One of the classes I am taking during my study abroad through CEA CAPA is Viticulture and Wine Marketing. As part of this class, we got to explore the Frescobaldi estate out in the countryside of Florence. 

We traveled out to the beautiful countryside of Florence to tour the Frescobaldi Wine Estate. 

We got a guided tour by members of the estate through the vineyards. 

The Frescobaldi estate is a prestigious vineyard that has been making wine in Florence for over 700 years. We had the opportunity to take a guided tour through the vineyard, where they discussed the science behind growing the perfect grapes. It was so interesting to learn how they have to consider the spacing of each vine, the amount of sun it will get, and how to create the perfect microclimate to produce grapes with the right flavor. 

My classmates and I experience beautiful views all throughout the tour. 

We learned about the extensive work that goes into making and storing the wine.

We saw the history behind the estate and got to see bottles that dated back centuries 

After learning about how the grapes are grown, we traveled up to the beautiful estate. They showed us how they turn the grapes into wine, as well as the extensive process required to properly store and age the wine. Our class even got to go down to the cellar and see exactly where they store the wine in these huge wooden barrels. 

The estate itself is filled with beautiful Tuscan architecture.

Our class got to explore the estate’s castle-like grounds.

After that, they showed us some of the oldest bottles they had on the estate—some bottles even dated back to the 1930s. Later, we got to explore the rest of the estate and see the beautiful Tuscan architecture. Between the castle and the rolling hills, it was amazing to see this other side of Florence. 

After getting to explore the estate we traveled inside to eat a meal prepared with food grown and prepared on the grounds. 

After wandering around the estate, we were taken inside to have a meal prepared with other produce grown on the estate. We had an amazing pasta dish and were served three wines to taste. As part of our course, our teacher walked us through each wine, explaining the notes and flavor profiles of each.  

As part of our class, we were given three wines to taste and attempted to find which one paired best with the dish.

It was an amazing experience to learn about the culture, history, and get to taste their amazing wine. 

Then, we were tasked with trying to figure out which wine best paired with the dish we were given. It was definitely a bit of a challenge for someone like me, who doesn’t have much experience with wine; however, it was so much fun to work with my classmates and try to figure it out. 

I had an absolute blast learning all about the estate, the history behind it, and the whole process of making wine.