January 26: Scavenger Hunt & Wine Tasting in the Castelli Romani

On Saturday, 26 January, the newly arrived Romersstarted their day in Rome itself where a scavanger hunt provided an entertaining way in which to practice navigating around the Eternal City.

After a brief return to campus for showers and a change of clothes, they boarded buses again and headed into the Castelli Romani for an evening of fine Italian food and an introduction to Italian wine. They were warmly greeted by the staff at Casale Malatesta, a local wine vineyard, where a multi-course meal had been prepared in their honor.

The meal began with an introduction to Italian wine culture given by the campus chaplain, Msgr. Fucinaro who reminded students that Italians tend to prefer quality over quantity in the drinking of wine, and that thoughtful pairings of wine and food can greatly enhance a meal, particularly when the wine is sipped slowly so as to enjoy all its tastes. As is common Italy, students were served a new wine with each course of food, giving them the opportunity to sample a sparkling prosecco, several red wines, and a dessert wine. With the pouring of each new wine, Msgr. Fucinaro provided further guidance, providing tasting notes as well as information about the grapes from which the wine was made.

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