Good Wine, Good Food, Good Times
Eating and drinking our way across Tuscany, more authentic wine and food was introduced to our tour. We were smack dab in the middle of the Chianti region, where many proclaim the best wine in the world can be found. Branded with the seal of the “black rooster”, our group was lucky enough to taste such wine, robust with flavor and a true Italian delight. Little did we know that the cockle that trademarked Chianti wine bottles held just as much a story as a glass of the wine could make.
Legend has it, during the 13th century, Chianti Classico—a region which holds over 14 municipalities—was a highly disputed territory between Florence and Siena. Both vied for claims to this area which produced some of the best olives and grapes in all of Italy. The deciding factor? Each contending state was to have a race. Florence and Siena alike picked the fastest horse they could find, starting at the epicenter of their respective city they were to set off at dawn and race towards one another. Where the horses met would be where the borders were drawn.
However, Florence was already at a cultural and economic peak, so having claim to Chianti was of the utmost importance. So, relying on the fastest horse alone just wouldn’t cut it. The race would begin at the morning call of the rooster, prompting Florence to go as far as to starving their rooster nights before in hopes it would wake up earlier with hunger. If that didn’t suffice, story has it that the Florentines even waved a lit candle by the rooster’s eyes to emulate the sun rising. Thus, the horse of Florence was off much earlier than that of Siena, which is why Florence is said to have eventually swallowed Siena in its borders, ending up within 20 kilometers of Siena.
the legend to a great bottle of wine. In addition to such fabulous drink in Tuscany, the food was also some of the best we have had so far while in Italy. During an excursion to San Gimignano, I was finally beginning to see the Italy that I had dreamt of all along; the rolling hills of Tuscany lined with rows upon rows of olive trees. Vineyards in the distance stood undaunted upon the mid-morning horizon. As we entered the small medieval village, my first though as an ethnic Italian searching for culinary expression was to find the nearest meat shop.
Prosciutto, which is basically cured raw ham, is a delicacy in Italy, and even more of a treat when found in Tuscany. Within the fortress walls of San Gimignano I was lucky enough to have one of the best Prosciutto sandwiches I’ve ever had. Making small conversation with the lovely Italian woman who prepared my sandwich, I learned she was also the proprietor of the quaint little café. With what Italian I knew and what I could make out from her thick accent, her establishment thrived collectively with the small businesses within San Gimignano; she bought her meats from the neighboring butcher shop, used produce purchased at the small market down the street, and either made her own breads or had some delivered, but only a couple miles away from a nearby Tuscan town.
The self-sufficiency that San Gimignano possesses, and what I believed most of Tuscany does, reminded me so much of home. It reminded me of holidays when my grandmother spread her Italian cookies out for the family, how we always ate the same restaurants during special occasions just because we knew the owners. It was almost a disservice to change our ways because it was what we knew, and loved, best. Tuscany was what I dream of when I daydream of Italy. It is what I tasted in the glass of Chianti I might be so lucky to sip during family get-togethers. The food and wine of this region is undisputable. I dare any traveler to argue that better wine and food could be found anywhere else in this world! Maybe it’s because I’m Italian, or because I know good food when I taste it. But spending time in Florence and Tuscany made me realize this is not only where my dreams came from, but where my heart (and stomach) will forever call home.
-Kim Maro
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