As the Waterstone team and I travel around the world, we are often introduced to both special people and companies who we find interesting and who we feel can add value to travel advisors. These companies are driven with passion and, most importantly, they show the same level of commitment to travel advisors that we search for in each Waterstone member. We wanted to find a way of bringing these special people and partners to your attention so we formed “Friends of Waterstone.” While these companies don’t fit into our 'Waterstone Collection' as a hotel or DMC, they are still connected to us and share our thirst for travel, adding texture and enthusiasm to your clients' travel plans. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to our first Friend (or amico) of Waterstone, Tenuta Torciano in Tuscany.

Tenuta Torciano Wine Experiences - Tuscany

Founded in 1720, Tenuta Torciano has been in the Giachi family for an impressive 15 generations, and still the family makes up over 50% of its staff. With patriarch Pierluigi Giachi at the helm, over 700,00 bottles of wine are produced each year from the Tuscan vineyards that belong to Tenuta Torciano. Clearly passionate about their craft, the Giachi family has gone beyond traditional vineyard tours to offer an exceptional range of ways to experience wine (think by boat, via helicopter tour, or in combination with activities like horseback riding and truffle hunting). We encourage you to review Tenuta Torciano's video, website, and 2020 Experiences Brochure as you consider a unique Tuscan wine excursion for your clients. For net rate pricing on each experience, contact the sales team directly at +39 0577 950055, +39 0577 988134 or visit@torciano.com.

Many of you know Claudio Delli, Managing Director of WTB Hotels, for the incredible hospitality he provides to your clients in Florence and Venice. What you may not know, however, is that Claudio makes the best tiramisu... ever (and we don't judge tiramisu lightly). When we host cooking events for travel advisors, like we're looking forward to doing later this month, Claudio serves his delicious tiramisu and the crowd goes wild. So, to end the summer on a "sweet" note, we thought we'd share the recipe with you to try for yourself. Buon appetito!

Ingredients:
–6 medium eggs       –½ cup of sugar (+2 tbsp for the coffee)
–Savoiardi biscuits   –2 cups of Mascarpone
–Coffee (enough to dip the biscuits)
–Cocoa for dusting   –Curls of chocolate

Step 1. Divide the egg whites from the yolks. In a bowl, add half the sugar to the yolks and whip with an electric mixer until you get a nice light, fluffy mixture. Add the mascarpone cheese.
Step 2. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer. As peaks begin to form, slowly add the other half of the sugar. Continue to whip until stiff peaks are formed.
Step 3. Once the peaks of the egg whites are perfectly mounted, add them to the egg yolk mixture. Do this gently with a spoon and from the bottom up so as not to disturb the egg white peaks.
Step 4. Now that the cream is ready, put a spoonful on the bottom of each cup or bowl. Put the biscuits in the coffee, being careful not to let them soak too much, and arrange them in the cup/ bowl by cutting them according to the form of the container.
Step 5. Arrange a tablespoon of cream over the biscuits, level the cream & cover with another layer of biscuits soaked in the coffee. If the first layer has been arranged vertically, the next one must be horizontally (and vice versa). Level & sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder. Add curls of chocolate to top of cup. Put in fridge for a few hours prior to serving. Recipe makes 8 good size portions or 16 small portions.

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