ITALY BLOG SEPTEMBER 5th, 2025 - BOLGHERI

 

9/5/25– An actual full night’s sleep makes me feel well rested, and I begin the day by getting breakfast from the hotel. There are not many choices, mainly breads, croissants and muffins but it’s enough to satisfy the morning hunger.

At 10:30am we drive to the wine town of Bulgari for our personalized reservation at Azienda Chiappini, one of the largest wine producers in the area. It starts off with the hostess sitting us down to get to know us, which is very thoughtful. Soon after we are given a tour of the vineyards as she explains the varietals they have and the history. Apparently, they were one of the first winemakers in the region of Bulgari which sparked it to grow to its enormous size today.

We continue the tour into the cellar where we are able to see the French oak barrels stored, along with how they bottle and label. The icing on the cake is when we’re ushered to the back to see the workers dumping the freshly picked grapes from the vines into the crushing machine. I’ve never been on a wine tour that’s been so elaborate with their production and very much enjoyed the experience.

The hostess then takes us to the upper floor that has a tremendous view of the property. The large shudders give it a magical feel as if opening up to another world. We even met the owner for a brief moment which is a nice touch, even though he didn’t speak much English.

Lastly, we go back outside to enjoy our including tastings. They serve us two whites and three reds each and all are smooth and refreshing. We had to buy at least one bottle before leaving and chose the Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Sangiovese blend.

The tour last two hours total and once complete we eat our pastries that we brought from the hotel before traveling down the tall tree-lined road to the next winery, Guado al Tasso. This is more of a restaurant/wine tasting place which is perfect for us at the moment. After searching through their list we each order a glass and I buy an awesome bottle of sweet Chianti wine.

It’s now pushing 3pm and we prefer to utilize the rest of the day to rest at the hotel, but not before grabbing some burgers on the way back. What a great day. The weather is near perfect with blue, clear skies and we are so thankful to be able to enjoy this experience.

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