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Il Sorriso della Provincia
Hot.
To Gattinara and its Chiesa di San Pietro (founded in the 11th century, with a 15th-century façade and 19th-century interior). This little chap is to be found adorning the main door, indicating one of the region's two famous products: wine. Gattinara lies in the Colline Novarese wine region, which is principally nebbiolo for reds and moscato for whites. Politically, Gattinara is in the province of Vercelli, and the town of Arborio is just down the road, so you can guess what the other local product might be.Round the corner from the church is Gattinara's cantina sociale, where we found what seems to be a very drinkable sfuso - Gattinara 2007, a mongrel mix of nebbiolo, bonarda and vespolina grapes. At 11.5% it's not going to make Mama fall over after a couple of sips, and at 1.30 euros a litre it's not going to break the bank, even if it does break our backs getting 75 litres of the stuff up the hill. In the entrance to the cantina sociale is a sign proclaiming, "Gattinara, sorriso della provincia". Let's hope after a few months in the cellar it will still be bringing smiles to our faces over here in this provincia too.PS A further wildlife sighting this week : a large badger, perhaps the same one that we see shuffling about in a certain spot at least once or twice every summer.
Il Sorriso della Provincia
Hot.To Gattinara and its Chiesa di San Pietro (founded in the 11th century, with a 15th-century façade and 19th-century interior). This little chap is to be found adorning the main door, indicating one of the region's two famous products: wine. Gattinara lies in the Colline Novarese wine region, which is principally nebbiolo for reds and moscato for whites. Politically, Gattinara is in the province of Vercelli, and the town of Arborio is just down the road, so you can guess what the other local product might be.Round the corner from the church is Gattinara's cantina sociale, where we found what seems to be a very drinkable sfuso - Gattinara 2007, a mongrel mix of nebbiolo, bonarda and vespolina grapes. At 11.5% it's not going to make Mama fall over after a couple of sips, and at 1.30 euros a litre it's not going to break the bank, even if it does break our backs getting 75 litres of the stuff up the hill. In the entrance to the cantina sociale is a sign proclaiming, "Gattinara, sorriso della provincia". Let's hope after a few months in the cellar it will still be bringing smiles to our faces over here in this provincia too.PS A further wildlife sighting this week : a large badger, perhaps the same one that we see shuffling about in a certain spot at least once or twice every summer.
To Gattinara and its Chiesa di San Pietro (founded in the 11th century, with a 15th-century façade and 19th-century interior). This little chap is to be found adorning the main door, indicating one of the region's two famous products: wine. Gattinara lies in the Colline Novarese wine region, which is principally nebbiolo for reds and moscato for whites. Politically, Gattinara is in the province of Vercelli, and the town of Arborio is just down the road, so you can guess what the other local product might be.
4 comments:
1.3 Euros per litre? Heaven!
I have often wanted to ask you if you're fluent in Italian? The wine sounds like something I'd enjoy, although why carry 75 litres?
Hi Gutsy Writer : not very fluent in Italian, but I make myself understood, and the people hereabouts are pretty patient. We buy the wine in large canisters straight from the barrel, then decant it into glass bottles here. It's cheaper and lighter than buying it in barrels. The wine region is about 2 hours away, so it makes sense to do it all in one go.
I love the way you can have wine, a naked child and a church all on the same door!
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