Ahh il Bel Paese day I

My Italian tour came to an end and I'm happy to be back.
In this trip I've learned and saw a lot of new things, at least 4 first release of wineries t need to be followed closely.
My story starts in Milano Malpensa were my plane landed around 9 am; my friend Filippo pick me up and we direct his Volvo convertible with the top down towards Sfruz in Trentino Alto Adige, a small town were Filippo was going to marry with Elisabetta. The "Autostrada" brought us through the Franciacorta fields were some of the best Italian "bubbles" are bottled, and then into the Valpolicella area after we turn, north of Verona, towards the Brennero pass.
On the way up to the Adige valley on my right the famous "Vigneti di Monte Lodoletta" was budding under the savvy guidance of Romano dal Forno in the 80 degrees weather, we passed by Negrar saluting the Veneto region into Trentino.
Sometimes abstinence is good, I used to came around here at least once at year for the Vinitaly and I took these places for granted like I did when I lived in Rome; after four years I felt like a tourist in my own town.
We got out of the Autostrada at San Michele all'Adige exit and walked in the Eppian region of Alto Adige, which is one of the many "Strade del Vino" we have in Italy, as soon after you pay the tolls you can spot the Mezzacorona and the Rotary Spumante cellars, followed by the Ferrari ones (no! not the cars... the Spumante makers!!!).
After that just small producers filled with Teroldego and Lagrein vines that is the core of the Alto Adige viticulture.
Now the funny thing is that the first part of my trip wasn't supposed to be about wine, and the first hour the sight was filled with straight "filari" of grapes from the Pinot Bianco and Pinot Noir in Franciacorta to the noble grains of Corvina and family in Veneto ending up with Lagrein and Teroldego with parts of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero.
Drastically, and really it took just one turn to completely change the scenario, we went from grapes to apples in the famous Val di Non were Sfruz is sited.
We got to our destination serenaded by blowing apple trees facing the Brenta group of mountains, which includes Madonna di Campiglio, into the "Rifugio Sores" for a shower and some rest.
The day finished then with a nice dinner at Dennis's restaurant with the house Lagrein and a great "Stinco" that had spend the afternoon in the oven.
It was time to have a night cup sided with some catching up with Filippo and then some deserved sleep after all tomorrow I have to be for dinner in Ostia with Roberto Cipresso and friends.
To be continued...