Pisani di Gusto at the Stazione Leopolda, Pisa – Sounds like a mouthful, yes? Well, it certainly was!
Lucky for us, we visited Pisa during the Pisani di Gusto (Pisa Food and Wine Festival) and had the opportunity to stop by for a tour one morning. Not yet too crowded, so we took our time and strolled the aisles….
Here are some of the local artisan food and wine vendors we met. Want to try some samples? Let’s go…..
Privilegio offered up beautiful cold-pressed olive oil (“olio extravergine di Oliva”), meaning the temperature throughout the pressing process remains below 27 degrees the entire time. The oil is an “I.G.P. Toscano”, meaning it is tested to be of the highest quality. And indeed it is! We met Vanessa who was offering samples of the olive oils, so we tasted different varieties. Privilegio produces Yellow Leaf, Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Purple Leaf, and White Leaf labeled oils. Their oils range from sweet, to bitter, to spicy, to grassy. Certainly, an olive oil for everyone’s tastes buds.
Now here’s something very cool indeed….Vanessa and her brother, Andrea, offer Vespa rides in Vespa, Italy. Get this: on restored older Vespas! How cool is that? AND unique…Their company, Valdera in Vespa, takes care of everything! You just enjoy the ride. Can’t wait to try this next time we visit. In case you are “in the neighborhood”, be sure to contact them at info@valderainvespa.it for an authentic Vespa experience.
Next, we met the Bertoli Pasta team, who sow and grow their own semolina wheat, harvest it, grind it, and turn it into really tasty “pasta artigianale” for everyone to enjoy. These guys are serious about their product, and take great pride in its production. Here is their website for more info: www.laghiraia.it
Did you know you can make preserves from potatoes?!?! Silly me! I certainly did not. AND that the end product is sweet, delicate, and addictive. So much so, that we had to bring a jar back with us for further indulgence. Plus, the name is pretty delicious sounding – Dolce di Patate.
The family at Podere Tognoni has been creating such specialty products since 1935. Yes, kids, I said 1935! Check out all of their products on Facebook.
There were pasta producers, wine makers, olive oil producers, cheese mongers, salami craftsmen, and such tempting samples it was hard to resist buying one-of-everything. Maybe next time, eh?
So many artisanal products, so little time….hope you enjoyed tasting your way through Pisa’s Food and Wine Festival. We certainly did!
Come Follow Me to Italy 
Hope you brought an extra suitcase with you! What a fun experience this must have been! Certainly beats my meanderings in Italian supermercato’s that I try to do while I’m in Italy (even though that’s pretty fun, too!)
You know our secret – empty duffle bag full of ziptop plastic bags, and bubble wrap! Sure comes in handy for souvenirs..and yes, we do wander those grocery store aisles, too…addictive!
What a great festival. Too bad you missed out on the Vespa ride. I’m still having a hard time imagining potato preserves…now that’s a new one on me and my mother grew up on a potato farm in Maine.
Those darn potato preserves are out of this world! Who’d uh thunk it, right?!? LOL! Every time we are in Italy, we search out the festivals, as there is always something food, wine, or oil related…plus the White Truffles have their own festival in November..that’s amazing.
http://europa-cafe.com/2014/03/03/spiralli-messina/
hi guys.. Yet another lovely post. Don’t get me started on olive oil! (just jealous again…) hope you don’t mind but I have put a link onto my latest post… Thought it was relevant. Let me know if ok. Keep on keeping on . 🙂
Don’t mind at all on the link! Thanks for reading. Yes, that darn olive oil is so near and dear to our hearts, we end up taking ziploc bags and bubble wtap to bring it back. Of course, it’s never enough so we have to keep returning to Italy for more! LOL!