Black Pigs, Saffron and Mountain Wines

Groveling black pigs, sprouting saffron, the harvesting of mountain grapes and a banquet lunch turned an October outing with our daughter Giulia into “an event to remember.” Giulia even did a video of memorable moments. Enjoy:

From our Assisi farmhouse, a twisting road through the woods led us up the mountain, dramatic views all around.

Our destination? LaTavola dei Cavalieri

On arrival, a glorious chartreuse welcome carpet spread out before us: grapevine rows in Umbria’s highest vineyard ( 800 meters), that of the Tenuta Baroni Campanino.

Surveillance cameras are aimed at the vineyard so that Andrea, wine estate manager, can nab any intruders. Up here? Most likely ones are the wild boar, he told us. A late grape harvest – due to the high altitude – was in its final stages with immigrant workers teaming with Italians to bring in the grapes:

…and the crew posed willingly for a group photo..

Here’s the last bunch still on a vine. Someone missed it.

Andrea showed us around the cantina and logicamente, insisted we try a sip of his favorite rosso of the Tenuta wines. You can see us here in this video Giulia made.

Just outside the cantina, Andrea proudly showed us his newest project: the cultivation of the lilac saffron crocus, crocus sativus, whose filaments give us the spice.

…and che profumo!

We left the perfume of the crocus behind when we headed up the hill to see another Tenuta prize: the black pigs.

As they snorted and nosed the dirt, what memories they brought back of my beloved pig Zsa- zsa

I told Giulia about how I’d take her up the hill behind our farmhouse to graze for the fresh grass she loved – and

Giulia and I threw some to these black porkers, too. They devoured it with gusto.

I told Giulia how I was not able to eat the sausages of Zsa-zsa years ago…but, oh, mamma mia, I did relish the feast we had with Andrea at the wine estate’s charming trattoria, La Tavola dei Cavalieri.

The meat of those pigs took center stage and all the organic vegetables are grown on the land there on the Tenuta. Their winter squash soup was stupendo!