My trip to heaven and back (And People who make a difference)

Dear Wine Lovers,

I've just come back from my annual trip to Tuscany + Umbria, this year, as always, I had the opportunity to see amazing places, meet special people and of course drink fabolous wines.

Today I want to highlight just two (of many) experiences that I had during this trip. The first one is related to life, the other regards a masterpiece of wine and both include extraordinary people.

Upon arriving here I usually ask myself "Could this be the heaven?" Green fields, blue sky, nights full of stars, amazing landscape, peace and serenity in the air, great food and a lot of the best wine of course... yes, this is the paradise that I've always imagined but how could I have a real proof of concept of heaven?

The answer is that... something really similar to the "Heaven" really exists, its a small "Relais/Boutique Hotel" with just nine wonderful rooms, nestled in the Umbria's hills and called:

La Palazzetta Del Vescovo

OMG, I've seen many places all around the world but this is really something special, this is notjust an hotel, this is a place for the heart, a caress for the soul.

I'm talking about a charming luxury country-house surrounded by the sound of silence and with a really stunning view on the hills, vineyards and olive trees. At the "Palazzetta Del Vescovo" everything is perfect, starting from the breakfast and finishing with a dinner at the highest level. During summer you can also enjoy a gorgeous infinity-view-pool and during winter, springtime or autumn, a lot of fireplaces will warm you during your wine tasting sessions.

What is the secret of this place? Why do I love this place so much?

The secret is in the owners, people who make a difference; they are Paola & Stefano and they really know THE ART of making you feel welcome and at home right from the beginning of your holiday. Everything there, is so so special.

Try the "Palazzetta Del Vescovo", I can GUARANTEE that will be a unique experience for you. I'm seriously guaranteeing it.

Now it's the time to talk about wine. I've tasted a lot of great wines at the "Palazzetta Del Vescovo" as well, Stefano is a talented Sommelier, but I'd like to tell you a story, a story of another person who makes a difference producing wine, a man who has brought to life a dream and turned it into wine.

While I was on my way back to Milan, I wanted to make a detour of about 300 kms to go to Bolgheri, the famous and only Bolgheri, heart of special and powerful reds. Here on my blog I've talked a lot about Bolgheri and about his SuperTuscan wines, but today I have to tell you about the "man" that I've just mentioned, his name is Massimo Piccin and he's the owner of "Podere Sapaio".

I met "Podere Sapaio's" wines in a restaurant near Milano in the winter of 2007 and I fell in love with them at first sip. In my mind it stuck with me that I would have to discover this wine better as well and the person who was behind this amazing product so, I felt that this could be the right moment to go visiting "Podere Sapaio".

I arrived at Podere Sapaio around 4pm and I met Alessandro, a really talented ad passionate guy that has been working for Massimo since 2008 and today is managing the whole production chain. He showed me the vineyards, the amazing tasting room (near Massimo's house) and then we went to the "Sapaio Cellar".

There were 3 bottles of wine waiting for me and I felt like a child in a theme park.

While Alessandro was wisely telling me the story of Podere Sapaio and the production details, Massimo Piccin joined us and so I had the opportunity to meet him in person and have the privilege to taste wines with the creator of one of my favourite wine.

Podere Sapaio produces just two lines of product, "Sapaio" and "Volpolo". They are both wonderful products, two Bordeaux blendings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The first one, "Sapaio", its a Bolgheri Superiore DOC, with 18 months of barrique aging (almost all new) and then 10 months in the bottle (a big guy); really powerful wine, I love it, very complex bouquet, woody spices and with a long lovable finish (a King). I've tasted a 2008 and it has been a great experience (I can't imagine what will happen at this 2008 vintage in 2 or 3 years of further maturation).

The second line's product, named "Volpolo", is another really good product, nice structure, a pleasant bouquet with a lot of mature black currant berry fruit, coffee and dark chocolate as well. Fresh and mineral finish, less structured than the "Sapaio" but a really great wine (I can't call "him" entry-level), high quality-price ratio, really reccomended.

I'm talking about two really super-wines, Massimo Piccin was able to give life to a different interpretation of wine, creating an innovative wine, thinking just about the quality and not a the amount of production.

I pick a phrase from Podere Sapaio's website: "We aim to convey the best part of ourselves in our wine"...and it's true, I saw and I tasted exactly that in Podere Sapaio's wines.

Massimo's TALENT, PASSION and first of all the Massimo's GENEROSITY is deeply rooted in the wine. You have to taste these products, I'm sure that you'll understand all the special things present behind the wine. Amazing experience.

If you calculate that Massimo built Podere Sapaio in 1999 and the first bottle of wine came out in 2004, you now know that I told u a story of a young man that has been producing a master-piece wine in Bolgheri's land and I can absolutely say that here we have another person who makes a difference.

Today I wrote this post all in one breath, emotions moved my fingers on keyboard and I hope that those emotions have arrived to your heart.

Live your life. Live it deeply.

Angelo D'Alessandro

thedeliciousworld@gmail.com