Greetings from Torino!!

WOW what a place! Torino is a wonderful city, and reminds me of the Northwest... flanked by the Alps, the city has beautiful rivers and forest which surround the city centre. Drier than Western Washington, and yet has a nice evergreen feel... similair to the Cashmere/Leavenworth area... they have no problem growing and ripening wine grapes here, and I've tasted some fantastic whites from Arneis to some truly solid house wines which are mostly Dolcetto and Barbera. Torino was founded in the 3rd century B.C. and of course conquered by the Romans. The Savoys made it their capital in 1574... most of the city's restoration came in the 17 - 18th centuries, during the Baroque era. They also have a penchant for politics, becoming the 1st capital of Italy from 1861-1864. The palace has housed the King of Sardinia, Kings of Italy and now serves as a museum, including the Shroud of Turin which is believed to be the cloth that wrapped Jesus upon crucifixion (which is now encased in an air tight seal, in a silver casket, in a box, in marble and only is on public display every 25 years, the last being the year 2000). Vermouth is from here, the Mole Antonelliana is the tallest brick building in Europe, has the world's first Egyptian museum, the largest open-air market in Europe, and is home to Bicerin, a famous drink made with coffee, milk and locally produced chocolate (sorry Starbucks yours sucks in comparison). Torino also boasts the 2nd largest (next to Frankfurt) book fair - the book stores here are like department stores - and the 2008 Winter Olympic games were here. Ok enough history and trivia for now... please check out our Facebook page for a photo album... and check back for updates throughout our wine tour through Piedmont & Verona this coming weekend!