A lazy Sunday in Castelcerino

Sunday brunch...Always though it couldn't get better than waking up on a Sunday morning, drinking some coffee out of my preferred coffee mug (which is roughly the size of a medium salad bowl) and going for a long walk to make room for a heaping plate of Eggs Benedict at the Centre Street Cafe in Jamaica Plain, my choice brunch joint in my old neighborhood in Boston.

But that was before I spent a lazy Sunday in Castelcerino.

The Coffele vineyards, as well as the vineyards of a number of other Soave wine producers (such as Suavia, Filippi and Balestri Valda) are located in the hills of Castelcerino...as are a handful of wonderful bed & breakfasts or "agriturismi."

After a late morning walk around the hills with Chiara and Giorgio (a "Fattore K" victim, admitted eBay addict, absolute sweetheart and man who knows something, or more accurately a frightening amount of info on just about everything)...we ended up at Hosteria Cansignorio.

Alberto and Giulia joined us at this perfect spot for a long lunch on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately the picture in the upper left is the only one I have of the restaurant...but you can actually check out their website at: http://hostariacansignorio.com/sve/contatti.html

And after 3 hours, 2 bottles of wine, a plate of polenta with mushrooms, another with a mix of salumi, pasta with artichokes, a nice chat with the owner (Sirpa), dessert and coffee...

Well, actually...I think the look on Giorgio's face says it all. See photo in the upper right.

Okay...the pole may also have had something to do with that. And understandably so.

- Zucca