Travel to Lidia’s Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and a recipe for Herb and Wild Greens Fritatta

The two Bastianich vineyards are located in the eastern hills of Friuli.  This region is known for its many microclimates.  Their original vineyard in Buttrio is situated on the hills in the southernmost area.  Standing in the vineyard with rows of grapevines planted on the hillside you can see the Adriatic Sea just 30 miles to the south.  Here, the warm sunny days and long growing season ripen the grapes.  The second vineyard in Cividale del Friuli is in the foothills of the Julian Alps and is impacted by the north winds, or Bora, as they are called.  The climate is cooler and produces wines with a much different profile.  Each vineyard is planted with varietals that grow best in their respective vineyards.  A future article will go in to more detail about the vineyards and the wines.

With Wayne Young at the Bastianich Vineyards in Buttrio

Whenever we travel to Europe and to Italy in particular, I am always reminded of the very different lifestyle that exists in other places.  The Italians take time to enjoy life.  I feel like we (in the United States) are always racing to get ahead.  We miss the simple things that life has to offer: good food; great wine; friendship; and idle time to enjoy these things.

Most Italians take two hours out of their day to enjoy lunch.  The shops close and the streets are quiet.  They take delight in the food, the wine and the company.  When was the last time you took the time to do that other than perhaps on vacation?  Of course, when you have views of the Alps, vineyards and old cities, it is far more conducive to settling in to a long meal and savoring the moment.  Sitting in a restaurant on Broadway (in New York City) or at an outdoor cafe on Peachtree Street (in Atlanta) with cars racing by and horns honking does not have that same effect.

Dinner at Al Morar

Life seemed less complicated the few days we were in Friuli.  We traveled the back roads and watched as people stopped to pick ripe cherries from wild cherry trees.  Caught behind a tractor while driving, we did not have the same anxiousness that we experience in the States when a car is traveling too slowly ahead.  Surrounded by rolling green hills and vineyards that were glistening from the morning showers, we drank the wine, enjoyed the clean, crisp air and shared wonderful conversation with the people we met.

The old polenta mill in Godia

The town of Godia

The roses were beautiful

We enjoyed dishes made with asparagus that grows wild and simply grilled meats that are a specialty in Friuli.  We savored the Prosciutto di San Daniele with its unctuous flavor and a hint of sweetness.  It paired well with the local Montasio cheese and more intense red wines from the region.  Fresh pasta, polenta, risotto and gnocchi were prepared in a more rustic style (like polenta with Montasio cheese).  We lingered over each course, sipping wine, soaking in the ambiance and all the while making new friends.

The foods and wines of the region

Even breakfast was memorable each morning.  Perfect buttery croissants filled with apricot jam, sweet and creamy yogurt served over house-made granola, platters of local cheeses and meats, including Prosciutto di San Daniele.  Then there was the melon; that deep orange color that is so unique and so ripe, sweet and juicy with an aroma that filled the room.  Food that lifted all the senses and tasted like it should.  Smells that will stay with us the rest of our lives, stored deep in our memory to be awakened some unexpected day when we cut open a fresh apricot or slice an Italian melon that will take us back to this place and time.