Tuscan Winery

So it's only 9:30 pm but I feel like I've been up for days. I got up this morning at 6 sharp to go to a winery out in Tuscany near Siena for the day. In case you're wondering what my apartment building looks like at 6:00am, here's a picture.I live in the top unit on the left, you can see the nice patio, there's a little light dot as a reference point.

Alright, so let's get going. Day trip to Tuscan winery to drink wine, learn how to make pasta, and to have one of the best lunches I've ever had in my life. Before we start, to quote Matt Selvyn, "Spoiler Alert!!: grapes and flour." He was so right.

I was dozing in and out on the bus ride there but the scenery was incredible every time I peaked out the window. So the game plan for the day went like this. Get a tour around a bit of the property with a history lesson of the place while we were there. If I remember correctly, wine has been made on that property, which is in the Chianti region, for hundreds of years and it came into possession of the family who owns it now in 1911. It was one of the first and only winery's to be headed by all women. After that, we were to get a tour of the barrels and where they ferment the wine. I managed to fall multiple times, sometimes for no apparent reason, (once was because I was taking a picture of the sky and didn't see the steps, but Rachel saved me (kinda) from falling and making a fool of myself). There were barrels everywhere. Despite that they all looked the same, I still felt like I had to take a picture of all of them. Here's one of the many:

Then it was wine tasting time, followed by pasta making then more wine and a massive feast. I think for wine tasting you were supposed to swish it around in your mouth then spit it back out. But honestly, I think it is very rude to spit a drink back out into those fancy wine glasses. Therefore, I decided to be classy so instead of grossly swishing and spitting, I just drank it. Much better decision :)

Chef Cianfichi

After Antonio gave us the rundown on how to do it. He let us come in and start making the pasta by hand. It was called Pincci pasta, and he made it from scratch just with egg, flour and water and even made it look cool by dropping the egg into the flour shaped like a volcano. From now on til the end of my life, as long as I have those three things, I will never need to leave my house. Note my perfect form of pulling with the left hand while rolling with the right hand. Not that that perfection had anything to do with the chef threatening to cut off my fingers if I ever used them instead of my palm to roll with.

So after this was by far the best part of the day. We all sit down in a big dining room. They first come around with wine. Next was the 1st course: Prosciutto, sharp cheese and bruschetta. Alright, then another round of wine and some fresh bread. Next was pasta with a meat bolagnase sauce, the besttt. Okay then a lady came around with seconds of the pasta and gave me a bit but ran out when she came to me. So I quickly ate all of that so by the time the next lady came out with seconds for the rest of the table, it looked like I still hadn't gotten seconds, sooo I got thirds :). Then Lissett didn't want the rest of hers so I ate that, and I gladly finished off her wine for her too. I thought I was done and full for the day, BUT THEN they came around with chicken and potatoes. More wine. Dessert accompanied with dessert wine. Wowwwwwwww. Best meal ever? I think so. I have not been so full in such a long time. For only 50 euros, I would do that whole trip every Saturday for the rest of my time here. I recommend it to every and any one!

So afterwards, we had some time to kill so I went on a little adventure around the area. Saw some amazing views of the countryside, check out the FB Album for more pictures. Here's a nice one of me gazing out into the distance, in deep thought of course.

Before I leave, quick shout out to the Colbert Report and the Daily Show with John Stewart. You, alone, are the only show that has allowed me to view it over here in Italy. Hulu, doesn't work. NBC, FOX, ABC etc etc, none of your websites work over here in Italy and I am going crazy not being able to watch my regular shows like Modern Family, The Office, Outsourced, etc.. But at least I have those two shows, other networks, take a page from the Comedy Central guys and make your videos available worldwide, it's 2011, it shouldn't be this hard. That is all.