Life is slower here. Though animated, people are calmer. Today I am taking a cue from them and spending the morning and afternoon away from the other 9 folks in the group, deciding to forgo today's trip and instead chill out in Soriano. (see trip options at culturediscovery.com)
My favorite experience this week was hanging with our host, Michael, in his grappa/wine/cheese cellar. He has been experimenting with making grappa using a copper still and it is bellisimo! He is very passionate about this process and explained it all to us, as well as let us assist in making a batch. I sampled many types he made and it was extraordinary.
This week I visited many small villages all over the Tuscany and Umbria region while based in Soriano nel Cimino. All are old, built in the Middle Ages, into the sides of hills/mountains, and have twisting and turning cobblestone roads.
Montepulciano was the most impressive. It is very steep and the twisty road narrows all the way to the highest point in the town; only small cars navigate through the streets as people move aside to give way. Michaelangelo lived here for a time while he was building a "mini" Sistine Chapel. He wanted to make sure he mastered his techniques. The church is unique because it was built outside of the town, so in case it structurally collapsed it would not hurt anyone.
There, I visited the Catina dei Ricci wine cellar, a very old cellar originally owned by the Ricci family. It is often referred to as the most beautiful wine cellar in the world and I agree! Its layers wind down underground through the town. It is quite spectacular to say the least. The wines they make here are Vino Nobile, which are the thinner skinned Sangiovese grape. The thicker skinned are the Brunelo wines, which I sampled as well at a small family winery, La Piombaia, in a neighboring town called Montalcino. I would have loved more time to explore Montepulciano, especially the famed tourture museum, of which I saw a small traveling exhibition in San Diego last year.
The food our group has been cooking and eating this week is amazing. Every meal we prepare is better than any Italian cuisine I have ever experienced. It is my hope that I will be able to recreate it at home for my friends. All the restaurants and people's homes we have eaten at have been very good as well. Food, wine, and history have been the main focus of this experience.
Tomorrow is our last meal here. We will be preparing pizza to cook in the wood-fired oven at the villa. It is also our cooking teacher Carla's birthday and there is going to be a party with lots of people attending from Soriano. We will have a great time!
