Cantina Del Redi in Montepulciano, Italy

A few years ago my wife and I took the trip of a lifetime to the old castle town of Montepulciano in the Tuscan hillsides of Italy. One afternoon while walking down the ancient cobblestone streets, we passed the very unassuming Cantina Del Redi and decided to have a look inside.

As we walked in we were greeted by a sultry Italian lady wearing a slim fitting designer dress and six inch heels. She treated us like a couple sleezy Yanks and spoke as little English as possible, forcing me to use phrases in Italian I didn’t even realize I knew. I fell in love with her instantly.

After sampling some wine and buying a few bottles, she asked us if we were interested in touring the wine cellars and showed us the way to what would be one of the coolest things I’ve seen yet. We soon found ourselves roaming about a giant, cavernous wine cellar dating back to the Renaissance filled with massive oak barrels.

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Unfortunately I only had an inexpensive point and shoot camera with me that day, but I still walked away with a few memorable photos.

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The crypt was especially cool and at one point we walked by an old stable where you could still smell horses and hay from hundreds of years ago.