Cin cin!
When the alarm clock goes off on a Saturday at 7:00 am, there must be a good excuse for it: either you forgot to reset it for the weekend, or on the contrary, the thing was planned, because you have a VERY good plan, which will make you get out of bed happy and leave behind your comfy bed. And that was what just happened to me last weekend, I woke up very excited and very early in the morning. After taking Custo (my pug) out for a walk, we had breakfast and got ready to start our trip to the Castelli Romani. And the excitement was not only because this area, which is a few kilometers from Rome, is rich in landscapes and history, but because for the first time I was going to participate in a grape harvest in one of the Ville Tusconale of Colli Albani. These types of villas have their origin from the second half of the 5th century to the second half of the 6th century. They were built as rest houses and summer residences for the aristocrats, belonging mainly to the Roman clergy, thanks to their proximity to the city of Rome. Today, some of them belong to historical families, and many others, are owned by the Vatican, such as the Palazzo Pontificio di Castel Gandolfo.
Once we had left behind the Roman Saturday traffic, forty-some minutes later we arrived at the municipality of Grottaferrata, and there, on one of its vast hills, we found our morning destination, the majestic Villa Cavalletti.
We arrived at 11 am, right on time. A guide from Diakronica, the agency that organizes the tour, and Tiziana, the current owner of the Villa, greets us. From the first moment you feel welcomed, and very well attended.
After the anti-covid procedure, temperature and other errands, we began, with two other couples, our tour of this wonderful village. In the middle of its green gardens and infinite views, the guide starts telling us, not only about the history of the Villa, but of the whole area as well. The story is long and rich, it would take hours of study to get to know it in depth, but a few minutes were enough to get an overview and get more interested in it. It seemed curious to me to know, for example, that Villa Cavalletti belonged to the Jesuits for many years, and that Pope Francesco himself, in his younger years, was there on a formation visit.
We walked its walkways, and we could see its gardens. They showed us the historic residence, where the original family lived, which is currently being rebuilt. They also told us about wine in ancient Rome, and how Castelli Romani was a very important area, at that time, for the production of the antique drink.
After the pleasant tour, it was the palate's turn, a large table awaited us with everything ready to be tasted. The proposal was based on products from the area, but the main protagonists were, of course, those made by the Villa. First thing, obviously the wine, a Bianco (white) Prut sparkling, with a delicate flavor and floral tones. Then we tasted the extra virgin olive oil, also of their production. To later delve into the sweet note, represented by three creams: cocoa, pistachio and hazelnut, also produced on site.
Tiziana tells us a bit about the company and its production. Unlike, the manufacture of extra virgin olive oil, which has been carried out since 1986, she tells us that they started making wine just a year ago. For that reason, she apologizes, and communicates us that in this opportunity it will be possible just to taste their sparkling wine, because from the first harvest, they managed to sell absolutely all the bottles of red wine they produced.
Tasting is over now, and the time to work has arrived. And while each one of us with scissors and basket in hand begins to cut bunches of grapes, they teach us a little more about the art of the wine production. The grapes are harvested in two ways, manually and through a mechanical procedure. Whichever technique is chosen that day, once collected, they are taken directly to the canteen to start the selection process and later the winemaking. They told us that if the harvest is done by hand, it is important that it be a quick procedure, no more than two hours, to avoid possible unwanted fermentation, which would bring mold and fungi reducing the wine’s quality. We also learned that their products are organic, and because of this, obviously, they do not use any type of chemicals or pesticides, but rather different natural procedures to keep pests and bacteria away. I was particularly fascinated by one of them, which referred to the implementation of natural yeasts as pesticide agents.
Filled with knowledge, and our baskets with fragrant grapes, our journey is over, but our curiosity about this wonderful world has only just begun. So with an appetite, after the stimulating walk and the sweet antipasto, we saw no better way to continue our day than with lunch at Taverna Mari, a well-known restaurant in the area. Traditional dishes accompanied by red wine, of course from Castelli, was our choice. If you want to follow the chronicle of this fun day with more images, click on the video below and cin cin!
P.S: Villa Cavalletti is not only an enogastronomic company, but also serves as a space for various events, it has a hotel, a spa area and in the future will have a smart working center that is currently under construction.
Where,
Villa Cavalletti.
Via XXIV Maggio 73/75 00046 Grottaferrata (Rm)
https://www.villacavalletti.it/
@villacavalletti
Diakronica
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 43
00045 - Genzano di Roma
Taverna Mari
Via Piave 29 Grottaferrata (Roma)
@tavernamari