In an effort to check as many authentic Italian experiences off my checklist as possible, I decided to try a wine tasting class while visiting Florence last weekend. One of my roommates stumbled upon an advertisement for the course while booking our accommodations on airbnb.com. Apparently the site now offers more than just apartment rentals! Living on a student budget in Europe has put large-scale vineyard tours and tastings out of reach for me, but this simple 45-euro two-hour experience was the perfect introduction to the art of vino.
Our wine tasting was conducted by Rebecca, a funny and extremely knowledgeable sommelier from Florence who was an expert in Tuscan wines. The class itself was run through the Tuscan Wine School, which has locations in Florence and Siena. I was pleased to find that the experience was held in a small-group setting with only 9 individuals. The downside of this, however, was that tickets sold out quickly. When a fourth student joined our Florence trip at the last minute, she unfortunately was unable to get a spot at the tasting with the other three of us.
Our educational wine experience included a history and a sampling of six different Tuscan wines. Rebecca also taught us about the different classifications and certifications of Italian wines. Apparently, the vast majority of wines in Italy are named after the place in which the grapes were grown instead of after the grapes themselves. Also, the highest Italian wine designation is called DOCG. A bottle with a thin gold label around its neck with these letters on it is guaranteed to have been checked under the highest level of scrutiny.
After hearing some of this background information, the 9 of us around the table got to sample our first wine, which was a white Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Of the six bottles, this was the only white wine because, according to Rebecca, apart from this type, none of Tuscany’s white wines are of good quality. The region is known for fantastic red wine grapes such as sangiovese, so that is primarily what Tuscan wineries use to make their wines. As an individual who prefers white wine, I was very happy with this selection. I even ordered a glass of the same wine a few nights later during dinner!
Rebecca not only gave us wine to try but also taught us the proper way to try it. First, we tilted our glasses to the side and observed the color of the wine. A uniform color throughout the wine is a good sign. Next, we observed the dripping “legs” or “tears” of wine running down our glasses in order to infer the alcohol content and the full-bodiedness of the vine. Then, we were instructed to smell the wine and observe the aromas. After that, we copied Rebecca as she took a small sip from her glass, then inhaled sharply through her teeth, and then gurgled the Vernaccia around in her mouth in order to completely cover her taste buds with the wine. Drinking wine in this manner certainly made the process a richer experience, but it definitely felt a little funny at first. Some of the participants – all of whom were novices to the wine world – even had to stifle giggles as they were gargling their wine like Listerine. But, although I don’t think I’ll be using these techniques when ordering a cup of the house wine in restaurants, it was extremely interesting and fun to learn.
Next, Rebecca had us try three Tuscan red wines simultaneously in order to compare them side by side. These bottles included a Chianti Classico (commonly confused with just normal Chianti), a Vino Noble di Montepulciano, and a 2009 Brunello di Montalcino. My personal favorite was the heavy Brunello, followed by the lighter Chianti Classico. I was not extremely fond of the stronger Vino Noble. Then, Rebecca offered us all small appetizers of bread and cheese in order to observe how pairing a wine with certain foods can actually change the wine’s flavor. Amazingly, this turned out to be true!
Then, after a short break, we learned about and sampled a Le Cupole “Super Tuscan” wine. Apparently this is a classification of rare, small-batched, experimental wines produced in Tuscany. Although I was curious, I was wary to ask how much each of these bottles would cost. Luckily, another participant asked for me, and so I found out that this “Super Tuscan” would cost 80-euro. While this is not the kind of purchase I would ever consider making for myself, this made the experience all the more special, as I got to try something that I would normally not have the opportunity to access.
The last wine that we tried was Vin Santo, a Tuscan dessert wine made from a mixture of white and red grapes. This bottle was extremely strong and extremely sweet, so we were all only given a small portion. Although it was hard to compare this wine with the rest because it was an after-dinner wine instead of a wine that would be paired with a meal, it was definitely one of my favorites. At the very end of the class, we were all awarded certificates of completion. Although these papers certainly didn’t qualify us as wine experts, the next few nights my friends and I enjoyed pretending we were, practicing our tasting techniques at restaurants (when no one was looking of course).
All in all, I would give this wine tasting experience a very high review. I learned a lot, had fun, and tried some delicious wines. Best of all, I felt that the experience was truly local. We were in Florence being taught about local wines by a local expert. It doesn’t get much more authentic than that!
