Here comes the Prosecco Experience!
If you've been following our adventures on this blog and newsletter, you know how much fun we had in the Prosecco Hills region of Italy in April.
That trip was busy with early preparation for The Prosecco Experience, which now has a page on the web site: http://gastronomad.net/the-prosecco-experience-2018
(Go here to grab your spot: http://gastronomad.net/prosecco-experience-2018 ) Only 4 couple spots left for this small-group Gastronomad Experience!
Wait, what's a Prosecco Hill?
The Prosecco Hills or the Prosecco Road is a undiscovered wine-growing region halfway between Venice and the Austrian border.
Prosecco (which is a sparkling wine made in this region with the Glera grape variety, plus sometimes a small amount of grapes from a few other local varieties) is more than just a refreshing alternative to French champagne. It's a unique and special kind of wine that has to be experienced in-country, because most of the best proseccos are never exported.
The overwhelming majority of land in this region is covered with jaw-droppingly beautiful rolling hills as far as the eye can see (we found the best spots for the most sweeping views that only locals know!).
The awe-inspiring land feels like heaven on Earth. The hills are covered with beautiful Glera vineyards punctuated by ancient farmhouses and charming old villages perched on breathtaking hilltops populated by friendly, food-loving locals. And it's all mostly undiscovered by tourists.
Not all prosecco is created equal. We've already identified and partnered exclusively with what we believe is the single best prosecco winery in Italy. The vineyards are grown with organic and biodynamic methods, tended and harvested by hand. The wines are exquisite and entirely handcrafted. And they're not available in the United States. Our Experience will include a deep immersion in understanding the Prosecco wine making process, the grape varieties, and an intimate vineyard tour by the owner and winemaker. And, of course, a leisurely tasting at sunset overlooking magnificent decades-old mature vineyards.
We’ll learn to make traditional Italian foods and cook alongside one of the most talented chefs in the region and his brilliant wife (who happens to have one of the most beautifully restored ancient farm houses on their incredible farm and homestead). We'll forage wild foods and freshly laid eggs from free-roaming, pastured-raised chickens. We’ll visit with sheep and goats, too.
We’ll make cheese with one of the top cheese makers in all of Italy and, needless to say, we’ll do lots of tasting with wine pairing to finish with a beautiful celebration of the art of natural cheese making.
(A long list of exclusive and gastronomad tailored activities will take place in this once in a lifetime gastronomad deep travel adventures.)
We’re going to indulge our senses and stimulate our minds and enrich our knowledge of all things Prosecco and Italy.
Amazing prosecco, paradisiacal environs and the piece de resistance — a spectacular array of incredible local tastes — the food scene in the Prosecco Hills is informed by its proximity to the sea the medieval spice-trading center of Venice and to the Austrian Alps. Most of all, it's derived from a local history of self-sufficiency and centuries of local farming.
In other words, the current food there is quintessentially European, Italian, Venetian, Austrian — and also unlike any of those things — all at the same time.
We're going to explore, discover, learn, taste and experience this relatively undiscovered culinary world first-hand directly from the district's most inspiring food visionaries and traditionalists.
Gastronomads strive to reconnect to the local land, culture and authentic traditions no matter in what part of the world we live in or travel to. By focusing on the sustainable practices and cultivation of seasonal food, we honor local farmers, food artisans, traditional hand crafters and makers, foodie visionaries and gatekeepers of the local culture.
I'm sensing enormous excitement for this Experience, so grab your spot before it's too late -- only 4 couple spots left in this 10-person gastronomad group: