Whilst my family
OTW has jetted off to
Lucca for a mini-holiday, school is back in for me and I won't be going anywhere, anytime soon...least of all Tuscany. So, to put myself in
their holiday spirit, I decided to have some Vin
Santo after dinner.
The best known of Italy's sweet wines, the grapes from which Vin
Santo is made, are left to dehydrate for months after harvest to concentrate the sugar content. The grapes can either be red or white, but white is more typical. It is found all over regulation-crazed Italy ( it is called Vino
Santo in
Trentino-Alta
Adige), but mainly Tuscany. The wine is then aged in barrels, up in attics, to produce a
madeira-like effect, developing oxidised characteristics, with
complex aromas and flavours. Vin Santo should be at least 3 years old, 4 years for a
riserva, and may be sweet or dry.
One small glass was not really a sufficient amount to transport me to some medieval, walled city, but it was enough to distract me from my Humanities homework.
Thud fed the entire family, including the Vinodogs (who were very happy under-the-table poochies), this evening...and considering we all stuffed ourselves silly, we barely made an impression on the massive pan of baked ziti with meatballs. Washed down with a full-bodied Fruili vino, a splendid time was had by all.
