May 12, 2018
A day in Tuscany
We woke to overcast skies at Podere la Villa after a very good night's sleep. We had a simple breakfast of fresh rolls with butter and jam, fried eggs, Prosciutto di Parma, and fresh cherries.
After breakfast we walked down to Ilaria's vineyard where her husband was on the tractor weeding between the rows of vines. The grounds of Podere la Villa are beautifully landscaped with flowers everywhere.
The property and vineyards were simply beautiful. What a life they lead!
When we made it back to the estate, Ilaria took us down into the cellar because she wanted to select a few bottles of wine for dinner.
Our first stop of the day was a short 7 minute drive to Azienda Agricola Torre Bianca, which is the family olive oil business of the late Marco Mugelli.
Torre Bianca is now run by Marco's son Matteo and daughter Marta. They invited us for an early lunch.
We sat to a wonderful meal of fresh fava beans, local cheese, fresh gnocchi, and roast beef which were paired with three house wine and a bottle of Marques de Grinon 2008 Emeritvs. We had fresh strawberries with whipped cream for dessert and tasted a unique Italian gin.
Although our visit was short, it was very much enjoyed. We had to move on because we had scheduled a visit to tour the Antinori nel Chianti Classico winery in the early afternoon.
www.antinori.it/antinori-nel-chianti-classico-estate
The winery is a beautiful 20 minute drive from Podere la Villa. We arrived and parked in the underground parking area. The grand spiral staircase was a huge visual stand out the moment we got out of the car. The winery too seven years to engineer and build. It is literally buried in the hillside.
We went up the spiral staircase to the main level and checked in with the staff. Our Guide joined us a few minutes later. I asked her if I could shoot some video with my drone. She was initially very hesitant citing the legal oversight of the winery. I then showed her a photo of Piero Antinoiri's reaction to my drone at yesterday's private dinner with him. Her immediate reaction was "I won't see anything, go ahead and fly it!" I took to the skies capturing some stunning footage.
I met back up with Darrell and Shaun after I was finished flying the drone. They were browsing through the extensive winery shop and museum.
The next part of our tour led us deep inside the winery into the actual production and storage cellar. The scope of this winery is absolutely breathtaking in its design and size.
We went up from the second level inside the cellar to the third level, and then outside to see more vineyards, artifacts, and an indoor/outdoor cafe.
Next up was a look inside of Antinori's Vin Santo aging cellar where Darrell gave us a run down of their methods.
The last stop of our tour was inside a private tasting room. It was more like a winery's take on a luxury box one would see inside a modern sports stadium. We were offered a tasting line up, but Darrell opted to have some Antinori rose followed by a signature Vin Santo.
To say that we were overwhelmed by our visit to Antinori nel Chianti Classico winery would be an understatement. It is an amazing accomplishment which should be seen by all who appreciate fine wine and wine history. We made it back to Podere la Villa in the late afternoon and had a chance to wind down before dinner. Ilaria's two sons were outside playing, so I thought they would enjoy watching the drone in action. I flew it above the estate and over the vineyards to their smiling and laughing faces.
Tonight's dinner was a Tuscan BBQ of Fiorentina steak. We started off with a 2002 Franciacorta sparkling wine while the meat was sizzling on the grill. We moved inside for our dinner which, along with the amazing beef, consisted of salad greens, garden cherry tomatoes with garlic and basil, penne pasta with tomato sauce, and two local cheeses. The dinner was paired with a 2015 estate Merlot named after Ilaria's father Giacomo, a 1971 Santa Christina Chianti Classico, and a bottle of 1968 Sassicaia which was the first vintage of this famous wine. Dessert was a simple almond biscotti and a 2007 Falchini Vin Santo.
Our dinner was as good as any had during our trip and the wines stunningly delicious. The evening brought on a very pleasant tiredness, so we retired for the night.