Tuscany

Florence was the fifth stop on the Ashleigh and George Italian tour of 2007. That vacation was two weeks long and as much as I hate to admit it, we were unable to capture the same exuberance for Florence that we had for Rome. The train riding did take a toll on our 24 year old bodies and as a result we didn't attack the city with the same zeal.

So, we left a little on the table last time in Florence. Our goal this time was to: experience more of the Tuscan countryside, leave nothing on the table and not a drop at the bottom of our wine glass.

An hour journey from the Port town of Liverno in to the Chianti region is all it took for our group of 20 to reach one of the most distinguished vineyard's under the Tuscan Sun. The scenery was like a younger vintage table wine: simplistic, beautiful and satisfying. 

Ornellaia is by Italian standards a young vineyard started in the late eighties with the help of California wine mogul Robert Mondavi, it quickly became the standard bearer for the region. Its complexity and depth are direct results from the care and quality of execution from harvest to aging to bottle. The vineyard is a great parallel on a trip provided by TFS to Toyota Manufacturing.

After the tour and the tasting, we enjoyed a Tuscan lunch with some new friends from Texas that made me want to sleep on the way home but instead I found myself conversing with the head of TFS on a range of topics that lasted the entire bus drive back.

Winemaking is a great metaphor for life; while there are variables that you cannot control for the most part, what you put in, is what you get out.