Another 10 cm of rain fell in Montalcino between Sunday 5th and Wednesday 8th June but today it is bright, hot and clear. We can see the sea from the property, less than 40 km as the crow flies.
Last… Read the rest Posts tagged as:
Montalcino
Another 10 cm of rain fell in Montalcino between Sunday 5th and Wednesday 8th June but today it is bright, hot and clear. We can see the sea from the property, less than 40 km as the crow flies.
Last… Read the rest 
We are gearing up to dropping some fruit next week with our first green harvest of the year. The vineyards have all been “zappate” – hand-hoed – so that the soil can absorb whatever water comes their way. Bear in… Read the rest 
On Monday 30th May there was a members’ meeting at the Consorzio del Brunello. A vote was passed to further reduce yields per hectare. Now only up to 6.000 kg of grapes can be harvested per hectare for the production of Brunello, rather… Read the rest 
Recently I enjoyed reading a post by Elizabeth Minchilli in her blog about “the good stuff in Italy.” It was about her foraging inferiority complex and included a recipe for some greens she had ended up “picking” off the… Read the rest 
Rose bushes at the end of each row of vines are a common sight in wine areas in both the Old and the New World. Montalcino is no exception, at least on those vineyards that are adjacent to public roads,… Read the rest 
Tuscany is emerald green. The hedgerows are hazy with biancospino and the hillsides have splashes of colour with apple, almond and cherry trees all in bloom. Primroses and wild violets nestle together on the banks and soon there will be purple irises along every… Read the rest 
From 1 January 2011 the category of Vino Da Tavola ceased to exist.
From now on wines that used to be VDT must be labelled simply as “Vino Rosso” as per the OCM (Organizzazione Comune di Mercato). This is part… Read the rest 
Following last week’s post about Agnese and her beautiful ceramics, here are two other places that are easy to miss in Montalcino. A local young illustrator sells her creations on the crest of Montalcino in Via Spagni. Carlotta’s shop… Read the rest 
Today I picked up the plaques for the new members of our olive tree adoption project. These plaques are hand-painted by a local artist and good friend, Agnese Andreucci, who has her own tiny work-shop in Montalcino. Every year’s… Read the rest 
Opus Vino, a magnificent reference book to more than 4,000 of the world’s greatest wineries and their wines, has showcased Il Palazzone as one of their chosen producers…
Opus Vino – Tuscany – Il Palazzone
Happy New Year everyone!
Pruning at Il Palazzone
My father sagely pointed out that, having never stayed in a Montalcino hotel, I am scarcely in a position to recommend them and of course he is right. I must also admit that I know the proprietors since everyone knows… Read the rest Veraison - invaiatura in Italian – is with us. The grapes change colour one at a time, depending on how much sun they are receiving and on how close they are to the vinestocks. This moment marks the switch… Read the rest 
Montalcino, for those who have visited, is CITTA’ DEL MIELE (amongst other things) and we are about to embark on our own honey adventure. At the modest cost of 85 Euros per family, last night our first five families were… Read the rest 
The evenings are balmy, the vineyards are starred with fireflies at night, tourists are showing their legs and Montalcino is shedding its ornery off-season identity and hosting a series of great events.
On 18th and 19th June there is the first edition… Read the rest 
WINE ADVOCATE (USA) – 92 + WINE SPECTATOR (USA) – 91/100
WINE ENTHUSIAST (USA) – October 2010 – 93/100
Wine & Spirits (USA) – April 2011 – Year’s Best Tuscan Red
Here’s a transcript(lat)ion of today’s conversation with Massimo Achilli (http://www.ilpalazzone.com/come-and-see-us/our-team/):
IP: Caro Massimo, should we be worried about the rain?
MA: The growing season so far has been characterised by abnormal water levels, from the melting snow and the unusually… Read the rest 
English