We began our second week in the Chigi Palace by enjoying an aperitivo that included a wine tasting on Monday evening. Although the word ‘aperitivo’ sounds similar to an American appetizer, the Italians do it differently (and much better) than we do in America. An aperitivo is a wonderful Italian tradition of indulging in wine and light snacks before dinner.
Our aperitivo was filled with delicious Italian foods including several types of cheese, nuts, and olives along with a fresh pear and walnut salad. Better than the food was the selection of wine that our lecturer, Maurizio Antonini, chose for our first wine tasting. Prior to the aperitivo, Maurizio gave a lecture that introduced my class to the history, business, and pleasure of wine. He covered everything from the importance of wine in Greek mythology, to the growth of the wine industry throughout Europe. He ended the lecture by discussing the traditional method of tasting wine, and then walked us through the process with eight bottles of wine to make sure that we fully grasped the concept.

Although the food and wine was incredible, the company was hands-down the best part of the night. Initially, the thought of living with 21 other girls was a bit overwhelming for me, but getting to do life with these girls for the past week has been nothing short of a blast. From handling lost luggage with grace, to having genuine conversations over food and wine, I could not have asked for a better group to live with in the palace. At the end of my first full week in Italy, I can honestly say that I cannot find a single thing to ‘wine’ about.
Arrivederci,
Elizabeth Fatzinger