Books about Chianti from Amazon.com

Over the past several years, "the American in Tuscany" has become a literary subgenre. Launched by the phenomenal success of Frances Mayes's Under the Tuscan Sun, bookstores now burgeon with nimble, witty accounts of this clash in cultures-Americans trying to do American things in Italy and bumping against a brick wall of tradition.

Before this subgenre exhausts itself, it's only fair that we hear the other side of the story-that of a native Tuscan and of dozens of Americans who have stormed through his life and homeland, determined to find in it whatever they are looking for, whether quaintness or wisdom, submission or direction.

There is no one better to provide this view than Dario Castagno. A Tuscan guide whose client base is predominantly American, Dario has spent more than a decade taking individuals and small groups on customized tours through the Chianti region of Tuscany. Reared in Britain through early childhood, he speaks English fluently and is therefore capable of fully engaging his American clients and getting to know them. Too Much Tuscan Sun is Dario's account of some of his more remarkable customers, from the obsessive and the oblivious to the downright lunatic.

It is also a primer on Tuscany--its charms and its culture. Structured around a typical Tuscan year, Dario takes us through the sights, smells, and sounds of Chianti during each of the twelve months, including the festivities and pageantry that accord with the season, most notable the Palio-the bareback horse race that consumes the social energies of the people of Siena for all of July and August.

Dario also intersperses an account of his own life and times-that of a transplanted British "little lord" who learns to love the wilds of Chianti; of his discovery and adoption of abandoned peasant farmhouses; of his apprenticeship in the wine industry; and of his arduous transformation from bohemian layabout to thriving Tuscan guide.

But the bulk of the book is devoted, with humor and affection, to the Americans he has met-the vain, the silly, the ignorant, the ambitious, the horny, the condescending, the charming, and the outright pathological. Some of them have made his life hell and live in his nightmares; others became lifelong friends.
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"The SuperTuscans" was the winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2003 in the category - " Best Book on Wine - Europe".Here are some reviews from the Italian press on 'The Supertuscans':"Splendid" - Vini."A Great Book" - Terre del Vino."Three-hundred-eighty-seven pages in a large format with great content" -Bere."Original and attentively written." - Sommelier."A true and accurate excursion into the discovery of ... the Supertuscans and their producers." - Corriere della Sera.Reviews from North America:"Wow! This book is stunning. The over all result is a luxurious, enveloping trip through the wines and winemakers of the regions. For lovers of the Super Tuscans this book is a 'must-buy' addition to their wine libraries. Very highly recommended." - California Grapevine."Candor fairly leaps out of every page... Read it for an authentic window into the heart of this region's recent and hard-fought celebrity." - The Wine News. "If you like your wine with no personality and history, don't bother picking up this book. If, on the other hand, the idea of a wine's life history piques your curiosity, look no further." - Italian Cooking and Living.In just a few decades the Supertuscans have emerged to compete with great wines around the world. The Supertuscans have provided an opportunity for creative freedom in enology. They represent the possible expression of a territory, Tuscany, whose red grapes are capable of exalting the quality of wines. In this book, Andrea Zanfi explores the Supertuscan phenomenon from the viewpoint of the Vinedressers themselves. He presents detailed portraits of 76 producers (for a total of 107 Supertuscans) including hundreds of color and black and white photos of the vinedressers, their property and their products.Large format, 12" x 12". Photos throughout..
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What country brings to mind more visions of romance, more images of breathtaking vineyards, and more scents of mouth-watering food than Italy? In Journey to the Chianti: Getting to Know an Ancient Tuscan Region, Leonardo Castellucci explores a growing Tuscan region of Italy with an unforgettable name: the Chianti. Castellucci brings this region to life through fascinating insights into the regions history and a look at the culture and life today.

Castellucci’s insight on the local history and character of the Chianti region itself are enough to fascinate and inspire; to add to the impact, the stunning pictures by photographer Gian Luigi Scarfiotti capture the reader’s imagination. The vibrant colors of the Chianti region’s famous vineyards captured in the book’s exceptional photography show why this region is beloved by Italians and Americans alike.

The Chianti region has fascinated American travelers for decades and is a must-see tourist spot for everyone visiting the Tuscan region. Chianti is located in the middle of--and serves as a transition between--the medieval city of Sienna and renaissance city of Florence. Because it is a crossroads between these two vibrant and historic cities, it contains a rich melding of history itself.

Journey to the Chianti: Getting to Know an Ancient Tuscan Region is the perfect addition to every traveler's or wine aficionado’s collection. Chianti is Italy’s most renowned wine, and Castellucci shows us why with a wonderful overview of its production processes, history, and little known facts such as that Chianti used to be a white wine instead of red. This is a rare beauty of a book that will be treasured by book lovers, travelers, "foodies," wine aficionados, and lovers of all things Italian alike..
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Throughout the world, the Ruffino name is synonymous with the fine wines of Italy's Chianti region. To the natives of Chianti, however, the Ruffino name also means fine food--in particular, the fine food of Giovanna Folonari Ruffino, whose Tuscan kitchen has become a magnet for culinary students.
        
As her friends and family will attest, Signora Ruffino is a charming hostess; as this book proves, she is also an accomplished cook. Now, with the help of Michele Evans, co-author of the James Beard Award----winning Gangivecchio's Sicilian Kitchen, she has collected a hundred of her favorite recipes so that the rest of us can enjoy the simple but delicious cuisine that has made her dinner parties and family meals so memorable.
        
Each easy-to-follow recipe consists of simple instructions and is accompanied by a beautifully reproduced color
photograph that enables the home cook to see exactly what the finished dish looks like. The result is a visual feast that will stimulate the eye and please the palate..
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