orvieto

This weekend, Notre Dame sponsored a day trip to Orvieto. Traveling has become second nature; it felt natural to wake up at 6:30 and be on the bus by 8:00. Orvieto is about an hour and a half away from Rome, so we all enjoyed getting some sleep on the way there. Shortly before the city, we stopped at a rest stop. Italian rest stops are hidden gems; they are unlike the ones on the side of the road in the US. Here you can not only find an extensive variety of snacks, but also a large selection of books, other shopping, and nice cafés serving much needed coffee.

Our tour started as soon as we got off the bus. We saw the Duomo of Orvieto, which is similar to the Duomo in Siena. I much preferred this Duomo however; the simplicity on the interior was a striking contrast to the overwhelming interior in Siena. Afterwards, we toured an Etruscan art museum in the palazzo across from the church. Cal, Noah, Olga, and I then walked the city to the well of Orvieto. Unfortunately, it was closed, but we enjoyed the scenic views of the countryside from the top of the city instead.

We then proceeded to the Sergio Mottura winery in Civitella D’Agliano. The owner was the picture-perfect winemaker; he was in his mid-60’s, had tanned skin, and wore a tan brimmed hat. He took us down the cellars and explained the winemaking process to us. He explained how they add the yeast to begin the fermentation process. When it comes time to sell the wine, they turn the bottles upside down to let the sediment produced by the yeast fall to the bottom of the bottle. They turn the bottles for three days until all of the sediment has reached the top and then freeze the top of the bottle. When they open it, the pressure pushes the ice cube with the sediment out of the bottle, and it is ready to be sold.

The wine tasting included seven different types of wines from sparkling, to whites, to reds. We all enjoyed taking guesses on the ingredients by smell, and Sergio awarded a free bottle of wine to those who guessed correctly. Mo and Mike correctly smelled white peach in the first white wine, and Matt knew the red had a hint of black pepper. The tasting also included breads, cheeses, meats, and a delicious rosemary focaccia. We were all a little tipsy towards the end, but it was another great day trip exploring Italy with friends.