A Visit to a Tuscan Winery - with my second Italy tour group

Today I have been delighted to see the five coastal villages known as Cinque Terre. We travelled there from La Spezia by hopping on and off three successive ferries, the last two taking us out into the open ocean. Thankfully the seas were calm, though it was really hot and I am now sporting a very sunburnt nose. More about this tour later. Back to my first tour group . . .

On our way to Verona and Venice, we stopped at a lovely winery and did some wine-tasting. Well, to be more accurate, the others tasted the wine but I found it fascinating in any event. Set amongst rolling hills and picturesque vineyards, the winery produces wine on a large scale. The owner was very proud of their enterprise and the quality and popularity of their products. We saw the different cellars and the different states of production, including bottling. The wine tasting itself included some delicious nibbles including ‘young’ parmesan cheese, which was so tasty we all kept going back for more. When I declined having a taste of his wine, telling the owner I don’t drink, he looked at me in astonishment, patted me on the shoulder and said very sadly “I feel very sorry for you.”. 

I must admit that I am impressed with the fact that Italians only drink when eating food. They don't have pubs, and they don't have the drinking culture that besets so many Australians, particularly immature young men. In truth, the people I feel very sorry for are those who are dependent on excessive drinking to be acceptable to their mates, to boost their confidence, to deal with their problems and to have what they think is a good time . . . But I am perfectly happy when friends enjoy glasses of wine with their meal. 

The following photos were all taken at the winery. I just had to include a photo of the very jazzy table which had wine bottles and bottle tops incorporated in its design. The design was both unique and very clever.