Friday November 7, 2008

What fun! Took a hike up to one of our favorite Chianti producers on our Chianti wine tour and caught him pressing wine. Of course, it was small scale - but that was the beauty of it. One of their friends was fermenting his grapes in their spare containers, and it was time to press. The day was perfect and sunny, and it just had me daydreaming of the end results - a glass of rich red wine, maybe a little Tuscan salami from one of the best butchers down in Greve and hey, while I am at adding in the calories, why not some pecorino cheese. Oh yes, the day was looking good. Our wine partner saw my obvious curiosity, he tried to satisfied every question bubbling in my brain. He even offered me a special treat - go ahead, he said encouraginly, taste a grape (yeah one of the ones that had been fermenting for the last 10-12 days - whatever was I thinking!) It was pure, 100% yuck! all alcohol!! But it hasn't dampened my desire to wait the next three years to taste the final product.

Donna Scharnagl