Chianti

Today we went to Chianti. Oh my goodness. Before wine was even in the picture, the scene was picturesque. Florence may be the capital of Tuscany, but that picture you can draw to mind of the grape vines and rolling hills, peppered with tan and brown villas? That is in Chianti. Chianti is wine country, so appropriately, we went to taste wine and olive oil. It was amazing. The wines were delicious, and the olive oils were nothing like anything I’ve ever tasted.
Our guide was American, but incredibly knowledgeable. He told us all about the history of the region and details about the wine making process. It was very interesting, and I walked away feeling like I might not be as intimidated talking to wine buff now, what with my being able to read the label on a bottle now.
The real treat was lunch in between the tours of the two wineries. We ate at a small mom and pop restaurant that sat on a hill with a beautiful outdoor terrace. Up there is was cool and calm. The food was so amazing, easily the best I’ve had on this adventure so far. We were served a multiple course meal, but the gem of the lunch was a pasta that looked a bit like a wonton shaped tortellini. It was filled with pear and ricotta cheese, and the flavor was magical. It was sweet and savory, a bit like a pumpkin ravioli. I was in heaven. It was wonderful up there eating delicious food, drinking a wide variety of wine and practicing my ever-improving Italian on the little woman that kept bringing me my own dishes of food smiling and saying “vegetarian”.
It was a perfect day, and now I have a few short hours to recharge before a perfect night.