Wine Tasting

In my attempts to post shorter entries more frequently, I'm going to write something two days in a row! Don't get used to it.

As anyone who knows me is aware, I am a picky eater/drinker, and among the long list of things I dislike is wine. However, since I have moved to Italy, where wine is cheaper than water, I have been trying to learn to like it. (Side note: Having grown up Presbyterian, I was a bit surprised the first time I had communion here. It's not grape juice in the tiny cups.)

Anyway, with this quest in mind, I was game to participate in the wine tasting that our Cortona group signed up for. I can't say that I really liked any of the wines, but I tried all four and learned a bit about them in the process. Did you know that mixing different types of grapes affects how well you can see through red wines?

The most memorable was a Brunello wine, a traditional red wine from Tuscany. Apparently, it's fairly rare and very expensive outside of Italy. I made sure to finish my taste after his description of shipping it all over the world to customers who can't find it. The particular brand we tried was also interesting, as it is produced on an organic-style farm. Of course, the requirements are different, but it's a similar set-up: no pesticides, they produce everything that touches the product, from cows for manure for fertilizer through the entire process. I can't quite say I enjoyed it, but I did appreciate it.