Text and Photos © Cesare Zucca —
(italian text followed by the english version)
Benvenuti nella parte occidentale della Provincia di Asti, tra il fiume Tanaro e le ripide colline del Moscato, caratterizzata da un paesaggio prevalentemente collinare, arricchito da borghi storici tra cui Moncalvo, Grazzano Badoglio, Montemagno, Vignale, tante piccole perle in un mare di colline e paesaggi vitivinicoli divenuti patrimonio dell’UNESCO. Scoprirete gli infernot, antichissime cantine sotterranee dove da secoli si mette il vino ad affinare, grazie alla temperatura costante e il grado di umidità, ideali per invecchiare e affinare spumanti e vini,Vi aspettano Palazzo Alfieri, il Museo del Risorgimento, il Castello medioevale, la suggestiva Torre di San Vittore a Montemagno e tanti borghi da scoprire, ognuno con le proprie delizie gastronomiche locali e vini eccellenti.
Pochi chilometri e siamo a Castagnole Monferrato, dove scopriamo l’azienda agricola Montalbera, una suggestiva struttura che, oltre alla produzione di vini doc, offre una showroom per degustazioni vini, sale relax, sessioni di yoga nella barricai, piscina con idromassaggio affacciata sui vigneti,
Tutt’intorno, trionfa un vero anfiteatro di vigne dove nascono molte varietà di vini (Barbera d’Asti, Grignolino, Viognier, Monferrato Nebbiolo) e “last but not least” il Ruchè docg, un rosso prodotto da un vitigno autoctono, rinato grazie alle ricerche di Franco Morando. Vengono lavorate le particelle più selezionate come il Ruché Laccento e il Ruché Limpronta e 12 mesi di legno per avere la Docg
Tutto è cominciato negli anni Ottanta, quando la famiglia Morando ha iniziato (e continua) ad acquisire terreni oltre agli attuali 175 ettari. Grazie a loro è avvenuta la rinascita del Ruchè, un rosso prodotto da un vitigno autoctono omonimo tipico di otto paesi e altre varietà (Barbera d’Asti, Grignolino,Viognier, Monferrato Nebbiolo) Ruchè è un vino dal carattere inconfondibile dallo sgargiante color rosso granato, ai piacevoli sentori floreali di rosa e viola, le note fruttate di albicocca e la speziatura che emerge con l’evoluzione lo rendono immediatamente riconoscibile nel bicchiere.
Oggi il Ruchè è conosciuto e apprezzato sulle tavole nazionali ed internazionali per le sue caratteristiche uniche ed affascinanti che hanno origine da questo straordinario terroir. “ Il Ruché per il Monferrato è un sogno, una meraviglia, rappresenta la possibilità di emergere per tutto il territorio” racconta il Ceo Franco Morando, che, per la prima volta ha voluto applicare su un vitigno a bacca nera la tecnica e lo studio della vendemmia notturna, che già da diversi anni l’azienda aveva realizzato sui vini bianchi
Franco Morando
L’assaggio del Barbera d’Asti Superior, ci porta in un mondo di eccellenze, dove spiccano i ruchè LA TRADIZIONE, LACCENTO, LIMPRONTA Parliamo di vini caldi, piacevole e di rara setosità, dal profumo Intenso, persistente con sentori di petali di rosa e frutti di bosco che evolgono in spezie orientali e pepe nero.
E le bollicine?
Scoprite gli Extra Dry, Cuvée Rosé e Cuvée Blanche Metodo Martinotti e l ’ottimo 120+1 un, lasciatemelo dire, champagne piemontese. Un progetto sposato dall’enologo Luca Caramellino e concluso da Morando. “La prima bottiglia stappata dovrà riposare 40 giorni, poi il mio giovane campione sarà presentato a Parigi, in Francia. Perché il nostro 120+1 è a tutti gli effetti uno ‘champagne’, Io condivido….
DOVE DORMIRE
Per chi volesse passare una notte da sogno, magari dopo un tour in cantina e una ricca degustazione dei vini Montalbera accompagnata dalle delizie delle eccellenze gastronomiche del territorio…. beh, proprio girato l’angolo potrà alloggiare in una delle Wine Suites, quattro alloggi indipendenti dove accoglienza, servizio, privacy, relax, confort e un panorama mozzafiato sono garantiti… Vi verrranno consegnate le chiavi, proprio come se foste a casa vostra: riservatezza e squisita accoglienza rendono il soggiorno indimenticabile.
Prossima tappa
La storica Distilleria Mazzetti d’Altavilla Monferrato fin dal 1846 produce grappa, curandone la distillazione, effettuata con una fonte di calore che crea l’evaporazione delle parti volatili di una sostanza ad una precisa temperatura e la ricondensazione del vapore in liquido. 
Varcata la porta di ingresso il visitatore può immergersi in un concentrato di storia, leggenda, natura ed ancora arte, profumi e aromi. 
La sua Torre Panoramica con il percorso di salita alla cima condito da racconti e curiosità, regala la vista a 360° sull’arco collinare e alpino mentre la Distilleria e la Barricaia accolgono i visitatori.
Un ringraziamento speciale a Franco Morando, Eleonora, Veronica, Daniel e tutto il fantastico team Montalbera
English version
In Castagnole Monferrato (Asti) in Piedmont, Italy, we discovered the Montalbera farm, a suggestive structure which, in addition to the production of excellent wines, offers a showroom for wine tastings, relaxation rooms, yoga sessions in the barrel room, swimming pool and jacuzzi overlooking the vineyards.
All around triumphs a true amphitheater of vineyards where many varieties of wines are born (Barbera d’Asti, Grignolino, Viognier, Monferrato Nebbiolo) and “last but not least” the Ruchè docg, a red produced from an indigenous vine, reborn thanks to the research of Franco Morando whose the most selected particles such as Ruché LACCENTO and Ruché LIMPRESA are processed 12 months of wood to obtain the Docg.i.
Here is an extremely elegant, silky, warm wine on the palate, with a great balance that reflects the international taste of the modern taster and attentive to innovative pleasures, matured in steel tanks and subsequently bottled positioned horizontally at a controlled temperature, Ruchè is a wine with an unmistakable character with a bright garnet red colour, pleasant floral hints of rose and violet, fruity notes of apricot and the spiciness that emerges with evolution making it immediately recognizable in the glass
Today Ruchè is known and appreciated on national and international tables for its unique and fascinating characteristics which originate from that extraordinary terroir that is Monferrato.
Oggi il Ruchè è conosciuto e apprezzato sulle tavole nazionali ed internazionali per le sue caratteristiche uniche ed affascinanti che hanno origine da quello straordinario terroir che è il Monferrato.
“For Monferrato, Ruché is a dream, a wonder, it represents the possibility of emerging for the entire territory” says CEO Franco Morando, who, for the first time, wanted to apply the technique and study of the night harvest, which the company had already carried out on white wines for several years
Franco Morando
Tasting the Barbera d’Asti Superiore, we realize that we are in a universe of excellency.
Among the Montalbera ruchès, LA TRADIZIONE, LACCENTO and LIMPRONTA stand out. Tasting the Barbera d’Asti Superire, we realize that we are in a universe of warm wines , pleasant and of rare silkiness with an intense, persistent aroma with hints of rose petals and wild berries in jam. uby bone tending towards garnet, Intense, persistent with tending aromatic memories and typical hints of berries, which evolve into oriental spices and black pepper.
What about sparkling ?
Discover the Extra Dry, Cuvée Rosé and the Cuvée Blanche Metodo Martinotti, while the120+1 stands out, as a true Piedmontese champagne. A project embraced by the oenologist Luca Caramellino and concluded by Morando. “The first bottle uncorked will have to rest for 40 days, then my young sample will be presented in Paris, France. Because our 120+1 is in all respects a ‘champagne’.
For those who want to spend a dream night, perhaps after a tour of the cellar and a rich tasting of Montalbera wines accompanied by the delights of the gastronomic excellence of the area… well, just around the corner you can stay in one of the Wine Suites, four independent accommodations where hospitality, service, privacy, relaxation, comfort and a breathtaking view are guaranteed… You will be given the keys, just as if you were at home: confidentiality and exquisite hospitality make your stay unforgettable.
The different types of Suites are characterized by elegant simplicity and furnishings that recall the typical “Tropeziana” tradition with furnishings and design elements that blend well with the surrounding natural context, always respecting the historicity of the terroir.
Montalbera, attentive to sustainability, including social sustainability, has changed the working hours of the 22 workers in the countryside, which become more than 90 during the harvest, moving them to less hot and muggy moments of the day, in the morning from 6am while the evening harvest begins in the late afternoon.
Abbondante vino e cucina casalinga non mancano mai negli spettacoli dei Legnasi…
The new title for the 2023-2024 season already promises guaranteed fun, with the comedy and tradition of I LEGNANESI grappling with a commandment that is more current than ever. The Colombos’ adventure begins with them taking part in a charity competition and winning the “temporary adoption” of a problematic boy with an incredibly overwhelming character. And it is precisely in this way that Carmine becomes part of the Colombo family, overwhelming everyone… Teresa and Giovanni’s task will be to reintegrate the boy into society by providing him with the solid foundations and essential moral principles to live honestly, while Mabilia’s task will be to dress the role as “big sister”.
see article
Brock, grande specialista della sonorizzazione di pellicole dal vivo, è particolarmente vicino alla produzione di Chaplin: nel 1999, infatti, la Fondazione Chaplin lo incarica di restaurare la partitura originale di Tempi moderni. “Ne Il grande dittatore, racconta Brock, Chaplin ha la tendenza a mettere la musica sullo sfondo anche più del necessario, probabilmente perché affascinato dalla novità di poter giocare con diversi elementi del cinema con cui non aveva mai lavorato prima. Le parti in cui la musica è in primo piano riguarda partiture che non sono scritte da Chaplin, bensì da Wagner – la scena di Hynkel che gioca con il mondo – o da Brahms – la scena del taglio di barba e capelli, tipica del muto. Ma permettere al pubblico di ascoltare i brani eccellenti scritti da Chaplin altrimenti inudibili è un grande onore e una grande opportunità.”
E ancora, una rigorosa linea a base di marce militari, musica da parata e tableaux musicali pseudo-greci per rappresentare il parodistico Adenoid Hynkel, oltre a una marcia di tarantella per accompagnare la scena dell’arrivo alla stazione ferroviaria di Benzino Napaloni (la parodia di Benito Mussolini).
Get ready to dive into a lively, colorful universe full of surprises, amazing numbers and infinite talent! You will be transported to the world of Cuba, with its colors, its lights, the dances, the songs, the music and the incredible professionalism of 42 tireless artists who, all in one breath, without interruptions, accompanied by an exceptional live band led by by a splendid singer.
Cuba has always played a leading role in the field of music: it is here that some of the most beautiful genres were born such as son (one of the fathers of all Cuban rhythms), mambo and above all salsa, a truly national rhythm, which is danced practically at any time of the day.
Skaters, acrobats, dancers, trapeze jugglers and an explosion of you and energy will amaze you, entertain you and leave you speechless with amazing numbers without interruption, and it is precisely this “non-stop show” that will keep you glued to your seats, hypnotized by the skill and, let me tell you, by the undeniable beauty and sensuality of the protagonists.
Organized by the Casartelli family of Medrano in agreement with the Ministry of Culture of Cuba, the show mixes dance, folklore and circus arts on rhumba, merengue, cha cha cha and salsa rhythms and melodies, presenting itself as a colorful invitation to joy and a powerful remedy for the darkness.
For this evocative show, the best artists from the most famous circus school in Havana have been selected: everyone will share the stage, inviting the public to celebrate with joy and good humor their entry into this island full of joy, beautiful people and natural beauty. 
And it is precisely through music, dance, singing and circus that this show takes shape with artists selected from the best in Cuba for a two-hour show suitable for the whole family.
The show is hosted by an eclectic clown who transforms into a juggler even Michael Jackson, just to amuse the audience, involve the spectators and to give the prop makers, often aided by the artists themselves, the opportunity to assemble platforms showing a great solidarity among all the performers who in perfect timing and harmony assemble trapezoids, ladders and everything needed for performances in the air.
The costumes are dazzling, from the pirates who invade the dance floor, to the white and gold uniforms, to the sinuous dancers who compete in human pyramids.
Muscles, smiles, love, joy, companionship and beauty come together in a seductive show that, for an afternoon or a night, ..will take you far away….
Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Massine, Pina Bausch, Martha Graham, Kenneth MacMillan, Maurice Béjart, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasiliev those are just few names of extraordinary choreographers who were enchanted by Igor Stravinskij’s The Rite of Spring, 
Here it comes again. The magic world of Mummenschanz hypnotizes one more time.
FANCY A TROUT DISH?
Three very high quality products, three distinct entities, each with a strong personality
Abbondare di frutta secca: nocciole, noci, arachidi, mandorle, fichi, uvetta mentre il nocciolo del dattero andrebbe nascosto nel portafoglio per tutto l’anno.
Ernst Knam, born in 1963, German by birth and Milanese by adoption, after numerous years spent in the kitchens of the greatest starred and prestigious restaurants in the world, arrives in Italy and enters the kitchen of Gualtiero Marchesi as Master Pastry Chef, the last step in his training before starting the entrepreneurial activity.
Christmas is about sharing dinners at home, with relatives and closest friends, and even the menu reflects habits and customs that are repeated every Christmas Eve.
Mela e Cannella
The precious bronze dies make the pasta rough enough to capture any type of seasoning. Rustichella pasta is used by the best chefs in the world, including 
Pistachio Panettone filled with cream with green pistachios from Bronte and covered with dark chocolate and decorated with chopped pistachios and cocoa.
MIO dark chocolate and raspberry a truly successful experiment “A riot of taste – explains the chef – the raspberries with their sweet and slightly acidic flavor are processed and dipped in dark chocolate, which enhances those characteristics”.
Nei suoi ristoranti troverete un ambiente dall’atmosfera cordiale, siglato dalla tipica cortesia napoletana dello staff. Tra i clienti non mancano le celebrità del mondo dello spettacolo e dello sport, da Gerard Butler a Sfera Ebbasta, a Fedez e Chiara Ferragni, da Danilo d’Ambrosio a Zlatan Ibrahimović.
I tuoi fritti sono davvero speciali, ce li racconti?
Qual è, secondo te, il piatto top della cucina napoletana ?
Tra le eccellenze partenopee non posso non citare la parmigiana e il sugo napoletano con pomodori, carni bovino e suino, appuntamento domenicale classico dei pranzi in famiglia, riprosto qui nel menu dei giorni festivi. Per non dimenticare le iconiche polpette al sugo, che mi riportano alla meravigliosa cucina di Nonna Lucia.
Il tuo sogno nel cassetto?
Ci regali la ricetta delle tue fantastiche crocchette?
At the helm of the restaurant we find Luigi d’Antonio who, after experiences with starred chefs from Campania, 3 years in the Brescia school of Iginio Massari and in the Società Italiana Cuochi has landed at the Sophia Loren in Milan.
INFO
EVERYTHING IS MEATBALLABLE…..
You will be served meatballs of every type and every taste and combination, in nice wooden boxes. favorite? Without a doubt the one with sausage and friarelli, also notable is the pumpkin and amaretto, terribly right in this season
Not just meat. The restaurant menu offers, in fact, various fish and meatballs
If your cravings aren’t satisfied, don’t worry because there are first courses. The menu
Recently Maestro directed the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, also making his debut at the Romanian National Opera conducting Mozart’s Don Giovanni and at renowned festivals such as “Kissinger Sommer” and “Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern”.
December 8th and 9th Maestro Geiger and the Orchestra Sinfonica Milano will celebrate 100 years of The Walt Disney Company with timeless classics including “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Oceania”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Aladdin”, “The Book of Jungle”, “Frozen”, “The Lion King”, “Fantasia”, “Encanto”, “Beauty and the Beast” and many more.
Christmas is coming, “The Nutcracker” is coming!
This property is one of the jewels adopted by FAI is a non-profit foundation established in 1975, using the National Trust as a model, with the aim of protecting and enhancing Italy’s historical, artistic and landscape heritage, a perfect example of the humanistic culture, which wants to combine art, architecture and landscape in a daily experience that can stimulate towards elevated thoughts . 
The construction dates back to the Renaissance and is inspired by a Roman domus. It can be considered the first example of the new taste for the rediscovered Roman classicism in the hinterland of the Serenissima Venezia.
The interior of the villa, divided on the main floor into the Hall of Ancient Figures, the Putto Hall, the Dining Hall (or of Apollo and Orpheus) and the bishop’s private rooms, was frescoed in the years 1542-1543 by the Flemish painter (active in Venice) Lambert Sustris, responsible for the frescoes in the internal rooms, where he wanted to recreate the architecture and external views of the villa in a perspective game that unites the interior with external nature.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Both delivering an unforgettable experience, at a cost that will amaze you, if you consider the extraordinary nature of the location, Both delivering an unforgettable experience, at a cost that will amaze you, if you consider the extraordinary nature of the location.
Great album, top voice with soul influences, excellent work, beautiful love stories, respect and love for one’s origins, inner strength, defiance of risk. confirmation of the value of love and life.
Among the authors of the album also Giovanni Caccamo who wrote ” CHI SIAMO DAVVERO”(Who we really are) and Lorenzo Vizzini “TACCHI A SPILLO” ( High Heels) In confirmation of the single cover, boasting red shoes, we got “Mi rubi l’anima” written together with her brother Rosario where Marcella, in a duet with her friend and singer Loredana Bertè, deals with the theme of violence against women with delicacy and sensitivity
.Among my favorite songs CHI SIAMO DAVVERO (WHO WE ARE REALLY) (well defined by a very current musical construction) SOFFER, SOFFER (SOFFRI SOFFRI) (which takes me vaguely to the wonderful “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack) A SPECIAL LOVE (UN AMORE SPECIALE) (very Marcella’s style) and the catchy L’ ETNA.
nontouristytourist.com 