May 27: Wine Country

Nicole and I walked up to Corciano with some of our peers and Lacey who is a UNF alumni of the graduate program. I decided that on top of the cappuccino that I was going to indulge in a baked good from the bakery next door owned by two sisters. I had been reading how pistachio is a big deal over in Italy, so I decided to have the pistachio croissant. It was hands down one of the BEST desserts I have ever had. The croissant was so much more flaky than in the States. I don't think I can have another croissant again. Nothing would hold a candle up to that. 

We then left for Montefalco and headed to the Cantina Fratelli Pardi Winery. I was so excited to be at a winery; not just because I love wine, but because this is something Italy is KNOWN for. 

We were told how there are 4 classifications that a wine must meet to be a DOCG wine. DOCG stands for "Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin. This rating ensures that the wine is a local Umbrian wine and that it contains at least 60% Sangiovese grape. The maturation, area, max production, etc. is taken into account with wine ratings. 

The owner also highlighted on biodiversity and that that is key for growing grapes. Maintaining the leaves on the grapes and forcing the plants to focus on growing grapes rather than vines/leaves is another important job in the cultivating process. 

The time of peak and process could change a wine. They also have displays of the soil from 5 feet under, because 5 feet underground gets 90% of the root of the plant. He also said that the higher the temperature, the faster the fermentation process. 

When we tried the wines, we had a bunch of delicious appetizers to pair with them. I especially love the brie cheese and fig jam. I love brie cheese and usually enjoy it with French raspberry jam, so the fig was a nice change while still being delicious. We had pecorino cheese (which we have had quite a bit on this trip). We also had this cheese at the Bittarelli farm, however, this particular type seemed less sharp to me. This was probably due to it being more fresh and not having as much time to age. 

I wrote down the names of all of the wines and actually starred the ones I loved the most. I ended up loving the sparkling wine, the Spoletino white wine, and then the Montefalco Rosso and the Sacrantino. 

I ended up purchasing the Montefalco Rossa wine just because I had never had another wine like that in my life and realized how special it was. It was one of the DOCG rated wines and was so incredibly smooth. It was 70% Sangiovese, matured for three years and had nice notes of cherry. Other red wines I tried in Italy before that tasted similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Pinot Noir, but this one was truly unique. She went home in one of my boots in my check bag, and I'm happy to announce that there were no issues with getting her home!!!! Very exciting. We then came back to the villa and had Bucatini all Amatriciana and Pollo Arrosto. 

I learned about the importance of quality and meeting expectations. Being a nutrition professional comes with certain expectations. Being a graduate student comes with certain expectations. It is important for me to meet and exceed those expectations throughout my time in school and my career. 

The ratings that an Italian wine receive are earned, they have qualifications and measures that they must meet. They cannot cheat their way to a DOCG rating. They must prove their quality. 

There will be times where I will need to prove myself, my knowledge and my expertise to my patients or to my peers. It's important that I don't cut corners and that I work on being worthy of what I'm trying to become. I owe that to my university, my future patients, and most importantly, myself.