Roving Pic: Cellar

Verrazzano Cellar
July 2011
Photo: Scott Clark

Dimly-lit and with a distinct chill even in the Tuscan summer heat, the cellar surrounded us with scents of French oak and warm, waiting Chianti wine. The barrels stood guard, silent and proud, reflecting a stream of morning light and centuries of tradition.

Roving Pic: The Wrath of Grapes

Grape Drying Racks
Castello di Verrazzano, Greve in Chianti
July 2011
Photo: Scott Clark

Ancient grape torture devices hang in the drying room at Castello di Verrazzano. Oak strips spiked with simple nails stretch from the centuries old ceiling to the floor far below. For several months each year, they sadistically dry white grapes in the warm, ventilated air, unknowingly sweetening them, one by one, in pursuit of Holy Wine perfection.