It’s still very hot for September. The sun presses down with its sheen of milky humidity and the constant cicada chorus blends with the voices of people bustling in the gardens of Ruffino’s Poggio Casciano. All around, we hear the clattering of tractors loaded with grapes after a fruitful day’s harvest. 

Florence is just a few hills away in the valley. The stage is assembled and the systems are all go for the nighttime concert. Sizzling aromas drift over from the kitchen of the Locanda Le Tre Rane restaurant: our tastebuds are in for a treat later. The sound check. Lights on. The sunset that pinkens the hills of the vineyards and olive groves surrounding the villa. It’s almost time.

Dusk brings a magical atmosphere: a scattering of tables and chairs in the garden. The flowering bower on the terrace twinkles with light and scents the air, roses entwined with wrought iron, adorned with rosemary, lavender and citrus plants: these are the VIP seats from which to enjoy the music. Green lights on the stage. The night with its nearly full moon, accompanied by the array of stars. The guests have all arrived and powder-puff, summer scented Aqua di Venus dances in their glasses. Inclusive, frayed, irreverent and scratchy, the evening’s menu complements the jazz: tartare; rice and red beans, Louis Armstrong’s favourite; “oily” fish, with its bold flavours; meatballs in every shape and style. 

On Thursday 17 September, at 21:30, the first notes chime out – velvety, deep, moving – from Nico Gori’s saxophone. Everything is now magnified by that scratch: sound, taste, sight and smell. A light breeze has cast out the humidity and some of the tension: the organization had been challenging. It’s a perfect night and everything turned out tunefully, down to the repeated applause that brought the dreamy and flavorful hypnosis to an end on this late summer night.

Ruffino thanks Francesco Astore and the entire extraordinary Firenze Jazz Festival team, who are a perfect partner for us. 
We share the same approach, vision and determination, even in difficult times such as these. Whether it’s producing good wine or organizing a musical event, we both believe in beauty and people.

Ruffino thanks Francesco Astore and the entire extraordinary Firenze Jazz Festival team, who are a perfect partner for us. 
We share the same approach, vision and determination, even in difficult times such as these. Whether it’s producing good wine or organizing a musical event, we both believe in beauty and people.