Yes...that's a 1965 you see there in the middle...and yes...it was very tasty!!
Monday morning poor Alex had to awaken to a day of pork bladders and tying whereas I was getting ready to head over to Chianti and drink wine for two days…another perk for being such a damn good stagist!!
Marco picked me up, with Andrea already in the car and we were off. The three of us would return to Parma
Our first stop, and really the only stop for Day 1 was Badia a Coltibuono located in Gaiole in Chianti. On arrival, the windy uphill road could only really lead to pleasure as the hills were pure beauty.
The weather was perfect for these two days. We were first greeted by two young but beautiful cows grazing in the pasture just in front of the abbey.
Badia a Coltibuono historically was an abbey started in the 11th century by Benedictine monks from Vallombrosa. Later on, it was ‘taken’ by Napoleon in 1810, after him being so impressed by the place. It was then purchased in 1846 by the Giuntini family, who can be dated back to the current family now running the winery.
This photo is of the actual plant where the wine is made. We visited the wine making facility after our lunch at the castle/abbey and it was a good twenty minute drive, or so. I remember Francesco telling us that the architect is the same as used at Petra The plant was beautiful. The main point was using gravity to make the wines ‘flow’ without disturbing the liquid love too much. The architecture and design were modern and very functional. One of the passageways was a tunneled stainless steel wine vat…pretty cool idea! The vines of Badia a Coltibuono are set in a surreal, tranquil yet invigoratingly beautiful location overlooking the Tuscan hills. Family is truly what I mean because everyone in the family plays a part at Badia a Coltibuono. Everyone in the family plays a role…one son is the enologist and studied at UC Davis, another is in charge of the hospitality (which was amazing), etc. Why was I there?? Good question! Al Vedel, the restaurant I am staging at for now, was part of a guest group set up by their wine distributor. We were with three or four other restaurants/enotecas/bars and we all had a great time.
On arrival to the abbey, a quick tour took place with Francesco Bargellini as our guide. Francesco spoke great English and from what I remember, is in charge of marketing for the winery, in addition to other responsibilities, I am sure. We were shown the large oak barrels where wine is aged and also the antique cellar with all the old vintages. This here, a huge chunk of 1960 Vin Santo…on the valuable side!! Okay…time to eat. We arrived first to the abbey and it was right around lunch time. We all gathered around the fireplace prior to lunch for a snack and our first taste of wine for the day…well, at least MY first taste of wine for the day! I am almost positive that we started off with the very tasty and crisp/refreshing Trappoline which is a Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blend (IGT). If not, maybe Francesco can refresh my memory! I do remember the wine going perfectly with the antipasti we enjoyed. (Having tech issues...will be continued)
