Our first day in Florence all of the museums were closed. This was the perfect opportunity to schedule a wine tour exploring the surrounding tuscan countryside. One of the main goals Jake and I had for our vacation was avoiding tourists, so I wanted to book a semi-private wine tour that still had great reviews and was an all day event. Plenty of tours had large groups on buses and we both knew that wasn't for us. I found a few people I liked with the help of friends and the internet, but after talking to Todd Bolton, I knew his tour would be perfect for us. (website here) We were so impressed with our experience, in fact, it was one of our favorite days on the entire two week trip.
We ended up with a private tour, and as Todd drove us out to the countryside he taught us about the winemaking process and the laws that govern the winemaking in Italy. We also learned about what the labels meant and how wine is imported.
Our first stop had a beautiful castle that was owned by the Pazzi family (pazzi means crazy) and was built over 830 years ago. They were a very powerful family and in this castle outside of Florence they met with the help of Pope Sixtus IV to plot the murder of the Medicis (the most powerful family in Florence). They ended up killing one of the Medici brothers on Easter Sunday under the duomo, but Lorenzo escaped. The family that works and still lives in the castle now makes wine and olive oil. It was here I realized that the olive oil I had been eating at home was nothing like what olive oil is supposed to be. (Olive oil should taste like olives and have peppery flavors!) Needless to say, we came back with both wine and olive oil.
Donatello made that Pazzi crest above this door!
For lunch we stopped at a very authentic restaurant where they hardly spoke English. We were served 5-6 courses of fresh made pasta dishes (and not alfredo/marinara .... it was fresh pepper sauces / mushrooms/ eggplants), steak tartare, zucchini flowers, and apricot creme brulee. This restaurant menu varies based upon what fresh ingredients they have from the farms.
Our afternoon was spent exploring another vineyard where we were welcomed into their home to tour their cellars and had a tasting overlooking the countryside. Their home was originally built as a watch tower to protect the city of Florence on the northeast border around 700 years ago. The place was transformed into a summer villa for noble families and bishops. It was purchased and passed down for generations by the current family who lives there today. (more history here)
The oldest wine in this cellar was around 1940 - the Germans drank all of their cellar wine during World War II.
We took home olive oil and wine, new knowledge, appreciation for quality wine and olive oil, and memories that will last a lifetime. Todd was amazing, and he even shipped back eleven bottles of wine for us. I can't wait for our next wine tour!
For more Posts from Italy:
Trevi Fountain // Venice // Venice Video // Florence Duomo // Florence Video // Florence Itinerary // Positano // Spiaggia Grande // Capri // Positano Video // Ancient Rome // Baboli Gardens // Vatican City // Evening Stroll in Rome