Grape and Olive Country

Just outside the busy, city center of Florence lies a beautiful countryside of Tuscany, the region of Italy that produces some of the best wine and olive oil in the world. We took a 20-minute busride here to this area, known for "Chianti Classico."

Two decades ago, members of the Corsini family of Florence took residence in one of their age-old villas. Here, they began wine and olive oil production from the vineyards and groves owned by their family since the time of Michaelangelo.

 

Corsini wine ages in the cool temperatures that lie below the villa's property. Some wine ages in these wooden barrels, others in these large metal and concrete vats.

"Vin Santo" is a sweet wine made from the grapes drying in this upper level room.

Chianti Classico wine meets specific standards and is bottled and labelled like this,

sealed with the family crest like this,

and is tasted like this.

The final olive harvest is in late November. Olives are transported from the Corsini groves to the family villa for production.

Olives are first separated from their leaves and stems, then pressed and separated from the meat of the olive (which looks like wet concrete here, but smells wonderful and is seasoned and cooked as an Italian dish.)

Olives and pits are pressed again with this metal churn.



Italians once used this large concrete wheel to press olives and these clay vats to separate olive oil from the water in olives. Oil would rise above the water in each vat and then drain to the next vat through these spouts.

 Oil from the first press of the season is bright green in color, spicey in flavor, and bottled and served as Italy's "Olio Nuovo".

Corsini oil ages in these beautiful, clay vats in the villa until...

...private clients and restaurant owners purchase bottled oil and wine, or carry it away in these re-fillable jugs.

After our fill of Corsini wine and oil, we waited for the next bus home to Florence, not in any hurry to leave this beautiful grape and olive country of Tuscany.