Ciao a tutti, 

Time to heat up the mulled wine and raise a glass with family and friends as Christmas in Italy is almost here. We hope you have some lovely meals planned and remember to check out our extensive recipe section if you need a little dolce vita inspiration. On behalf of the Italy Magazine team, we thank you for always being supportive of our cause and the hard work our team puts in to bring Italy to you, wherever you happen to live. Here’s what you might have missed from this week. 

Italian wines pair beautifully with many dishes from countries and cultures outside “the boot.” Because there are over 500 native grapes in Italy, it is always possible to create the perfect pairing for your festive meals and our resident wine expert offers her prime suggestions. 

In Italy, as in many other countries, the Feast of the Three Kings is celebrated on Epiphany (January 6), which falls twelve days after Christmas, the traditional length of time it took for the magi to travel to Bethlehem. In this feature, we explore the theme of The Three Kings in Italian art. 

What’s the secret behind perfect handmade pasta dough? We asked the top fresh pasta makers (all women) in Bologna. 

It might come as a surprise but you can make a truly excellent pasta sauce using canned tuna and other simple ingredients – find out more in our recipe of the week.  

It’s called Balcone d’Italia (Balcony of Italy) and it’s considered one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Italy. We explore this hidden gem in our latest dual-language article. 

Here’s a chance to learn the necessary vocabulary to make your Natale (Christmas) and Capodanno (New Year) in Italy an unforgettable experience, not only in terms of enjoying regional holiday cuisine but also in terms of upping your Italian language skills.

It's about time! Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy has recently been inscribed onto UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

One of Italy’s top pastry shops is located inside a prison in Padua (Veneto) where salaried inmates produce artisanal cookies, pies, nougats, holiday cakes, and much more. But it is the panettone, Italy’s signature Christmas cake, that the pasticceria is most famous for.

This beautiful property is for sale located in a Tuscan "Borgo" in an attractive, panoramic position. It consists of three buildings renovated in the mid-1980s and two swimming pools surrounded by gardens.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend from Georgette, your editor, and the Italy Magazine team.