Watch Out! Wine on the Loose
After a good night's sleep and delicious vegetarian dinner, I was ready to take on Italy. Up first, a walking tour of Umbria.
Fun Fact: Umbria is the only region within Italy that does not have a coastline or borders another country.
Our first stop was Chiusi, which houses many stunning duomos. We had a chance to peak inside and see some of the most amazing mosaics and fresco paintings.
We visited Museo Archeilogico Nazionale which housed some impressive Etruscan artifacts. Other than that, I can't recall many of the details. Pottery, paintings and more pottery. Forgive me, but I was particularly distracted at that point knowing that food and wine were forthcoming.
Finally, out we go... We start walking over to the Vino Sfuso vendor. I start to get a little more pep in my step. We enter this small little store with these large stainless steel vats filled with Vino Sfuso. I know..what is Vino Sfuso? The literal translation is loose wine. Typically, farmers who don't have large enough vineyards to produce their own wine will sell their grapes to other wine producers to make Vino Sfuso. The wine is typically light, refreshing and full of flavor. Americans will appreciate the fact that the wine is free from preservatives, which means hangover free as well.. Trust me.. I tested this out thoroughly :) When purchasing the Vino Sfuso, it's important to bring your own containers. I would recommend a few liters. It goes quickly, especially when you have a table full of ladies swapping stories. Finally, the kind man filled our containers up with this gas nozzle looking contraption and we were on our way. This wine is not only one of the best, but one of the most inexpensive the region has to offer.
Below, the gentleman filling out containers with Vino Sfuso.
Next up, lunch. Thank goodness. I was dying already. We walked into this lovely little restaurant called Ristorante-Pizzeria il bucchero. The weather was simply perfect, so we were seated outside on the patio covered with grapevines. The options were endless. I poured over the menu as I wanted an authentic Italian pizza. I saw the word tartufata and immediately knew that would be the one. While decadent and powerful in taste, truffles are my favorite thing to partake. Adding to its charm, was the fact that the oven was only large enough to cook three pizzas at a time. Luckily, mine was one of the first out of the oven. Perfection. It had a great balance of sauce, truffles and mushrooms. I was literally in foodie heaven. The crust was crisp and light. Even those on a "Carb-free or restricted diet" would eat this crust. It was not one you were leaving on your plate. If given the chance, I could have stayed in that courtyard for hours and noshed on pizza and Vino Sfuso. Needless to say, if you ever find yourself wandering the streets of Chiusi, grab a bottle of Vino Sfuso and head to il Bucchero and grab a pizza. Neither you or your tummy will leave disappointed.
Ciao for now!
