Wine Tour and Pienza, Italy

It's almost required to visit some wineries while traveling in Tuscany.  With that in mind, we chose to spend Wednesday on a full-day wine tour that started bright and early at 8:15AM. 

We piled into a 12-passenger van while our tour guide took us on a two-hour ride, ending at a small estate on a hill that produced a wine branded as "Il Macchione".  Before going inside the estate, we listened to the winemaker speak a bit about the grapes that surrounded us and some history about his family business.  

Il Macchiato estate near Montepulciano 

I was a little surprised when we entered the estate because it was actually the home of the winemaker.  Yup, we were tasting wine at his dining room table, while bottles were aging in the basement.  Personally, I prefer a more commercial atmosphere but it did feel good to know that we were supporting a small family business.  

Wine tasting #1 in the dining room of the winemaker

After a few generous pours, we were all enjoying ourselves without even pretending to savor the overtones, undertones, or any other tones.  I don't actually remember what we drank.  Everything tasted good but nothing was particularly memorable.  A few of my friends ordered bottles to ship home (I may have bought some as well if I had a home).  With a gracious Italian farewell, we were off to our next destination. 

A few people in the group expressed interest in seeing Montepulciano, which is a hill town made famous by the "Twilight" movies.  Our tour guide agreed to take us on a driving tour through the town but we weren't able to stop.  Montepulciano reminded me of San Gimignano and was, perhaps, even a little more beautiful.  Definitely worth a stop if you're not on a strict wine-tasting schedule.  

We then went to lunch at a restaurant that didn't even look open until we awkwardly peered into the windows and were about to drive away.  We each ordered a pasta dish and a glass of wine (of course).  My black truffle raviolis had so much truffle that it crunched as I bit into it.  The flavor of the truffle was more muted than I am used to, but the volume made up for it.

After lunch we stopped in Pienza for the obligatory "shopping stop" at a pottery shop that was embarrassingly amateur in quality (why do tours always make people stop at horrible touristy shops?).  Most of us just stood outside rather than pretending that we had any interest in the merchandise.  The only cool part of the shop was the entrance to an old tunnel system that connects the city as an evacuation route.  The tunnel was blocked many years ago when people realized they could break into each other's homes, but it's a cool idea otherwise. 

We walked through Pienza a bit, stopping at the duomo and enjoying the views of the surrounding countryside from the perimeter walls.  Pienza is the birthplace of Pope Pius II and it benefitted from significant investment when he was pontiff because he wanted everything to be rebuilt as the ideal renaissance town.  Although Pienza is one of the first examples of urban planning, it didn't seem all that much different than the other two hill towns we had seen.    

The (tiny) piazza in front of the church in Pienza

This statue looked sad, so I decided to keep her company. 

The perimeter walls of the town had fantastic views of the countryside. 

Before our visit was complete, the tour guide took us to a cheese shop for some tasting (and buying).  The cheese piqued our interest a lot more than hand-painted pottery.  

Our final stop was to another winery for some Brunello tasting. I had never heard of Brunello before this trip but it is essentially just a fancy name for Sangiovese with a very specific aging period.  (Wine enthusiasts are probably cringing right now).  This tasting was also in the home of the winemaker but at least we stayed in the front room, which was designated specifically for tastings. 

Wine tasting #2 - Brunello!

I really enjoyed this wine and would have definitely bought some bottles if I had anywhere to ship them.  Fortunately, my friends more-than made up for my purchasing deficiencies and sent several cases back to the US.  

The ride back to our villa was very quiet, as most of the group slept in the van.  I'm not sure if returning home sober would constitute a successful wine tasting trip but I certainly enjoyed the day. 

San Gimignano and Siena

On Tuesday morning, our group split up. 

The early car went wine tasting, while the late car (which I was in) started the day at San Gimignano.  Driving from our villa in Greve was an adventure in itself because the roads are extremely windy and hilly.  I'm glad I was in the front seat or I would have been carsick after the first ten minutes.  On the bright side, views of the Tuscan countryside were gorgeous.  

One aspect I find amusing about driving in Italy is the sheer number of signs at every intersection.  I'm not sure who thought that a multitude of signs would be helpful, but the law of diminishing returns would certainly apply in this situation.  How can anyone read all this while driving?!?

Vast amounts of information at each turn

I attempted to be the co-pilot (aka: sign reader) from the front seat, while Brian consulted the map on his phone.  It turns out, I'm a completely useless co-pilot in Italy.  Sometimes, the highway we wanted wasn't listed at all, while other times, the sign was pointing in a different direction than what Brian's map suggested.  We decided that this must be be Italy's way of messing with tourists, so Brian's map always prevailed.  

Both directions lead to Siena!

Eventually, we saw the beautiful towers of San Gimignano in the distance and I started getting excited (mostly, just so I could get out of the car).  We parked outside the walls of the town and ventured in.  Without cars, billboards, or traffic lights, it was really easy to imagine ourselves in another century.  We meandered our way through the cobblestone streets and into the main square, where we noticed a well that the residents must have actually used as a source of water back in the day.

Entering San Gimignano

San Gimignano town center

Nick also noticed a condom vending machine on the wall of a building, which must have been installed in a later century. :)

It really added to the ambience. 

I can't imagine many young people living in the town these days, simply because there is nothing to do there.  It is obvious that the economy is driven by tourism, but we were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves.  The whole town looked like a postcard and it seemed like every shop sold meat, cheese, and wine.  Seriously, do Italians do anything besides eat?  

Based on the suggestion of a saleswoman in one of the specialty food shops, we stopped for lunch at a really cute restaurant.  The owner explained all of the day's specials with so much passion and we even had the added bonus of focaccia bread, which was such a nice change from the typical salt-less breads that most restaurants in Tuscany provide.  I never realized how much I appreciate salt in my bread before this vacation! 

San Gimignano is most famous for its towers, which were built in the 13th century as a result of family rivalries.  Most towers are closed to the public today, but we did find one that allowed us to climb.  The view from the top was incredible and it provided such a great perspective over the town.  

Here's the tower we were able to climb - right next to the church. 

Almost at the top!

Views of the tuscan countryside from the tower

Looking down on the town square.

After a great morning in San Gimignano, we decided it was time to venture over to Siena, where we met up with the other half of the group.  I was particularly excited about seeing Siena because it was so beloved by my Aunt & Uncle during their honeymoon that they decided to name my cousin after the city.  

Siena only allows residents to drive in the center city, so we parked in a nearby lot and took a series of escalators up to the Duomo.  I must admit that although I enjoyed the ease of the escalators, it didn't get me in the "medieval mood" like I felt as we passed through the walls of San Gimignano. 

As is the case with most Italian cities, the Duomo is the must-see landmark.  Before we could enter, we had to get a free ticket from a nearby ticket office.  It seemed strange to me that they would hire someone just to print and distribute free tickets, but it's Italy so I didn't question anything!  

As we waited to pick up the tickets, we could see an outer wall that still stands as a reminder of a partially-completed addition from the 14th century, which would have doubled the size of the cathedral.  The Black Plague permanently halted the construction, but it's cool to imagine how massive the structure would have been if it were completed.  Personally, I think its current "small" size is just right.

Here's the exterior of the beautiful Siena Cathedral

This cathedral is the most unique I have seen in Italy, with alternating black & white horizontal stripes across the walls that reminded me of Sephora.  I learned that black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, representing the black and white horses that belonged to the city's founders.   

I was digging the black & white stripes.  

I know the pictures may look like any other beautiful church in Italy, but to appreciate the detail of the craftsmanship requires a closer look: 

Details, details. 

Even the mosaic floor was designed with incredible detail.  Although most of it was covered to protect the marble, one part depicting "The Slaughter of the Innocents" was exposed and provided a hint of the ornate images throughout the floor.  

Here's the small piece of the floor that was exposed. 

After visiting so many cathedrals, it would be easy to not appreciate the breathtaking design of the architecture.  This cathedral, however, forced me to take notice.  

We then walked to the Piazza del Campo to meet the rest of the group.  I would have loved to be in Siena during famous horse races, but unfortunately, it was a quiet night.  We walked around a little more, took a group picture, and returned to Greve for dinner. 

Our group, together again, in Piazza del Campo, Siena

People often say that there is a rivalry between Florence and Siena. My guess is that the rivalry exists more among residents because, as a tourist, I found the two cities to be completely different.  I think that there is a lot more to do and see in Florence, while Siena is more enchanting in a subtle way.  Both cities are absolutely worth seeing but very difficult to compare.