Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Chianti Cashmere: or, How Nora Got My Goat

A voyager meets cashmere on the hoof

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for goats. In fact, I was once initiated into an all woman 'goat' club where each initiate had to don a sheep's mantle and toss it off while saying: "I am NOT a sheep!" Sheep are followers, known for herd behavoir, lact of initiative, and dubious intelligence, apparently (though any creature that can produce wool can't be all that dumb). On the other hand, goats are supposedly independent, fiesty, and difficult to herd. If you also happen to be a cashmere goat, it seems you are elevated into a class all on your own. 

One of my favorite places to visit in Tuscany is a gourmet goat farm called Chianti Cashmere. Each time I travel there, I arrange to arrive at lunch so as to partake in delicious local fare served overlooking the Chianti hills. Nora Kravis, the owner, always gathers fresh local cheeses, vegetables from her garden, whips up fresh-baked crackers and bread, serves the best wine and points out points of interest in the local vistas—'Sting lives over there', for instance.

After winding through the glorious vinyards of Chianti, oohing and aahing at the castillos, the golden-leaved vineyards and rolling fields, what a perfect place to spend an afternoon. To make everything even more beautific, the sun always seems to shine like melted honey over the landscape as we all just sit there, inhaling the view and trying to adjust ourselves to the fact that, yes, we are in Tuscany and, truly, we are about to eat alfresco as alfresco is meant to be, under a grape pergola overlooking the Chianti hills. It's like a dream come true.

For dessert, we get to meet cashmere-on-the-hoof, an amazingly engaging breed of creatures and to wander through Nora's cashmere shop.

Here we are simultaneously admiring the view, studying the grapes overhead and getting ready to dig in.

Nora could write a book about her life story if she'd ever find the time.

Nora and a favourite kid

We always go a little goofy over the kids. And the dogs. Nora also raises Boglonaise (sp?) puppies, little puffs of vanilla fur that frolic in her yard. Several of us tried to smuggle the wee things out in our purses but Nora was on to us.

 Puppy bliss

I must also add here that we as a group managed to successfully forage in Nora's shop where the fruits of her labors have been crafted into goat's milk soap, shampoos, YARN, body lotion, YARN, plus an assortment of handwoven cashmere scarves, throws and shawls. Most of us did not leave empty handed.

 If there's a message in this tale, it's this: if you're ever in Chianti, call Nora at39 0577 738080 and try to drop over for a visit.

On the farm, admiring the view. Sting's villa is off in the distance