A Tour To Remember

As we were planning our pilgrimage to Italy for Thanksgiving, my eldest son worked on getting a tour at one of our favorite Italian wine producers.   

Let me stipulate a few things.  QUERCIABELLA does not do tasting tours.  The wine is amazing. Look for it in the United States. This was a visit not a tasting tour for the most part ….ok we did have a taste or two

Further stipulation… I did none of the tour planning.  My youngest son took care of off-property meals and drinks and chauffeuring.

Additional stipulation…everyone took care of additional touring and events…. I sat in the back of the car---it was comfortable back there….

Back to the wine….

Thanks to my son’s power of honest persuasion, he secured an invitation to visit the amazing winery of Querciabella in the Chianti region of Tuscany.  Of the many things that are unique and powerful about this wine and what the owner is achieving——- it is vegan.  If you are like me, you might not know what that means ---- they do not use animal-based fertilizers or soil amendments anywhere in the vineyard.  Further they do not irrigate their vineyards.  The regulations governing the making of Chianti are varied and strict.  I could be more precise in describing the beauty of the region, the earthiness of the operation, the process, and infrastructure, but what meant the most was the generosity and warmth of the people, especially our guide.

Businesses present a face to their clients and customers.  Sometimes that face is manufactured – lots of make-up, fillers, and surgery.  Others present a genuine face full of warmth and kindness.  This is one of those businesses and interacting with that face makes the experience memorable.  Memorable not just for the exchange of information or even the product but the receiving of kindness.  Our tour enhanced my family’s interaction with each other as we talked about what we were learning and experiencing. The commonality of experience binds us ever closer.  Her name was Daniela.  Between educating us, being supportive of my attempt at speaking Italian, answering questions, she managed to engage with my 5-month-old grandson.   She achieved all of these roles with ease and grace.

What is most impressive is they did not need to do any of it.  In a similar way this is my experience with my restaurant friends.  There is a significant difference between the businesses that bring their prescribed cordiality and those that bring genuine warmth and empathy.  The owner stopped what he was doing to introduce himself to our little group.  Extended himself well beyond what might be considered enough. 

There are no books for this kind of business-to-client interaction.  No, this is genuine human interaction.  It is the sincerity and true interest as we seek to find a common bond that will enrich our lives.  The stage was the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside. Natural rows of grape vines as they transition from growing energy to a quiet rest before producing fruit for the next year.  This play lasted well beyond three hours and no one was looking for the exits. 

This day gave us more than a vineyard tour… it gave us education, knowledge and the pleasant embrace of new friendships.  We will look forward to renewing them in the years ahead. This is so typical of the extended warmth of the people of The Bel Paese.

As we open and sip, we will be able to relive this again and again.  No one needed to do this, it just came to us wrapped in the earthiness of the autumn transition.

Grazie Daniela and Sebastiano….ci vediamo presto!