Florence & Petreto

The cellar at Petreto

The bus was our first taste of Italian hospitality; it certainly wasn't the last. We met Piero outside the Hotel Baglioni at 1.30am. We were supposed to have arrived at 10pm, so we were more than a few hours late, but no matter. Piero borrowed his father's car and picked us up. Despite the late hour, he wanted to show us the view from the Piazzo Di Michaelangelo - and what a view it was. There, spread out before us, was Firenze. A host of beautiful buildings crowed together in the shadow of the Doumo, balanced by the river and the backdrop of mountains. We spent a few moments standing in the quiet, warm, night, amazed by the lack of pollution. And then we got back into the car and drove to Piero's family apartment. An imposing, grand mansion block over looking much of the city. We crowded into the small lift (maximum three persons, who could be fitted in if everyone stood in a line facing the same way) and soon were creeping into the flat and going to bed.

"I wake you up at 8 and a half" said Piero.

And so the next morning we ate breakfast, hot milky coffee, chocolate biscuits and biscotti and then M and Piero went off to sort out a car. Once the car was sorted, we were off. First stop, Peiro's father's vineyard Petreto. Each vineyard is organised differently and produces different wines. Petreto make both red and white wine, but also make a sweet desert wine, rather like a sauterne and rather unusual in this part of Italy. I think it is delicious. After a tour of the cellars we tasted several bottled wines, choosing one to take with us to the restaurant for lunch. We walked to the restaurant attached to the vineyard by walking along the track between the vines and then through an orchard. I hung back, letting M and Piero walk on ahead, deep in wine discussion. The Tuscan landscape is so very beautiful, much more so than I had imagined.