I had set our alarm for 11am the night before thinking that was a ridiculous amount of extra time to sleep in. Nope. We both were woken up by the alarm at 11am and started getting ready as we had to be out of the door by 12:15pm. We were going to be driving our own car a few miles into Pienza to catch the rest of the group that had done the art & artisan tour in Pienza (the one we had skipped).
It was actually pouring rain this morning and again we were glad that we weren’t walking around in the rain visiting the different local artist shops. When we walked out of our apartment with our rain gear and umbrella, the air smelled so incredibly fresh and the rain was wonderful. We didn’t mind it a bit as it was just part of what makes everything all around us green. More rain for the olive trees, more rain for the wheat that has just been planted in the ground, more rain for the soil for grapes. Also, we don’t get much rain in our part of California, so a fresh rain felt wonderful.
We drove over to the Moricciani family home in Pienza, where the farm is, to board the transportation that was going to shuttle us back and forth to the wine tasting. Once again, we were so happy that they had thought to arrange this for us as it was the most responsible and safe thing to do for guests that will be tasting 7 different wines with ‘generous’ pours (per Isabella).
As we drove into town, we could see our group walking back from Pienza and they were mostly soaked, but all in good spirits and said they really enjoyed the tour this morning visiting a pottery artist and a blacksmith. They showed us some of the pictures and videos. It indeed did look very interesting, but we had no regrets. I learned last time on this trip, you just can’t do everything and you’ll burn yourself out trying. I was so happy to hear their stories of the visit in my dry clothes and equally happy they had a great time.
We arrived at the Tenimenti Andreucii Winery, a family that has been making wine here for the past three centuries. The property was in a beautiful location with a view, and thankfully, with the rain, they had a place for us inside to be seated and enjoy the meal.
After we all got settled in, Flavio and Lara, the owners of the winery began serving. Flavio started by telling us that they aren’t a restaurant but his ‘grandma’ was going to be making each course and it was all authentic food made from scratch. Also, let me say Flavio was hot, hot, hot. He had this beautiful way of speaking English with an Italian accent that sounded like poetry as he described the characteristics of each wine. All of the ladies around me were equally thinking, ‘Wow, that Flavio….’
This was almost the mid-point of the trip, and any thoughts that this was an exceptional group that had signed up for this trip all at the same time for this week in November were solidified at this lunch. What started out as more of a quiet affair turned into what seemed like a family reunion halfway through the tastings with everyone laughing and genuinely enjoying each others company. There are at least a three couples that are return visitors (not including me), and one couple who is returning for their 7th time and the wife just spent the last month in Italian language school in Montepulciano before meeting up with her husband here for Thanksgiving week.
As the different courses were presented, they were not ‘light’ in size and I wondered about 3 courses in, how we would all make it through to 7 courses. There were many things I tasted this day made by the grandma, that were so impressive, including incredible wine pairings. My favorites were the lasagna (WOW!), the sage tempura, and the truffle pasta. The wines were equally wonderful capped off by a $150 Gold Label wine they served to us in an enormous glass. I think we were all just as impressed with the glass as we were with the wine. We coudln’t get over how big it was and I love how once Vicki, on my left in the photo below, learned this bottle was $150 began asking others for their extras, who weren’t going to finish for the rest of their wine. Atta girl.
I kept wondering why after each course that they didn’t pick up our glasses. At the end I understood, the sea of glasses on the table with 20+ people drinking 7 tastings was quite a sight and made for an unforgettable photo opportunity. I would say this event lasted 3 hours and by the end we were all talking about vacationing together again and creating a FB group so that we could stay in touch. It is amazing how a little (or a lot) of wine makes you feel like best friends, and this is especially amplified because of the wonderful people on this trip. No – I know – we aren’t best friends, but it is so great to come into a trip with the big unknown factor of who else will be staying there that week and to be so wonderfully surprised.
When we got back to Cretaiole, I built another fire which was great to have with the rain outside and I blogged while Carla napped and caught up with her people. No one in the group was ready to eat again so they decided we should go upstairs to the big suite where about half of us decided to play games and everyone brought a little something to the spontaneous pot-luck. As they give you so much food when you arrive, I think we are all anxious to share it.
Carla went up before me as I needed to finish blogging and then she and a few of the girls came and got me an hour later to make sure I was coming. So I tore myself away from my couch and the fire to go upstairs and join the others in the game. It was the game ‘Heads Up’ where you play charades with your iPhone on your head and where everyone can see the word but you and they try to get you to guess the word or phrase. We had a lot of fun and laughed and laughed for the next hour and it was clear how much we felt like we were all supposed to be here together for this trip and this was the most natural thing in the world be up here like long-time friends having a pot-luck, and playing games in front of a fire with the rain outside. As we walked back downstairs that night, I marveled at the gift of this week and this time in Tuscany with these special people.
