Photo Galleries - Tuscany and Chianti Region, Italy

The olive mill at work.  The crushed olive paste is placed in layers between the mesh filters (the round discs).

The olives are crushed whole into a paste by large stone wheels.  This is what makes the paste that is then put in layers between the filter discs.

One the filter/olive paste stack is finished, the stack is placed in a hydraulic press to squeeze out the oil.  It is then further filtered and collected.

Our host bottling up some fresh olive oil from one of their vats.

Freshly bottled extra virgin olive oil.  Yum!

The Tuscan countryside seen from the olive mill.  I can't for the life of me remember where this is...

The Tuscan Countryside outside the olive mill.

A closer shot of the Tuscan countryside.  Notice all the olive trees (the sage-colored trees).

The Tuscan countryside near the olive mill.  Olive tree groves and a small vineyard are visible.

The Tuscan countryside near the olive mill.  So picturesque!

The cheese cellar at Antica Macelleria Falorni, a butcher shop in Greve that has been in the same spot since 1729.

The Antica Macelleria Falorni butcher shop.  Lots of yummy stuff in here!

Carole & Odette inspecting the selection of tasty treats available at the butcher shop.

Just look at all those curing hams hanging!  And the prosciutto we got from here...holy cow (or maybe  it was good!

The Saturday market in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti in Greve in Chianti.

A view of the Saturday market in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti in Greve in Chianti.

The Greve River just outside Greve in Chianti.  Looks more like a stream to me...

Our host, Luigi, welcoming us for lunch and our wine tasting at Tenuta Torciano.  This is where it all went bad.  See all that wine at the end of the table?  We drank ALL of it, plus some...

We were downstairs about 6 steps below ground level in the "wine cellar."  Very cool to enjoy a meal and wine with the big casks.

Oh, so much wine...so little time...