After leaving San Gimignano we headed to more mountains, this time not a town but just a private dwelling on the top of a hill surrounded by its vineyards, this took about an hour. We went through the gate from the road down in the valley and slowly our coach climbed the single track drive to the Castle.
We were met by a guide when we left the coach who explained that the owner still lived in the castle and most of the workforce lived on the estate, some had been working there for generations. Giovanni da Verrazzano was born at the castle, note its the family name and he is famous for discovering New York way back in 1524. After the guide had told us all that we were then shown round parts or the property.
The castle not only produces wine, but they hang the grapes for several months inside buildings where they control the air flow to make Balsamic Vinegar.
This is fermented in very small barrels for 12 years and is much thicker and sweeter than other Balsamic vinegars that I have tasted also a lot more expensive at £45 a bottle but we did get to try half a tea spoon full with our cheese. They also make Olive Oil and cure hams.
Now down to the serious bit, the wine tasting, this wasn’t like other wine tasting visits I have been on, we didn’t all stand around with glasses getting a dessert spoon full of wine to taste. We sat down for a three course meal with a different red wine from the vineyard served with each course, the prices running between about £12 and £50 a bottle, starting cheap and working up. Most of us didn’t notice the difference.We also had a small portion of cheese to dip in our Balsamic Vinegar, which I didn’t think did much to add to the cheese. It was all finished off with a dessert wine and biscuit.
I think we all thought it was a very enjoyable evening, well that’s apart from the coach driver who we kept hanging about for an extra three quarters of an hour. So we were late getting back to our hotel and he was late leaving off.
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