My life currently: Scuola e Vino

Monday was the first day since I've left America that I haven't had something planned with my program. It was wonderful to come home from school and relax. On Tuesday, we had a small wine tasting at school. Thats right, at school! In a classroom! It absolutely blows my mind how different my culture is. Wine would never be allowed near a classroom at Colorado State!

The wine tasting was held by a cute little old man named Sandro. We tasted four red, dry, Tuscan wines. Before every wine we said "salute" which I learned directly translates to "good health for you". The first was a generic Chianti (2012). Sandro explained that the key to a good Chianti is to pick the grapes in the fall when they are the sweetest, and to drink the wine when it is young-no more than 4 years aged. Our second wine was a Chianti Classico (2011). This is a wine that is made in the same region as the winery I visited so it was fun to try a different brand. The third wine we tried was Morellino di Scansanso which is a southern Tuscan wine made in a small villiage. This wine is produced in a warmer climate so we got to see how this affects the taste. The fourth wine (my favorite) was Brunello di Montalcino (2008). This wine is made strictly in 1 village in Southwestern Tuscany and it is famous for its ability to age. This wine is not released earlier than 4 years after production to give it time to age properly.

We discussed the poetic nature of wine making/tasting and the way Italians have adopted this art into their daily lives. Most Italian families have been drinking the same wine for generations, and are very loyal to wine grown in their region. However it is common for younger Italians to choose a different wine every night depending on what they are cooking. This drink is such a huge part of their culture, it's absolutely fascinating.

In other news, today was our midterm for our Italian Intensive course. This course is extremely rigorous, but I'm so happy we are all taking it because our communication with the locals has been very helpful. The class will end with our final next Tuesday and then the real classes, and the real fun begins!

Arrivederci!