Tuscany. Relaxation. International. Wine tasting. Maremma. Dinner. Local products. Friendship. Syria. Laughter. Natural walks. Vineyards. Views. Sunsets. Beauty.
La Chimera hosted a wine tasting and dinner, bringing together all these elements. Over 35 friends, family and visitors, com
ing from Rome and beyond, enthusiastically joined together for a night of excellent food, wine and new experiences.
Starting with a wine tasting, guests were treated to a tasting of our award winning wines Rosato, Leonardo Cabernet and our Caletra Riserva. While trying our latest releases, guest relaxed on the sofas, under the umbrellas, while pairing the wines with local specialties, such as cheeses from the Maremma and wild boar salami.
With glass in hand, we then took a walk through the vineyards, taking in the silence, the fields, the birds, the peace, the beauty.
After the tasting, lounging, and walking for the more motivated, we moved to the terrace, which has amazing views overlooking the vineyards, lake and countryside. Shaza, owner and producer Iacopo’s lovely wife, has Syrian origins and greatly influenced the dinner menu. 
Shaza started the charity association, Hummustown, which provides Syrian cuisine catering. Syrians and Syrian refugees prepare the food and run all their events, and all money raised is either sent to families in Aleppo or Damascus or used to buy supplies for the refugee camps in Lebanon.
Tuscany met Syria, in a gastronomic mind blowing fusion. Starting with a Syrian antipasto prepared by Hummastown, of hummus, mutabbal, muhammara, zaatar, tabbakh roho (a kabab in sauce), it was followed by traditional Tuscan dishes. A ribollita,
a hearty Tuscan soup, was followed by a secondo, or the second course of Peposo, braised beef slowly cooked in red wine, pepper and spices. All was accompanied with a bottomless glass of Caletra 2012. We dined while we watched the Tuscan sun set behind the lake.
Dessert it was raining with our Passito 2013. Passito is an Italian dessert wine, ripe with the aromas of cherries, sweetness, and goodness. As it is a win made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice, it is very sweet and a perfect pairing to go with dessert.
For many guests and relatives, the experience didn’t end there. Most left to spend the night at a nearby agriturismi, or farmhouses that offer accommodation, and came back the next morning for a coffee. We all wanted to rehash the night before, have one last walk around the vineyard, catch an extra glimpse at the stunning view and take in a final breath of fresh, peaceful air before returning to Rome and real life.
Guest left relaxed, enthused and amazed by the wine, the beauty and great food. We cannot wait to do it again. Interested in taking part? Let us know, we would love to have you over for a tasting. Contact us!
