D176 -- Lazy Tuscan Day

We started our day off right today...– a wine tour! It began around 11 in the morning and lasted two and a half hours. In addition to the six of us there were two others on the tour, young women who referred to us as "the Dawson's Creek Group" and upon seeing our three digital SLRs decided we must be part of some photography club.


We had a brief tour of the vineyard, but because of the heat we didn't spend too much time outside before heading to the tasting room. Our host was an older Italian man named Ciro, who had huge hands, a great sense of humor, and not an ounce of pretentiousness about him. He treated us to two wines, a Vernacchia di San Gimignano and a Chianti. But perhaps even better, Ciro served us up a great feast of appetizers, including the best bruschetta I've ever had.



He also gave us some good tips on how to taste wine, including the importance of keeping your mouth slightly open when your first breathe in the wine.




Michael enjoying the good life in front of the wonderful Tuscan hills.

We all had a great time, but the wine flowed freely and as a result we were all pretty wiped out by the alcohol and the heat after the tour. So we decided to take it easy this afternoon and relax at the villa while the midday heat passed. After our prolonged siesta, we headed off to the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner. With a villa full of aspiring cooks, we had no trouble whipping up a pretty good dinner - caprese salad (Sarah's and my favorite), spicy pasta, grilled vegetables, and steak, with fresh fruit, chocolate, and panforte for desert. We ended the evening by playing cards.

-Tom