Day 20

Two car loads of us went to Montepulciano. I visited this hilltop Tuscan town 19 years ago and was totally smitten. It is small, hyper-dramatic and has amazing views across the plains and hills of Tuscany and Umbria. If anything I was even more impressed this time. We walked to the top of the town, saw the B&B I stayed in back in the day, listened to practising musicians for the upcoming festival, and had a really great meal at a family run restaurant. Next we descended deep into the cellars of an old old wine producing house - Montepulciano Vino Nobile is a great wine and no relation at all to Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - had a tasting and ordered some wine to be shipped home. Then on to Pienza with more peaceful hill top musings.

These are not small barrels - full of 11,000 litres of wine