Enjoy this list of 10 books set in different parts of Italy. No matter where you dream of going—from North to the South, from the islands and coasts to the mountains, from popular cities to the dusty country roads—La Dolce Vigna has got your covered!
Read moreItalian Rhapsody in Blue: Travel Inspiration Based on Pantone's Color of the Year
Beginning in 2000, the Pantone Color Institute began selecting and featuring a Color of the Year. This year, the honor went to Pantone 19-4052 aka Classic Blue. As we Americans, unfortunately, aren’t going anywhere this summer, I thought I would give us some Italian travel inspiration based on this particular shade of blue. Enjoy!
Read morePaper Trail leading back to Italy: The Art of Jennifer Wilkin Penick
Years ago, I bought a piece of art from an Art-o-mat vending machine at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Since it was not possible to choose the artwork, it was a pleasant surprise that the piece I got was a small collage including the unmistakable eye of Mona Lisa. That piece of artwork sat on my shelf (mysteriously staring at me) until COVID-19 caused a very necessary bout of spring cleaning and I decided it was time to track down the artist. As it turns out Jennifer Wilkin Penick lives in Washington D.C., but was in San Francisco on a 6-month-long sabbatical when I contacted her! While the pandemic made it impossible to meet, Jennifer and I got to do this interview, which touches upon her art practice, living in Rome and her favorite parts of Italy.
Read moreWhich Italian Wines to Try if You Like...
While you certainly don’t have to become a sommelier to enjoy or understand Italian wine, I hope my expertise will help direct you to Italian wines you will love. I’ve decided to pick a few of the most famous grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, etc. and “translate” them into Italian. Enjoy the exploration!
Read moreMinty Sainsbury Renders Italy: Photorealist Drawings of Italian Architecture
Duomo, Milan
With her humble pencil in hand, British artist Minty Sainsbury Captures Italy’s grand architecture one square Inch at a time.
After discovering her impressive drawings on Instagram and playing message tag for months, Minty and I were finally able to connect this winter so that I could learn more about her art practice and its particular interest in Italy. Below is an interview as well as images of her meticulous artwork.
Read moreUNESCO World Heritage Wine Regions in Italy
From the north to the south, Italy’s staggering 55 natural and cultural wonders, will amaze you: Venice and its lagoon, the proud Baroque towns of Sicily, cave dwellings in Matera… But, perhaps the sites that will astound all of your senses are its three World Heritage Wine Regions. Where else can you actually taste the traditions and natural beauty?
Read moreWhite Wines from Mendoza: They exist!
Mendoza may be known mostly for Malbec and other powerhouse red grape varieties (and it is Malbec World Day today!), but the region’s white wines have been a major part of its viticultural history. From Chardonnay and Semillón to the native Torrontés and Italian-imported Fiano, Mendoza does not disappoint! Below are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
Read more25 Ways to Travel the World (Without Leaving Home)
Just because we need to stay at home for the foreseeable future to prevent the spread of the highly-contagious and life-threatening Coronavirus does not mean we can’t travel through other means! Below is a list of 25 ways you can quench your wanderlust from the comfort of your own home….and, if you’re like me, around-the-clock pjs!
Read more5 Wine Tasting Ideas for your next Zoom Happy Hour
Yes, it’s come to virtual happy hours. Around the country—and even world—friends are coming together on the virtual conference platform Zoom to clink glasses and unwind from their shelter-in-place days. To help liven up your next “get together” and to ensure the conversation sticks to something other than COVID-19, here are some wine tasting ideas and games for your next Zoom Happy Hour!
Read moreThe Valentine Typewriter
I have been waiting for February to arrive so that I could finally write about the Valentine Typewriter—a design icon created by the Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass and British industrial designer Perry King in 1969 for the Italian typewriter brand Olivetti. It is found in the collection MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, among countless other museums around the world. How did a typewriter achieve such a feat? Let’s jump back in time to the 1960s. [Wavy time jumping lines]
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