Thursday, July 6th

After breakfast, we drove to Castello di Verrazzano for wine tasting and lunch!  The winery is named after its founder, Giovanni de Verrazzano, an Italian explorer, who in 1524 was the first European known to sail the East Coast of North America and to discover New York Bay!  The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge in New York is named after him!  He was eaten by cannibals in the Bahamas!  We toured the beautifully manicured grounds and underground rooms used for storage of the castle’s cured prosciutto, jars of olive oil and wine inventory!  Lunch was a lovely plate of charcuterie and delicious Chianti Classico!  We drove to Montepulciano and checked into our apartment on Via di Collazzi.  We bought groceries at the Conrad supermarket…I always enjoy wandering the aisles and looking at the displays of unfamiliar and different products!  After some appetizers in our backyard, Phil made dinner of delicious ravioli with meat ragu and a mixed salad…and Chianti Classico wine, of course!