As we are preparing to return to Verona in a few weeks, I’m reflecting on the last 6 years in St. Petersburg. The downtown area has developed into a marvelous walkable city, and it makes for a great location to host out-of-town visitors.
In 2018, we got our wish, and Clara was in St. Pete staying in a hotel across the street from our condo, and we couldn’t have been more excited. It was our turn to show her our life in the States. St. Pete is the perfect setting with its bars, restaurants, and museums.
The wine importer that Clara uses likes to bring the winemakers to Florida to meet with the restaurants that carry her wine. They spend a considerable amount of time on the road when they are in the US, but when they have a break, we get to fill in time at our home or the wine bar we love.
Our relationship with Clara and her family has truly grown to the level of familia! We have seen her multiple times every year since. They, on occasion, stay with us when they come to America, and we have spent time at their house in Montalcino. We could not have asked for a better family to be adopted into. Eleana has blossomed into a beautiful young lady. (I have a picture of her being silly when we first met; she warns me that if I ever post it, I will be dead, and they will never find my body in the vineyard).
On Clara’s first trip to St. Pete, the importer brought over another winemaker from the Valpolicella region, which lies just outside of Verona. Lara Damoli and her family own Damoli Wines, which produces Amarone, the wine famous in that region. To say Lara has had a major role in our Italian life is an understatement; she and Clara have been instrumental in our journey!
