The True Heart Of Italy

Umbria

The exact center of Italy also known as its green heart. Umbria has some of the best fruits and vegetables in all of Italy due to its ideal growing conditions and fertile soils. It borders Tuscany to the west, Marche and the Apennine Mountains to the east and Lazio to the south.  It is famous for its abundance of meat dishes including lamb, goat, beef, boar and roasted suckling pig. The people of Umbria are the kindest and some of the most humble people you will find in all of Italy. Beautiful lush green valleys framed against the backdrop of mountains with hearty meals and did I mention great wines? The most famous red wine found here would be Sagrantino of Montefalco which is the most powerful wine found in all of Italy. You can also find white wines like Grechetto, Trebbiano Spoletino and more. Here you will truly feel at home as if you have known the people forever.

Gorgeous, walled, white medieval cities, meticulously kept like Assisi, Spoleto and several others will leave you breathless at their sheer power and beauty. A visit to the Patron Saint of Italy in St. Francis at the UNESCO World Heritage site will be a moment of beauty.

Marche

Continuing into Marche on the Adriatic Sea you will find the best seafood in all of Italy and my personal favorite white wine Verdicchio. A visit to the three Star Michelin Restaurant Uliassi in the sleepy fishing village of Senigallia will be one of the culinary highlights of your entire life. Essence and purity of flavors are found here in Marche. Most restaurants do not have a menu as it is considered an exploration to put yourself in the hands of the Chef. You will simply be asked grilled or fried and how many courses. A rich exploration into the abundance of seafood in one of the largest fishing towns in San Benedetto Del Tronto where you shall relax and find the Dolce Vita you see in old Italian movies where it is still very much alive.

Abruzzo

Crossing south of the Tronto River you will find yourself in a new world: Abruzzo. Its castles are strewn about the countryside like flowers. Many of its villages date back to Neolithic times from around 6450 BC! This is a land where you can be eating some of the best seafood and food from land as its only 20 minutes from the sea up into the mountains. Similar to California in that fact it will have you falling in love with its simplicity and charm. Roasted meats on a spit known locally as arrosticini will have you your taste buds salivating for a beautiful red wine like Montepulciano D Abruzzo. These are wines that for centuries other famous wine producing regions like Bordeaux,

Barolo and Montalcino have blended their grapes with it for its color and acidity. Lush and dark this wine is a perfect pairing partner for the local cuisine. In Abruzzo you will find yourself in the shadow of the Il Gran Sasso , the highest mountain peak of the Apennines. This is also the largest green zone in all of Europe with dozens of natural forests.  A great way to finish would be a visit to another castle found at the winery Masciarelli owned by Marina Cvetic. She is one of the most famous winemakers in all of Italy and one of the largest importers into the USA. Here you shall find a second home fit for royalty yet be surrounded by the authentic life found here.