Tuscany, Italy

There is only one Italian phrase that can describe our week in Tuscany: veni, vidi, vici. Nestled in the heart of the Chianti region, we spent our time sipping cappuccinos, playing hearts, eating homemade pasta, and drinking as much Italian wine as we could get our hands on.

Italy is known for its rich history, heart-warming food, and is home to some of the best wine in the world. Tuscany not only has a remarkable culinary history and culture— like being the inventors of tiramisu—but also has beautiful rolling hills, diversity of soils, topography, and micro-climates which creates the perfect environment for growing Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

In Tuscany, we were situated at the southernmost-edge of the Chianti Classico region in the butterfly-shaped commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Settling down in a hundred-year-old villa in the heart of this region, we spent much of our time both learning about and tasting classic wines.

When we weren’t at the villa, we explored the surrounding towns including Montalcino, Siena, and Pienza.

And in true Timochenko fashion, a family trip wouldn’t be complete without at least one detour. After our first night, Matt was experiencing quite a bit of chest pain and after consulting our #1 nurse back in the US (hey mom), Dad and Matt took a trip to the closest emergency room. After 12 hours in the hospital and just as many tests, Matt was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health and all was right in the world.

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque

Interesting facts:

  • There is something magical about Italian wines (maybe fewer sulfites?) because even after quite a few glasses of wine, we had hangover free mornings

  • Chainti and Brunello are two of the first wines to have received the DOCG designation

  • Shockingly, most doctors, nurses and hospital personnel at the Siena hospital don’t speak English

Favorite parts:

Matt: Not dying in the hospital, & our cooking class
Erin: Our cooking class with Marta & Manuel
Marisa: All of the wine tastings!
Matt L: Exploring the ins and outs of Siena
Jackie: I love to cook, so it was definitely our cooking class
Dad: Our cooking class and correctly matching 3 of 3 wines in a blind taste test
Susan: Drinking wine with everyone by our pool, and of course, our cooking class

What we did:

Where we ate:

Who helped us along the way:

  • Alex (our (only) Italian speaking driver)

  • Gaia, our go-to person for all Italian related questions

  • Marta & Manuel

  • Andrea (one of our brilliant chefs)

Where we stayed:

  • Villa in the Chainti region