Jan DempseyOct 19, 20193 minLa Vendemmia - An Autumnal TraditionThe Vendemmia, or grape harvest, is an exciting time of the year at Podere Erica, our organic winery in Chianti.
Jan DempseyFeb 8, 20192 minOur Winery is Growing and Gaining RecognitionIt was 10 years ago that I said “If we are going to make wine, we should make a good one.” That is when we hired Marco to be our farm...
Jan DempseyOct 18, 20182 minThe Man and his PassionIn this case, “The Man” is Marco Giordano, our winemaker. And his passion is making wonderful biodynamic wines from our organic and...
Jan DempseyApr 1, 20182 minA Little Bit of Italy in CaliforniaWhen I am missing Italy (especially at this time of the year when it has been awhile since my last trip and the next one won’t be for...
Jan DempseyJan 31, 20182 minOld MacDonald Had a Farm. . . .There have been a lot of new things going on at Podere Erica since I wrote my last blog. Besides all the happy sippers at our wine...
Jan DempseyJan 21, 20181 minItalian FrittataThis is our favorite frittata recipe, but you can adjust the ingredients to your preferences or what you happen to have in the fridge. ...
Jan DempseyNov 2, 20173 minWhat You May Not Know About Extra Virgin Olive OilEvery November throughout the Tuscan countryside, you'll see people spreading nets under the olive trees and climbing up into them to...
Jan DempseyMay 26, 20172 minHonoring American Soldiers in ItalyAs many of us celebrate this Memorial Day by chilling out with friends or family, I think it is a good idea for us all to take a moment...
Jan DempseyJun 25, 20162 minInfiorata – Fantastic Street Flower ArtDuring one of our stays at the Podere we were lucky to happen upon an interesting and beautiful religious display in the center of the...
Jan DempseyMay 14, 20162 minThe Mille Miglia – Italy's Vintage Auto RaceTaking place this weekend is the famous Italian vintage auto race called the Mille Miglia. It was an open-road endurance race which took...
Jan DempseyFeb 1, 20163 minIt's Carnevale TimeCarnevale, which means “farewell to meat”, lasts for 10 days, ending as always the night before Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent....
Jan DempseyJan 31, 20161 minFrittelle di RisoFrittelle di Riso are a typical Tuscan sweet made for Carnevale. Frittelle di Riso Ingredients: 1¼ cup Arborio or other short grain rice...
Jan DempseyJan 31, 20162 minCenci ToscaniCenci Toscani are traditional Tuscan cookies made for Carnevale. Cenci Toscani Ingredients: 1½ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼...
Jan DempseyJan 30, 20162 minSchiacciata alla FiorentinaSchiacciata means ‘squashed’ or ‘flattened’ in Italian and usually refers to the savory, salty and olive oil drenched flat bread found in...
Jan DempseyJan 22, 20162 minBaby, It's Cold Outside!When the temperatures drop, stay warm with these Italian soup recipes. We may think of Italy as having a warm, sunny Mediterranean...
Jan DempseyJan 20, 20162 minTuscan Minestrone SoupEvery region of Tuscany has its own version of this soup, depending on what grows there in abundance. The type of greens may vary as well...
Jan DempseyJan 20, 20161 minTuscan Sausage & White Bean SoupA hearty soup perfect for cold winter nights! Tuscan Sausage & White Bean Soup Ingredients: 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage ½ cup...
Jan DempseyJan 20, 20162 minItalian Wedding SoupThe name of this soup is actually a misnomer. It originated here in the States within the Italian-American community. The old folks...
Jan DempseyDec 19, 20151 minSan Francisco Style CioppinoWe often make Cioppino for Christmas Eve and we try to use 7 fishes in the stew. Not exactly following the Italian Feast of Seven Fishes...
Jan DempseyDec 2, 20153 minChristmas in ItalyUntil I visited Italy at Christmastime, I never realized the differences between how they celebrate Christmas and how Americans do. On...