Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/996797
118 from my balcony for a few minutes, collapsed onto the comfy bed, and promptly fell asleep with the smell of wood smoke drifting through the open door from the valley below. e next morning, we visit Podere Concori, a family farm that began producing wine in 1999. e shop sells colorful t-shirts embla- zoned with the English phrase "I Just Drink to Say I Love You," and our group huddles under a canopy, looking out at the rainy vineyard as our guide explains winemaking and harvest- ing. After the tour, we lunch on salamis and cheeses, bruschetta made with salty ham and deliciously sweet tomatoes, and pasta. Here especially, my aversion to wine is met with, not so much derision, but more a kind of pity. "But water is bad for your digestion," protests Gabriele, the proprietor, who seems genuinely concerned for my health. I gave up alcohol two years ago for a number of reasons, but it's clear that, to the Italians, I'm simply living life incorrectly. Georges explains that the pasta sauce con- tains nothing more than tomatoes and olive oil. "Wow," he says. "Fantastic. Back to what life used to be." Georges is a bit of an evangelist for the region, referring to Tuscany variously as "authentic," "down-to-earth," and "a small piece of heaven." But the word he uses most of- ten is simple. Life here, he says, revolves around food and drink and family, and everything else falls into place. As my companions sip their wine, Gabriele explains the "biodynamic" processes used to grow the grapes, and I come to understand that the term encompasses not only organic agricul- ture but also elements of astrology and magic. He tells us how the phases of the moon affect the crops, and how he uses bulls' horns in his fertilizer because the horn "contains more energy than the entire rest of the animal." Georges translates this for us, and then speaks for himself. "When Gabriele talks about this, I don't understand it, but I am tempted to believe, if this is the product. e fact that this is so simple and humble, and it gets these results … there must be something to it." At dinner, we once again eat like kings, this time at a restaurant called Scacciaguai, where I order bistecca alla fiorentina. But the next day, it's our turn to make lunch. After a trip into Barga to buy ingredients, we take a cook- ing class with Alessandro, the hotel's friendly chef. Each of us is given a little volcano of flour with a tiny pool of olive oil at the center, and an egg. I've never made pasta before; I knew there wasn't much to it, but this is almost disarmingly simple. One member of our group works on des- Located about an hour outside of Florence and overlooking the village of Barga, the resort has 180 rooms, a wellness center with a heated indoor pool, a beauty spa, and 11 meeting rooms. Guest rooms feature LCD HD televisions, Wi-Fi, and views of the Serchio Valley mountains. Hotel staff can help guests arrange chef-led cooking classes, visits to surrounding attractions, and even helicopter rides from the property's landing pad. The sprawling estate and rustic setting make the hotel a popular choice for weddings and corporate events. The Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa contains 180 guest rooms and can arrange chef-led cooking classes. PHOTOGRAPHS BY, TOP TO BOTTOM, RUY TEIXEIRA, COURTESY OF RENAISSANCE TUSCANY IL CIOCCO RESORT & SPA