5
6
144 CSD
entourage brought along “much more than pasta, they brought new soft drinks such as lemonade and orangeade; her market gardeners brought many different herbs and vegetables … and a love for basil.” The arrival of new ingredients
and Florentine cooking tech- niques—coupled with Catherine’s influence as queen and mistress of royal entertaining—brought about a culinary revolution in France, creating the elegant haute cuisine for which the country is famous. And then there’s the fork. An anonymous commentator writes that the implement “was used back in her native Italy at a time when the rest of Europe still looked on it as being a bit pretentious; her using it may have encouraged more around her to try it as well.” Nearly five centuries later, forks continue to be used for dainty dining throughout France. Catherine’s move to France had another effect. Once set-
tled there, she or members of her retinue sent samples of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon back home to Tuscany, where the grapes were then unknown. Before long, the Medici were growing the vari- etals near Carmignano, a small town not far from Florence where the family had a hunting preserve. Their successors have been making wine from the two uve francesche in Carmignano ever since—blending them with Tuscany’s noble native varietal, Sangiovese.
Tenuta di Capezzana The Medici’s barco reale— hunting park—has changed hands several times over the centuries. Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi and his wife, Vittoria, purchased it in 1920 when they returned with their two sons from Spain, where the Count had been involved in the antiques business. In addition to purchasing the estate known today as Tenuta di Capezzana
and adjacent properties, the Count eventually assembled what became one of the largest private collections of Italian paintings, sculptures, furniture and ceramics. The Contini Bonacossi Collection now can be seen at the Uffizi in Florence. According to the Contini Bonacossi family, “the year 804 marks the first recorded mention of wine production at Capezzana.” Introduction of Cabernet Sauvignon dates back to the 16th century. Since the Renaissance, “Carmignano wines have comprised a signature blend of Sangiovese with an all-important dash of Cabernet.” Vittorio Contini Bonacossi, who is in charge of the vineyards at Capezzana today, explains that Cabernet Franc may have arrived in Carmignano before Cabernet Sauvignon; old records refer simply to uva francesca—French grape. Carmignano now is an official DOCG area (thanks largely to efforts of the late Ugo Contini
5. Capezzana corks. 6. Villa seen across estate fields.
Bonacossi). In order to show Carmignano on the label, wines grown there must include at least 50 percent Sangiovese and up to 20 percent Canaiolo Nero—with 10 to 20 percent Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. My wife and I visited Tenuta di Capezzana (
capezzana.it) in the fall of 2014. We toured the cellars and villa, rode through the vineyards with Vittorio in his sturdy four-wheel-drive vehicle, and dined with the gracious Contini Bonacossi family. The meal, wines and conversation were wonderful. The following day we visited the Uffizi in Florence to view the Contini Bonacossi Collection, also wonderful.
Taste Tests Since returning to the United States, my wife and I naturally
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