Post by Lauren

Apologies in advance for a week of Italy on the blog. There was just to much to fit!

The first stop on our trip was to Sirmione, Italy which is located on Lago di Garda in the Northern Italian region. Sirmione rests on a skinny little peninsula jetting out into the lake, providing panoramic views all around. A medieval castle rests on the tip and provides a reminder of the rich history in the Northern Italian lake region.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of Lago di Garda captured at sunrise the first morning:

The night prior, we had the pleasure of seeing a wine harvest in process at nearby Pratello winery in Padenghe del Garda. Alberto took us around the vineyard, showed us the biolake, and we also explored the cellar and grounds. He took a few jabs at California wine production indicating that “wine shouldn’t taste like wood” and then explained how they use steel tanks or neutral oak. He had a great pride of the Italian viniculture and it was contagious.

We had a delightful tasting evening of their sparkling wine-Metodo Classico, their whites-Catulliano & Lieti Conversair, and their reds – Poderi Ogaria and Rebo. Following, we had an incredible meal al fresco on the terrace.

I purchased the Rebo and also brought home a bottle of sparkling for a future occasion.