The Chianti Tour

April 29, 2016 by Rebecca Foster

It was the only rainy day of the entire trip. But, still beautiful.

View from Castello D'Abola winery

A winery tour and tasting at Castello d'Abola - with food, of course, an enormous platter of meats and cheeses, with olive oil and bread - was great, if a little chilly. Part of the castello dates to the 11th century; wines in the cellar date to the 1950s.

Mostly just for show, as many of these will not be good any more; Chianti isn't a wine to keep for more than 10 years.

Lots of chianti - "pending" as it were, since they cannot call it Chianti until the wine police say so at the end of the process - lot of work with the risk that you end up with just red table wine in the end. — Lots of chianti - "pending" as it were, since they cannot call it Chianti until the wine police say so at the end of the process - lot of work with the risk that you end up with just red table wine in the end.

These glass bulbs are on the tops of all the barrels to indicate if the barrel is full. It allows for more wine to be aded as needed, without allowing much air in which would oxidize the wine, negatively impacting color and flavor. Invented by Leona… — These glass bulbs are on the tops of all the barrels to indicate if the barrel is full. It allows for more wine to be aded as needed, without allowing much air in which would oxidize the wine, negatively impacting color and flavor. Invented by Leonardo DaVinci!