I visited this winery with my daughter and met owner Salvatore Ferragamo, his assistant Sara and his small dog, too way back on October 29th, 2009. All my wine friends told me that we must include this visit in our short week there in Tuscany, Italy. Being in the wine business as I have been for the past thirty-plus years I was most curious to do so. I had been in contact with both Salvatore and his assistant Sara and together the three of us worked through the details for our visit. Unfortunately it was cut in half because of driving from Rome to Arezzo takes time and everyone had also said that we must see the town of Orvieto in Umbria. Fortunately Salvatore did make the trek from his home in Florence to meet my daughter and me. It was her favorite wine adventure because she said that Salvatore talked with her about other things than wine and she appreciated that greatly because, unlike me, wine is important to my daughter but not quite as consuming as it is to me. Thank you Salvatore.
We loved our tour and trip and wine-tasting. It was personal and special and a real treat for the two of us. In parting Salvatore offered me a copy of his family's book : IL BORRO A Land Of Living Traditions that, when I asked he did sign for me and date. He told me that he never signed them, I feel special Salvatore. Grazie.
I have already written of this very fine book as it has indeed inspired me and made my imagination and thoughts wander and delve deeper and search farther for truths buried there in and around IL BORRO and this small town, as well as deep within me. That's saying a lot, I thank you for that as well Salvatore. I have saved the wine for the last to write about. Funny, it all blends so beautifully together. How can I speak just of the wine without everything else? Impossible, I know, especially for an artist like myself that sees promise in everything, history everywhere, charm all around me, love and magic and life in every nook and cranny. I come alive there as well as when i look at these glorious pictures and read the well-written text, too.
On page 152 I read the line : " In recent years the old rows of grape vines that were scattered amidst the fields were replaced by modern vineyards. " This both alarms and excites me, saddens me, too. What was done with these vines from these old rows? Were they transplanted, is it even possible to transplant them? What grapes were they Salvatore? Were they Sangiovese vines, or Cannaiolo vines, Trebbiano or Malvasia vines? Tell us now what vines they were? I do hope that some may have been saved? What wines did they make back then? What people did they sustain and nourish? What dreams did they create and help to come to fruition, what offspring did they foster? What loves, heartaches, desires, promises and futures: how many people drank from the bottles right there sitting between these rows or standing and looking all around in the day or at night up into the sparkling dark sky filled to bursting with stars?
I know from recent conversations with you Salvatore that the vineyards and the grapes and the whole process of production , maintenance and care and work for the vines and wines is becoming biodynamic there. That's very gratifying and encouraging and I look forward to trying some of these " new " wines as they come to market here in Washington D.C. where I have sold your wines now for years - still do - in the Cleveland Park neighborhood in Northwest, 20008 at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. How amazing to think that you visited us back in 2003 I believe?!? How much has happened and changed since that visit.
I like how your book shows in these various pictures the bare ground and then the plantings of the young vines, their growth and their grapes, full and dark-skinned,hanging from the vines and sheltered by the dark canopy of rich and verdant green leaves, becoming more and more pregnant as they grow and ripen by the minute. Stimulating, a beautiful image. What grapes are these in these pictures : Syrah or Sangiovese grapes - the text gives no clue to that.
I also like seeing the workers in between these rows of vines, in plain daylight, bathed in a lovely Tuscan sunshine. How soon can we be there?!?
Oops, I turn the page to page 158 and my question is answered : Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes. Where are the Sangiovese grapes Salvatore that you also use. what vineyards are they in?
I like your explanation : " ... enhance the quality and promote the proper ripening of the grapes. After pruning and cutting the excess bunches of the grapes ( this is known as the ' green ' harvest ), each plant produces just one kilogram of grapes. The pictures demonstrate all of this very well. Bravo for that as well as the excellent translation here from Italian to English : easy to read, enjoyable, raises more questions, and makes me want to know more.
You explain quite simply the process of pruning, tending the vines and grapes, their picking and being brought to the cellars to be " stripped off the stalks and gentle pressed. " Visually all very beautiful. What can you tell us of the man with the full mustache that is emptying his basket of grapes on page # 161? Is he someone that works there year-round? Knowing something of the people and their stories and involvement can really paint a bigger, more interesting picture : flesh out the image and the pictures and give them the personal life that they represent and that ground them to the earth and their roots very much like these grapes themselves.
My son is coming to Florence in a week's time and will be studying there abroad for a semester through his university here in the United States. I know that my wife will be coming to visit him. I will come, too if we can afford it. My daughter may even return Salvatore. We will see. It's all so wonderful and so inspiring.
I could see myself there with my sketch pads and my oil pastels and watercolors and inks and pencils and pens and drawing to my heart's content. I hope to do that sometime soon.
I would do all that I suggest and allude to here in these lines I wrote above. I would draw in the day, I would draw at night, I would gaze up from my position laying on my back between the rows of vines and use my oil pastels to draw with feeling and emotion , conviction, fire and flesh and flirt and assert, wonder and awe and I would harness the life and the magic and " all that is - has been - possibly might be " IL BORRO and Avezzo, Tuscany and Italy.
It's great to always have something to look forward to in life, no matter what stage that might be. Looking at this book puts me in an " IL BORRO : state-of-mind ", it really does.
I would prepare a small basket with bread and cheese and extra virgin olive oil, and wine - dry red blend of slow-flame, cradling Syrah and Sangiovese, silky and delicate and fleshy and warm Chardonnay with just the slightest accents of nuts and toasty bread?!? ALL from IL BORRO : no need to go anywhere, any farther, it's all there for us at IL BORRO : we just need to make the journey there with family and loved ones, with lover and friend, be open to discovering and uncovering more of life and ourselves and what makes us truly happy and tick with the heartbeat of those in love and thankful to be so, smiling to realize that we have yet found again another slice of life that awakens us from any doldrums and invites us into a greater appreciation of ourselves and what we have.
I have since our visit Salvatore exchanged emails with you that have really meant a lot to me. Thanks you for taking the time to respond, and to respond promptly. That's not common and I do appreciate it. I have also followed IL BORRO and the spa and facilities you have there, the guest quarters, etcetera on Facebook, leaving comments from time-to-time and sharing the pictures on both my own personal Anthony Quinn page as well as that of the store Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits , and also on that of Bralvin that I strongly believe in, too.
I have through this made the cyberspace acquaintance of one of the ladies, Miria Barboni that works there at the spa. I love her posts as they are so much about life and joy and excitement. There's a picture of someone in a lake using their hair to make the water rise from below and surround her head and whole body in a spontaneous circle of water drops flying from her hair that I saw and commented on, and that impressed me no end! WOW : fun, joyous and amazing : grazie Miria. From what I see she seems to be a really valuable addition and part of what you do, offer and represent there at IL BORRO.
I will be emailing you soon to check in once again as it has been awhile since our last exchange of ideas. I hope that this finds you well and I look forward very much to seeing you again in the future sometime. Cheers and be well, happy, alert and alive. Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn It's a beautiful Wednesday morning here in northern Virginia on August 21st, 2013. Have a great day.
I recommend highly that everyone buy a copy of this book : IL BORRO A Land O living Traditions, and also to visit, in person IL BORRO and to stay there. It all looks so amazing. I have seen some of it first-hand with my own eyes and I can tell you, just from that, that it promises to be an incredible experience. I have also heard from our customers that have been the , indeed, it is. Cheers, TONY
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