It seems like just yesterday I received the phone call letting me know I had been selected as one of four storytellers in this year’s DaVinci Wine Storyteller Experience.  Details were provided, time flew by, and before I knew it, I was flying across the Atlantic wondering what I had gotten myself into.  Obviously it was going to be great. Obviously. But I couldn’t yet picture how it would all come together.  The flight over felt much like Christmas Eve – if the Santa list was forgotten, courage to sneak a peak through wrapping paper was lost, and present destiny was in someone else’s hands.

Thankfully I had a day in Florence to adjust.  A day to walk miles and miles from one side of the city to the other and back.  A day to live in a typical hotel, with a typical staff, and typical amenities.  A day {after 20 hours of travel} to completely wipe myself out and sleep the heaviest of sleeps.  I needed this exact combination of things to prepare me for what was about to come.

As soon as we arrived to Casale Di Valle, we were welcomed by gorgeous Tuscan views, a warm-hearted crew, and the comfort of knowing that every experience during this upcoming week would be better than anything we could have anticipated.  Every sight we saw was magical.  And how could it not be?  We were in the middle of a 16th century hunting lodge with 360 degree surrounds of vineyard.

After touring the property, each of the storytellers were led to their rooms.  My path consisted of walking up a stone stairway with rope handrails, down a long, narrow hallway that branched off to a secondary kitchen, sitting area, and large, formal dining room, which led me to the Rose room.  A room so cozy, I couldn’t wait to unpack my belongings and call home for the next week.

After a few minutes to let it all sink in, we regrouped downstairs for lunch under the gazebo.  A gazebo with a built in pizza oven that we’ll soon be using to bake homemade pizza!

I could dance around adjectives for hours to find a way to describe our lunch only to arrive back at the word perfect, so I’ll stick to lunch was perfect.  Bruschetta, salamis, prosciutto, grilled bread drizzled with olive oil, a selection of cheeses, and an abundance of DaVinci pinot grigio – I couldn’t have dreamt up a dreamier meal.

We cheersed the first of many cheerses and, once again, let it all sink in.  We are here, at the Casale Di Valle, for the next week.  And in the next week we will create memories that will be incomparable to anything any of us have ever experienced.

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