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Ever since I started thinking about studying abroad in Italy, I have been excited to see a real vineyard up close. Today I got that chance. Castelle Delle Regine is a fifty year old vineyard located about an hour and a half North of Rome near the small town of Amelia. Sitting on over three hundred acres of land, the vineyard produces a range of grapes and olive oil. We were given a tour of the compound by Guiseppe, the communications director. He told us it snows one day a year in the area. Today was that day.

Guiseppe explained the process in which the wine is picked, de-stemmed, and stored for aging. The smaller the storage vat, the higher quality the wine and therefore the higher the price. The best wine is typically stored in a barrel for one year and then in bottles for two to three years before sale, although aging varies greatly depending on type of grape and type of wine.

We were given the opportunity to blend our own wine with a variety of bottles from the vineyard. My group chose a blend made up of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet and 20% San Giovesse. It ended up being very strong and spicy. Our Food and Culture/Media teacher, Federico, doubles as a sommelier and food critic. He said although it was a strong blend, he enjoyed it. Personally I didn’t like the way it tasted but I did enjoy the aroma.

By the end of the tour the weather cleared up and we had beautiful views of the hillsides of the vineyard and the surrounding land. With Federico’s connections, the whole group got to eat a late lunch at nearby Podernovo, a beautiful restaurant and hotel which sits on top of a large hill. We tasted more Castello delle Regine wine and ate a great meal. Although it would have been nice to see the vineyard while the vines were full of grapes and the land was very green, it was a memorable experience. I learned a lot about wine and will be sure to implement that knowledge into tasting my 2-buck-chuck collection in the near future.