"...My first trip to Italy was more Wally’s World than Under the Tuscan Sun, but a memorable and delicious one, nevertheless,” said Laura Pauli, chef and sommelier at Cucina Testa Rossa in San Francisco. “It was Siena or bust for the famous 2-minute horse race that entailed 3 laps around the town square, preceded by a week of celebrations and feasts and parades and parties and high mass and horse blessings!” said Pauli, who had a tour guide who insisted they stop to “take a café”. After walking miles and miles of cobblestone streets, her feet were in no mood for a café, it was red wine and a nap for her. “This was many years before culinary school or wine training so I just asked for ‘vino rosso, per favore’. The waiter poured us a bottle of Querciabella Chianti Classico with a slight bow, and a rousing ‘Salute!’” Made from Sangiovese grapes, aromas of cherries, violet, rose, red currants leaped out of that bright ruby red wine glass. “That first sip of red berries, oregano, balsamic and espresso flavors was magical and I swear I heard Pavarotti himself singing Nessun Dorma, though it could have been the angels,” said Pauli..."
Huge thanks to the prolific Aly Walansky for including me in her molto delizioso @Forbes
article extolling the glory of Chianti! Salute!
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