PIENZA and MONTALCINO

PIENZA and MONTALCINO

In Pienza we visited the cheese factory of Podere Il Casale for a tour of their operation and a cheese tasting. This area is well known for the production of pecorino cheeses made from sheep’s milk. The  owner, an elegant lady who is extremely  passionate about what they do, explained the process of making these fine cheeses. We had the cheese and local wine tasting outside overlooking the stunning country side.  In the afternoon we had a visit and wine tasting at Altesino in Montalcino famous for Brunello (fine Tuscan wine).This was the most modern of the three wineries we have visited. We even got to see the bottling process.

We continued along the winding roads to the ancient town of Montalcino where we had time to explore the medieval fort and stroll through the town to search for local handicrafts.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Osteria Solo per Passione in Monteriggioni where the red and white wine flowed.
All of our dining experiences in Tuscany have been delicious, but the ladies particularly liked the casualness of tonight's dinner as the food was served on large platters so we were able to only take what we wanted instead of the large portions which are normally served course after course.
Everyone is pretty tired - it is hard work having fun!