Today's adventure took us into the heart of the Chianti wine region to visit Castello Verrazzano winery and estate. More about that later. Our first stop just outside Florence was the American Cemetery where over 4,400 WWII military personnel are buried in a field of green grass and white crosses. The Tuscan countryside is a beautiful setting for this sober and serene burial ground. The monument along with the wall of names of the missing is made of Italian marble and everything is meticulously maintained. American families were given the choice of having their soldier's body sent back to the states or interred here in Italy. Our visit was inspiring and made us thankful for all who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. From here we traveled about half an hour alongside the budding grape vines, brick and terra cotta factories and beautiful scenery to our main destination for the day - the Verrazzano winery. The castle and grounds date back over 800 years and they have been producing grapes and olives here for hundreds of years. We toured the lovely grounds, visited the centuries old wine cellars and heard the interesting history of this place and the steps to making great wines from Gillian, our excellent guide. Then came a wonderful Italian lunch with five wines to taste along with the food dishes. You'll see it all in the photos! Our private minibus and driver then took us to the charming little town of Greve, the capital of the Chianti Region, for some strolling and shopping. We saw the black rooster, symbol of the fine Chianti wines all around and certainly enjoyed our share of the "rooster juice"! Another truly fine Tuscan day. . .
