During the past few weeks, the entire farm has been abustle with the olive harvest. Up and down the stone terraces, and up on the sunny slopes (or rain drenched slopes like the last couple of days), the magic of Autumn is in the air, with smoke from burning wood mingling with the morning mist. […]
Author: vignamaggioblog
RECIPE: ARTICHOKE, CARAMELISED ONION AND BRIE TART
This recipe, created in collaboration with Freakytable, is perfect for those cool early-autumn evenings when spending some extra time in the kitchen with a glass of your favourite wine becomes quite appealing. Our fresh artichokes preserved in oil, complemented by the rich flavour of Brie, are sure to inspire you. For the pastry: (The recipe […]
OUR GRAPES
It’s that time of the year again! It’s September and our grapes are beautiful, ripe and ready for picking. Because it’s time to harvest, our Francesco has gathered and presented the estate’s most important varietals, the most historical, those that were rediscovered, and the latest arrivals. First of all, the Sangiovese, our most prized grape, […]
FRESH FROM THE FARM: OUR PLUMS
17The wide variety of plum trees we chose to plant 5 years ago means we have fresh plums all summer long, from June to September. These various types of “prunus domestica” ripen at different times of the summer, some produce more fruit than others and they differ noticeably in flavour and colour. In June we […]
IN THE SHADE OF PETASITES
Today we went out with Francesca, manager of the Vignamaggio gardens, to explore the coolest part of the estate, in search of the petasites or butterbur, a perennial plant of the Asteracaea family. It is easy to come across these enormous herbaceous plants alongside Greve’s tributaries. They can be spotted by their huge hat-like leaves […]
THE GOLDEN EARS
Wheat is the symbol of Summer abundance. Watching the golden ears of wheat moving in the wind, soaked in sunshine, is a special and exciting moment, especially for those like us, who love pasta. Vignamaggio decided to use indigenous and ancient grains like the hard grain Senatore Cappelli and soft grain Verna varieties that have […]
HOW TO MAKE YOUR MEDITERRANEAN SPRING WREATH
Today, our gardener Giovanni taught us how to make a Mediterranean wreath using predominantly bay leaves and Spanish broom flowers. This shrub, known as Ginestra odorosa in Italian, is indigenous and grows spontaneously all around the Mediterranean basin. You will recognise it by its sweet, heady fragrance and small yellow flowers. WHAT WE NEED We […]
ELDERFLOWERS
The elderberry bush, or sambuco as it is called in Italy, is an indigenous plant that grows spontaneously all over the country, but it is not very well known. Elderflower syrup is used mostly in central and northern European countries, while in Italy, sambuco is more commonly associated with the distinctive anise flavour of Sambuco […]
SEARCHING FOR HOPS
Hops can be found all over Europe, usually in cooler areas and in fertile soil close to water. While it is most famous for its flower, that gives beer its mildly bitter taste, in many regions of Italy it is valued for its spring shoots. WHERE CAN WE FIND THEM? On the banks of rivers […]
OUR ARTICHOKES
Artichokes fields are one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Chianti landscape: on terraced land, flanking roads and on the crest of drystone walls, these magnificent verdant plants with their large silver-tinged green leaves, can be seen everywhere in spring. A true delicacy, in Tuscany the artichoke is eaten preserved in oil, as a […]