Carly and co go to The Castello di Gabbiano, Tuscany

As Press Officer for Gabbiano wines my main role is to meet with and speak to wine writers and journalists, send out samples and attend tastings. However, this Spring I had the best three days of my career so far when I got to escort eight journalists to the Castello Di Gabbiano in Italy for the ultimate Tuscan wine experience.

I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling very nervous – “what if one of the journalists forgets their passport?!” I thought. Despite the panic I got myself to Gatwick Airport and luckily enough all of the journalists arrived on time with passports in hand. After a short flight to Pisa and a hot mini-bus ride into the hills (plus numerous head counts) we finally arrived at the stunning Castello Di Gabbiano set at one of the highest points of the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany.

We spent the first hour soaking up the amazing scenery and serenity of the Tuscan hills, before we were taken down to cellars and shown the wine making facilities. We were then taken through a tasting of the whole range of Gabbiano wines as the sun set over the Castello. We worked our way up through the range, starting with the entry level wines and the refreshing 2007 Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, made with 85% Pinot Grigio and 15% Gargenega. We then sampled the 2007 100% Sangiovese Rosé, followed by the entry level Chianti DOCG 2006. Moving onto the premium wines, made with grapes grown purely on the Gabbiano estate, we sampled the Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva and the Super Tucans, Alleanza and Belleza – each glass increasing with flavour and body.

Just up the hillside from the Castello stands Il Cavilaire, an authentic Tuscan restaurant where we were treated to a fantastic meal of smoked goose carpaccio, asparagus and parmesan risotto, ravioli of chicken liver with a saffron sauce, rack of lamb with a Rosé wine and pink peppercorn sauce and a lemon and amaretto crème to finish – each dish paired with one of the Gabbiano wines to compliment the flavour. Despite polishing off five courses and huge amounts of homemade bread with the estate’s own produced olive oil and vinegar I still managed to squeeze in some delicious chocolates and a couple of shots of limoncello!

We awoke on the second day to glorious sunshine and looked forward to a trip to Florence. We arrived at the far end of the city and entered the indoor food market, which was like nothing you will ever see in the UK. Cured meats and cheese hung from every corner, fresh fish and meat lay out on every surface and the smell of fresh pesto and pasta was intoxifying. We were collecting ingredients for the evening’s meal when Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, of TV and restaurant fame, would prepare us a delicious meal.

Following our shopping trip we wandered through the city soaking up culture and fashion at every turn. We stopped for lunch and ‘gelato’ before heading back to the Castello where Giancarlo and Katie had already begun to prepare the evening’s meal.

After a short rest we all met back I the kitchen for a quick demonstration and then enjoyed another evening of great food and great wine before turning in reluctantly, knowing we had to return back to London the following morning.

So, after a long wait, I finally got to visit the Castello Di Gabbiano for an amazing three days of drinking wine, eating glorious authentic Tuscan food and soaking up the incredible culture up in the hills of the Chianti Classico region, as well as the historical buzzing city of Florence. The journalists were all great and thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we have already started to see some great features as a result. I would definitely recommend the Castello Di Gabbiano as a great place to visit – I know I will be returning one day and not in a professional capacity!

Posted by: Carly Thornton, Account Executive