Florence Day 2

10/5 Tuscany Wine Tour

We had booked a private tour with Enzo from chiantiinsideout.com as a recommendation from Anne, as she had used him in her prior trips to Florence. (300 Euro for both of us-included all food, wine, transportation)  I was probably most excited for this day and Enzo did not disappoint!  He picked us up at our hotel just before 10am and we headed out to Tuscany.  Enzo is an Italian chef who has spent several years both in America and England, so his English is perfect.  He was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his job.  Our first stop was the medieval town of San Gimignano, where 72 towers once stood, now only 15 remain.  We walked around the whole village taking some amazing pictures and hearing great stories from Enzo.  Around noon we stopped in a little cafe to enjoy an 'apertivo' and small panini to hold us over until lunch, this being a tradition Italians partake in during a typical workday prior to lunch.

After leaving the village we headed further into the Chianti region about 45 minutes to a beautiful property, DieVole.  DieVole has been around for over 900 years!  Its a winery, restaurant, and resort (staying here next time).  We had an amazing lunch paired with several of the house wines.  We started out with great homemade bread and 'tuscan butter' which turned out to be lard with salt and rosemary...Enzo told us what it really was after we ate it, so delicious though!  As an appetizer we enjoyed a potato and ham bake type dish and beans with local olive oil and tuna on top.  The main course was absolutely amazing,  one huge ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta and drizzled with a saffron sauce and pica (thick pasta) with roma tomatoes, olive oil, chopped almonds and pecorino cheese!  For dessert a huge fresh slice of pecorino and some pomegranate seeds and a espresso of course.   After lunch Enzo took us on a brief tour of the property and the ancient working winery.  We purchased a bottle of 06 Chianti Classico, 28 Euro.

After Dievole we headed back towards Florence stopping at Le Fonti, a smaller family owned winery. The views and charming house were stunning. We tasted many wines along with grappa, with neither of us were big fans of! We purchased a 06 chianti classico, 15 Euro.

Enzo drove us back to Florence and we said our goodbyes.  After resting and freshening up we headed out to dinner.  We wandered around near the Palazzo Vecchico and decided on Osteria Garino.  We shared garlic toast and fried artichokes, 2 beers, I had picanti spaghetti (spicy) and Rollie had pasta with boar sauce.  34 Euro.  Of course we ended the night with gelato, 3 Euro.

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