Italy Trip Day Nine - We're All Allegrini on this Bus

We enjoyed a bountiful breakfast at the Hotel Accademia and a much needed late start this morning. A short drive through picturesque towns and lush countryside took us to the Allegrini Winery. Myriana met us at the entry and showed us around the winemaking facility before taking us to the Villa della Torre. The Allegrini family purchased the villa about two and a half years ago. They've renovated and reclaimed parts of the estate that had been left to decay over the last several decades.

A tour of the villa included information about the Allegrinis and their wines as well as the della Torres, the

family that built significant portions of the buildings. Balmy weather and sunny skies made the tour of the grounds and buildings a delight. Myriana told us that Giovanni Allegrini, father of the current owners, was the man who brought modern and innovative winemaking techniques to his winery and the Valpolicella region. The word Allegrini means cheerful or happy and Giovanni used to say that when they drink his wine "everyone leaves an Allegrini."  The Villa includes many styles of architecture, including medieval structures, a rennassiance church, a classic Roman gallery and a mystery room that experts have not been able to identify.

We had a delicious light lunch of asparagus risotto and a plate of regional cheeses. Our wines were the best Soave we'd ever had-even those not usually fans of white wine, the della Torre Valpolicella-simply delicious, and our favorite-the Amarone. The good news is that these wines are widely available in US markets, and they can be found on www.winebow.com.

Following lunch we finished our tour of the villa; several of the rooms include spectacular fireplaces.  The

fireplace in the room we dined in was formed in the shape of a lion.  We had the good fortune to meet Marilisa Allegrini as we were departing.  She gave each of us a copy of "Hemingway's Veneto" - a photo book chronicles Hemingway's time in the Veneto.

Giovanni would be glad to know that we all left Allegrinis.

We drove over to Lake Garda and strolled a bit before driving back to Verona for a free afternoon. Some of us shopped, some slept, and some wrote postcards. It was a great way to finish up the day.

Karla dressed in black capri pants, a white t-shirt, and a scarf around the neck for some color.  She selected her hiking sandals since the day at Allegrini included a bit of walking.