Wanna Be Wine Connoisseur

 PML: Last week we had the opportunity to visit two different wineries. The first one was a local agriturismo, about a forty minute hike away. We walked through the vineyard and were taught about the different wines (chardonnay, merlot, etc.) and how each one was made from a different grape vine. Then we were shown the room in which the harvested grapes are processed and how the actual wine is made. Afterwards, we sat down and tasted the different wines: white, red, rose, and dessert wine accompanied with various foods that compliment the particular wine. I discovered that dessert wine is definitely not my favorite. Afterwards we hiked to a castle on the top of the hill. The view from there was incredible.

The castle we hiked to

 Later on in the week we went on a wine tour in Montepulciano. We went into an underground cave where they stored the enormous barrels of wine. After the tour of the cave, we were poured three different glasses of red wine accompanied with a meat and cheese plate. We were taught how to properly assess the wine – swirling it, smelling it, sensing the different flavors in different parts of our mouth. I felt so sophisticated. After the red wine came the dessert wine. Still skeptical about the wine since the last tasting; I tried it anyways. Still not my favorite. But I did like the chocolate they paired with the wine and ended up buying a box. I also bought a bottle of red wine for my parents.

I’ve never been much of a wine drinker, but going on these different tours has allowed me to explore the various types of wine. I can’t say that I love it yet, but it’s definitely growing on me. Who knows, maybe by the end of this trip I’ll be a wine connoisseur.

Ciao for now!