E
very time we drive on the A4, a castle along the road
catches our eye. Today we decided to
check it out. We certainly made up for
yesterday…our adventures in the walled town of Soave were like scenes straight out of
Letters to Juliet! Add a quick stop to Vicenza, and we had a
great day!
Highlights:
- Castello
di Soave: Neat drawbridge, a few furnished rooms with beautifully painted wood
ceilings, knights’ armor, and fantastic views of the famous Soave vineyards.
Privately owned by the same family since the 1800s, the castle provided a
glimpse into medieval life.
- Soave
was a bit sleepy when we visited due to reposso (afternoon siesta), but we
managed to find tasty pizza at a bakery.
 |
| Famous Soave Grapes |
- Cantina di Soave Rocca Sveva: Finally our choice to visit Italy in August paid off. Since it was a slower day, Sylvia gave us a private tour of Rocca Sveva which really was featured in Letters to Juliet. We walked through the wine cellars dug into the mountains and learned all about the wines produced in the Soave region. Joe was in seventh heaven at his own wine tasting afterwards. It was a three way tie among Rocca Sveva’s Soave Classico (white), Vapolicella Superiore Ripasso (red), and Ricioto di Soave Classico (dessert wine).
 |
| The Rocca Sveva Winery Co-Op |
 |
| New copper ceiling built into hillside cave to prevent dripping and wet floors |
 |
| Natural dripping from condesensation in hillside cave |
 |
| Natural Aging Rooms built into the hillside |
Ø
Fun Fact #1: It is illegal to add sugar to wines
in Italy. To get a sweet taste, dried grapes are used.
Ø
Fun Fact #2: The only Cantina di Soave location
in the U.S. just opened in Boston! Guess where we’re going for wine at home?!
 |
| Too bad we don't have these Wine Pumps at home |
 |
| Joe & Silvia discuss 2 of his favorite things, Wine & Boston |
- Vicenza: An hour in Palladio-land
was just enough time for us to walk thru town, see some of Palladio’s
work, and sample gelato at Venchi.
Cioccolato azteca was pretty good (caffe sorbetto…not so much), but
Grom still wins!
 |
| Outside Basilica Palladiana |
 |
| Corso Palladio |
No comments:
Post a Comment