The truth is I don’t want to write a travel story. I want to write about sporadic moments that left a mark in my mind and heart in this quest of the Po Valley, and beyond, that I made. Many of us have visited Italy and have their own personal experiences in that country. My thing will be honestly brief, random, un-touristy, oenocentric and accompanied by images. Italy is never something so fabulous to discover; but I realise now I love Italy so much that in the end here I am in front of the laptop on a Sunday, one week after I came back to Sofia, writing about it.
Photo: http://olive-drab.com
Why the Po Valley, or the Padan Plain, the vast lowlands in the north of the country along the Fiume (River) Po, linking the Western Alps and the Adriatic? This area, including the regions (from east to west) of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont and tiny parts of Tuscany and Liguria, is notorious for its industrial development, often branded as the motor of Italian economy. It is. But it is also home of the best Italian wines and cuisine, and the industry is conveniently away from the living space of people, even away from the traveller’s eye in a, say, Turin-Milan train. The natural beauties are everywhere. It’s the Alps, the Apennines, the plain, the Po, the maize crops, the vineyards that make the landscape. And the beautiful cities make it complete.
So why the Po Valley? First, because I never fully explored Italy’s north and its wines; second, because I was to meet some college friends; third, because I did my master’s studies in Bologna precisely ten years ago and I needed this trip at some point to see how ‘grown up’ I was; and last but not least, because Italy as an idea and a congregation of emotions and experiences is for me one of the best places to visit. Blame me for my bias. Following is a collection of momentary impressions from the Po Valley, in a chronological order, which I thought were worth ‘putting on paper.’
The Red Lady
Bologna Rossa welcomes me in the 40s Celsius. The famously red buildings seem brownish to me now. Maybe that’s the sign I am looking for, ten years later. That’s how I am older. Or maybe it’s just August and everything’s more subdued, even the colours. Memories make my hot days sweeter – student buddies, Piazza Maggiore, the colonnades/archways… Ancient loves.
Bologna. My photo
It’s here I meet Bate Ekso, my AUBG roommate, and his girlfriend, for a true un-touristy Italian experience. A surprisingly normal number of tourists, most of whom come from France, Spain, Germany. Very few Americans, unlike Florence and Rome. A few Russians and even a Bulgarian college crew touring Italy. We try the food specialties of Emilia-Romagna, the region whose capital Bologna is, and some of its wines. We stroll along the colonnades of a University founded in 1088, the oldest in Europe. I for the first time notice that however many waters and beers I drink, I don’t go to the toilet until evening. It’s so hot that the body utilises every liquid you grant it.
The trains
Trenitalia, the national railway company, is one of my best friends along the Po. Air conditioning, sometimes sockets to charge your phone, cleanliness, interesting passengers… And it’s not expensive. An average 100 km trip with the lower-price Interregionale or Regionale would cost you slightly more than the same trip in Bulgaria.
Corniglia Station. My photo
The Cinque Terre
Thanks to Bate Ekso, I plan my trip to include this marvellous bit of the Ligurian coast too. No need to share much. It is a UNESCO Heritage site, and it is the most touristy place I tread on in northern Italy. These five villages used to be fishermen’s and pirates’ settlements, first totally independent, then under the dominion of the Genoa Republic, only accessible by water.
Manarola. My photo
After the rail line was built in the 1870s, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso are accessible to the world. You must see this. The feel of the Ligurian salt when I dive in a small bay surrounded by rocks in Manarola is enlightening.
The Museo Cinema Nazionale
Turin welcomes me with its Sunday calmness, a friendly harbour of composure, aristocracy and delight after the Cinque Terre thrill. The Po is greyish-green in the middle of August. The Museo is magnificent.
Scorsese and the Rolling Stones, Rome 2003, a photo exhibited in the Museo. My photo
There is a Scorsese exhibition, which I take the time to view all along the spiral up to the top of the building, but at the sidelines I see everything since the art of film began. Eye anatomy, perception, old cameras, cartoons, classic movie posters, galleries of glory… Two hours in this realm and it closes, no working hours on Monday, but my hunger for it doesn’t seem to subside.
The wines (chronologically)
Now this goes into past tense, and detail. I tried these all along the Po, with some accents in Asti in Piedmont.
Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). I tried a couple of representatives (this is a white from the island of Sardinia, for those unacquainted), the first one in Bologna. Hard to remember the names of the specific wines, as I didn’t take notes then, but the volcanic and acidic characteristics of this famous Vermentino were all around. Imagine fresh, salty sea breeze with the scent of ready-to-burn coal. It’s amazing how wines from the islands get under your skin. Very different from those on the Continent. This Sardinian Vermentino rules.
Bianco di Scandiano spumante DOC, Emilia-Romagna. Fresh and very light, sweetish white wine. My experience of it was in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, by the glass, getting relaxed after a long walk in the summer heat. Don’t buy it for special occasions.
Cinque Terre DOC. I tried this blend in Corniglia and Riomaggiore. Not something remarkable, but the Ligurian version of Vermentino (the above mentioned Sardinia grape), the main ingredient here, makes it unsurprisingly good for seafood and basil-flavoured meals. Classic rule: pair local with local. Acidity is prominent as in all Italian wines, but regard this as vino della casa. Some of these wines may be a bit carbonated.
2010 Cantine Sant’ Agata Altea Barbera d’Asti Superiore, DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), Piedmont. The typical Barbera acidity is slightly overwhelmed by the smoky flavour of the oak (it is Superiore, meaning it stayed in barrel for some months) and the cherry fruit of this wine. It’s an Asti. This is a type of Barbera you cannot try in Bulgaria.
The first Barbera. My photo
2009 Erede di Chiappone Armando Ru Barbera d’Asti Nizza, DOCG. Much fruitier than the previous Barbera, it shows morello cherry, a bit of rustic Italian age, acidic naturally. I had never tried the Nizza Barbera. It’s worth it.
The Barbera Nizza. My photo
2012 Gomba Boschetti Gallucio Dolcetto d’Alba, DOC. Dolcetto was my personal discovery in Piedmont. This red wine (and variety) became popular very recently, but its freshness is perfect for the summer. This one had morello cherry, smoked bacon and such a freshness; has to be consumed a bit cooler. Great wine for the summer.
The Dolcetto. My photo
2012 Cantine Sant’ Agata ‘Na Vota Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato, DOCG. Now, I didn’t even think Piedmont had a red wine tasting of violets. The Ruche was truly new to me, and the Muscat-based white wines can envy this Piedmontese reddy. A bit sweetish, drunk young, it is great for game and blue cheeses.
The Ruche. My photo
2011 Gomba Boschetti Albie Nebbiolo d’Alba, DOC. The young bro of Barolo, Alba’s Nebbiolo struck me as a distinctive representative of Piedmont. Very earthy, plummy, deep, acidic, even some coffee felt.
The Nebbiolo. My photo
2008 La Fenice Famiglia Cavallero Barolo, DOCG. A young Barolo (one should try the ones 2005 and back), this one still has the thing. It must be developed. But I had deep black fruit, great acidity to it, a bit of burned wood at the end. Very long finish. Great with the Piedmontese Testun cheese. A wine for meditation, as a Piedmontese said. I hope one day when I’m rich I will try older Barolos.
And the Barolo. My photo
The end
Why the Po Valley, or the Padan Plain, the vast lowlands in the north of the country along the Fiume (River) Po, linking the Western Alps and the Adriatic? This area, including the regions (from east to west) of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont and tiny parts of Tuscany and Liguria, is notorious for its industrial development, often branded as the motor of Italian economy. It is. But it is also home of the best Italian wines and cuisine, and the industry is conveniently away from the living space of people, even away from the traveller’s eye in a, say, Turin-Milan train. The natural beauties are everywhere. It’s the Alps, the Apennines, the plain, the Po, the maize crops, the vineyards that make the landscape. And the beautiful cities make it complete.
So why the Po Valley? First, because I never fully explored Italy’s north and its wines; second, because I was to meet some college friends; third, because I did my master’s studies in Bologna precisely ten years ago and I needed this trip at some point to see how ‘grown up’ I was; and last but not least, because Italy as an idea and a congregation of emotions and experiences is for me one of the best places to visit. Blame me for my bias. Following is a collection of momentary impressions from the Po Valley, in a chronological order, which I thought were worth ‘putting on paper.’
The Red Lady
Bologna Rossa welcomes me in the 40s Celsius. The famously red buildings seem brownish to me now. Maybe that’s the sign I am looking for, ten years later. That’s how I am older. Or maybe it’s just August and everything’s more subdued, even the colours. Memories make my hot days sweeter – student buddies, Piazza Maggiore, the colonnades/archways… Ancient loves.
It’s here I meet Bate Ekso, my AUBG roommate, and his girlfriend, for a true un-touristy Italian experience. A surprisingly normal number of tourists, most of whom come from France, Spain, Germany. Very few Americans, unlike Florence and Rome. A few Russians and even a Bulgarian college crew touring Italy. We try the food specialties of Emilia-Romagna, the region whose capital Bologna is, and some of its wines. We stroll along the colonnades of a University founded in 1088, the oldest in Europe. I for the first time notice that however many waters and beers I drink, I don’t go to the toilet until evening. It’s so hot that the body utilises every liquid you grant it.
The trains
Trenitalia, the national railway company, is one of my best friends along the Po. Air conditioning, sometimes sockets to charge your phone, cleanliness, interesting passengers… And it’s not expensive. An average 100 km trip with the lower-price Interregionale or Regionale would cost you slightly more than the same trip in Bulgaria.
The Cinque Terre
Thanks to Bate Ekso, I plan my trip to include this marvellous bit of the Ligurian coast too. No need to share much. It is a UNESCO Heritage site, and it is the most touristy place I tread on in northern Italy. These five villages used to be fishermen’s and pirates’ settlements, first totally independent, then under the dominion of the Genoa Republic, only accessible by water.
After the rail line was built in the 1870s, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso are accessible to the world. You must see this. The feel of the Ligurian salt when I dive in a small bay surrounded by rocks in Manarola is enlightening.
The Museo Cinema Nazionale
Turin welcomes me with its Sunday calmness, a friendly harbour of composure, aristocracy and delight after the Cinque Terre thrill. The Po is greyish-green in the middle of August. The Museo is magnificent.
There is a Scorsese exhibition, which I take the time to view all along the spiral up to the top of the building, but at the sidelines I see everything since the art of film began. Eye anatomy, perception, old cameras, cartoons, classic movie posters, galleries of glory… Two hours in this realm and it closes, no working hours on Monday, but my hunger for it doesn’t seem to subside.
The wines (chronologically)
Now this goes into past tense, and detail. I tried these all along the Po, with some accents in Asti in Piedmont.
Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). I tried a couple of representatives (this is a white from the island of Sardinia, for those unacquainted), the first one in Bologna. Hard to remember the names of the specific wines, as I didn’t take notes then, but the volcanic and acidic characteristics of this famous Vermentino were all around. Imagine fresh, salty sea breeze with the scent of ready-to-burn coal. It’s amazing how wines from the islands get under your skin. Very different from those on the Continent. This Sardinian Vermentino rules.
Bianco di Scandiano spumante DOC, Emilia-Romagna. Fresh and very light, sweetish white wine. My experience of it was in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, by the glass, getting relaxed after a long walk in the summer heat. Don’t buy it for special occasions.
Cinque Terre DOC. I tried this blend in Corniglia and Riomaggiore. Not something remarkable, but the Ligurian version of Vermentino (the above mentioned Sardinia grape), the main ingredient here, makes it unsurprisingly good for seafood and basil-flavoured meals. Classic rule: pair local with local. Acidity is prominent as in all Italian wines, but regard this as vino della casa. Some of these wines may be a bit carbonated.
2010 Cantine Sant’ Agata Altea Barbera d’Asti Superiore, DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), Piedmont. The typical Barbera acidity is slightly overwhelmed by the smoky flavour of the oak (it is Superiore, meaning it stayed in barrel for some months) and the cherry fruit of this wine. It’s an Asti. This is a type of Barbera you cannot try in Bulgaria.
2009 Erede di Chiappone Armando Ru Barbera d’Asti Nizza, DOCG. Much fruitier than the previous Barbera, it shows morello cherry, a bit of rustic Italian age, acidic naturally. I had never tried the Nizza Barbera. It’s worth it.
2012 Gomba Boschetti Gallucio Dolcetto d’Alba, DOC. Dolcetto was my personal discovery in Piedmont. This red wine (and variety) became popular very recently, but its freshness is perfect for the summer. This one had morello cherry, smoked bacon and such a freshness; has to be consumed a bit cooler. Great wine for the summer.
2012 Cantine Sant’ Agata ‘Na Vota Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato, DOCG. Now, I didn’t even think Piedmont had a red wine tasting of violets. The Ruche was truly new to me, and the Muscat-based white wines can envy this Piedmontese reddy. A bit sweetish, drunk young, it is great for game and blue cheeses.
2011 Gomba Boschetti Albie Nebbiolo d’Alba, DOC. The young bro of Barolo, Alba’s Nebbiolo struck me as a distinctive representative of Piedmont. Very earthy, plummy, deep, acidic, even some coffee felt.
2008 La Fenice Famiglia Cavallero Barolo, DOCG. A young Barolo (one should try the ones 2005 and back), this one still has the thing. It must be developed. But I had deep black fruit, great acidity to it, a bit of burned wood at the end. Very long finish. Great with the Piedmontese Testun cheese. A wine for meditation, as a Piedmontese said. I hope one day when I’m rich I will try older Barolos.
The end
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