Cliffside at Marco’s

Go big or go home. It is well and good to learn about places from blogs, videos, or expositions, but Later Gap Travels (or any for that matter) are best enjoyed through immersion in the experiences, not on a couch. If you have made the jump abroad – get off the porch. We try and live that advice. So, following our introduction to some of the opportunities (and wineries) available near our new locale, (A Wine Expo and a Taste of Tuscany), we decided to set out for visits pretty much immediately, while the places and tastes were fresh in our minds, and while the vendors still might remember us. We started with vendors from closer to home (Taste of Tuscany) and shelved our large “to-visit” package from the Wine Expo until we can enjoy longer days and weekends. We mapped out some of the local vendors and decided that “wine” and “north” sounded like good starting points. Buckling into our chariot (our Mazda 3 we shipped over), we headed out.

Reservations Recommended

Unlike many places in the US (we aren’t in Kansas anymore Toto (Wizard of Oz)), drop-ins are not always welcome. It isn’t that places don’t want you to visit, it’s just that they might not be open (hours are not necessarily posted and accurate), many places are small and family run with limited staff, and owners want to make sure you have a great experience. We knew this (kind of fast learners – we only screwed it up about 5 times in 1 month), so we knew that we best make a reservation. We had gathered contact information as we sampled the wares at the Taste of Tuscany, and with no better idea on where to start, except “wine” and “north”, we decided we would begin with Marco. His winery was north, and he was the vendor closest to the door.

Marco’s agriturismo, L’Altra Donna, is about an hour up the road and overlooks the village of Pietrasanta. We had both his email and his phone number – and with discretion being the better part of valor, we opted to send an email. Thus, we could use a translator to help write the message and hopefully make our request understandable. Also, with the option of reading instead of listening, we would be able to understand the response – a big plus. We sent a request for a time the following Saturday afternoon, around 1 PM, only to get the reply that they weren’t open at that time (or maybe they had no availability – the translation was a bit fuzzy even with email and trying to read it, but that’s how it goes sometimes). However, Marco said we could come by around 1600 (4 PM) and he would be happy to provide a wine tasting. FYI, wine tastings here are not anything like wine tastings you may have been to in the US – I will attempt to describe them properly in a follow-on post – they are much more of an experience. We were somewhat aware of this and made the reservation.

Stepping Out

Saturday came, and we decided to get up to the area a little early. We knew the winery was located near the base of some mountains and we were interested in seeing if we could find a couple hiking trails in that area, somewhere we could get to easily on a weekend or even in an evening and somewhere we could bring friends who came to visit. We entered the address into Google Maps and drove up to where we saw the L’Altra Donna sign at the end of a tight little lane between two cement walls. We proceeded past, following some fairly narrow roads along the edge of the hills. It was a beautiful drive, looking over the town of Pietrasanta at the sparkling blue of the Mediterranean opening up to our south and hugging the mountains rising to our north. Having about 2 hours to kill, we stopped at a restaurant, La Fortezza Da Pie, near the top of a fairly steep and significant hill, for a drink and to enjoy the scenery – something we don’t always do as we are often trying to get to our destination; it was great to stop and smell the roses. The restaurant was closing (most places serve lunch from around 12 – 2 and then close until dinner, which is quite a bit later (seems like midnight)), but we were able to get in and have a beer and glass of wine. Following a relaxing and very scenic half hour, we proceeded on our drive, no longer looking to hike, but maybe to find somewhere we could return to on another day.

Proceeding down the other side, we passed several walkers, of all ages and abilities, and many bikers. Quick segue – Italians are very avid road bikers, they can be found on any country road, in their spandex bike suits, riding on roads full of potholes and without shoulders while traffic goes flying past. They are also big walkers, and can be seen all over the countryside walking across the fields or along roads – as we saw here. We found the start of a couple trails that we are interested in going back to explore later, and eventually it was time for us to turn around and proceed back towards our appointment at Marco’s. We got back to the sign marking the turn into the winery and discussed parking along the road and walking up, but figured maybe not as we didn’t know how long the driveway looking lane was and there would most likely be a parking area at the establishment. So we turned in between a couple houses and started up the lane.

Drive and Arrive

As you can probably surmise, the drive was not what we had expected. After winding through the first area of houses, we started up some switchbacks along the face of the mountain. Five minutes in, we were asking each other if we might be lost. We had decided to bring over our Mazda3, something not too big so we can drive and park in cities but with enough power and comfort to take on longer trips; twice I had to make three point turns to get around corners. My wife suggested getting out to walk more than once, but we had no idea how far this would go on, and the road was quite steep. We also were concerned about what we would do if we met a car going the other way. Aha moment, maybe that’s why 1 PM didn’t work. After about 15 minutes working our way up the drive, we came to a cul-de-sac in a wooded area that looked like a turnaround, with the L’Altra Donna sign on a post pointing up a dirt road and several cars parked along the side. We had arrived – good thing we decided not to walk up, or we might still be on that road – and now all we were going to have to do was drive back down after wine tasting. But, the view was spectacular.

The restaurant-tasting room sits high on the hill, overlooking the town of Pietrasanta with the sparkling blue Mediterranean stretching out to the horizon. The view is spectacular. After a few minutes admiring the vista, we walked in – the first person we saw was Marco, and he greeted us with a hug. He had the table set for us – a wine tasting is quite a bit more than three deep at the counter with shots of wine in souvenir glasses. The first thing he did was walked back into the kitchen and brought out one of the cooks – he wanted to show off the person who would be making the dishes that would accompany our tasting and the cook also was the best English speaker he had on staff – which was great because our Italian is, sad to say, abysmal. The cook translated for Marco as he explained his products – he produces local sausage and salamis along with wine – and to describe the wines and dishes we were being served. The wines are natural wines, focusing on the grapes and their growth, without adding or removing anything (no sulfites or wood aging) and using ancestral fermentation techniques. Both the food and the wine were outstanding, as we sat there and enjoyed the view out the large picture window.

Meeting Some Locals

We walked in and the place was rocking. Besides us, there was a large table enjoying some occasion at Marco’s; we recognized another of the vendors from the taste of Tuscany, the owner of a small factory that makes pastas, breads, and biscuits using stone ground ancient grains. The party was just finishing up and Marco re-introduced us; and before we had sat back down, we had set up a visit, which I will try and share in a future post. When the large party left, a couple older gentlemen came in – they were locals, kind of like Norm on the TV show Cheers. Marco brought out a flask-type bottle and put it on the table. We tried to converse, or just communicate, with them to find out what kind of wine they had. They explained it was “new wine”, something poured direct from the cask once the majority is siphoned off and bottled . Sometimes this wine is good, sometimes… They asked if we wanted to share. After a taste, we figured at this stage, it was best for us to stick with what had been brought out previously. At end of our tasting (dinner), Marco brought out a special bottle which wasn’t part of the menu. The cook explained it was a Passito di Bugia, a type of Vin Santo, or Holy Wine, and made using a special recipe passed down from Marco’s grandfather. Our new friends at the next table stopped visiting and watched, one looked little teary-eyed and asked Marco if he could just have a wee bit; it was really good.

Two and a half hours later, after tasting several very nice wines and sampling some great homemade meats, breads, and local cheeses, we decided it was best to start home. We bought a few bottles of wine, walked back down to our car, and started our drive back down the cliff. Knowing a little of what to expect, this time I only had to make one three-point turn. Marco gave us his personal phone number as well as his personal email and told us to contact him any time – he would love for us to come back. We have made one trip back already. We have also penciled him in, as a destination for the next several visits from friends and family.

What we took from this experience, and we continue to discover and learn, is that seeking those chances to expand your horizons – by doing things like attending expositions and “Tastes” of your area and then following up and visiting the vendors you meet – provides more than just a glimpse into local people sharing their passions; it opens the doors to unique and special experiences and to friendships that provide a richer and fuller involvement in your Later Gap adventure. While it might be easy to seek those places and faces that are familiar, going outside comfort zones, whether it is being half-clueless on what to expect and having to use Google translate to barely get by or as you navigate your way across a cliff-face as your map starts to run out trying to figure out if you really are lost, is what makes these journeys special. I encourage you to get out and meet the people and explore where you have landed – we are trying, and loving it.