A WINE TASTING TRIP THROUGH ITALY, PART 3

By Matt Dolin, Beverage Manager

We rounded out the trip near Siena, in Castelnuovo Berardenga, Chianti. Here we stayed with Lia Tolaini, owner of Tolaini wines. This is not your typical Chianti producer, as they focus most of their efforts on wines labeled as IGT, or Super Tuscans. The property dates back to the Etruscan times and they even have a tomb at the top of their Al Passo vineyard. This property was a lovely finish to the trip as it truly encompasses traditional and modern at the same time. The house we ate dinner in was built in the 1400’s and the winery is in an ancient estate. When you walk in however, you are surrounded by state of the art equipment, and they even have a lab on site for scientific tests of the berries. The team there is a group of young, ambitious, and extremely passionate people on a mission to catapult the wines to the next level. Look for their Valdisanti on our list to see what they are all about!