The Italian Epicurean

Using centuries of accumulated culinary wisdom
to match food and wine is an art form you can taste.

Oh, how our lives are dominated by the tastes of things that are fresh and those that are properly aged. A well-designed meal that skillfully balances the selection of wine to the food is to the taste buds what a well-performed concert of masterfully written music is to refined ears and more; the sum is greater than the parts. There is no place on the planet where this subtle blending of gourmet elements is a more refined practice than Italy. To experience the true potential, depth, and wonder of this savory magic is to visit the kitchens of Italy in person.

Although culinary and wine making arts have been practiced in Italy for over 2,000 years, until the most recent half-century, the refrigeration of food in transportation and storage that we now take for granted was unheard of. This created an approach to food selection and preparation that is very different to what we were traditionally familiar with. Wine has been for thousands of years not a luxury but a necessity. The water in most places of the world has been historically unfit to drink whereas wine is indeed very fit due to the natural miracle of alcohol. (Many Canadians do not realize that beer was one of the four primary economic pillars in the development of Canada for that very reason!) Another North American phenomenon that plays a major role in our choice of what to eat and drink in North America is inexpensive mass transportation. Until well after World War II most Italians never traveled more than one hundred miles from where they were born in their entire life. Most food was grown locally and eaten as fresh as possible. The storage techniques developed to preserve the locally available foods all had a distinct effect on the taste-alterations and variations created by the storage techniques themselves. This necessity for practical application has rewarded us with sublime taste combination potentials beyond anyones wildest hopes or expectations and need the advice of experienced experts to make the most of this bonanza of gastronomic blessings.

Another intrinsic factor in attaining the true 'taste of a place' is understanding how much difference what we think of as short distances makes to the food produced. In the great wine growing regions of France they even developed a concept and created a word to convey the great importance and recognition for what a distance of even less than a mile can make to the taste of what is produced there: terroir. More than simply cache, terroir refers to the site-specific differences in wines that are caused by factors such as soil types, drainage, local micro-climate and sun exposure. Local cultural influences and production techniques also play a role in the final product. While touring the world-famous Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley our guide explained that even the wine produced in the vineyards across the street to the east tasted different from the wine produced in the Mondavi vineyards due to the way the clouds came up off the ocean to the west and flowed down over the coastal mountains onto the Mondavi Estate. By the time the clouds got to the vineyards to the east, they had dissipated, usually at a fairly regular and particular time of day, with the result that the flavor of the grapes would be affected. If we expand the concept of terroir from wine to include food we find what every hunter and farmer already knows: the grass the animal eats affects the taste of the meat profoundly. The taste of the milk from the goats and cows varies not only by the breed but also by the chemical composition of what the animals eat. How could the cheeses produced, the various sausages, every derivative of local agriculture and animal husbandry not be affected by the terroir in each separate location? The variations caused by small distances can be dramatic.

Here on our side of the globe, we usually avoid living too close to where we work. The typical residence above the family-owned-and-operated business at street level so common in Europe (and indeed much of the rest of the world) is a scarcity in our sprawling culture. In the cities, towns, and villages of Italy, it is still very common to live and work in the same building. Many family businesses, including food establishments, are passed down from generation to generation and this tradition can span many centuries. It has been a way of life in Italy for millenia to use in meal preparation only what could be obtained within walking distance of the family domicile. In addition, Italy is uniquely positioned on the Mediterranean Sea and so became the main clearing house for all of Europe for many exotic foods.

It is not without logical happenstance that the Renaissance found its birth in Italy, arriving as it did in the great Italian port cities on the east coast. It is this almost fantastic combination of circumstances that requires the dedicated epicurean in all of us to travel to Italy in order to directly, immediately and personally experience its true flavors. Each tiny and distinct area has its own comprehensive, cultivated subtleties used in preparing the dishes that have evolved over countless years by untold generations of local experts. Detailed knowledge that only true and total life-long immersion in a micro-culture within the larger Italian culture must be obtained by the dedicated culinary adventurer first-hand and in person. There is nothing in this life more rewarding than to eat a delicious Italian meal you have helped to prepare in the very kitchen you will eat it in, accompanied by your hosts and the wines that they have carefully and knowingly selected to enhance their creations for your pleasure.

If you have been intrigued, convinced, and tantalized enough at this point to realize that your quest for the best in Italian food and wine can only be successfully realized with a visit to the kitchens of Italy, please visit our tour website ciaotours.com or give us a call on our toll free number at 1.877.444.2426. If you have already been on one of our tours, please contact us and tell us about your culinary experiences in Italy!