Life on a Tuscan Farm

One of the many perks of the butchering season here at Spannocchia are the resulting lunches. There is a lovely tradition in Tuscany of celebrating the process, pig and those who work to bring us our food. The activity of the first day in the transformation room is stopped for about an hour in the middle of the day to grill up ribs and chops for the whole community. Our resident fire-master and garden manager Carmen lights up the big fattoria camino around 11am (using our very own charcoal) so that it will be ready for grilling around noon. Volunteers and staff roast our potatoes and prep big bowls of radicchio to be served along side the star of the meal. Once the aromas of grilled pork and roasted rosemary reach the courtyard, one and all descend upon the kitchen to gather ’round the table, enjoy the meal and compliment our marvelous butchers and farm staff. Yum.

A presto…

As the first snow falls here at Spannocchia and the fall officially leaves us, it’s time to say our final goodbye to what was a fantastic group of interns this past season. Amber, Chris, Colin, Liz, Lila, Seth, Sage and Toby worked together beautifully, which was a great thing given how much time was spent harvesting everything there was to harvest as a group this season. Their diverse interests and expertise seemed to bring them closer together, each learning from the other, thinking about things differently, gaining new interests. We will miss the ‘Meat Boys’, Chris and Toby, discussing the best way to make a ragu or roast a shoulder, Liz’s dress pants and Seth’s shorts, Colin’s amazing breakfast (and dessert and snack…) pastries, Amber’s undying affection for all Spannocchia ‘pets’, Sage’s yoga and laugh and Lila’s love of music and dance. As we settle into our winter routine here, we will think of their energy and positivity often. Hurry back, everyone! And now, some pics for the road:

And we’re done! With all hands on deck, the grape harvest at Spannocchia took a bit more than a hot second lasting only four (long) days. Interns, farm staff and even a few guests headed out to the vineyards to harvest our Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Malvasia, Colorino and Trebbiano grapes. Spannocchia was blessed with literally perfect weather for this group activity with bright blue skies, plenty of sun and a little chill to keep everyone alive and alert for the long days of harvesting. The week was finished off with a group lunch at the villa of gnocchi, roast beef and, of course, Sangiovese grape cake! Harvest this year was abundant, leaving Toby, Amber and Angelo lots of work in the cantina making wine for the upcoming year. A labor old as Tuscany, it is truly a joy to particpate in the Vendemmia…a presto!

We’ve started! Vendemmia (the big grape harvest) at Spannocchia comes a bit later than in some areas of Tuscany and is initiated by the picking of grapes for our Vin Santo. For those unfamiliar with this Tuscany libation, Vin Santo is a sweet dessert wine made from our best white grapes.

Once the grapes are harvested, they are hung to dry (as you see here) for a couple of months until the sugars reach the desired concentration. At this point, they are ready for pressing and wine making here at the Tenuta. The final product is a gorgeous amber color and, all bias aside, wonderfully delicious with local cantucci.

More updates on the vendemmia to follow…

A presto!

And so it ends. Our spring interns have been trickling off the farm and on to new adventures across the globe. We were lucky enough to not have said a complete goodbye as several stayed on both as guests and volunteers to help out on the farm while the fall group got settled here at Spannocchia (and we are forever indebted for that). It was a wonderful summer full of fresh lettuces, live music, fig picking and jam making, Castle sleepovers and, of course, kittens! While we will miss Annie, Cashel, Jess, John, Karla, Kat, Nick and Pearce we invite them back soon and know that they will always be a part of our community, even when far away.

It seems as though the weather here it Tuscany was well aware of the fact that our Fall session was beginning as it changed quite literally the day the new group began work. Spannocchia welcomed Amber, Lila, Liz, Colin, Toby, Chris, Seth and Sage with some of the best weather we’ve seen in recent weeks…not too hot, not too cold and beautiful, clear skies. The group has only been at it a short 5 days or so but has settled in effortlessly. In addition to fixing fences in the blink of an eye, bottling kilos and kilos of tomatoes as if it were second nature and managing to keep the pool beyond spotless, they’ve been busy in the kitchen! We are lucky enough to have already experienced the culinary prowess of this group via BBQ’d chicken and steak, bruschetta with the reddest of red tomatoes from the garden and shockingly delicious chocolate and lemon cakes. Yay for fall!!!

A presto…