Many Americans have Italy on their bucket list! The region they love the most is definitely beautiful Tuscany.
Americans and Tuscany: That's amore!
Countless Americans have Italy on their bucket list! Among the Italian regions, the one they love the most is definitely Tuscany, in the central part of the peninsula. Americans love Tuscany, from delicious food to charming landscapes to art, to history (it is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance) and culture (it is the foundation of the Italian language). "If Italy can claim Europe's most tempting cuisine, Tuscany is both its larder and its inspiration – writes Belinda Dixon in Lonely Planet Magazine - This sun-drenched, vine-lined region is rich in slices of culinary heaven. Which makes it ripe for self-guided gourmet explorations. We've cherry-picked the best food and drink experiences so you can cook up your very own Tuscan foodie road trip".
The perfect place to enjoy the pleasures of life
Tuscany is the perfect place to enjoy the pleasures of life. As Vicky Hallett reminds in National Geographic magazine: "The Tuscan countryside is like the wine produced there—meant to be savored rather than gulped. There are countless places to explore, each with something gorgeous or delicious to discover”. There are essentially 5 fundamental reasons Americans (but also Italians) love the region of Tuscany: the wine, the food, the landscape, the history, and the art.
Wine
Tuscany is one of the most exciting wine regions in Italy and the world. It is known for Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, all Sangiovese-based. The region's wines are officially recognized. They have 41 DOC, 11 DOCG, and 6 IGP/IGT designations. Super Tuscans wines such as Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Tignanello, and Le Pergole Torte have the IGT appellation, so they can use non-indigenous varieties.
Food
Tuscan cuisine was a "cucina povera," poor cooking. It consists primarily of traditional dishes preserved for many years. In Tuscany, bread is unsalted. Another characteristic is the use of white meats and wild game. Pork is also used to produce cured meats like the famous finocchiona, culatello, lardo di colonnata, buristo. The cheese tradition is also extraordinary, like Tuscan pecorino.
Landscape
"The film Under the Tuscan Sun tossed the heart of central Italy into the global tourism spotlight, sending busloads of camera-wielding tourists to historic hamlets and pack-them-in, pack-them-out wine tasting pit stops – says Costas Christ on National Geographic Magazine - For today's thoughtful travelers, Tuscany's Maremma region offers authenticity and nature on a grand scale best sampled in spring, when the days are warm, the nights are cool, and the land is bursting with life renewed." Iconic and diverse, Tuscan landscapes are considered among the most beautiful in the world.
History and Art
The region, with the capital Florence, has been renowned for the incredible beauty of its Medieval and Renaissance art and culture. In addition, Tuscany has some of the most exceptional art galleries in the world, including the Uffizi Gallery.
