Yesterday we visited Tuscany and to two vineyards for a wine tasting. We started off Altesino, a smaller vineyard that was in a villa about 2 hours outside of Florence. There we tasted 3 red wines – a Rosso Toscana, a Rosso Di Montalcino, and a Brunello Di Montalcino – since we were in the Montalcino region. They were okay, but I am not a big fan of reds and they were pretty strong. The area was beautiful and though it was a cloudy day, it was really nice – aside from all the wind!

It was just a little windy

We then took another hour trip to another vineyard in San Gimignano called Tenuta Torciano. It was in this amazing house that had been there for generations – the guy that gave us our lesson in line was a 13^th generation winemaker. There we tasted 8 wines – 1 white, 6 reds, and a dessert wine. The white was by far my favorite, but it was nice to try the others. At this vineyard, we also got lunch and to try olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and truffle oil. Our guide apparently really liked me and gave me lots of truffle oil on my lasagna and then literally poured the balsamic in my mouth. He had wanted to put it on our plates and have us use our fingers to try it, but I got it poured down my throat (but it was delicious)!

The pouring of the balsamic

After leaving the vineyard, we headed to the town of San Gimignano, where we just walked around for a bit. It’s said that they have the best gelato in the world, so we obviously had to try both places that were ranked, and they did not disappoint! It also happened to be Carnevale, so there was a parade and everyone was out. It was a cute town and fun to see! Now we’re home and ready for bed after our long and exciting day! This week we start classes, so it’ll be nice to finally get into a routine!

Hazelnut and Chocolate Chip