Nel 2014, a Charlotte Horton, anima pulsante del Castello di Potentino, a Seggiano, in provincia di Grosseto, Toscana, fu chiesto da Arlene Stein di parlare al Terroir Symposium di Toronto e da allora nacque l’idea di pensare a una edizione italiana. Questo simposio si è via via esteso oltre i confini del Canada, con eventi organizzati in vari luoghi, a Varsavia, Budapest e Berlino con molti altri progetti in tutto il mondo. Ora è la volta dell’Italia.

Ora è tempo di Terroir Tuscany, a partire dal 3 novembre, con un ricco programma di appuntamenti.

Draft Itinerary

Day 1 Saturday, November 3rd, 2018 – Arrival and Welcome

Transportation from Rome
12:00 Guests arrive at Potentino and settle into their rooms.
18:00 Welcome drink and conversation with Charlotte Horton, Arlene Stein and Christian Puglisi.
19:00 Dinner
22:00 Evening conversation with Eric Archambeau, social entrepreneur.

Day 2 Sunday, November 4th, 2018 – Etruscan Day

9:00 Breakfast talk
Food and Early Tuscan Civilisation
Dr. Helen Farr will give us a background of eary Etruscan settlements, along with an understanding of the landscape and why this rural area was a perfect home for this ancient tribe.
10:00 We will explore the property of Potentino and the neighboring farms, to discover the changing landscape from the settlement of the Tuscans to modern times.
13:00 Lunch by local chefs How place creates civilizations: Sarah Wolferstan will give an overview of the anthropology of a civilzation and explain why the Etruscans settled these valleys.
17:00 Pagan rituals, continuing traditions and vestiges of the past: Charlotte Horton, our host, will lead a discussion of how past traditions endure in modern societies.
18:00 Maintaining tradition through recipes: Voula Haliday will discuss how recipies are a form of cultural storytelling.
19:00 A modern take on a traditional land: Matylda Grzelak & Adrian Klonowski will work with local produce, tradition and folklore to produce a local dinner.

Day 3 Monday, November 5th – Wine Day

9:00 Breakfast talk
What is Wine? What is the anthropology of wine? Charlotte Horton leads us through a conversation of wine in Etruscan society.
Emily Harman a young wine consultant, stationed in Berlin advises restaurants across the globe. Her speciality is the rise of the natural wine movement. She will explore this trend and what it actually means in the world of restaurants.
11:00 Our group will have an expereintial day, looking through the vineyards of Tuscany.
13:00 Lunch will be curated by Voula Haliday, Author of Eat at Home.
15:00 Local wine expert Eleanor Shannon, editor,Uncorked in Italy , will lead the group through a comparative tasting of Italian wines.
18:00 Pre-dinner discussion with Fabio Pracchia, Writer for Slow Wine on the history of wine in Italy.
19:00 Dinner will be a celebration of vegetables with guest chefs Amanda Cohen.
21:00 After dinner Priscilla Occhipinti will lead us through a grappa tasting, along with a study in the practices and techniques of this fabled spirit.

Day 4 Tuesday, November 6th – Olive Day

9:00 Breakfast discussion Dr Xand Van Tulleken, an expert in health and nutrition, will discuss the importance of place in the creation of the human body’s physiology, and what that meant to the development of ancient civilisations.
10:00 Brid Torres will explore the idea the value of nutrition in a rural diet based on local fauna and flora, from a Celtic perspective.
11:00 Today will be spent in the olive groves, harvesting and tasting the liquid gold.
13:00 Lunch today will be curated by Christian Puglisi and our local chefs.
14:00 Luigi Caricato will take us on a historical journey of olives as a key stable of the Etruscan diet to in modern acclaim as part of every chef’s pantry.
Giorgio Franci will lead a structured tasting of his award winning olive oils.
15:00 The Etruscan Pantry & Core Ingredients of the indigenous diet
Farrell Monaco, Founder and Editor, Tavola Mediterranea, Edible Archaeology, will lead a discussion on the ancient meditteranean diet and how we can still benefit from its example today.
We will sample an array of local products and learn about their historical connection to the land.
Mario Morellini, will take groups on foraging missions for our dinner feast.
18:00 Dinner Discussion – Food, Culture & Identity
What does Terroir mean? Trine Hahnemann has produced many books based on her Danish heritage. She will lead a discussion on what food means to her identity.
Matylda Grzelak & Adrian Klonowski are a pair of passionate, young restauranteurs. Proud advocates of Polish Baltic identity, they created one of the most celebrated restaurants in their home of Gdansk. They will lead a conversation about their traditional food.
19:00 Dinner will be provided by a local restauranteur featuring chestnut polenta making workshop.

Day 5 Wednesday, November 7th – Sheep Day

9:00 Breakfast Discussion
Local sheep’s milk cheese producers, Francesca Ruffaldi and Lorenzo Messana of Caseificio Murceti, will start the day with a discussion on the importance of sheep in human history, about the connection to our communities, preservation and winter survivial.
11:00 We will go out in the field to meet the Potentino flock where we will have an opportunity to heard and milk and later produce some fresh cheeses.
13:00 Second generation Canadian born Italian, Chef Albert Ponzo will prepare today’s lunch combining new and old traditions.
14:00 After lunch our cheese producers, will take us through a tasting of a variety of local cheeses.
18:00 Dinner Discussion Poul Lang Nielsen, a pig farmer from Denmark Copenhagen and Ruth Klahsen a sheeps milk producer from Canada will lead a comparative analysis of farming and production methods from different parts of the world.
19:00 Dinner will be a feast of local lamb, curated by Trine Hahnemann.

Day 6 Thursday, November 8th – Plant Day

9:00 Breakfast Discussion
11:00 Today we will celebrate nature by planting trees on the Potentino property. Each tree you plant will be a legacy to your contribution to this place and our program.
13:00 Local Michelin-starred chef Roberto Rossi will lead the group through a pasta making workshop, that will be the cornerstone of our delicious lunch.

18:00 Dinner Discussion
Restaurant-owner and writer from Parma, Luca Farinotti, will lead us through a conversation and discussion about restaurant ethics, tradition and the economy.
19:00 Dinner

Day 7 Friday, November 9th – Feast Day

9:00 Breakfast conversation
Charlotte and Christian will lead a discussion in group on the key learnings from through our week together.
11:00 Local butcher Fabio Borgoni will lead a butchery workshop, where we will do a traditional break down of the pig – all the way to sausages and head cheese and blood sausages.
13:00 Lunch During lunch the group will have time to reflect and discuss all of our experiences during our time at Potentino.
18:00 Dinner Discussion
Our pre-dinner discussion will focus on the role of the chef in the food system. Eric Archambeau will moderate a conversation between all of our guest chefs and how they can help shape our food systems and policies.
19:00 Our final dinner will be a traditional Etruscan Feast including performance by local polyphonic singers from Monte Amiata.

Day 8 Saturday, November 10th – Departure

9:00 Breakfast
Guests return home.

Accommodation

Tucked away in a secret valley in one of the last undiscovered corners of Tuscany, Castello di Potentino is an ancient castle built on a historical Etruscan site. The castle functions as an altruistic, forward-looking venture constructed around a working farm. It’s a very special place, where visitors can experience an intimate connection between humankind and the environment that was initiated over 3,000 years ago.

The medieval building is surrounded by unspoilt countryside as well as the vines and ancient olive trees used for all the estate’s small production of high quality wine, grappa and oil. Bought and restored in 2000 by the Greene family, the castle has become a dynamic cultural centre.

All our Terroir Tuscany guests will stay in beautiful rustic lodgings located in and around Castello di Potentino’s stunning magic valley. All accommodations are easy to reach, some by foot, and we do ask guests with mobility issues to let us know well in advance, so that we can make sure they are properly accommodated for. These country lodgings cater to both single and double occupancy requests. Couples will be housed together, whilst single guests can chose to share same-sex rooms or have their own private accommodation. If there is someone you would like to share with who is also booking, please let us know. We can’t wait to host you!

Tour price includes:
• Full board including all food and drink at the castle, wine and lodging for seven nights at local bed and breakfasts.
• Access to all food and drink sessions and workshops as well as any organised visits and tastings outside of the castle.
• Guides and exclusive tours
• Airport transfers from and to Rome Airport

Tour price doesn’t include:
• Flights to and from Italy
• International Medical & Travel Insurance Coverage
• Visa requirements

If you have any questions about your booking please do not hesitate to contact us at Alexander.greene@potentino.com

LEGGI ANCHE

Terroir Tuscany: rural logic

In apertura, foto tratta dal Castello di Potentino

Olio Officina