Our very first afternoon showcase event was a wonderful occasion with the superb Anna Baccanello from Azure Collection taking us on a culinary and wine tasting journey around the regions of Italy.
Anna along with our own Sharron, Danny, Liz and the fabulous team at Chigwell Golf Club ensured the venue was dressed for the occasion and guests were greeted, with a glass of prosecco and some breadsticks wrapped in Parma ham, to a background soundtrack from Andrea Bocelli, whose summer Tuscany concerts were one of the special experiences Anna was to later preview.
With everybody sat comfortably, Anna began in Northern Italy, taking us from Venice to Tuscany, introducing us to some exquisite accommodation and fueling our imaginations with pictures of driving a red Ferrari for a day through the hills and gorgeous countryside.
The first of the afternoon’s delightful gastronomic accompaniment, designed by Anna and superbly prepared by Chigwell’s own fabulous chef Jill, came in the form of traditional Crostini tasters, washed down with a sampling of Anna’s recommended local wines - Dolcetto D'Alba and Alpina Pinot Grigio from the Alto Adige wineries.
With the audience now totally immersed in the flavours of the North, Anna commenced part two with an absorbing presentation on the central areas of the country including Rome, Amalfi, Sardinia and the Umbria region concluding with delicious Neapolitan mini pizzas and tastes of Morellino di Scasano and Verdicchio dei Castelli wines.
The concluding part of our journey headed to the unique South featuring Basilicata, Puglia, Sicily and the beautiful Aeolian Islands accompanied by a scrumptious Sicilian cake and small glasses of a red Luna Argento Appassite (Nero D'Avola) & a fine white - Falanghina. We would have happily spent the rest of the day discussing the delights of the afternoon amongst ourselves, eagerly debating where we would like to head first and when. Sadly, time had whizzed by, but not before coffees and an exciting draw where Anna picked out “lucky luggage tags” that each guest had completed upon arrival. Those fortunate winners went home with prizes including a voucher for a Florentine cookery school, an Abbotts voucher redeemable against a trip to one of the places featured and some splendid Sardinian wines.
Nobody goes home empty handed from an Abbotts Travel showcase and complimentary goody bags were handed out as the audience departed. Thanks to Anna and all at Azure Collection for their generosity and a wonderful presentation, to Chigwell Golf Club and their staff for their hard work and support and to all that came and shared a hugely enjoyable and successful debut afternoon event. For further details on the featured places and experiences or to discuss any Italian breaks please contact us or call the team on 020 8989 9445 for further details.