A Tuscan Red Blend with Villa Le Piazzole

After my beautiful wedding in Tuscany last fall I got to know a great wedding planner,Daniela Tripodi from The Tuscan Wedding, whom took care of my shuttle for the day so we could sit back, relax and enjoy the Chiantigiana as we drove through the hillsides with Andrea Bocelli playing throughout the shuttle. What a dream! Daniela introduced me to Villa Le Piazzole as this is one of the venues that she uses for wedding ceremonies and seeing their estate I can see why.

Villa Le Piazzole is located in Florence, Italy, but even due to its close proximity to the city center it's on the outskirts so you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the Tuscan countryside. It's a 17^th century villa that has apartments and operates as a B&B. You can share in the luxuries of the estate including their organic products of wine and olive oil production that can be tasted on the premises at the Cantina della Torre or as a guest enjoying it throughout the premises.

I received a shipment from Villa Le Piazzole and decided to open the 2007 Villa Le Piazzole rosso I.G.T since it was an older vintage and I figured it was at the point it needed to be drunk. It's a blend of 60% sangiovese, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. I was a big fan of this wine and surprised how well the wine was still structured. It was full-bodied balanced by acidity with some tannins. It had a nice profile of cedar, tobacco and ripe cherry with a lasting finish. The wine was aged in french oak for 18 months before returning to stainless steel and then bottled for 6 months before release.

I paired this wine with some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil straight out of my garden along with the amazing green oil I brought back from Tuscany. I also prepared one of the recipes in Frances Mayes new cookbook, The Tuscan SunCookbook. I made cannellini bean and sage bruschetta, except I substituted the rosemary since I'm a fan of it. A great snack on a Sunday afternoon sitting around enjoying conversation with family. Isn't that what life is all about?

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