Love from Italia began years ago when we started bringing home some of the culinary treasures we discovered while exploring the villages, shops and markets of Tuscany. Using them in our own kitchen, we were struck how the rich, yet subtle flavors and fragrances brought back vivid memories of the Italia we love. Sharing these flavors with family and friends became a joy, which soon turned into a passion.
And so it began. With each visit, Buck and I would return with gifts for friends and loved ones. Each trip brought more “discoveries” to share. We loved telling the stories of how each was discovered. Everyone loved getting the seasonings, honeys, oils and pastas, and our stories of the artisans who created them - their passion, love, and tradition.
We love visiting Venice, Rome and Florence. But for us, the heart of our Italia is in Tuscany and the Chianti region. We stay in Fattoria Poggio al Sorbo in Castellina in Chianti and explore the towns, villages and the weekly markets. We meet the people, drink the famous vino de Chianti and eat traditional, wonderful Tuscan food. We are warmed by the rich traditions of hearth, home and family.
And we discover new treasures to bring back, treasures that are the end result of something wonderful and special.
Italian soil, different in each region, is the essence of why Italian food is unlike any other. It is the key to their incredible flavors. In Emilia Romagna, the Po River enriches the lush, black soil of the valley. The grass there feeds the cows that produce milk from which the the very King of Cheeses is made: Parmigiano Reggiano. Meanwhile, pigs consume the corn and wheat to become Prosciutto de Parma. And true Balsamico de Modena - aged vinegar made from Trebbiano grapes – also begins in the dark loam of the Po valley.
In Campania, the volcanic soil left from the eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius enriches legendary San Marzano tomatoes and Amalfi lemons. Tuscan soil is at the heart of the famous Tuscan wines such as Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, and Brunello. Tuscan soil is the reason the extra virgin olive oils of Tuscany are so rich in flavor - fruity, flowery, and peppery.
Tuscan soil also produces the plants and flowers that yield wild fennel pollen, wonderful herbs and intense, silky honeys.
It is these oils, honeys, and seasonings that are the essence of Love for Italia. They begin with the earth and are crafted by Artisans who make them in the slow, delicate and loving tradition of their ancestors.
We invite you to come along as we share stories and flavors of our Tuscany.
With love from Italia,