Food and Wine

We started our day with our third critique session.  It gets harder as the week progresses both because there’s an expectation that our skills our growing and we have fewer photos to choose from since we’ve already and two previous sessions. 

We went directly to the restaurant for a pasta making demo.  Joe had previously scouted the location and the hotel had set a beautiful scene for the demo.  We again got a chance at the lighting equipment Joe uses to photograph the shoot.  Afterwards, we dined in the restaurant and had a little time before leaving for our afternoon appointment.

We visited lovely winery located somewhat near our home base that produces both red and white wines along with olive oil.  They have close to 1000 acres under cultivation.  The facility dates back hundreds of years although the ownership has changed hands a few times.  We were given complete access to their aging facility.  A variety of oak casks are used in the production both large and small.  The large ones have a longer lifespan because they can actually be cleaned by hand from the inside.  The smaller ones are used for about 5 years before being replaced.  It is exactly as a winery should look with brick arched ceilings and rows and rows of dark wooden barrels. 

We finished with a wine tasting of four of their wines, one chardonnay and the three reds.  As often happens, after a few glasses of wine it seems like a wonderful idea to have some shipped home to enjoy later.  Several of us will have Tuscan wine to enjoy after our return home.

Finally, we stopped in one of their vineyards to photograph the landscape.  The rows of grapevines makes for a graphic photo opportunity.  We boarded our bus for the short journey back where a buffet dinner awaited us in a trellised courtyard.  We really had a lovely day in the Tuscan hills.

Tomorrow: Sienna and return to Florence