“Then I went for a walk and ate some pistachio gelato. Which Italians consider a perfectly reasonable thing to be eating at 9:30 a.m. and frankly I could not agree with them more.” - Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love

I couldn’t agree more with the above statement. Sharing a meal is a small celebration of culture, togetherness, and an indulgence of the senses. The Italians invented apertivos, pre-meal beverages intended to whet the appetite, and digestivos, an alcoholic beverage to aid digestion aptly served before and after meals. The Italians are known for their passion for food in every home, and I was fortunate to do a food & wine tour from Alba to the wine country of Tuscany, ending my adventure in Florence.