FOOD AND WINE – A PART OF ITALIAN LIFE
In Italy, food is about far more than what is on the plate. It is about family and friends, the seasons and local ingredients—and the joy of gathering around the table. A meal is allowed to take as much time as it needs, ideally in good company and with a local wine in the glass.
Furthermore, there is no single Italian food culture. Each region—and often each small town—has its own distinct dishes, ingredients, and traditions. The same applies to wine. As you travel through Italy, both the cuisine and the wine landscape evolve along the way.
In Piedmont, you encounter a refined cuisine featuring truffles, risotto, and full-bodied wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. In Liguria, nestled between the mountains and the Mediterranean, the food is lighter and defined by herbs, olive oil, fish, and seafood—and, of course, *pesto genovese*.
Lombardy offers, among other things, risotto, polenta, and traditional dishes from the areas surrounding the lakes and the Po Valley, while Tuscany is known for its rustic, unpretentious cuisine, characterized by high-quality ingredients, bread, beans, meat, pecorino cheese, and olive oil. Vineyards are never far away here, with Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano standing out as major classics.
In Umbria—Italy’s "green heart"—truffles, mushrooms, lentils, cured meats, and olive oil are staples. Lazio boasts its own proud culinary tradition, particularly around Rome, featuring classics such as *carbonara*, *amatriciana*, and *cacio e pepe*.
Further south lie Abruzzo and Molise, where the cuisine remains deeply rooted in the countryside and long-standing family traditions. Pasta, lamb, pecorino, legumes, and excellent olive oils are recurring elements; in Abruzzo, *Montepulciano d'Abruzzo* is an integral part of the local wine tradition.
And then there is Campania—the region that gave the world *pizza napoletana*, yet offers so much more. Tomatoes, *mozzarella di bufala*, pasta, citrus fruits, fish, and seafood define a cuisine that is closely connected to both the land and the sea.
Having a home in Italy also means getting to know the food where you live. It means shopping at the local butcher, discovering a small nearby vineyard, learning which ingredients are in season—and, in time, perhaps finding your own personal favorites at the market, in the village, and at the local trattoria.
For many, this is precisely one of the best things about Italy:
You don’t just buy a home. You become a small part of the place – and of the life surrounding it.
