October 2009
Back to my bucket list. And another big item to cross off!
A trip to Chianti to spend the day at a little family run winery touring and tasting wine with paired local cuisine.
From Florence we took a regional bus and headed for the town of Greve in Chianti. Only 15 miles from the city but a world away in terms of landscape and atmosphere! The ride was another great chance to take in the quickly changing views as we made our way into the countryside and began to wind our way through hills and valleys of chestnut groves, oak woods, cypresses and then further uphill the agricultural land opened up to fig and olive tree plantations and low trellised vineyards.
We offloaded in the pretty little city of Greve and stopped for a cappuccino in the town square while waiting to meet up with Fernando Sieni, patriarch of Montefioralle Winery. All around us life in Greve carried on as locals shopped for the daily groceries and went about their routines while we sat and sipped our café on the outdoor patio.
Minutes later, Fernando arrived with a big smile and a hearty bonjourno and off we went. Fernando took the Aussies up to the winery in his vehicle, while the 5 of us decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and opted to walk the mile or so uphill to the winery in the ancient walled village of Montiefioralle. The weather was perfect, a clear day, blue skies and warm sunshine. The trees and bushes that surrounded the little winding road were ablaze in colours of crimson, burnt orange, warm yellow and rich green. The harvest of the sangiovese had finished a few weeks ago but the vines still showed signs of life, not yet pruned down for winter dormancy. We chatted and oohed and awed as we past picturesque villas and farmhouses. We also saw 100 year old olive trees, nets sprawled on the ground beneath them ready to catch the ‘freefall’ ripe olives. This area is reknowned for its first press top olive oil, as artisan-in-making as the worlds finest wines.
Once we made it to the top it was if we had stepped back in time. We made our way through the narrow cobblestone roads through the walled pedestrian traffic only village. Fernando met us again and through translated English from our guide Giuseppe, pointed out historic homes and shops and explained the villages curious past as a retreat for royalty and wealthy Florentinians as well as being a self sufficient monestary throughout much of its history.
We then made our way to the Montefioralle vineyards where Fernando and the rest of the Sieni family have been caretaking the land and producing Chianti Classico and Vin Santo for generations. We were met by Fernando’s daughter who was cooking and preparing dishes for us to be paired with the 6 wines we would be tasting over lunch.
I stayed close by Fernando listening intently and never left his side. I was enamored by all I was learning, all I was experiencing. Both Bert and I knew this experience was something special, something you can’t replicate or repeat. Like the incredible wine we tasted we drank it all in. We sipped, ate, laughed and explored the little wine production premises.
Fernando didn’t speak much English, I didn’t speak much (if any) Italian, but that didn’t stop me from having one of the best conversations on wine and viticulture that I have ever had in my life. My Italian got better the more wine and food we consumed and Fernando and I managed to querrie each other and compare the viticulture techniques of his area and our Okanagan region. We talked about trellising, pruning, sugar levels, soil composition and yields. We talked about government regulations and the red tape to get agricultural products like his wine to the Canadian market. He shared with me his thoughts on the olive oil business and the advances the growers are making in getting the quality levels designated just like wine.
All I can think to describe it is…
Today we spent an afternoon in heaven.
And I am sure we will be back, if only in my dreams.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.