Touring Tuscany

Sunday. Touring Tuscany. The Tuscan Wine School and beautiful vineyards of Tuscany introduced me to a new level of appreciation regarding the visual, olfactory and tasting procedures of wine consumption. A picturesque Sunday morning began with a lesson in wine sampling. The first step is the visual analysis of the wine, which occurs through the perception of color and pattern of droplets that result from swirling the wine in the glass. The resistance of the droplets to flow down the sides of the glass, as well as the size of the droplets, indicate the alcohol content of the wine. A medium to high alcohol percentage, which floats in the 13-16% area, is commonplace for the wines of the Chianti region in which we were tasting. Wines are defined by the region in which the grapes grow. In the Chianti region, wines are comprised of sangiovese grapes at a minimum of 80% of the product. The remaining 20% can be comprised of merlot grapes or cabernet sauvignon grapes (a personal favorite). After our discourse on the grape composition, regional classification and tasting methods, we caravanned to two different wineries. Our traveling counterparts were from Boston, Australia, Arizona and a few other places. There was even a fellow alumni Eagle! The first vineyard included a tour of the winery and explanation of the wine making process. Our group convened for our first sampling after learning the history and workings of the vineyard. We tried four varieties of the chianti wine, including the chianti classico, while enjoying pieces of crostini and good conversation. The next vineyard was smaller in size, but superior in product, in my novice opinion. At this vineyard, the wine was sampled over a three course meal. Traditional prosciutto and cheeses, along with bruschetta drizzled with balsamic, were the beginnings to a fine meal. The main course was a homemade pasta with red sauce, followed by pieces of delicious dark chocolate. Antioxidant alley was crowded that day.