This Is a Good Time for Italy

While the snow keeps falling on the east coast of North America, Italy goes on being Italy.

This is a good time for Italy.

I might suggest you wake to the sea along the Amalfi Coast, the winter light silver-blue on the water, the beach entirely your own.

Or let me take you deep into the countryside of Emilia-Romagna for a private visit to what I am convinced is the finest producer of Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy — organic, closed-cycle agriculture, and guided by a remarkable family. When I sampled one of their most celebrated Parmigiani — produced in a mere 100 wheels each year — the flavor was so extraordinary it brought tears.

After a few hours with the cheesemaker, you may well find yourself invited to lunch.

Their ricotta is ethereal.

Their butter — extraordinary — is sought after by discerning chefs, pastry cooks and by locals who understand the quality.

Have you been to Lake Iseo, one of Italy’s most under-the-radar lakes? Here, in the hills of Franciacorta, Italy’s most elegant sparkling wines are produced with patience and long experience.

It is also peak puntarelle season. And where are they better than on Roman pizza bianca?

You might be enjoying them for lunch before a coffee at my beloved Dolci Desideri — perhaps finishing with a few of their jewel-like candied fruits, tasting purely and unmistakably of the fruit itself.

All part of the Insider’s Rome Walking Tour.

In Bergamo, Sandro presents a tuna filet caught the day before. How may he prepare it for you?

Bergamo wins our private prize for quality of life; allow me in a few pictures to begin to show you why.

Our delightful guide will share her perspective as you ascend together to the Città Alta.

Nearby lies Oneta, a charming medieval village in the Valle del Riso, within the Orobie Alps. Stone-arched houses, sweeping mountain views, and silence.

The Alpi Orobie form part of one of Lombardy’s largest protected parks — 173,000 acres of extraordinary terrain ideal for walking, hiking, and mountain biking. I arrange expert guides here for cultural trails and for excursions on foot and bicycle.

Also — and as usual — off the beaten path, is a visit a traditional acetaia producing aged Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. The 30-year-old operation is the owner’s personal passion. Travelers with Insider’s Italy are welcomed for extended visits, private tastings, and often a lunch thoughtfully paired with the balsamic itself.

Once you have tasted balsamic vinegar here, there is simply no returning to the ordinary.

These are some of the cooks at L’Albereta — long considered the birthplace of modern Italian fine dining, where Gualtiero Marchesi elevated local ingredients to the level of French haute cuisine. The restaurant is famously linked to the 2008 Michelin star rebellion, yet remains, like so many of our favorites, under devoted family management. Here, the cooks stepped out of the kitchen to present a birthday cake to a two-year-old guest. Viva l’Italia !