A Taste of Italy: Under the Tuscan Sun

This past weekend, while Niraj was slaving away in class and in the library, I ventured off with 7 other woman (who have dubbed ourselves the Ladies of Lesiure) to Tuscany for a girls getaway. It was fantastic and was definitely the epitome of all you would expect of Tuscany.

We left early Saturday morning and made a stop over in Greve, a little town just south of Florence in the wine zone of Chianti. When we arrived, we explored the Saturday fresh air market that is to typical of Italy. The sun was shining which felt terrific after the massive snowstorm the entire country experienced the week before. We opted to buy a pork sandwich and some fruit from the vendors and sit outside to people watch and bask in the sunshine.

From there, we did a very scenic, hilly drive towards Montepulciano. The drive was stupendous, and every direction en route provided never-ending views of wineries and rolling hills. Montepulciano was yet another town full of character and charm, and after hiking up the hills we reached the main piazza. We explored a cantina that housed some of the biggest wine barrels I have ever seen, and then we all sat in a cafe four hours tasting wines of the region.

We then ventured to Pienza where we had rented out an agritourismo. From this point forward is when the true Tuscan experience really began! The farmhouse was run by a couple who was oh-so-very Italian. After showing us our rooms and our quaint little apartments, the owner then proceeded to bring us two bottles of the Vino Rosso that is produced on the site. Not only did he give us the wine, but he sat right on down and drank it with us! After that, he stated over and over how we weren't eating enough (if you're not eating all the time then Italians are not satisfied) so he made reservations for us at his favorite Trattoria. The meal was fantastic and we gorged ourselves with Ceci noodles and wild boar sauce. After all, we had to make him happy!

The night got even more eventful when we returned from dinner. Once we got settled and started a fire in our cute apartment, he returned yet again with a bottle of grappa and a bottle of amaro, the sweeter liqueur. These are two very typical after dinner digestives here in Italy and were also both made in house. Once again, he plopped right on down and drank it with us swapping stories and overcoming the language barrier!

The next day we were shown even more hospitality. We awoke to clear and sunny skies, so we decided to sit outside to drink tea/coffee and enjoy the baskets of goodies provided by the farmhouse. After breakfast we were given a full tour of the agritourismo. We saw the vineyard, the cantina, the animals, the wine barrels, the bottling rooms, and all the foods produced by the family. We were treated to generous samples of wines, pecorino cheeses, prosciutto, and sausage (including sausage made from pig's head!) that were all made on site. Once again, it was all about keeping us well fed! The food was fantastic and we really felt welcomed. We spent the rest of the day exploring Pienza, sitting in the sun, marveling at the views of the valley, and eating gelato.

Here are a few choice pictures: