So far, we have kept you up to date on activities in the vineyards during grape harvest season. But what happens after that? Activity now moves to the “Grape Reception” area, above of the cellar. The grapes are brought here by tractor to be washed, selected and de-stalked. After this, the grapes are pumped straight […]
THE HARVEST DIARY
After an extremely hot and dry summer, during the first harvest days, like manna from heaven, the rain finally arrived. Rains relieved the hydro-stress of the grapes. The grape’s skins were still hard, but thanks to the current thermal excursion, they are ripening well and getting softer. We have harvested so far Merlot, the white […]
HOW TO PRESERVE TOMATOES (and enjoy a longer Summer)
An easy recipe for a lasting fragrance of summer? Preserving tomatoes in oil is accomplished in only a few simple steps and promises you some of the joys of summer, even when it is cold and the beauty of ripe, red tomatoes in the vegetable garden is but a distant memory. STERILISE THE JARS To […]
YOGHURT CAKE
This cake is a regular on the buffet table in our Breakfast Room each morning. At Vignamaggio breakfast is part of your stay: each morning we offer our guests a variety of homemade cakes and this must be one the simplest and most popular recipes. WHAT YOU NEED A 125 ml jar of yoghurt 1 […]
CHIANTI BERRIES
We could not be prouder of our CHIANTI RASPBERRIES. Vignamaggios’ organic fruit orchard project began in 2015 on uncultivated, sunny land on the Montagliari plains. Other than pomegranates, plums, figs, apricots, apples and pears, in the cooler Mulino del Piano section, we have planted berries, such as raspberries and blackberries as well as black, white […]
LA PAPPA AL POMODORO
Pappa is an Italian term for baby food. It’s even used to refer to food for toddlers up the age of 4. Pappa al Pomodoro however is also one of Florence’s most traditional dishes. WHAT WE NEED 6 TOMATOES +1 for the broth EVO oil (50g) 5 leaves of FRESH BASIL 1 clove of garlic […]
VIGNAMAGGIO IN PIAZZA!
The town square, Piazza Matteotti, is the heart of the small town of Greve in Chianti. Greve’s history and growth are unequivocally linked to its piazza, a marketplace since the 300’s. Its position at the bottom of the valley and proximity to the river made it an ideal place for commercial encounters. The main residential […]
The ultimate Hunter’s chicken casserole recipe
Hunter’s chicken in italian is “Pollo alla Cacciatora”. Cacciatora refers to a specific flavour rendered by the combination of the garlic and rosemary we use in the preparation of this dish: the same herbs that hunters would use to flavour the food they caught while out hunting. WHAT WE NEED 1 kg chicken portions, cut […]
THE GARDEN IN MAY
With the long Winter finally over, it’s time for vegetable planting in Vignamaggio’s organic vegetable garden, the Pomario, flanking the villa’s renaissance garden. Vignamaggio’s vegetable garden supplies the restaurant with vegetables and herbs, and perhaps most importantly, the tomatoes we find in so many summer dishes. In fact, the Pomario can boast 5 varieties of tomato: […]