Tripping around america

12/26/2011
Happy holidays everyone!  Somehow, I made it to the USA with 13 bottles and 10 liters of wine, 12 liters of olive oil and 4 kg of cheese and customs just waved me on through.  Quite neighborly if you ask me.
I started out in St. Louis, where I caught up with the growth of my gr. niece and nephew and my brother and sis-in-law.  Then off to KC and a grand tasting of KS wines and timpano (amongst other wonderful things) at Casa Somerset near Louisburg and the next day a tasting at Jasper's restaurant of the wines I brought over from PS winery (my wines) and this year's olive oil.  It was wonderful to re-connect with family and old friends as well as meet some of my virtual fb friends for the first time.  In between the 2 cities on the E. and W. sides of MO, one finds my hometown of Carrollton, where I opened a bottle of Pecorino and shared it with my parents' final resting place. I also visited my childhood home to collect some pecans for planting in Italy.  After a 6 AM bible study with my old KC group and coffee with 2 old friends, I headed back to St. Louis for Christmas with the family and now I am in Chicago waiting to fly back to Rome and then on to the wedding of the year in Caserta!
Enjoy the photos.

Childhood home

Pecorino poured out on my parents' graves to keep them up to date on my activities and thank them for the help in this new life I am living

Cutting the timpano at Casa Somerset

The big night.

The Scout and the KC skyline

Liberty memorial; wow, is it ever a nice museum now! and the only WWI memorial in the USA, as far as I know.

At my buddy Jasper's eponymous restaurant for the debut of my wines in the states.

Friends at the tasting

Katherine and me at Jasper's

The lucky group who stayed for dinner.  It was wonderful getting to see my old friends!

Disregarding the rude t-shirt, which I think is a hoot; this is my niece and I trying to make mozzarella for the first time with Jasper's do it at home kit.

The budding cheese makers getting our hands burned!

End of year update for those who don't see my fb posts

Nearly 9 months behind schedule, the winery was finally finished and the grand opening held.  This is the Giacinto jazz trio helping us celebrate .

This is a chorale group who sang everything from O Sole Mio to traditional italian folk songs.  (And drank me out of house and home!)

Friends in front of the fireplace

My traditional and favorite pose

Some of my latest labors, other than pruning all the olive trees include fertilizing and plowing every other row of the vineyard.  These are the Pecorino vines looking up towards the winery.

Merlot and Cabernet vines.  Now, if it would just rain, I would be set.  We haven't had appreciable rain since July.

Sunset looking east down the Cab. Sauvignon vines

A day trip with Bacco towards the Sibillini mountains

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Autumn colors near Force

I have had a bit of time to take Bacco swimming in the Adriatic the last few days.

I have also cleaned up the winery and the equipment, and the b&b before leaving for the states.  

I am looking forward to seeing friends back home and family for Christmas.  I plan to open the first bottled Pecorino wine and pour a bit over my parents' graves and let them know what I have been up to.  My luggage is packed with 13 bottles and 10 liters of wine and 12 liters of olive oil, 3kg of parmigiano reggiano and 1 mostarda.  There is no room for my clothes.