Submitted by Isabella Bruno on the 2019 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Finance and the Department of English…
This past week, my group traveled from our campus stay in Volterra to the well-known city of Florence. While in Florence, we had some free time to do what we pleased. My family was visiting Italy during this time, so I spent my time in Florence with them. It was very fun and refreshing to be able to experience Italy with them. My family and I traveled to various vineyards in the Tuscany region to learn more about how wine is produced. A piece of these trips that I found to be most intriguing was speaking with the local family owners of the wineries. It was very interesting to hear all about their background and life on the vineyard. While at a small family owned vineyard in Chianti, I was able to have a great conversation with the grandmother. The grandmother was a part of the first generation who lived and operated the winery. She claimed that as a young adult, she would help her family in every step of the production process. Her favorite part of growing up on a vineyard was being able to watch the process of wine from start to finish. She stated how special and rewarding it is to open a bottle of wine that has been aging for years and celebrate with her family. She loved when the fall season rolled around every year, because that meant that the grapes were ready to be harvested. This was always a very busy time on the vineyard, as they would bring in extra workers to help pick the grapes. An aspect of the process that I found to be very intriguing was how tedious the work of a grape picker is. They must choose only the grapes that appear up to their standard or else the flavor of the wine will be altered. I loved seeing how enthusiastic and passionate she was about wine and the vineyard that she helped create. Wine plays a large role in the Italian culture and I believe that it is important for Americans to appreciate how special a bottle of wine is to the family that created it. During these visits, my family learned how wine is simply not just something that Italians serve with their meals, but it is something so much greater. It brings together families and is passed down for many generations. The various tours around the vineyard are a special way for the family to show how proud they are of their hard work.
