Category: Italy

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Cantina Do Mori…Authentic Venice

When in Venice…Cantina Do Mori

It’s a classic part of Venice.

No chairs…just a few stools. No tables…just a long wooden bar and some upturned wine barrels.  Dozens of antique copper pots hang from the dark, wooden ceiling.

Tour groups wander in…but don’t stay for even one glass. Locals stop at the same time each day…and the bartender never asks what they want. He just serves them.

Warm and cozy, this original bacaro has been catering to the workers of the Rialto Market, tourists, and even supposedly Casanova since 1462. Like so many things in Venice, it’s not easy to find. Even with a map, it’s a challenge. It’s tucked in an alley way between Ruga Vecchia, San Giovanni, and Calle Arco. Got that?

It’s definitely worth double checking the alleyways to find it. Or, stop and ask a shop keeper. You may get directions.

We were lucky and found Cantina Do Mori one morning. The only people in the cantina was a group of older, local men gathered around their morning glass of vino.

We watched as the bartender poured each of them their drink without asking what they wanted. He poured mostly water into one guy’s glass and topped it off with a little wine. The guy smiled.

Their conversation was lively amongst themselves. Pretty soon they welcomed us into their group. It didn’t really matter that our Italian was barely passable, and their English was almost non-existent. We all still had a great conversation.

Later in the afternoon we wandered back for some cicchetti, crostini, and salami to have with the bartender’s choice of wine. I had a delightful prosecco which complimented my snacks. Others had one of the tramezzini, crustless, oversized sandwiches, and a glass of red wine.

Guess what? We met the same group of men from that morning, in for their afternoon glass. Of course they remembered us and chatted away in Italian. We still aren’t sure what they were talking about.

But, that’s okay.

IF YOU Go: Cantina Do Mori is located at Calle dei Do Mori, 429 San Polo Venezia.

You can check out other parts of Italy https://travelsandescapes.net/.

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Prosecco…Bubbles in Your Glass

Do you like Prosecco? It’s an easy drink, the bubbles give excitement to your glass, and it’s affordable. It makes a great spritz, pairing it with some Aperol.

But, what else do you know about it?

Did you know the Glera grape, which grew in the Prosecco region of Italy, was grown in Ancient Rome?

Have you ever looked at the label around the neck of the bottle? Did you see the letters DOC or DOCG? The DOCG is slightly higher quality…and I agree. The grapes grow on vines in limestone hillside. Everything is done by hand…and it’s a steep hill.

Did you realize most Prosecco is not made in the typical methode champenoise? It’s made in the charmaat method or tank method, where the fermented wine goes through its secondary fermentation in big steel tanks, not in the bottle. This means less contact with the yeast sediment, or lees.

Since aromatic grapes are used, the cleaner tank method allows those flavors to shine. More taste.

My favorite comes from the region of Valdobbiadene. It’s a great place to put on your list to visit.