falconiere property is an amazing place to watch the sun...