Day 11 - Food and Wine experience at Castellano Verrazzano

On our second day in Greve, we had planned a "Food and Wine experience" at Castellano Verrazzanno. We basically just piddlefarted around until our cab came at 11:30 to take us to our 12:00 reservation for a tour and lunch (with wine! yay!) Our next door neighbors had warned us that the wine was plentiful at this event, so we wanted to make sure we didn't end up in an Italian jail. Cab was soooo well worth the 20 euro or so.

Our tour guide, Gino, ran the place, and we all signed in. I think there was a group of about 20 or so. Once we were all there, we started a tour of the grounds and wine cellars.





The place was amazingly gorgeous and the quick tour was fun and informative.

Then Gino led us down to a little restaurant area, another tour about our size came in as well, and he assigned us to tables. This print was above our table, explaining how the rooster became the mascot/symbol of that area.
We were at a table with a couple from New Jersey and another couple from Ottawa. The guy in the New Jersey couple knew our tour guide (was his cousin or something) and we got A+ treatment (A+ means extra wine, if you didn't know). I think we sat down around 1, and the meal started with salted meats and cheese, moved to pasta, then pork loin and salad, some parm with balsamic, and then some biscotti with a sweet wine called vin santo. Finally they served some grappa (SUPER high alcohol content, the guys at the other end of the table called it "Drano for your body"), which I sipped just a wee bit. All of this was served with accompanying red wine. We ate and drank and made friends with the other two couples, all the while becoming louder and friendlier and more boisterous. Before we knew it, it was 4:30 and Gino was telling us to get out. He didn't say it that way but that's what he meant.

Last count on the damage was like 8 bottles of wine (not including the Vin Santo)

Gino explains something. What, I don't remember.

Impressivo

On the way out we took some pictures and Dad ordered a case of Chianti Reserve that I am going to snitch a bottle of next time I come to Evansville. hehehe.....

The cab picked us up and we headed back for a long nap and some pool time. Mike and I watched Taken as well, then we all got showered and headed to dinner. At dinner Dad got the idea to hit up Lamole for dessert so we headed back to our favorite place again. Luckily this time they didn't disappoint me, and I was able to order the panna cotta (they had been out of it the night before). So good. Note to self: add panna cotta to the list of things to learn how to make.