Casa Del Conte: An 'agriturismo' gem

Terroir (French for soil), in culinary terms, celebrates a sense of place and one’s concern for, and contribution to, environmental factors that affect one’s final product. Artisanal wines and cheeses are a perfect case in point. As is Casa del Conte, an “agriturismo” farmhouse nestled in the foothills of Mount Raut in Italy’s western Friuli Region.

Owned and operated for the past nine years by Mimmo (Domenico) and Donatella Mayone, the estate’s lineage dates back to the 16th century when Tommaso Cigolotti and family arrived in neighbouring Montereale from Val di Ledro in the Trentino Region. Wood merchants by trade, the Cigolotti family was bestowed land titles within the area as well as the distinction “Conti Cigolotti di Meduna” (Count of the land) by the 18th-century Venetian Republic for contributions made by the family to Venice’s boat building industry. But, as with most multi-generational families, ideals change. Fortunes found are oftentimes lost. The last Cigolotti-owned property — a dilapidated sharecropper’s house and stable — was sold to the Mayone’s in 2001. Over the next five years Mimmo and Donatella painstakingly refurbished, renovated and reworked the estate. In 2006 the property’s stately reawakening was officiated by Cigolotti matriarch, Contress Christainigg (M. Teresa) Von und zu Gillitzsterie at a grand ceremony celebrating the fully renovated 11-room guest house, working farm, and new-vine ten square meters 2,000-litre capacity vineyard.

“Agriturismo” (an Italian melding of the words “agriculture” and “tourism”) — at its essence — offers a family-style vacation in a luxe farmhouse setting. Most agriturismi offer guests a gastronomic farm-to-table fine dining experience as well.

Such was the case at Casa del Conte.

Daily, I’d watch the estate’s two executive chefs out and about. One in the garden, brow knotted, deeply in thought, sampling the radicchio. The other taking inventory of the farm’s free range chickens, guinea fowl, turkeys and ducks. As though reading my mind’s eye, Mimmo confirms, “Our restaurant in the hotel is not a traditional one. As an agriturismo farmhouse we have a duty to produce at least 60 per cent of the products we give to our guests.” The other 40 per cent is sourced locally.

Dining at the “house of the Count” is what gastronomic legends are made of. One evening — during one of our family’s three-hour feasts — the radicchio found its way to our plates in the form of an antipasti, sided by razor thin slices of smoked Parma ham and a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil. Proudly, Mimmo would introduce each course; segueing beautifully into his vineyard’s paired offerings. For the primo course —buttery hand made gnocchi veiled in tomato sauce and studded with black olives — Mimmo selected his Refosco; a red that paired seamlessly to the richness of the potato dumplings.  For the secondo (main) and  contori (side dish) courses of toothsome “home grown” rabbit ragout lasagne and pan roasted rosemary potatoes, Mimmo poured us his estate bottled Pinot Grigio: perfection in a glass. The final, dolce course compounded our pleasure with not one but two offerings. Half the family opted for the ice cream-filled chocolate drizzled crepe, the rest tucked into a monolithic affair of three sorbets. The entire meal was culinary Nirvana, well seasoned and beautifully plated.

I manage to capture a few moments of the Mayone’s time to inquire about their future plans for Casa del Conte. Donatella hopes by the end of 2011 their farmhouse will be at capacity with the addition of four more guest rooms (bringing the total to 15). Mimmo confides that though his vineyard has increased its output to 50,000 in 2009 and expects to double that number by the end of this year; his five-year plan is to reach full capacity of 400,000 litres annually. Good news for worldly wine aficionados who will surely look forward to seeing the Casa del Conte label grace their dining tables in the future.

For those who simply cannot wait, Mimmo and Donatella anxiously await your arrival. And, I promise, at Casa del Conte you’ll be treated like family. 


Casa del Conte
Via San Martino, 96
33086 Montereale Valcellina - PN
P.IVA 01482130935
Tel. 0427.754427
Cel. 347.3465357
Fax. 0427.75073
www.casadelconte.com
Email: info@casadelconte.com