Today is the second race (and last of the year) of Siena’s famous Palio!

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

Horses in chapels? Fierce Rivalries? Bareback? Snails and Giraffes?!?!! Everything you need to know about this centuries-old Senese tradition is in a new blog po

Cheers to UNESCO World Heritage Day! 🥂🍾

Shown here: a glass of prosecco made in a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in Italy’s Veneto Region! 🤩

Check out my stories for my top 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy!

(Ita

“It’s really the clouds that make a sunset spectacular,” he thought.

...........

When I lived in Venice, I loved meeting friends at sunset for an al fresco glass of prosecco and cicchetti in Cannaregio while watching the sky turn pink at the end of one of the canals.

I

Tuesday Escapism this week: the Venetian town of Marostica during cherry season. 🍒

Which is NOW!!! 🍒💥🍒💥🍒💥

Marostica is a beautiful walled town in the Veneto. Besides its prized cherries, it’s famous for a live action chess game that takes place in the mai

Is that Italy I see??!! 😍

Oh yes, it is. I am beyond thrilled to be heading back at the end of this month—FINALLY!!!

Not only will I be leading several of my Wine + Culture Tours after quite a hiatus 😅, but I’ll be…

• reuniting with dear friends 🥰

• reconn

Who wants to sip some Chianti with me this fall?

Two spots have become available on my October 22-28, 2021 Tuscany Wine + Culture Tour—will they be yours?? 🍷

Not only will we visit a few wineries in Chianti, but we’ll…

• meet winemakers of Brunello di Montalcino an

Get in line 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

My Tuscany Wine + Culture Tour for next year has already sold out, BUT, two spots have become available for this fall’s dates: October 22-28, 2021.

The trip will include so many of Tuscany’s edible, drinkable and cultural treasures!

If you

Thinking a lot about aging these days… #40 🍷

As I turn the page onto a new decade, I’m recalling many sayings related to wine and aging that I’ve heard over the years.

Below are a few favorites. Am I missing any good ones?

🍷 Age appears best in four things: old wo

What’s behind door No. 2022? 🤔

Excited for the wonderful things in store for the new year, while also realizing the Omicron variant is a cause for concern.

Stay safe this holiday season, friends! If you haven’t been vaccinated or boostered, please do so and protect your

How about hiking an active volcano in Sicily with me for this week’s edition of #tuesdayescapism ? 🌋

Mount Etna—or Mamma Etna as she is lovingly called by Sicilians—is Europe’s largest and most active volcano. She’s also the reason the wines made in this area are mi

Passionate for #appassimento ! 😍

Can’t wait to return to the Veneto this fall so that I can witness this magical moment after harvest when various types of grapes are hung out to dry to make the region’s recioti (dessert wines) and Amarone.

Shown here are Garganega grape

Wishing lunch was this today. 😕 Like if you’re with me! #gnocchi #takemebacktoitaly

There’s nothing like a plate of piping hot gnocchi to warm your belly on a cold winter day.

❄️ What’s your go-to winter comfort food?

Cheers,
Leslie

PS: This dish was enjoyed on m

Keeping those soft Sunday vibes of Bassano del Grappa 😍 as I cross over to Monday (especially since it’s the Italian holiday of #Ferragosto —a day of rest after tiring weeks of harvesting.)

Of course, there’ll be some celebrating too! 🎉 And food. And wine…

I’ll

From the archives: That time I was channeling Peggy Guggenheim on her throne in Venice 😍

@peggyguggenheimcollection

Looking forward to being back there soon! So happy and grateful it is now a possibility. 👌🏽

#ladolcevigna #ladolcevita #polkadots #ven ice #ven ezia #ven

Just going to keep it in Sicily for this edition of #tuesdayescapism ...

Because apparently I have a crush on Sicily. 😍

Shown here: first course of lunch at @baronedivillagrande winery on Mount Etna with a glass of their Etna Bianco and some #desirmoneceramics popping out to

FERRAGOSTO GIVEAWAY! La Dolce Vigna has one copy of the Mangiamo cookbook by Mark Perlioni & Angela Persocke @cooking_with_wine to celebrate the Italian holiday of Ferragosto—a day of rest and celebration of the harvest!

🍷🍆🍅🥂🌽🥬🍷🌶🥕🥂🥔🫑🍷🍆

TGIF, everyone! 😋

Which granita flavor are you getting?

Limone 🍋
Caffè ☕️
Fragola 🍓
Mandorla (where’s the almond emoji???)

Did you know the origins of granita can be traced back to the Arab domination of Sicily (831-1061 BCE) when the Arabs brought with them a

It’s beginning to smell like the New Year!

Wishing you all a festive and healthy New Year’s Eve and lots of wonderful things in #2022! 🥂🍾

Shown here: One of the pack over at Ciro Biondi Winery on Mount Etna, Sicily. 😍 stephanie Biondi and @cirobion

Get on the Pre-Launc

Thanks for your recommendation, you lovely people of La Dolce Vigna Wine Tour Co.! 🙌🏻🍷🍇 Malbec Mondays! You’re looking at one of my favorite Malbecs coming out of #Mendoza , Argentina: Casa Petrini’s Roca Volcanica - fruity and earthy, fresh with a touch of minerality. Well done Casa Petrini!

BALSAMO LABBRA ANTI-ETÀ CON POLIFENOLI ESTRATTI DA VINACCE DI MANDROLISAI DOC

📖Balsamo dalla Texture fondente con Estratto di Vinacce di Mandrolisai e Olio di Vinaccioli ricchi in Polifenoli, per un'intensa azione antiossidante e anti-età.

☑️ Prodotto da Lellix