Day 1 Tuscany cont’d

Our Inn 
Some pics from around the inn
A memorial to miners. In 1954, 43 miners were killed in a coal mine explosion. 
A few minutes drive from the village is a biodynamic wine pioneer and organic vineyard, Ampeleia. By creating a varied and rich ecosystem on site, they produce a natural wine that is a true expression of its land. Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture similar to organic farming, but it includes various esoteric concepts taken from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. Initially developed in 1924, it was the first of the organic agriculture movements. It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated. It took seven years to cultivate the land in the most natural way possible. They brought 5 cows to the estate to roam freely and graze in the vineyards, producing the manure that is used in one of the preparations they use to treat the vines. Over the course of the seven years, the soil changed color, becoming darker and rich in humus, but also softer and more fertile. The US is the largest importer of their famous Ampeleia wine.
A table was set for us. 
Rosemary and lavender 
The herb garden


Gluten free pita and tomato mouse (delicious) to cleanse the palate. 
These are the wines 



The famous Ampeleia

After the wine tasting, we were driven to Oli and Flo’s estate to enjoy a welcome feast prepared by chef Oli. 
This tour is called “A gastronomic holiday to remember”. If tonight is any indication of the things to come, that will be a very true statement. 
The menu
There are 5 other participants in our group
Chef Oli in the kitchen. 
Hand-rolled pici pasta, new season pumpkin, Tuscan sausage, parmigiana fonduta, crispy fried sage on top. Amazing!!!
Wild boar in umido, cannelloni bean purée, grilled zucchini, pickled carrots, honey-poached grapes. Delicious!!!
And to top it all off: almond and olive oil cake, rosemary gelato, blackberry sorbet, apricot sorbet, and torched figs. No words!!!
It was two hours of getting to know our other tour mates, while dining al fresco on a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. 
Now it is off to bed.  

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