Conti – Tasting Tour Tuscany

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I once heard that “you can either write about life or live life, not both.” Boy, that is a tough one for me. So many interesting things – good and not so good – happen and seem worthy of documentation for a variety of reasons. So, perhaps you will bear with me today as I share more good things about the Conti family food products here in Tuscany. In my last post, I wrote about the balsamico that Stefano and Grazia Conti offer in their colorful shop in mercato centrale here in Florence, Italy. They also carry all things TRUFFLE!

But during the tour given by the brains and passion behind the Divina Cucina, Judy Witts Francini (in violet) shared with us a wide variety of Italian foods, spices, leather goods, jewelry, and more. She knows all of the merchants here, especially the Conti family. Judy’s tours are fun and you move at just the right pace. She keeps all tour groups small so she can offer the most personal of experiences. And she delivers!

So, a quick explanation of some of these images before I get back to my drawing board.
1) Judy, right, gives her tour group a moment to look over the Italian labels.
2) Judy and Grazia Conti share a laugh with the group.
3) Getting a whiff of a special spice mix (I think for putting on meats) – a perfect example of my shooting an image with my right hand while the rest of my body wants to pass up the photo-op for some yummy fragrances.
4) The fresh fruits and vegetables are displayed in a way that you may see all at a glance and reach everything that you desire. I had never before seen horseradish (the tubular shapes to the left of the Conti sign).
5) Loved the mushroom display!
6) Candied fruits – strawberries in the front, kiwi in the back, and my personal favorite: zenzero (ginger). Fun to say, fun to eat!
7) Grappa in test tubes and a box in the style of a cigarette case! I think grappa is stronger than vodka, and not for the faint of heart. I like it in the right circumstances.

Enjoy your day – I cannot wait to be able to show you my new artworks soon.

Useful links:
Tuscany Flavours – the site for the Conti Family’s delicious offerings
Divina Cucina – get to know more about Judy Witts Francini and her cooking knowledge
Judy’s blog about food and Italy

Conti – Tasty Tuscan Food Products

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Recently I attended “Mondays at the Markets” with the fabulous Judy Witts Francini. Judy not only teaches Italian cooking classes, but she gives tours on how to buy the right ingredients (and wines), blogs and publishes cooking books, and SO much more. Monday, she took her small group (always small, she says, she prefers it that way) on a tour of the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo (central market) in Florence, Italy, as well as many of the surrounding merchants that she adores.

Today I want to share some of my experiences that day with the Conti family. I met Stefano and Grazia Conti, as well as their son Manuel, who I understood to have recently received some prestigious award that permitted him to be considered an expert on wines or some other culinary honor. [I really need to work in my Italian language skills, not to mention my memory!]


There was so much tasting and so many scrumptious things that I had to narrow it down for this blog post. I choose today to talk about the Conti’s balsamico. I have tasted balsamic vinegar plenty of times – it is a staple in Italian homes and goes well on salads and even pasta. But what we tasted this day was not this. Sure it had the similar tanginess to it, but was so much more intense and pure of flavor (and I think Judy said – no vinegar)! One drop of this thick concoction, and one was thinking of the nectar of the gods. I am not exaggerating.


These images were taken at the Conti’s tasting table inside of the mercato centrale. The first image is of the handsome Stefano and his charming wife Grazia. In the second image, Grazia is showing us one of the family’s offerings, while their elegant and perhaps modest son Manuel lays out the tastings of the day.


In this third image, the fabulous Judy [wearing Florentine purple, the color of the local soccer (calcio) team], explains to us how balsamico is created over a period of many years, moved from one barrel into the next in line. In the fourth image, the lovely Grazia waits for the balsamico to find its way finally to my spoon. When one knows of the time involved to create such treasures and how long it will last (a tiny amount goes a long way), the price becomes reasonable indeed.

And just look at some of their offerings! The bottles are beautiful, as well as the treasures inside: worth every euro. Life can be a dream when we follow our passions. Thanks so much to the Conti family for sharing theirs.

Useful links:
Tuscany Flavours – the site for the Conti Family’s delicious offerings
Divina Cucina – get to know more about Judy Witts Francini and her cooking knowledge
Judy’s blog about food and Italy

Just wanted to acknowledge this: My friend Keith Hogan left this world on the 14th of April. He was a strong advocate for people with disabilities and had the sweetest soul.