Cantine Aperte

Three Sundays ago (I am behind on my blogging) was Cantine Aperte, the day when all the wineries in Italy are open to the public for tastings. We went with our friends Federica and Riccardo to four different wineries. As you can imagine it was a long fun day of drinking amazing wines!

The first winery we went to was Castello di Montegiove. It is a castle from the 13th century. The winery has over 1200 hectares of land that surround the castle which is perched on a hill. We tasted three red wines they produce, all were good, their Gatto Gatto was my favorite.

The small town around the castle

Looking up at the castle

The BBQ heating up for lunch

Inside the winery

Old wine barrels no longer used

Tower staircase with a rope handrail in the middle (not ADA compliant)

Me and Federica

The second winery we went to was Tenuta Vitalonga. It is the winery where we stayed with my family for our Italian wedding reception, so it was very sentimental to go back. There we not only had great wines but also a wonderful, never ending buffet lunch including: pasta, grilled sausages and fruit tort for dessert.

Fossilized shells found around the property. At one point in time this was the bottom of the sea

The winery

Riccardo and Federica

The third winery we went to was Castello della Sala. This is a modern winery set below a castle, that unfortunately was closed to the public. Castello della Sala is an Antinori winery, one of the biggest producers in Italy. They have won many awards for their wines, and I can see why, they were delicious!

The castle

Vineyards

The winery

The fourth and last winery was the same one we went to last year and loved, Tenuta Le Velette. I didn't include as many pictures as last year, I didn't want to repeat the same things. But this place is amazing! Good wine, a fantastic yard to enjoy it in and a beautiful view of Orvieto.

The main villa

View of Orvieto