Because we were staying five nights at the Miramare Hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure I took the group to Cinque Terre one day to explore and have a wine tasting. This is a string of five seaside villages all connected by local trains or walkways. All these little towns have very colorful houses, vineyards hugging the cliffs, and harbors filled with colorful fishing boats.
As you walk these villages you are in constant amazement how the Italians creatively constructed their homes and businesses clinging to cliffs. The views are spectacular and hiking trails are abundant.
After we explored the town of Vernazza we ventured on to visit Monterosso al Mare. We walked the steep slopes, resting in between, and arrived at a vineyard. The owner bought this property about 12 years ago and explained to us how they had to clear the cliffs and cultivate the land. There was once a vineyard here that suffered years of neglect. They fell in love with it knowing they had years of work in order to bring back to working order. They did a marvelous job and their wines were wonderful. Because we arrived at lunch time they treated us to a delicious and unforgettable lunch! It was more like a feast!
Here is a sampling of our lunch! We were more than satisfied!
And with our dessert wine!
Enjoying our Wine Tasting in Cinque Terre!
If you have the time it would be worth it go to these charming little villages. Explore and enjoy the food in this area!