Abbazia di Sant'Antimo
Our weekend in Tuscany was principally a wine tasting trip and 2 of the main cellars we visited were Piombaia (which was also where we stayed and dined in) in Montalcino and Poderi Sanguineto in Montepulciano. We also drove to the Abbey of Saint Antimo - where they still have beautiful daily sevices in gregorian given by Augustinian monks. There was a service going on just as we arrived and it sounded really beautiful - not that I could understand anything. There was alot of singing like in those gregorian chants CDs that were the rage a decade ago.
The abbey
We were very well-received in both wine cellars, with free tasting sessions, generous snacks and interesting stories about their wines. In Piombaia where we stayed, we learnt that its wine-maker is a 28 year-old young man who took over the business at the age of 16, who's passionate about what he's doing and who is making really good wines at affordable prices. We also ate very well there, it's a nice family-run agriturismo.
Agriturismo Piombaia Montalcino
At Poderi Sanguineto, it is basically a female-run vinery, from the weather-beaten Dora to the robust Patrizia. I do not drink alot, but I love visiting vineyards and tasting wine because you get to admire the way they work, the way they love their grapes and transmit some of their passion in wine-making to you. Somehow it gives you a more intimate relationship with the wine you're drinking, enhancing the entire tasting experience.
The "Ferrari" of wine barrels
Poderi Sanguineto
I am glad that we will be leaving Italy on these notes. Memories like these are precious and will make us remember Europe fondly as we begin our new lives in Asia. As you know, I am more fortunate than most because I straddle both continents comfortably - hence the title of my blog East meets West. I do not know if I'll be able to blog as much when we start living in China, but I certainly hope to continue being able to record some of my experiences for myself and those who know me (or who will get to know me).
Piombaia-Rossi Cantini
Montalcino (Siena)
Tel : +39 057 784 7197Sanguineto
Montepulciano
Tel : 057 876 7782
Lotus, you do know that you can subscribe to VPN services so that you can blog from China. It is worth every cent you pay according to Sporean friends that I have there. There are several American companies doing this. Subscribe to it BEFORE you leave Europe. Most of the servers are based in California. Google for paid VPN services & read the reviews to see which ones you should go for.
RépondreSupprimerAlways pay for the VPN service cos the free services eg Hotshield are blocked by China govt on regular intervals when bad publicity about China surfaces.
Paid subscription VPN is highly secured to prevent China govt disruptions so you can happily blog.
Hope to continue reading your blog once you are settled in China.