On Thursday, Ryan and I took a guided tour to two family vineyards outside of Florence. This experience was definitely a highlight of my time in Tuscany. While I don’t drink much wine – really only with friends and family, and Ryan doesn’t drink at all; I’ve always wanted to learn about the process of making wine and what all goes into this beverage that people have enjoyed for centuries. And Ryan was gracious enough to join me.
We met our small tour group of 8 people at the train station and were driven out of the bustling city and into the beautiful countryside. We were met with rolling hills, farmlands, and wildflowers. At first Ryan and I were frantically trying to snap pictures of the scenery. Then we both realized that pictures would not do this scene justice and just sat back and enjoyed the view.
Casa Sola Winery was our first stop and my personal favorite. Matteo, the owner, took us to look at the vineyards and began to explain the farming and agricultural aspect of growing the right grapes in the right soil. The main type of wine they grow – Chianti Classico, has a lot of regulations set by the government for the right to produce that specific kind of wine. So he went into detail on how they meet those requirements and what all that entails.
Next we were taken into the cellar and learned about fermentation, how they control the temperature of the wines, and how long they store them until they are ready to be bottled. Each wine is different and there really is a science to it all. While some wines can be stored in large metal containers, there were some stored in those oak barrels that we typically think of when the word “vineyard” comes to mind.
Finally, tasting! Three different wines were placed in front of us. As we swished the wine around our glasses and then brought it to our noses to smell it, Matteo brought to our attention the multiple notes of berries and chocolate. To my inexperienced nose and tastebuds, it all smelled great. But with Matteo’s expertise – I was able to distinguish certain smells over others and it made the tasting more exciting. All three wines were amazing! However, I think my favorite part was listening to how passionate Matteo was about his family’s business and art. Ryan and I both can relate to that, and it definitely will make me look at wine differently.
The second vineyard was just as incredible. The view of the vineyard – to die for! We were walked through a similar explanation, but there were definitely differences between the two. Different ways to blend the wine, different ways of storing it. The second vineyard was experimenting with storing the wine in clay – they had yet to see the results, but the experiment itself was fascinating. This just furthered the uniqueness and individuality of each bottle of wine in my opinion.
This being my first wine tour, I’d definitely do another in the future. However, I honestly don’t know how I’m going to top a beautiful sunny day in Tuscany with a glass of Chianti Classico in my hand.
