No matter what you eat or dine in Italy, Italians’ favorite drink with a meal is wine.
TUSCANY, Italy — No matter what you eat in Italy or where you dine, Italians’ favorite drink with a meal is wine.
“We like to share the wine together. It’s a must to have a bottle of wine together,” tour guide Valentino Barkanti said.
Across this country, you will discover a variety of incredible wines.
“Italian people knows very well the wine. Even if you’re not an expert, we drink wine mostly every day. We like to drink local wine from the region close to us,” Barkanti said.
But there is one region in Italy known around the world for its wine.
The hills near San Gimignano are filled with vineyards. These wineries are producing some of the most coveted wine in the world, including Fattoria San Donato.
“This winery is a very wonderful place. It’s located in a village. It was founded around 1,000 years ago. It has a lot of story to tell,” employee Riccardo Boschi said.
Umberto Fenzi’s family bought this farm in 1932 and has been here ever since.
“We are producing Vernaccia, which is the typical grape and wine in this area,” Fenzi said. “We say Vernaccia is a red wine with a white look. Because normally, white wine has a lot of perfume. Vernaccia is not an aromatic wine.”
“This is a unique wine that can only be produced in San Gimignano, and it makes us very proud because we’re the only one who can produce it,” Boschi said.
If you prefer red wine, you have come to the right place.
“We produce one of the most famous wines worldwide. It’s a red wine called Chianti,” Boschi said.
“This place can host people for tasting, for trying our local products or our organic products and to spend time in touch with nature,” Boschi said.
Umberto Fenzi is a perfect host, opening wine bottles at an outside tasting.
“This is important to oxygenate the wine,” Fenzi said as he opened up a bottle.
Fenzi said wine isn’t just for drinking. You smell it.
“The air will bring the nose, the perfumes,” Fenzi said.
You taste it and talk about it.
Wine tastings include local meats and cheese.
“Wine should be pared with food. It’s important you have a nice bottle with nice food,” Fenzi said.
Fenzi’s wine is stored and bottled on his farm. Some of his wines are named after his three daughters.
“Let’s open this one. The one dedicated to Angelica,” Fenzi said.
There is also a wine named after his wife.
“Of course, it’s the wine I love the most,” Fenzi said.
Exploring Tuscany is a wine lover’s dream. Beyond the bottle are stunning views and a rich history.
“Just walking around, you feel the story talking to you,” Boschi said. “We have the chance to live in a place that is really in paradise — in a nature paradise.”
It’s a story of generations of wine makers, working on the land, using the grapes, creating bottles of wine for people all over the world.
“In Italy, you have different regions. And every region has its own food and its own wine,” Fenzi said.
So, if you travel to Italy, consider a trip to Tuscany.
“San Gimignano is related with the wine,” Fenzi said.
Then, sit back and enjoy some wine with your meal.
“A nice glass while eating food is perfect,” Fenzi said.
“The food and the wine is like an excuse or a way for people to say, ‘Let’s stop thinking about any trouble — just sit here, and just enjoy the moment,'” Boschi said.
Dining and Cooking