The Most Beautiful Wine Cellar

Massimiliano and Nonno Bruno at Quinciano

 Someone said to me last night, "Tuscany is more beautiful than photos can ever capture."  I try every time, to seize a piece of this magical place with the heart and spirit of my creativity, but I must admit. . . Tuscany won't allow itself to be contained.


One of my favorite places is Quinciano where Nonno Bruno has worked the land for decades.  Where Massy's father grew up farming the land as well.  Where Massy now keeps his wine cellar. . . and to my delight we take special trips, sometimes walks, to Quinciano, through fields of sunflowers and curvaceous hillsides glistening with the gold of ripe grain.

Nonno Bruno and his repose

The church is no longer active and I've never been inside.  Come to think of it I've never even asked.  Yet, nonno Bruno has a garden directly in front planted with cocomero (Tuscan dialect for watermelon), tomato, squash, cucumber, and eggplant, like almost every piece of property in Italy outside the big city.

I must admit that I think it's pretty hot that Massy has his wine cellar located inside this ridonculously gorgeous piece of property.

Plastic bottles to keep away birds . . . and garlic

Like vampires, animals and insects do not like garlic either.

Even more beautiful standing there with 360 degrees of gorgeousness. Tuscany has every angle covered.

Zucchini flowers and Nonno Bruno We ate them for lunch quite a few times . . . fried or stuffed with meat.

 The stone of the church has this white powdery mildew looking thing growing all over the floor. . . and how it was magnificent.

 You must watch your head when entering the wine cellar where nonno ages his own homemade wine from the vineyards of Quinciano and Massy and I store Sassicaia, Biondi Santi, Solaia, La Fornace, Gianni Brunelli, Produttori del Barbaresco, Hilberg and many others. . The gems we buy when we travel through Italy and visit vineyards.

I love stories that involve homemade wine, or farm animals, or especially the one nonno told us about how he keeps the ladder (see above right photo) perched next to an open window so the cat can enter as it pleases and thus keep the mice from eating his bread and tomatoes. He's been doing this for decades.  I think one doesn't understand the true brilliance of having a cat around until they live somewhere in which a cat's prowess is truly exhibited.

How delightful it was to enter the wine cellar and see not only wine everywhere but nonno Buno aging cheese on wooden crates and cured meats hanging by string.