Photo provided to China Daily

"We have grapes planted and our own wine made," says the gentleman who greeted us at the castle, known as Castello di Solfagnano.

The castle has two large old wooden barrels, each more than 2 meters in diameter and about 4 meters tall, at one end of the dining room. A swing is slung from the ceiling between the two barrels. I couldn't resist the temptation to sit on it after a glass (or two) of wine.

The green heart of Italy

My friends and I were traveling in Italy's Umbria region. Umbria means "the green heart" in Italian.

This swathe of land surrounded by coastal regions is endowed with fertility by the Tiber River, which runs across Umbria on its way from central Italy's Apennine Mountains to the Mediterranean.

Central Italy's Umbria is most celebrated for its olive oil and vineyards.

Agritourists arrive every year to join the winemaking that has been a local feature for millennia. It also produces arguably Italy's best chocolates, cheeses, pastas and salamis. And each foodstuff locally enjoys a vast diversity.

After truffles, wild asparagus is the most acclaimed specialty.