Of all the wine regions on earth, I think I would most like to spend Christmas in Chianti.
There is just something about the rustic beauty of the Northern Italian villages, the religious celebrations of the catholic citizenry, and yes, the splendor of the sangiovese based wines that resonates, at least for me, as the perfect place for the holiday repast. Of course, this is a Christmas that will not offer up the opportunity for wine travel.
For a variety of reasons, most having to do with the NFL schedule which keeps me stateside for December (I toil in the trenches for Sunday Night Football), my sojourns to Chianti have all taken place under the heat of the summer sun. Don’t get me wrong, I love to walk amongst the vines that hang heavy with the fruit of the coming vintage on the hot afternoons. To swim at dusk in a cool pool after a smoldering day talking and gesticulating in pidgin Italian with the passionate winemakers, who always seem to educate despite the language differenc