Events

Pecorino Toscano DOP & Art

We depart Siena in the direction of Vicchio del Mugello. Just over 120 kilometers, offering landscapes among the most evocative and famous in the world. The profile of the castle of Monteriggioni and the distant towers of San Gimignano accompany us in the first stretch, as a gateway to the Elsa valley. After passing the towns of Colle Val d’Elsa and Poggibonsi, we enter into Florentine territory. Florence is close at hand with all its beauty and art, which are the common threads of our itinerary. We enter into the Mugello region, the ancient hunting preserve of the Medici, a geographic area that crowns the regional capital and forms its northern border, separating Tuscany from Romagna. We approach Vicchio, where we’ll visit the Agricultural Coop Il Forteto to discover the secrets of production and see first hand how milk is transformed into Pecorino Toscano PDO. From here, after a gourmet break, we’ll go to explore the hamlet of Vicchio and the birthplace of the painter Giotto. Legend has it that the artist, as a child, was discovered by the master Cimabue, while Giotto was sketching several sheep grazing nearby. Fact or fiction? It doesn’t matter. What is certain is that the places certainly left their mark on the artist, inspiring his genius and imagination.

Andy Harris
For the last 25 years, Andy has been responsible for creating some of the world’s best food and travel magazines. He began his career in the UK working for the Sunday Times, Vogue, Tatler and as Food & Drink Editor of Elle for 10 years, before travelling to Australia where he worked on Vogue Entertaining & Travel during its heyday in the late 90’s. New York followed where he started the award-winning Williams-Sonoma Taste magazine before being lured back to Australia to revamp Gourmet Traveller and Wine magazines as Editorial Director in 2003. Jamie Oliver brought him back to the UK in 2008 to start his latest project Jamie magazine. The magazine now has licensed editions in 13 countries, including Italy and is sold in over 45 countries. His career has seen myriad roles from catering a 5-day party for 200 guests for a millionaire ship-owner in Santorini, lecturing on seafood in Tokyo and writing cookbooks such as Modern Greek and A Month in Marrakesh. In between creating Jamie magazine, he’s just published a new book, Eat Istanbul and whenever the sun’s out likes to tend his beehives and garden in West London.

Maverick Greissing
Un americano innamorato dell’Italia, appassionato di gastronomia, motociclista irriducibile e cultore di auto d’epoca. E’ direttore di Jamie Italia e di un giornale di auto d’epoca

Pecorino Toscano DOP & SPA

Pecorino Toscano PDO and wellness: a possible pairing?  The answer is yes, and our itinerary along the roads of the Maremma will prove it. We depart Siena in the direction of Grosseto. The southernmost county seat of Tuscany will be our gateway to a part of the Maremma which is less frequented but just as beautiful and evocative as other more well-known areas. After passing the city famous for the butteri, Tuscany’s own cowboys, we’ll travel down the historic Aurelia roadway towards Manciano, where we’ll visit the Caseificio Sociale Manciano, the local cheese Coop famous for Pecorino Toscano and delicious ricotta. Wellness for the palate, but also for the body, considering that the itinerary continues towards Saturnia and the Cascades of the Mulino. After visiting this thermal city, admiring its beauty and unique characteristics, nothing remains but to enjoy a soak in the thermal baths and natural whirlpools found in the waterfalls of Saturnia. An experience that soothes body and spirit.

Cindy Swain
Cindy Swain is a sommelier and blogger of Italicana Kitchen, a bilingual food, wine and travel blog. American by birth, Italian by heart, Cindy has lived in Italy for 7 years. She writes for a variety of food and wine publications and collaborates with companies to promote their artisanal food and wine via cooking shows, brand ambassador programs, recipe creation and food photography. Cindy has a recipe column on Radio Bruno and appears on air to talk about food and wine trends. When she’s not eating, drinking or traveling, you can find her snowboarding or trekking in the Alps, training for a marathon or writing her novel.

KRISTINE JANNUZZI
Kristine is a contributing writer at Culture: The Word on Cheese. She has also been published in Listen: Life with Music & Culture and NYU Alumni Magazine, and on the websites Italialiving.com, i-Italy.org, and globalpost.com, among others. She received her BA in journalism from New York University. Currently based in Manhattan, Kristine has lived in Italy and Sweden and is always eager to explore the world.

Pecorino Toscano DOP & Landscape

The profile of Mount Amiata, seen from Siena, seems to be that of an enchanted mountain. This is our destination. Specifically, Castel del Piano, ancient fief of Siena and modern town where the production plant Alival welcomes us for a visit to enjoy Pecorino Toscano PDO and spend a few hours in the shoes of real producers. We continue on towards the historic Cassia roadway, a handful of kilometers circled by beautiful hamlets and breathtaking views. History has passed along this route, bringing popes, kings, armies, and the men and women that have contributed to shaping that territory known as the Val d’Orcia-Orcia Valley.  Ancient lands, such as the hot springs of Bagno Vignoni and the town of San Quirico d’Orcia, among the places we’ll visit as we admire the beauty of one of the most famous landscapes in the world. Saint Catherine of Siena travelled through these parts multiple times on her trips to Rome. Here passes also the historic pilgrimage route of the via Francigena, touching San Quirico d’Orcia, a medieval jewel of Etruscan origins, which we’ll visit.

MANUELA SORESSI
Giornalista specializzata nell’indagare e raccontare il “dietro le quinte” del cibo, scrive da decenni di prodotti e consumi alimentari, per testate b2b e b2c, da Sale&Pepe al Sole 24 Ore, da Mark Up a Viversaniebelli. Camminatrice e ciclista, poco avvezza alla guida (e per questo dotata di auto con cambio automatico), grande appassionata di fughe e scampagnate senza mappa né satellitare, si propone in equipaggio come navigatore. Ma anche come accompagnatore musicale, vista la tendenza a cantare un ampio repertorio di musica pop (e kitch) italiana, appena sale in auto.

LUCA CARTA
Luca è nato a Roma, tanti anni fa. Terminati gli studi ha da subito iniziato a lavorare nella carta stampata con uno straordinario mentore che risponde al nome di Alberto Castelvecchi, editore librario. Dopodiché diverse altre case editrici di piccole e medie dimensioni e diversi incarichi fino ad assumere, tre anni fa, il ruolo di Direttore Responsabile delle riviste Gusto Sano e Bio Magazine di Lunasia Edizioni, pubblicazioni che gli permettono di coniugare la sua passione per il buon cibo con quella per la scrittura.

Pecorino Toscano DOP e Pilgrims

The quadrangle of San Guglielmo di Malavalle: This name seems to spring from a medieval fantasy, but is infact a real place, surrounded by four equally evocative villages: Castiglione della Pescaia, Tirli, Vetulonia and Buriano. A part of the Maremma which faces the sea, among forests, hills, and ancient wetlands. Here lived Saint Guglielmo d’Aquitania and here we explore, hunting for the legacy that this hermit saint left on the territory. Mystical signs, true testimonies, miracles and hermitages. Departing from Siena, we’ll head to Follonica to visit the cheese producers of Caseificio Maremma. Then, we continue towards the coast of Castiglione and into the hinterlands to visit places dear to Saint Guglielmo, a territory suspended between sea and land, a part of the Maremma ‘off the beaten path’ but quite evocative.

PATRIZIA MALOMO
Toscana per destino, italiana per passione, cittadina del mondo per professione. Un’agente di viaggio con manie gastronauta – compulsive, che sognava di suonare con i Berliner. Nella vita creo viaggi golosi per viaggiatori dal cuore giovane ma non smetto di cercare l’armonia in cucina, con il desiderio innato di scrivere, imparare ed emozionarmi di fronte al cibo.

MARINA BOGDANOVICH
Sono nata a Belgrado, quando la Jugoslavia aveva ancora il nome dove ho studiato archeologia quando ancora pensavo che per fare carriera universitaria bastava solo studiare e voler cambiare il mondo. L’amore per i viaggi e la passione per la cucina erano sempre nella tasca insieme alla curiosità nei confronti di tutto quello che riguarda la storia, l’antropologia, la cultura, l’arte. Vivo in Italia da più di 25 anni, parlo il francese e l’inglese e sogno di trasferirmi in una grande casa in campagna dove scrivere i libri di cucina.

Pecorino Toscano DOP & Stones

Two medieval cities, rich in history and artistic treasures. Beautiful and profoundly different. These are Siena and Volterra, respectively point of departure and arrival of our itinerary to discover Pecorino Toscano PDO and the stones on which the history of this part of Tuscany are constructed. Stones which speak of antiquity, such as the city hall of Volterra, along with the medieval city center. A journey into the past, returning then to the present during our visit to the park of contemporary art in this city in the province of Pisa. And indeed it is towards Pisa that next we turn, precisely towards Acciaiolo di Fauglia. A hamlet framed by the Lower Pisan Hills, the Lower Arno Valley, the Pisan Maremma, and the Cecina river valley. The winds of history blow here, bringing us aromas of the Pecorino Toscano PDO produced by the Caseificio Busti, our destination in our Fiat 500.

VERUSKA ANCONITANO
Sul mio blog www.lacuochinasopraffina.com dal 2010 racconto ricette, luoghi e cucine del mondo con un occhio speciale alla tradizione culinaria italiana che cerco di trasmettere anche agli stranieri. Nella vita vivo a Dublino e mi occupo anche di marketing e comunicazione oltre ad essere giornalista per testate in italiano e in inglese. Difficilmente mi trovate nello stesso posto perché prendere un aereo, per me, è come lavarmi i denti la mattina. Ho la tendenza ad essere ironica e autoironica, cosa che potrebbe infastidire e non poco.

GIUSEPPE MILO
It consultant e fotografo fine art, ho creato il blog www.lacuochinasopraffina.com e ne curo il marketing supportando Veruska nell’aggiornamento del sito e nella realizzazione tecnica delle idee che aiutano La Cuochina Sopraffina ad essere apprezzata dai suoi lettori. Curo inoltre la parte visual degli articoli realizzando foto di food e travel in studio o in viaggio. Più informazioni su di me sul mio sito personale www.pixael.com.