Introducing Gastronomad, the newest addition to the Mad Rose Journeys collection inspired by Neal Rosenthal’s lifelong dedication not only to bringing attention to the world’s great wines, but also to the people and places that create them and the cuisine that complements and brings them to their greatest heights. Our first Gastronomad experience will take guests through some of the jewels of Italy’s northern and central regions. Michelin-starred chefs and iconic wine producers will be among the protagonists, as will venues that represent an important connection to the places we will visit, from a spectacular private home owned and designed by a member of Milan’s publishing elite to the countryside retreat of Massimo Bottura, one of the most acclaimed chefs in the world. Along the way, we will visit the estates of some of Rosenthal Wine Merchant’s most historic growers and enjoy dinners where those growers will join us and open special bottles from their own private collections. We will not want for cultural experiences, with private guided explorations of the lesser-known, hidden secrets of the world-renowned artistic meccas of Florence and Siena.
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Springtime is an exceptional season to visit Northern Italy. At the end of April, the cows will be out grazing in the high mountains and it will be milking time. Producers will be making beautiful fresh cheeses with this milk, and we cannot wait to taste them with him in the stunning Aosta Valley.
In the vineyards, the buds will have opened on the vines and heavy work will be underway. This is a critical period for the growers and a most interesting one as the growing season really comes alive. We will visit with the Rovellotti and Ferrando families and more from Ghemme in the Alto Piemonte and the storied region of Carema, just beneath Mont Blanc, for tastings and visits of the extraordinary high altitude vines.
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Join us for a week of skiing at the best resorts of the French, Italian and Swiss alps, wine tastings with growers from the Rosenthal Wine Merchant portfolio, and convivial meals at the finest tables of the Alps.
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Joining our four flagship journeys slated for 2022 is a new culinary excursion in Northern Italy that will include a dinner together with one of the world's most celebrated chefs, Massimo Bottura, and an overnight stay at his beautiful luxury guesthouse in the countryside of Emilia Romagna, Casa Maria Luigia.
Final details will follow in late January, but for those interested in holding a place or learning more about the October 9-16, 2022 Gastronomad Italy Journey, please be in touch.
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In early November, we held the first of what we hope will be a series of unique deep dives into the culinary and enological cultures of two of the world’s great wine growing regions. The event, entitled “The Jura Meets the Langhe,” was a convivial two-day affair that took place within the charming spaces of La Closerie les Capucines.
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With an intimate group of wine lovers, we made a Pilgrimage to Burgundy. Our journey began in the Jura at Neal's chambres d'hôtes, La Closerie les Capucines. Nestled in the center of Arbois, we call this place “The House that Wine Built.” Michelin-starred chef and our dear friend Jean Paul Jeunet cooked for us in the house, joined by local vignerons. We hiked through the woods with Mickael Overnoy Crinquand, one of the only remaining winemakers who also raises cows and makes cheese, and of course, we tasted his wines. In Burgundy we had a fascinating master class in terroir with expert geologist Françoise Vannier and tasted in cellars along the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune including those of Georges Lignier in Morey-Saint-Denis and Henri & Gilles Buisson in Saint Romain.
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To achieve the profound earthy scent and taste that makes white truffles so appealing, the soil needs to be moist. With warming temperatures and an exceedingly dry summer in Northern Italy, conditions for truffles were less than ideal. The dwindled supply accompanied by a demand as strong as ever, have caused prices to sky-rocket to double and in some cases to quadruple the price per ounce.
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In September, Mad Rose Journeys went for a deep-dive into Provence with a private group. We began in Cassis with the magnificent Hotel Les Roches Blanches as our home base as we explored the wild and rugged Calanques and special family-run wineries of the Rosenthal portfolio in Bandol and Cassis. We continued to the Camargue for an immersion in all things camarguais, from rice and salt to horses and bulls, visiting the unique ecosystem of marshland and salt with ecologists and naturalist guides.
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