A Lovely Sunday

We haven’t been on a tour through the base services in quite a while so when we saw a tour for a honey farm and wine tasting in the Avellino Province, where it’s nice and cool, we jumped on it and are so glad we did.

The honey farm was really a chestnut tree farm with beehives, the bees love the flowers the chestnut tree give off.  The farmer was lovely and very accommodating, walking us through the trees to the hives and explaining the process.

 

Sadly, there is a bug come from China that has attacked the trees and they haven’t found anything to naturally get rid of the bug yet.

We then drove down a bit and stopped at his fruit tree grove where he let us pick cherries, fig and apricots which were all amazing.  I can’t say it enough, fresh food here is so much tastier than in America.  It just has more vibrant flavor.

I was so busy picking and eating that I didn’t get any photos there. haha

From the grove we drove to his casa and where they turn the honeycomb into honey in jars and were able to buy some.  He also sold pollen and an apple vinegar which are both very healthy additives to any diet.

After the Farm we stopped at a protected natural spring that was surprisingly lovely.   It’s protected because it is a water source for so many so it can’t be contaminated.

 

Then we were off to do lunch and a wine tasting at Palazzo Vittoli in Castelfranci, Avellino Province.  The staff were great, the manager was very attentive and worked well with Anthonia from the Contecorbo winery to coordinate food with her wine.

 

The antipasti plate was a collection of small portions of focaccia, a spinach torta, a kind of frittata, and bruschetta.  Each was a tasty bite and a great start.  Next was what I called an Italian perogie.  Mashed potato with cheese inside filo to make a kind of dumpling.  It was delicious.  Then the pasta dish came out, fresh made thick noodles in a simple sausage and tomato sauce that we could not get enough of, in fact many had seconds when she came around offering more.  It was perfection.  Finally, the meat plate was a veal cut with gravy and mashed potato and greens.  For dessert we had a Chantilly cake and two slices of melon (I didn’t get a photo of it).  All elegantly plated and nothing disappointed on flavor or technique.  We were all full and happy.   The wines ranged from a light white wine to reds and at the end we had a cherry liquor.

After lunch we were able to purchase wine from Anthonia to take home.  She was a joy to be around and very helpful and happy.  We purchased three cases and a few bottles of the Cherry (Hanami) liquor.

We slept most of the way back to the Navy base.  It was a good day and no we didn’t eat dinner. haha