"cinque terres" news and stories

While exploring the Italian cuisine of Cinque Terre, I tried an exquisite dessert wine, called Sciacchetrà. It's sweet and has expressive notes. The drink was brought to us with a plate of homemade pistachio biscotti and biscotti flavored with apricots. Ah, what a splendid way to end a meal! As a lifted the glass of Sciacchetrà to my lips, I could smell a distinctive aroma of apricots and acacia honey.

Just a small glass of Sciacchetrà pairs perfectly with biscotti. As with all dessert wines, this one should be sweeter than the food accompanying it. The slight bitterness of the biscotti balances the intense sweetness of the wine. Sciacchetrà also works well with a slice of panettone.

This rare white wine of very limited production has become a symbol of Cinque Terre. It is produced from the best grapes of the white wines being left to dry in the sun. Several wine shops sell Sciacchetrà. Alternatively, you can find it online. A half a liter sells for approximately $75. It's well worth the splurge.

Does food symbolism bear any truth? If, so then Italian sweet basil can trigger romance. In Italian culture, basil symbolizes love. When a woman puts out a pot of basil, it means she is ready to receive her suitor. Interestingly, in Ancient Greece, it represented anger. Since basil is one of my favorite herbs, I prefer to believe it's a sign of love. The sweet pungent taste of Genovese basil with hints of anise brings me back to a past trip to Cinque Terre.

While basil is a summer herb, I recently tried a delicious basil tea that reminded me of how much I love it and yearn for summer produce. While it originated in India, Africa, and Asia, it's now grown worldwide. Genovese Basil might be one of the best varieties out of the 150, because it yields about 8 cuttings and makes the best pesto.

While in Cinque Terre, I visited a small pesto factory outside the village of Riomaggiore. I'll never forget the gorgeous cliffs covered in bright green basil and the beautiful enchanting aroma of basil emanating from a red bucket in the pesto factory. If indeed basil activates romance, then this Valentine's Day, find a way to incorporate it into your meal.