In 2007, Larry and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary with a trip to Italy. We have many great memories from this vacation, but one of our favorites is the day we drove through wine country in Tuscany. It was late September, with foliage just beginning it's autumnal turn. As we would round a corner, there would be a hill, with vineyards perfectly terraced in rows; and perched atop the hill would be an old, majestic, villa, with the sun rays lighting the stucco sides and making them glow. 

We were wine neophytes, but were eager students. Having heard about Tuscan reds, we packed up our trusty "Fodor's Italy 2007," and headed off to the medieval town of Montalcino, which seemed like a good central place to start. In Montalcino, we climbed around the 14th century fort that overlooked the valley, and then found the tourist office, for a more detailed map of the area wineries. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the fact that there were 200+ wineries in the surrounding countryside, we asked the receptionist for some ideas of where to visit. She said she had to remain impartial and could not tell us anything; we would have to decide for ourselves. We drove out of the town along the narrow, winding road, with me fumbling with the map, trying to see the names of vineyards. We passed several, but the car just never turned into the driveways. After a few minutes we agreed that we would pull into the next one that we saw, which just happened to be Poggio Antico. It was a very long driveway, lined with cypress trees; we even thought about turning around.

When we finally arrived at the winery, we were rewarded with expansive views of valleys all around. It was Saturday afternoon, but the winery was teaming with activity. Grapes had been harvested in the past few days and were being compressed in huge, stainless steel vats. The aroma was intoxicating! Even though we did not have a tour reservation, they gladly showed us around and explained the production process. At the end, we tasted some of their amazing Brunellos. We knew the wine was quite special, but being dumb and ignorant, we just assumed most of the wines in the area were equally as wonderful. 

We had unwittingly stumbled onto a gem! A description of this winery from wine.com: ""Paola Gloder has one of Montalcino's most elevated estates, with vineyards averaging 1476 feet above sea level, southwest of the famed medieval citadel. Both the unique location and altitude privilege the wines of Poggio Antico. The lower hillside terroir south of Montalcino is conducive to powerful and opulent Brunellos. This, combined with the estate's vineyard elevations - which enjoy favorable overnight drops in temperature - bring increased finesse and intense bouquet. " These wines routinely get ratings in the 90s by Robert Parker. And since 1990, their wines have been rated by Wine Spectator 5 times within the "Top 100 Wines of the Year". The 1985 Brunello achieved the 4th place on the list. 

Of course we did the reasonable thing, and ordered some of the full-bodied, intense reds to be shipped to our home. Glowing with our adventure, we climbed into our rental car and started out the driveway. Earlier in the day, in Fodor's travel book, I had spotted a lunch possibility in the area. The book said there was a renowned chef from Rome, who had come to the countryside to cook Tuscan cuisine in a small vineyard restaurant.  As we exited, I programmed the address into the Tom-Tom, our GPS system. It kept saying to us, "you have arrived at your destination". Suddenly it dawned on us; this was the restaurant described in the travel guide, right here at Poggio Antico! What a coincidence. They accepted us for a late lunch without a reservation. For the next two hours, we feasted on the 7 course, chef's choice menu, complete with wine pairings. Each course was only a few bites and several sips, but the food was exquisite! It was truly a highlight of our trip, and to think that we had just accidentally stumbled onto this small winery.

Our infatuation with fermented grape juice can be traced to this magical afternoon in Tuscany. One thing led to another, and soon we built our own cave to cellar the wines that we discovered on our travels. The joy of discovery and seeing where something grows, and then savoring it later at home with friends, while regaling stories of our adventures, has brought us much pleasure. 

A few weeks ago, Larry and I found ourselves in Italy again. We had a day to drive through the Sangiovese countryside in Tuscany. Nine years later and armed with a bit more knowledge, Larry had several wineries noted, as possibilities to visit. We retraced our steps to Montalcino, in search once again of a road map of the wineries. We patted ourselves on the back for finding such a great parking spot (a scarcity in old, medieval towns), only to discover that we were in the lot behind the city counsel building, intended for employees.

We power walked to the town center and the tourist office, grabbed our map and ran back to the car, relieved there wasn't a ticket on the windshield. (I'm sure there was a hidden camera and we will get a ticket on the mail in a few months with a $200 euro fine). We drove for ten minutes outside Montalcino, on a narrow, windy road and suddenly, there was Poggio Antico. As if directed by a force greater than Larry's hands, the steering wheel turned into the cypress lined driveway and we were on our way to pay a nostalgic visit. 

The place was just as we had remembered. Sadly, it was Monday and the restaurant was closed. We spent some time in the little stone covered building for wine tasting and purchasing. The guide's English was impeccable, since she had just arrived from Toronto, a month and a half earlier. She was a sommelier with her former job; we had a delightful conversation about Brunellos and she politely listened to our fateful story about finding this winery nine years ago. 

What filled my mind at this beautiful, Tuscan winery was that nine whole years had passed since we had been at this exact spot, half way around the world. Where do nine years go?! Nine years of living, filled with valleys and mountaintops and many days of mundane. Over the years, one of our mottos has been, "savor THIS day". I think Larry being an oncologist, and having a front row seat to the unpredictable nature of life, has made us more aware that we are not promised tomorrow. Whatever stage of life you are in, it is easy to fret and project and anticipate, and not fully live today. Life happens, whether we are mindful or not. We only get one chance in this human experience, until heaven reclaims our citizenship.

Like grapes in a winepress, I want to squeeze every last drop of sweetness from today. I want to savor my loved ones, friends and family, and give them the gift of being fully present. The great philosopher, Kung Fu Panda, said it best: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present".