Chianti Region

I take an expensive tour to get a better understanding of the Chianti region. We visit four wineries and each has its own characteristics. Overall the tour is good except for there is a lack of food. By the time we arrive at the 3rd winery after lunch hour, when they joke about no lunch and wine nutritious, I so want to just walk out of the door!

Winery one: Altiero
A family run tiny winery. The owner makes wine because of love of nature and good quality food. The wines are high in alcohol (15%+), high acidity and really need to be aged for another 10 years. It is such a small production that it is run like a family business. This is where we receive the most portion of our food.

Winery two: Querceto
A medium size winery where it does a bit of export and functions. The wine is not bad and I bought a bottle of DOCG to try with Toni when I get back.

Winery three: Le Cinciole
OMG, this French girl provides no Italian hospitality, no food nor water. The wine is crapped! Highly not recommended. The winery is purchased by an architect who knows nothing about wine making and just want to live in Tuscany.

Winery four: Fattoria de Bagnolo
A winery that has been inherited for 3 centuries. Everything is done in the traditional way, including the underground cellar and the chateau on the property. The owner says that this winery makes no money, they do it because they want to continue the family tradition. The brother makes the wine and lives on the property. Really, this is their hobby farm and can just make a living. There are lots of wineries like this one in Italy. The old world way of wine trade.

The Conclusion is: Chianti DOCG produces lots of wine, but not all are great.

In the evening, I go roaming around town. The weather is a lot cooler and more pleasant. The atmosphere is also great with less people and lights are on around the churches. I also go and see La Traviata at an intimate theatre. I watched a smiling production before in one of the European countries. A tourist things but the cast is fantastic!

The weather this week is very differ from the one I had last week. It is like Spring just woke up and realise she has over slept. Everything just get heat up overnight and the temperature rise up from 12c to 28c. I don't normally complain about hot but this IS hot for European weather!

A note to myself:
I shall just go onto one of these Viata mass tour in the future than the exclusive small tour which is not necessarily better.

Next time, I would like to cycle / Vespa around Tuscany, Siena and Maltipulicino region. An active tour than expensive sedative tour.Read more