Italy: Puglia opens a new tasting room

My best contact in Italia, Yle, just sent her new offering for travelers

Wine and Oil Tasting Room

Stop in today for a wine tasting or a delicious lunch

We offer fine wines and regularly schedule wine and oil tasting. This new addition to YLTOUR and COOK IN PUGLIA opens upon reservation and it is located in Squinzano, in the picturesque Piazza Plebiscito.

Schedule a tasting, a wine picnic or a gorgeous lunch. The scenic view of the Piazza Plebiscito makes the perfect place to enjoy a tasting or a wine experience.

Our wine and oil tasting room is the first of its kind where the most and less celebrated boutique producers making phenomenal wines, are all available to taste.

Enthusiasts, connoisseurs, collectors, aficionados, are all welcome.

Visit us at our new tasting room in Squinzano.

E-mail info@yltourcongressi.com for more information or to make a reservation

The Palazzo

Cooking and tasting wine in an aristocratic palazzo

YLTOUR has teamed up with a beautiful and aristocratic historic Palace not far from Lecce and Brindisi (10 minutes by car from both) for a new program for travelers who want more than museums and church visits.

Inside the elegant Palazzo, the main balcony opens onto the picturesque southern village’s main piazza and allows students to interact with locals. In this wonderful Palazzo and unique kitchen, elegance and history pervades: grotesque frescoes adorning the entire walls will inspire you to take tons of pictures during the whole time we will spend in there.

French windows open onto a romantic and peaceful balcony overlooking the Piazza. You’ll feel like being on the set of a movie.

Italy: MAMMA what are you cooking?

Cooking with Mamma Giulia.  

Another one of a kind experience from 

Yle with www.yltourcongressi

simple ingredients 

The people I meet on my trips Home to Italy each year, 

are the parts of each trip I remember for years.   

 I met Mamma Giulia on an earlier trip when I had a tour of Masseria Provenzani, a luxury country estate outside of Lecce.

On this visit Yle,  the CEO of Yltour.com, 
a custom travel consultant, arranged an interview with Mamma G and for me watch her make her signature focaccia and talk about her thoughts on healthy Italian food.

The courtyard pergola of Masseria Provenzani

 Mamma G creates joy for your mouth with Mediterranean cooking.    

Learn the secret ingredient she adds to Focaccia!

Taurinos' olive oil is found in Mamma G's kitchen 

My second meeting I was treated as a valued friend.  During the week I spent in Puglia, Yle introduced me to many of her favorite people, all who I would never have met without her introduction: an oilve oil farm where trees date back 1,000 years,  the top pastry chef in Lecce, a famous artist and others. Stories to be posted at HometoItaly.com

After our visit to Taurino's Olive farm  bit.ly/1g8dznj, learning to taste olive oil and viewing the operation of how to press olives, we took the short ride to the masseria.      This totally renovated farm complex may take your breath away!  From the miticulous garden to the pool or the room available in an old tower.   You shall immediately become entranced.

But we are here to meet Mamma Guilia, one of the outstanding cooks/instructors for Yltour.com Cooking with Mamma program.

http://www.cookinpuglia.com/  

The dough was mixed in advance and final preparation started.

after dough was shaped in the pan, fresh herbs from the garden and tomatoes are inserted into each pan as well a liberal amounts of olive oil

Hot out of the oven, the smell of fresh focaccia was wonderful

As we sampled this delight, Mamma told me about her passion for cooking

 

I do not cook but I certainly enjoy eating!   Yle always takes such wonderful care of me, I think I am her only client!   

One visit with Yle Sambati and you are a friend for life!

Oh, the secret ingredient...............POTATOES!   Mamma G adds potatoes to the mixture.

the texture was very fluffly compared to other slices of focaccia i had sampled.   You purchase a slice by weight  in most bakeries...... an after school snack, avoid the crowd wiht the local school lets out.

Best Tour Guides in Italy

 

Dream of Italy has been posting a great list of tour guides throughout Italy.   Congratulations Yle!

 

I travel Home To Italy every year and try to stay 4 to 6 weeks.   In 10+ years I don't think I have ever taken a tour in Italy before meeting Roberta in Bologna or my Blog Changing experience with Yle in 2011.

 

A simple conversation on FB led to my first visit to Puglia.

I am Italian American and thought I knew Italy but within a few hours of my arrival, Yle had taken the time to meet me at the only Internet location in the city and arranged 'my adventure'.  

 

You see Yltour not only can plan your stay at a unique accommodation,  wine and olive oil tastings, cooking lessons with Mamma but she listens to your dreams and creates a way for you to realize them.

 

My dream was to 'have una nonna  (a grandmother) teach me to make pasta'.     Yle arranged to have her staff pick me up at the hotel and whisk me away to Nonna Vata's house.  Here I met her granddaughter Debora (who runs an incredible active sports business) translated what I could not follow.

 

But my new Nonna was easy to understand, quick to smile and happy to have the house full for a few hours.      No,  most tourist would not be interested, preferring full cooking classes.

Not for me.

 

Next her staff took me to a wine tasting at one of the biggest vineyards.  Here I met and interviewed Yle for my blog.   

 

Neither of us realized we would work together on many projects over the next year.    

 

Thank you Kathy McCabe publisher of Dream of Italy, for listing Yltour.com in your top tour companies.

Kathy wrote:

 

"Yle is simply one of our favorite people in all of Italy.    She has  Puglia running through her blood and can take you to spots that only natives now about, like the  Cava di Bauxite, a stunning hidden cave that will take your breath away"

 

If you love Italy, subscribe to Dream of Italy and let Yle make your dream come true....

Ylenia Sambati    (39) 0832 318536    www.yltourcongressi.com

       

Rates:

from 150 e per person (200e per couple) full day

See the June/July 2012 issue of

Dream of Italy  for more info from Kathy


See posts here and at mature solo travel for several other Yltour events this year:  photography and a classic car event that includes elegant accommodations, transportation and most meals!

Italy with Help from a travel planner

 

When traveling not all trips are  vacations, some are adventures, some for business or just the activity of getting from one place to another.

Planning an adventure/vacation/trip yourself often gives you as much satisfaction as taking the trip. 

However, when you want something special or beyond the basic you often need a professional to share the hidden places and people of the part of the world you are visiting.     This is when I call YLE  who creates dream adventures/vacations for travelers who wish to see Italy from the inside out.    www.yltourcongressi.com

 

In 2011 I found Yle on FB and she immediately saw that I had an Italian 'dream' to find una nonna (a grandmother) who would show me how to make pasta.

 

Before I even confirmed my flight Home to Italy Yle had scheduled a day with Nonna Vata.   I spent several hours learning to make 6 types of pasta.  Our conversation included living on a farm in Italy to current politics.  Her lovely granddaughter Debora translated for me but it was amazing that Nonna and I could communicate in many other ways.

 

So this year I again turned to Yle and Yltour to organize an extensive adventure in Puglia.

The towns I still wish to visit are:     Ostuni, Cisternino,  Locorotondo,  Alberobello  (I spent a day there last year look forward to a second visit,   Monopoli, Martina Franca,  Gallipoli  and

 Otranto .
 

This is an extensive list for someone who does NOT WANT TO TAKE THE BUS will be a challenge and I know it will take several more visits to Puglia to accomplish this goal.

As it turned out my adventure was even BETTER than what I planned and I have been writing out it at http://www.Hometoitaly.com for the past 6 weeks!

 

But the MOST important reasons for going back to Lecce was to visit Yle and learn about her tours for 2013.  In 2012 she did a wonderful language event,  cooking events and a yoga retreat. 

But her list of offerings is endless:  photography, classic cars, cooking with locals, wine tastings, sports events, photography, art classes, language classes......   I could spend a month with her and never try it all!

The hidden treasure this year was to finally meet MAMMA ANNA.

I have written about her before on www.hometoitaly.com.  But nothing prepared me for this wonderful encounter.  Within an hour I felt as if I had know here forever.  See our video (amateur) on our visit to the food market.     There should be many more stories on Mamma A so stay tuned.





 

Italian Trip planning with Yltour.com

 

When traveling not all trips are  vacations, some are adventures, some for business or just the activity of getting from one place to another.

Planning an adventure/vacation/trip yourself often gives you as much satisfaction as taking the trip. 

However, when you want something special or beyond the basic you often need a professional to share the hidden places and people of the part of the world you are visiting.     This is when I call YLE   who creates dream adventures/vacations for travelers who wish to see Italy from the inside out.    www.yletour.com

 

In 2011 I found Yle on FB and she immediately saw that I had an Italian 'dream' to find una nonna (a grandmother) who would show me how to make pasta.

 

Before I even confirmed my flight Home to Italy Yle had scheduled a day with Nonna Vata.   I spend several hours learning to make 6 types of pasta.  Our conversation included living on a farm in Italy to current politics.  Her lovely granddaughter Deborah translated for me but it was amazing that Nonna and I could communicate in many ways.

 

So this year I am turning to Yle and Yltour.com to organize an extensive adventure in Puglia.

The towns I still wish to visit are: 

> Ostuni

> Cisternino

> Locorotondo

> Alberobello  (I spent a day there last year and wish to revisit the kind people who helped me)

> Monopoli

> Martina Franca  

> Gallipoli

> Otranto

 

This is an extensive list for someone who does NOT WANT TO TAKE THE BUS but I hope to see as many of the towns as possible.

 

But the MOST important reasons for going back to Lecce is to visit Yle and learn about her tours for 2013.  In 2012 she did a wonderful language event, a cooking event and yoga retreat.  But her list of offerings is endless:  photography, classic cars, cooking with locals, wine tastings, sports events, photography, art classes, language classes......   I could spend a month with her and never try it all!   She also does wedding planning, helps you find and visit your ansestrial home towns, friends holidays and more.

The hidden treasure this year is to finally meet MAMMA ANNA.

I have written about her before on www.hometoitaly.com.    I have an idea that I hope to launch with Mamma A that you can read about in December and January at www.hometoitaly.com.  

 

Have you used yletour.com for your Italian adventures?

Can you suggest other towns I should see next month when I co Home to Italy?

 

Pasta at Midnight: The Italian way

 

Mamma Anna at the midnight pasta fest
 

        Our friend and best guest poster, Yle from Puglia was able to send this great story before she launches her next week long event in Lecce:    a culinary tour with chef Kathy Ayer and another amazing tour for 12 lucky participants http://foodloversodyssey.typepad.com/my_weblog/food-wine-lovers-culinary-tour-puglia.html

 

Yltour hosted another amazing event with Melissa Maldoon learning Italian, visiting towns and villages through Puglia and enjoying many activities at this elegant country location.   Yle tells us about an impromptu event late one night....

 

BECOMING ITALIAN IN A WEEK: AGLIO,OLIO E PEPERONCINO

- spaghetti, spah-geh-tee – fare una spaghettata - to eat spaghetti with friends

   .Our Italian/US group (Italian language Immersion: Diario di una Studentessa Mattahttp://www.studentessamatta.com/tour-puglia-with-melissa-yltour/) was gathering around a table after the presentation of a book under an inspiring summer starred sky, sipping some negroamaro wine when suddenly my friend Sarah (a highly talented opera singer) declared: spaghetti?

In less than 1 minute we (a group of ten) all agreed on abandoning the beautiful buffet we were attending and went into the most inspiring Salento rustic kitchen to prepare our midnight snack.
In a few seconds the kitchen set was ready and Mamma Anna, assisted by our charming Italian man Michele, were ready to cook.

So lucky to have sweet Mamma Anna at the table with us! As soon as we pronounced the magic word “spaghetti” she immediately continued by saying “Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino”. The perfect Italian Mum.

After 10 minutes from the declaration spaghetti, we were in the kitchen preparing the ingredients and boiling some salted water.      In the meantime some local friends joined us in the kitchen attracted by what an authentic Italian can never resist.

Our group of US friends were simply happy at inventing this gorgeous dish with Mamma Anna: although it was late – and she usually sleeps at that time – she was energetic, ironic and had hugs and kisses for everybody.

In Italian we say “detto fatto”..which means said done!|

While Mamma Anna was showing our friends how to make the most popular Italian midnight snack, somebody else brought some good local wine to pair with.

Italian style: sunglasses!

Yle, with Yltour.com

Italian women and men are always dressed well when they go out each day.

Sometimes I fail to notice how well dressed the Italians are, because I am often amazed how 'lovely' a group they are!  

Yle gave me some insight, telling me that "we Pugliesi pay a lot of attention to our look".  "An Italian woman would not go to the market without being fully dressed."  

Her other comments I had to send to Google translate but it sounds so much better in Italian!   "Le donne Italiane (most of the times) are belle e affascinati. (beautiful and fascinating).

 Lots of importance is given to the look, accessories, make up, shoes, nails.   But they are naturally belle....just consider their taste in getting dressed and combining clothes in the best possible way.     Their hair also will be "a Posto", because we always say a woman has to ordinata, curata, profumata, gradevole".  translated:  tidy, organized, fragrant, pleasant.    

"The Italian woman does not wear 'sloppy' or casual clothing at home or out in the street".
 After years of sloppy t shirts, flip flops and sometimes appaling attire, worn in the USA, I am always underdressed when I arrive in Italy.  My uniform has become BLACK.  From head to toe and you can't go wrong.

Italians know how to create art with a scarf (a future post) but have you noticed the wonderful Shades they wear?  Our friend Yle has kindly given me many photos from her FB album to show you what I mean.

Can you share other photos?
http://animoto.com/play/B1Cs3bH0tIGlAt3V2T00eQ

Gelato! A food group all it's own!

Perhaps I LOVE ice cream because of my Italian blood.........and it is really gelato I am looking for every time I stop at an ice cream store.       When home in Italy each year  I taste gelato in every town I visit in Italy.   I have my favorite gelato stores and flavors that I visit every time I go home to Italy.     Yes it is different in EVERY town and EVERY store.   And I am sorry to tell my 23 million Italian American friends, nothing in the USA comes close to gelato in Italy!

Un’arte tutta italiana: il gelato, Yle

Creamy, swirls of gelato 

When clients ask me for a spring culinary experience I often suggest for them to assist in a GELATO demo and learn what Italians gelato makers do and how artisanal gelato is made. 

And when it is about making it (gelato) with some nice friends and learn this Italian art, the answer cannot be anything but positive. 

Last time I saw Luca, the gelato maker, he made me taste a gorgeous fruity gelato and that was at that time that I thought my clients would have loved it. On several occasions, during my USA visits, I have tasted gelato, but have been  disappointed by the quantity of sugar used in it.    In some cases I tought it was a bubble gum rather than a gelato and could not finish my serving.

What makes Luca’s Gelato so special, is actually the freshest products used for ingredients and the limited quantity of sugar he adds.           Actually having tasted sugar free and gluten free gelato, it is one of the best experiences and  I can recommend it.   Also, his gelato is made without preservatives and artificial additives  which made me prefer tasting this rather than others. 

In this area of Italy (Puglia)  people basically eat  healthy , so  planning a vacation for a vegetarian  is not complicated at all.      Well, as probably some of you have realized, I like all things genuine and simple. This selection does not only fit a lifestyle, but is also a guidance in my daily nutritional plan.   

It was a busy spring weekend devoted to the inspection of new lovely places to recommend for my one day or longer tour programs. I asked two friends of mine to join me in this foodie inspection and share with me the pleasure of having breakfast with a “just made” gelato. 

When I told them the factory was by the ocean, they were simply happy.         Our scheduled time with Luca was quite early in the morning and the light on the ocean at that moment of the day is simply gorgeous.