There is a popular saying in Italian: “Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi“.  In other words, Christmas is a time for the family, but you can spend Easter with whoever you like. In reality, for most Italians Easter is generally spent with the family. But unlike in the UK, where the schools take a two-week break, here the most you can normally hope for is a long weekend (or 'Ponte' as the Italians like to call it). 

That wasn't the case this year, as Easter fell late and ran into the annual 25 April Liberation Day holiday. The authorities, in their infinite wisdom, extended the spring break from Giovedì Santo (Maundy Thursday) up to and including Liberation Day. An unprecedented spring week off!

For us it was the perfect opportunity to get on the road and head for the mountains of the Garfagnana, to spend Easter in Tuscany,

With the formalities and indulgences of Easter dispensed with, Italians generally spend Pasquetta (Easter Monday) in the countryside with friends enjoying a typical barbecue or picnic. 

As a regular visitor to Garfagnana, I've long been planning an excursion with Wild Trails, a local tour company that organises hiking trips and adventures in the hills, valleys and mountains of the region. Pasquetta seemed like the ideal opportunity to finally do so.

In truth, the Pasquetta detox tour that we signed up for wasn't so much an adventure as a leisurely amble around the forests, gentle hills and remote villages of the Val di Lima. 

But, with an engaging guide and a simple picnic (I can't believe I forgot the wine), it was a pleasant way to spend Easter Monday and offered a tantalising glimpse of what this remote and unspoilt region has to offer.

Next time we might be a little more adventurous. And I'll remember to pack the wine!

In Italy, the family remains a central pillar of society. Small, independent family-owned businesses continue to prosper, and nowhere is this more so than in the wine sector.

Although the Italian wine and the Scotch whisky industry are of comparable value (approx €5 billion and £6 billion respectively), the patterns of ownership couldn't be more different.  Despite what the marketing men may tell you, few Scotch whisky distilleries can claim anything remotely close to family ownership. In fact, only a quarter of Scotch whisky production is owned by Scottish companies and approximately 55% of all whiskies sold worldwide are produced by just two companies, Diageo and Chivas Brothers. 

In Italy, even production giants like Veneto-based Zonin, which produces 40 million bottles a year, and the Santa Margherita wine group, the producer behind the Pinto Grigio phenomenon, are family-owned, passing from one generation to the next. In fact, the Italian wine industry, as I discovered time and time again at #vinitaly2019, is still very much a family affair.

Here are some notes on just a few of the family-owned wine producers I met this year.

The Vinum, Il Rosso (bio), Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, D.O.C

The Vinum is a family-owned and run winery that pairs high quality production values with respect for the environment. Using sustainable farming techniques and the latest winemaking technology, the company has vineyards in three of Italy's most renowned wine-making regions - Tuscany, Abruzzo and Piemonte. The organic "Il Rosso" comes from the Nocciano vineyards in the province of Pescara in the region of Abruzzo. Harvested by hand at the end of the September, the best grapes are selected and fermented for 10-15 days before ageing for 6 months in stainless steel tanks, then spend a further 3 months in the bottle. 

An intense and lively ruby red, with hints of cherry, cinnamon, liquorice and raspberry, Il Rosso is well-balanced with soft tannins typical of the denomination. Perfect with an Easter Sunday rack of lamb.

​www.thevinum.com

Cantina Dolcevera di Marco Benedetti di Villa (VR), Amarone della Valpolicella 2015

Closer to home for this Amarone, the work of exciting young wine producer Marco Benedetti. His vineyards, which he took over at the age of just 25, are located in the town of Villa di Negrar, not far from Verona, in the heart of the famous Valpolicella region. Wine production is in Marco's DNA, and he inherited his passion for wine-making from his father.

The Amarone DolceVera 2015 is made from 50% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella grape and 10% from other grape varieties. All of them are native vines cultivated in the town of Villa di Negrar, at an altitude between 260 and 280 metres. The best grapes are harvested in late September and early October. They are then dried on straw mats for about 3 months, during which they lose about 40% of their weight. The grapes are then crushed and de-stemmed, the fermentation takes place in steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 24°C and the maceration on the skins lasts approximately 30 days. The Amarone is then refined in barrels of 7,5 ht and then transferred into larger barrels of French and Slavonian oak for a period of 36 months in a small cellar built near the main vineyard at Villa di Negrar.

The wine is an intense ruby red with glints of violet. Complex and varied on the nose, with hints of cherry, spices, vanilla, coffee and pepper in the palate. A refreshing minty finish, warm, intense and persistent. At 16%, this is a velvety smooth, full-bodied classy Amarone.

www.dolceveravini.com

Cantina Chiara Condello di Predappio (FC) Romagna Sangiovese Predappio Riserva - Le Lucciole

​Chiara Condello is another exciting young wine-producer who inherited her family's passion for wine-making (her father, Francesco Condello, owns the Condè winery). Chiara, graduated in Economics from the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan before completing a Masters in International Management. She began working at Condé in the summer of 2012 where she was involved in every aspect of the family business. 

Chiara's own vineyard is located in the heart of the Predappio hills, the notorious birthplace of Benito Mussolini, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Her vineyard embraces organic principles of viticulture and favours traditional hands-on production techniques. 

Le Lucciole, which means The Fireflies, is produced using 100% Sangiovese grapes which are harvested by hand and then aged in Slavonian oak. A dark almost impenetrable red, on the nose, Le Lucciole is rich, intense and earthy, with notes of ripe fruit. An explosion of rich fruit in the mouth,, well-bodied and strong. Perfect to wash down a classic steak dinner.

www.chiaracondello.com

As these three wines demonstrate, wine production in Italy is still very much a family affair.

As vineyards pass from one generation to the next, each reinvigorates the industry with fresh ideas, energy and  passion, creating a sector that is vibrant and innovative, but profoundly respectful of the traditions and practices of the past.

Nestled between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, Basilicata is a mountainous region, rich in nature, art, history and culture. Thanks in no small part to the designation of Matera as the European Capital of Culture 2019, Basilicata is now emerging as an increasingly popular holiday destination. In fact, the New York Times ranked Basilicata third in its list of "52 Places to Go in 2018", describing it as "Italy’s best-kept secret".

The ancient cave dwellings in Matera's historical quarter, the famous Sassi, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. In recent years, the biblical landscape and and unique unspoiled architecture of Matera has made it a popular choice for Hollywood film crews. The Passion of the Christ, The Young Messiah and the Ben-Hur remake were all film in the historic town. 

Monte Vulture, the extinct prehistoric volcano and the hilly territory that surrounds it produces some of the best wines in southern Italy. While the historic villages of Barile, Venosa, Melfi and Ripacandida date back to days of ancient Greece, it is the volcanic soil and varied climate that gives the wine of Basilicata its distinctive character and quality.

Aglianico is perhaps the best known wine of Basilicata. The Aglianico del Vulture "Superiore" was designated DOCG ("Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita") in 2010, one of just 74 Italian wines to have achieved this prestigious status.

There are three other important wines from Basilicata region which bear the DOC ("Denominazione di origine controllata") designation. These are the Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri, available in red, red reserve and Rosè varieties, the Matera, which takes its name from the ancient cave town, and the Grottino di Roccanova, named after the caves where the wine is traditionally aged.

At Vinitaly 2019, I was fortunate enough to sample a variety of wines from this intriguing region. 

Arcidiaconata 2014, Aglianico del Vulture (DOC), Azienda Agricola Radino

The Radino family was already a well established olive oil producer when they turned their attention to wine in the 1970s. Surrounded by genista, almond and olive trees, the vines on the terraced slopes of Mount Vulture are now about 40 years old. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of October and the resulting wine is then maturated in small oak barrels for at least 18 months. 

Bright ruby red in colour, with hints of ripe red fruit, spices and liquorice, Arcidiaconata is pleasant and fresh, with a slightly tannic aftertaste. It's a typical Aglianico del Vulture - robust, smooth and well-balanced. Would go nicely with salami and mature cheese.

The Radino family also runs a truly unique hotel, il Palazzotto Residence and Winery, carved into the rocks of the historic  Sassi di Matera

Iosaphat 2015, Matera Dop Primitivo,  Società Agricola Ditaranto srl

The Ditaranto winery is located in the Bradano valley, overlooking the Ancient Greek colony of Metaponto and the Gulf of Taranto beyond. 

Iosaphat is a Matera Dop Primitivo. When I saw the label, I mistook the abbots scythe for a massive pipe! ​I was soon corrected. Matured in French oak for 12 months, it is a ruby red colour, with just a glimmer of violet.  Dry, full and well-balanced, almost velvety. Perfect with your Sunday roast.

Calaturi 2013, Aglianico del Vulture (DOCG),  Tenuta i Gelsi

​Another strong, powerful Aglianico, this time from Tenuta I Gelsi, a winery that was established in 2003 by Pasquale Bafunno and Ruggiero Potito. The vineyards extend for approximately 10 hectares, mainly in Rionero in the northern interior of the region, at a height ranging from 400 to 600 metres. The wine is matured in Slavonian oak for 24 months followed by a further 24 months in the bottle.

A beautiful bright ruby red colour, with distinct purplish shades. On the nose, red cherry, balsamic vinegar and a hint of vanilla. Smooth, light tannins and a long, harmonious finish. Perfect with cheese or to wash down some red meat.