It’s official, Italy here I come! For as long as I can remember it has been a dream of mine to spend time exploring the beautiful culture of Italy. The food, the people, the different regions…all of it. Everything. After a lot of consulting with friends who have been the hubs and I finally nailed down our trip itinerary and booked our tickets for this summer. To celebrate I’m sipping this Il Vermentino, a dry white wine found in a number of different regions throughout Italy. This particular bottle hails from Tuscany. I find it to be rather unique because although it’s dry it definitely has a weightiness to it with pungent saltiness and hints of grapefruit rind on the nose and heavy acidity on the palate with a citrus finish. With our trip set in the middle of summer I’m counting on plenty of glasses of crisp white wine to cool me down and keep me hydrated, haha! If you’re curious our travel plans are listed below…I would love to hear any tips you have from your own travels! If you haven’t guessed from the focus of this blog, food and wine will definitely be a priority, recommendations greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Fly into Rome, 3 days
Orvieto, 2 days
Tuscany/Florence, 4 days
Cinque Terre, 3 days
Fly out of Milan

Erik Banti Il Vermentino 2012, Toscano, $9.99, dry but rich and round on the palate, would pair well with lemon roasted chicken, spring vegetable pasta or as a glass with some cheese during happy hour