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When Judy of Over a Tuscan Stove, known as @divinacucina on twitter, organises a tweetup in Tuscany you just have to attend because you know there will be wonderful food involved.  Fortunately, none of us had brushed up on the rules for holding an official tweetup, so there were no name badges, no wif-wi, and no presentations to distract from a magical experience.  Fourteen of us fitted comfortably around the lunch table at Dario Cecchini’s restaurant, Solociccia (meaning only meat), in Panzano.  Only half of us tweeted or blogged – @divinacucina, @tuscanray, @julskitchen, @elizabethwholey, @umbrialovers, and me.  We were joined by husbands, wives and friends. 

Judy chose the first Sunday of the month for the tweetup.  Aprilante, as it is known, is the day of the artisan’s market in Panzano, which provided an excellent opportunity to work up an appetite by exploring the food market, and to taste one of the many wines produced in the area at Enoteca Baldi.

Lunch was an extraordinary experience, enhanced by Judy generously sharing her knowledge of Tuscan food.  We were served  six meat dishes, as well as delicious bread, Dario’s olive oil and special herb salt, crudities, dessert, wine and aperitifs.  @divinacucina’s, @julskitchen’s, and @umbrialovers‘ gorgeous photos tell it all.  Jul’s Kitchen’s description provides more detail.  Dario’s butcher shop and restaurants are internationally renowned, and have been featured on numerous TV programmes and in many publications.   He certainly does not disappoint.

Our Tuscan ‘twitter-up’, as Judy so charmingly calls it, was an occasion to experience extraordinary food, to meet interesting people and make new friends.  Thank you so much Divina Cucina for a wonderful day and long live the Tuscan twitter-up!

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Judy’s blog is Over a Tuscan Stove.   Ray blogs at Casa Monti .  He also has a great site on the Cinta  Senese or Tuscan pig, which he breeds.   Giuila is at Jul’s Kitchen, and Federica and Gabriele can be found at Umbria Lovers.   Elizabeth’s website is Elizabeth in Umbria.