A casual bottle of Cetamura Chianti on the deck and the Weekly Menu #ItalianFWT

Thank Goodness June is over.  It was a crazy, busy, fun month.   Last week I hosted 3 parties at my house. So on Monday instead of making the pork chops I had on the menu I ordered in pizza, opened up a bottle of wine and headed out to the deck.

It was a quiet, easy evening with just Frank and I as the Teen was working.  I toasted Frank and thanked him for all his help.  Did I mention that I have one arm in a cast?  Yep, can't imagine life without him by my side.

Luckily, the cast comes off tomorrow.  We enjoyed half the glass on the deck and then it started raining so we ended up inside on the couch watching a movie with our pizza and wine.

The best laid plans....

Speaking of best laid plans. I am hosting this month's Italian Food Wine and Travel event and hope to have a twitter chat on Saturday, July 1 at 11 AM ET.   Unfortunately, as of this writing, my twitter account is suspended because I got hacked and someone posted tons of spam from my account.  I have appealed and hope to be reinstated by chat time but if not please stop by and enjoy the other articles written by my fellow members about Anything and Everything Tuscany.

• Camilla of Culinary Cam shares "Polpo in Galera (Jailed Octopus) + La Lastra Vernaccia 2021" 
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles talks about "The wines of the Florentines – Chianti Rufina and single vineyard wines from I Veroni"
• Jennifer of Vino Travels takes "A hop, skip and a jump out of Florence to Chianti Rufina with I Veroni" 
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys "A casual bottle of Cetamura Chianti on the deck"
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator finds "Paradise in Tuscany: Organic Farming at Antonella Manulli's Fattoria La Maliosa"

I have never had the pleasure of visiting Europe yet but Italy is on my bucket list for 2025 and you can be sure that Tuscany is high on that list of areas to spend a few days.  I have read many books and watched many movies set in this area of Italy and it has stolen my heart.  

Located in central Italy, Tuscany is very diverse with the Appenine Mountains, the Tyrhennian Sea and the farmlands of Chianti.  Florence, Tuscany's capital city, is known for it art and architecture. Tuscany is also home to Pisa where you can see the famous leaning tower.

And, of course, wines.....Chianti but also Montepulciano, Brunello and Vermentino.  I enjoy the food and wines of this area at least once a month and have written numerous articles.  This is the first time I have opened or tried a bottle of Cultusboni Cetamura Chianti. 

It is very reasonably priced and available at Total Wine.  It poured a brick red and is very light and smooth on the palate.  It paired very nicely with the pizza and I can see this wine becoming my go to Chianti for spaghetti nights.

The winery at Badia a Coltibuono has been using the same building to make wine for almost a thousand years.  That sounds like an amazing amount of time but the first wine was made on this property in the first century AD, evidence of which has been found during an archaeolgical dig.

Badia a Coltibuono is currently being run by the fifth generation of the Stucchi Prinetti family growing both grapes and olive trees.  Sangiovese is the star of the vineyards but they also grow other traditional varieties that are blended to become Chianti Classico. 

The Stucchi Prinetti family adopted sustainable practices early in their history and have been at the front of a movement encouraging all farms in the area to be sustainable and organic.  You can learn more about this iconic winery on their website which is an amazing and informative trip all on it's own.

If we do have chat, I hope to see you there.  Stop by twitter at 11 AM ET this Saturday and search #ItalianFWT to find us.  

I do have one more party coming up this Saturday but I am not hosting and it doesn't start until 4 pm.  I am bringing a couple of salads for my sister who was hoping to have the party catered but called to say that the caterer she hoped to use was booked.  

Then, I am happy to report, there is nothing on my calendar for the rest of the week except a doc appointment one morning.  We haven't made it to Music in the Park yet this year so I'm planning for it this week.

So here is my Weekly Menu, however, you never know who is going to show up here on any given day so there are always hamburgers and hot dogs in my freezer in case my planned dinner is not going to work.

Saturday-Party at Dawn's

Crudites and Fasolia Pouree

Macaroni Salad

Sunday

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Grilled Vegetable Skewers

Meatless Monday

Grilled Cheese and Bean Quesadillas

Taco Tuesday-4th of July

Taco Turkey Burgers with Guacamole

Wednesday

Delmonico Steaks with Blue Cheese Onion Sauce

Baked Potatoes

Grilled Carrots

Thursday-Music in the Park

Subs and Chips from Sub Shop

Fish Friday

Fish with Fennel

Salad

Crusty Bread