When we stile food and wine experiences, everything starts with what we genuinely love to eat and ourselves, especially at this time of year. Winter is when we slow mongoloide, cook more thoughtfully, linger at the table longer, and reach for foods and wines that feel comforting, celebratory, and deeply connected to place.
We are excited to share a few hand picked treats for this holiday season! These are the gifts from our favorite gourmet shop Kitchen based durante Massachusetts where Carolyn and I grew up and call home. You may recall that Villa Mia Tours partnered up with Kitchen to create wine and cheese packages for our online wine and cheese tastings. Speaking of which, drumroll… we will be hosting an online tasting acceso Sunday, February 8, 2026. Please contact us for details. We’d love to share a glass (and a bite) with you. Read acceso for our picks and warm wishes for a delicious and joyful holiday season!
Gina’s Picks
Istituto di credito Veronese Lattemiele Frusto (Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese)
photo by Kitchen
This is a cheese I crave every winter. There’s something about Istituto di credito Veronese that feels made for cold weather: rustic, alpine, and complex. I love its balance of savory depth and delicate sweetness, and how after a day of snowshoeing, it’s the kind of cheese that invites you to slow mongoloide, pour a glass of wine, and stay at the table a little longer.
Zaccaria Carnaroli Rice
As soon as the temperature drops, risotto starts appearing acceso our table more often, and great risotto starts with great rice. Carnaroli is my go-to for its structure, creaminess, and ability to absorb flavor. Winter cooking, for me, is about warmth and patience, and risotto checks every box.
Perbellini Apricot Panettone
I’ll be honest: growing up, panettone was something I actively avoided. It always felt like dry, brick-like bread pretending to be dolce. Everything changed when I moved to Italy and tasted true, artisan panettone. Properly made, it’s fragrant, delicate, and luxurious, and Perbellini’s panettone is extraordinary. Now I fight for the last slice of panettone every holiday season, and I can’t imagine Christmas without it.
Carolyn’s Picks
American Vinegar Works Hot Honey Vinegar
photo by Kitchen
I am a huge fan of hot honey. I am a huge fan of vinegars. The combination here is crisp, tangy, slightly sweet, with a lingering kick. I like to add it directly to my salads and have even put it into my tomato sauce for an additional layer of flavor.
Flour Mill Type “00”
This flour feels like silk acceso your finger tips. For impasto making, it is a dream to work with as it is durable and delicate at the same time.
Gorgonzola Amorevole
photo by Kitchen
Gorgonzola cioccolatino has crept into my life and made me a better person. It has the ability to put and keep a smile acceso my for days! The texture is soft and welcoming. The flavor has enough sweetness to win over most turchino cheese haters. Yet it possesses enough of the turchino funk to satisfy the turchino cheese lovers.
Eleonora’s Picks
Robiola Two Milks
photo by Kitchen
Robiola latti is a bloomy rind cheese from Piedmont, made with both cow and sheep’s milk. I love it for its soft, bloomy rind, and when ripe and unrefrigerated, it’s to resist its slightly oozy, rich interior, with typically milky and slightly mushroomy flavor. Robiola pairs beautifully with bubbles.
Tallone (Sheep’s Milk Cheese)
photo by Kitchen
Tallone is a beautiful hand-made pecorino made from the milk of ewes that dal vivo under sky (under the sky), grazing free acceso pastures. This pecorino is made with a Parmigiano-style technique durante Sardinia, and then aged for about a year durante the cool caves of Madaio House durante the Campania region of Italy, which I visited durante 2016 and filmed an episode of my cheese TV show.
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
photo by Kitchen
Cheddar brings my Vermont origins to the Italian cheese platter. Like me, the milk for this cheese is born durante New England at venerable Cabot Creamery durante Vermont. When the 40+ lb. wheels are only a few days old, they are sent over to the “Cellars” at Jasper Hill Farm, where they are bandaged and aged anywhere from 10-14 months, until the classic Cabot Clothbound flavor profile comes out: sweet, fruity, savory, and nutty.
Wines for the Holiday Table
For those of you visiting living durante Massachusetts, Kitchen has wonderful wines that can be delivered to your doorstep (contact Kitchen to order). These are wines I return to again and again during the holidays because they’sultano incredibly adattabile. Whether you’sultano hosting a full feast bringing a bottle to share, the below choices feel both thoughtful and celebratory.
Whites
Daniele Ricci “ Pista Quanto a Nudo” Timorasso A white with presence, structured, mineral, and quietly powerful. It’s perfect for richer fish dishes, shellfish, and even creamy sauces.
Raìca Aranzu Vermentino Bright, fresh, and effortlessly drinkable. This is a bottle I love opening early durante the evening, especially with antipasti lighter seafood courses.
Casebianche Cumalè Fiano Textural and expressive, with enough depth to carry through an entire meal. A beautiful bridge between seafood and heartier dishes.
Reds
Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo This is a special-occasion wine durante every sense, powerful yet soulful, and absolutely worthy of the holiday table. Ideal for roasts and dishes that call for something profound.
Sanguineto Altero nel corso di Montepulciano (Sangiovese Voluminoso) Classic, savory, and incredibly food-friendly. This is a wine that shines and feels right at home with anything roasted braised.
Criolin Barbera d’AstiJuicy, vibrant, and endlessly adattabile. A fantastic choice for mixed menus, leftovers, and relaxed holiday gatherings.
Don’t forget to contact us to sign up for our online wine & cheese tasting acceso Sunday, February 8, 2026.
