Meditando l'italia (Pondering Italy)

Over Memorial Day weekend, I was tasting and Instagramming a different wine each day (except Saturday, when I had to work during drinking hours.) I’d planned to taste a rose on Monday, the holiday, to really usher summer in. However, while I was downstairs, looking at bottles and pondering how I’d managed to accumulate so much wine, an Italian label caught my eye. I went upstairs ready to get the rose from the frig, when the word (and title) “ITALY” jumped off a bookshelf at me.

I took the book from the shelf and went back downstairs for the Italian Sangiovese. Time to step away from the tasks at hand and open my mind to possibilities again. I’ve been entranced by Italy for a long time.

From where does this come? My own family ties are in the United Kingdom with 19th century Native American links.  

Maybe the Italian culture is what lures me. There is a warmth about close families, grandma making pasta, traditions. The (admittedly stereotypical) food is “comfort” food: spaghetti and meatballs, cheese, pizza, bread, and cookies. There is the Old World wine still made today with ancient grapes on ground that monks tended centuries ago—“Salute” (to your health)—and the home made red in jugs in the basement from Nonno’s backyard vines. Lately, more Italian wineries and contacts are following me on Instagram because of my food and wine posts.

And the language…swoon-worthy words like Montepulciano, Sole de Sardegna, Campania, cara bella, Toscana, Barolo, grazie mille roll seductively around the mouth and off the tongue.

This weekend, Italy kept appearing again. I was able to get reservations at a special Italian five-course dinner at a local restaurant Friday night. On Saturday, as I worked at home, PBS ran a pledge drive promo, “Visions of Italy,” an entire program of helicopter views of the countryside and coastline, and on Sunday, I turned on “International House Hunters” to find a Canadian family buying a vacation/retirement home on Lake Como. Coincidences, I’m sure. These things probably pop up on my radar because, as I mentioned, Italy always piques my interest.  

I’ve been fortunate to have friends and family introduce me to their Italian customs and foods, but at different crossroads in my life I’ve considered an extended stay—or a move—to Italy so that I can really experience the culture and learn more about this ancient country. I’m considering this again, and maybe recent people I’ve met, wines I’ve seen, new followers on Instagram, and special dinners are really part of a plan put in motion a long time ago, this time not only keeping Italy on my mind, but pushing me to pursue this path.