We asked for instructions to the Casa Nova Winery and Cooking School from the lady manning the desk at our hotel. "Prego Seniora, You go downa to the bottom of the hilla. You taka the right turna. You driva nine kilometers and you taka the lefta turna.
"I see." I said. "Would you please mark it on my map?"
"No. Ees Seemple. You go downa to the bottom of the hilla.........................
We were twenty minutes late but, luckily, they waited for us. This is the coolest place I have ever been. Ever. Silvio and Rita operate A small organic winery that produces wine, olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, organic veggies,and herb aromatics. They raise chickens, bees, and pigs. Their two dogs hunt truffles. I asked why not the pigs? Silvio explained that the pigs REALLY like truffles and its easier to get them away from a small dog than a four hundred pound pig with an attitude.
Thirty years ago, Silvio had a midlife crisis. He quit his veterinarian practice and bought this farm that hadn't been worked in over 160 years. At some point he married Rita, who cooks like nobody's business.
We started with a tour of the wine cellar. They only produce 7000 bottles of Chianti per year.
Next, we toured the Balsamic vinegar cellars. It takes 30 years to make a good balsamic. Seventy big kegs are reduced to one seven gallon keg. That is further reduced to one bottle of absolute heaven. We tried it on ice cream. There are holes in the top of each keg so that the vinegar can evaporate. It made our eyes smart. Here's a tip from Silvio: The really good stuff has just one ingredient; grapes. If it also has brown sugar or caramel, throw it back. (Being that snooty about your balsamic might be cost prohibitive.)
Our class was small; just seven people, and we were totally hands on. Rita understands English but doesn't speak it so Silvio translates for her. She chatters away, then he translates in a very heavy accent. She starts her next instruction before he finishes........Our ears were bleeding from trying to keep up!
We made tiramisu, roast pork with apple reduction, spinach and ricotta balls, four kinds of focaccia, marinated roasted peppers, and pasta with white truffles. The pasta dough is supposed to be very smooth and satiny. Six of them were. But not mine. After we let them rest, it was time to roll them out. I was downstairs washing my hands when I heard one of my fellow students say, "I guess we know who did this one." Mean. Just mean. This is Larsen after two glasses of wine.
Feeling pretty good myself.
Four glasses of wine. We were supposed to roll the pasta so thin that you can see the grain of the board underneath. Rita took a look at Larsen's pasta; "Bellisamo! Bravo, Bravo! He's starting to get into it. Did I mention that Rita is hot?
Here we are on break. Another glass of wine.
alk about organization and multitasking; Rita, Silvio, and their helper, Lavinia, managed to conduct a first rate cooking school while also doing two wine tasting tours and a bus group that came for a tour and lunch. Amazing. Everyone got what they came for.
So then it's time to eat the fruits of our labor. Four more bottles of wine! All is right with the world. I'm doing a very scientific taste comparison.
Here's Larsen in a wine and gastronomical stupor.
