Under the Tuscan Sun

My love for Brunello di Montalcino started on the hills of Tuscany on a day trip from Rome. The Tuscan countryside is one of the world’s most lush regions and home to top-notch wines and produce, rolling hills, medieval villages, and sprawling vineyards. Our trip took us to the town of Montepulciano where we had snacks and wine tasting at Winery Gattevecchi and to Montalcino, and the Altesino Vineyard.

Montepulciano is a small town on top of a large hill, creating breathtaking views. For the Twilight fans out there, the scene in New Moon where Bella runs through the square to Edward before he steps into the sun was filmed in a square in the town. The fountain in the movie was built just for the movie. Although a movie was filmed in Montepulciano, the town still has a small sleepy town feel. We spent the morning popping into various shops and exploring small alleys that led to incredible views. Once done exploring, we went to Gattevecchi for a wine tasting and snacks of bread, olive oil, cold cuts, and cheese. From there we departed for Montalcino.

Once in Montalcino we headed straight to the Altesino winery. On our tour of the vineyard we learned how wine is made, from picking grapes, to the different aging processes, to bottling and labeling. With our new found knowledge it was time to taste wine, which was when I was first introduced to Brunello di Montalcino a wine made entire from Sangiovese grapes that have been aged 3 or more years in large oak casks. We sipped wine and looks out on the sprawling hills of the Tuscan countryside, completing our perfect day under the Tuscan sun.