Under the Tuscan Wine

Aging bottles gather dust in the Verrazzano Winery Vaults.

As we are becoming rapidly growing wine connoisseurs, today we took the opportunity to tour the Chianti wine region south of Florence.  It was a fascinating experience... leaving us yearning for more of the Italian "simple life."

The skies over Tuscany... today a mix of sun and cloud.

While most people are familiar with phrases like Chianti and Tuscany, mainly due to the movie 'Under the Tuscan sun' that romanticized the region, let me give a brief explanation to my American readers so you will better understand.  TUSCANY is the name of this region in Italy, home to 3.6 million people and whose capital is Florence.  It has become famous as the birthplace of the Renaissance and for its vivid landscapes and red wines, and is also home to other famous cities like Pisa near the sea and Siena in the south.  CHIANTI is the name of Italy's most famous wine.  Unlike other wines you are probably familiar with, such as Merlot, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay, Chianti is not named after the grape (the base of these wines comes from the sangiovese grape), but rather the traditional name for the wine-making region between Florence and Siena.

In fact, Chianti was the first region of the world to be defined as a "wine-making region," all the way back in 1716.  It was later expanded in 1932 to include modern day growth, however here the lines were drawn as to where a true 'Chianti' could come from - and also the strict stipulations as to its growing conditions (no irrigation, limits on vine production, use of the sangiovese grape).  Because of these limits, the quality and reputation of Chianti has increased exponentially.  Then again, references from Hannibal Lector don't hurt either...

In the cellars of Verrazzano with our great tour guide Filippo.

The 3 Amigos of Photography - Dale, Wei, and Eric.

For our tour, we rented a car (a brand new Alfa Romeo with only 3 km!) and headed south through dense green hills and cute little towns.  It is impossible to explore the Tuscan countryside by train - renting a car or taking a tour is really the only way to get to the wineries.  The most scenic route is supposedly highway 222, which we took past a town called Greti to a winery called 'Castello di Verrazzano.'  It is one of the larger wineries in the area, with over 500 acres and a huge castle overlooking the valley below.

Not sure exactly how it worked, we just strolled into the castle where we met Gillian, one of the wine executives, who gave us a thorough tasting and introduction to Chianti wines.  As we chatted with her, we explained that we are a group of photographers - and after showing her some of our pictures from the afternoon, were led on a PRIVATE TOUR by our excellent guide Filippo through their wine vaults!  The guys got unbelievable pictures, however my biggest chore was convincing our young Italian guide why one girl (Christie) would be traveling with 4 men!  It was an unforgettable experience - and I encourage anyone who has a chance to visit this winery (as well as many others!)  

The foundations for the Castello di Verrazzano were laid during the 7th Century!  Wine making has been going on there for over 1000 years... so they pretty much have a good feel for it.

~ J. Twice