I may be less than 10% Italian, but I LOVE Italian culture: the food, the wine, the fashion, the cars and scooters, the people, the history, and especially visiting the country. I was invited to attend Discover Valdichiana at Houston’s Italian Cultural and Community Center hosted by Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Texas for an evening highlighting Tuscany’s best kept secret. Here’s what I took away from the event…
Valdichiana, the region in Tuscany in area of the Chiana River Valley between the cities of Siena, Florence, and Arezzo, includes the towns of Montepulciano, Cetona, Chianciano Terme, Chiusi, Pienza, San Casciano dei Bagni, Sarteano, Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena, and Trequanda. This area enjoys a more leisurely way of living and vacationing. Those of us in attendance were treated to videos and short lectures on the region’s tours and activities that included art and history, Tuscan living, wine and flavors, sport and nature, and spa and wellness.
We were also treated to light bites by Sud Italia and a wine tasting of Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, two absolutely stellar Tuscan wines. The Rosso is a light and lovely table wine, and the Vino Nobile is a beautiful full-bodied wine that made me want to drown in Italian food.
It was an absolute pleasure to learn about the Chiana River Valley in Tuscany, fondly remember our visit to Montepulciano in 2014, taste Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and daydream of visiting on a future trip with a more leisure vacation in mind.