Europe 2010
  Scott and Erica Lindstrom-Dake
|
|
Thumbprint Villa,
Montaione - Le Cascine
What a Group of
Self-Starters
June
12-19, 2010
A
Very Very Cool Trip 
24+ Showed up for
this one...all self-starters again!
This was the one in Tuscany, Italy!!!!!
Seven days in a Tuscan Villa with our own private Chef - Robert
Last year we had a
Thumbprint tour to cruise Alaska out of Seattle...but this year
we went to the Tuscan region of Italy...what
is in store for 2011...hmmm...a
very hard act to follow indeed.
We just finished a trip to a Tuscan Villa with our vintner Scott
Lindstrom (winemaker) and his lovely wife Ericka Drake, of Thumbprint Wine Cellars,
home in Sonoma valley at Healdsburg, CA. The best wine I had in
Italy was only a runner-up to Scott's big reds. Cab Franc,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and his blends are excellent. Seven days at a
sprawling Villa in Tuscany with our own private chef. The hard
part of this week would prove to be to journey out on the Italian
country roads in search of the family or small vineyard and winery.
We would taste the available Super Tuscans, Brunellos and Brunello
Risservas , Chianti Classicos and the local Merlot/Cabernet/Sangiovese
blends....then bring the favored selections back to the villa and share
our discoveries for the day, swirling and sipping deep into the savory
mode. Of course we had many stories to tell that went with all of
the exploration. We ate the foods our chef would prepare for us
(totally Italian in substance and character). What a rough life
only to find the next day would take us to a new journey in search of a
village to walk and wine to find. Now we did this for six long
days and evenings having to eat on the road...actually it was on the
side of the road in some quaint little "ristoranti" overlooking the
valley or some vineyard. By now I am sure you feel our pain.
As you are able and motivated to see the slideshows, click on each to
watch a Flash slide-show of the many places we saw.
Thanks to
Ron & Mary Richardson for putting these pictures with
names for us all to remember...
If you have lost the email address, regular address and phone
numbers just email me for a copy.
dballmer@cox.net
I did not want to post too much information on the internet...
