Pienza and Montepulciano .. races and competitions
Pienza is the city of “cacio” (cheese!) Pecorino di Pienza is a very tasty cheese, more or less seasoned, made with sheep’s milk, very famous and really delicious.
A pecorino that stands out from the others for its variety of flavors: strong if the sheep have fed on wild herbs, delicate if they are grown on cereals, more markedly sweet if among the herbs there is also absinthe, which abounds in pastures in the area, with an average price of around 20 euros per block.
If you are in Pienza in the first week of September, don’t miss the famous and fun Fiera del Cacio, a great festival dedicated to pecorino and other traditional local products, to be tasted for free!
During the event there is also a fun folkloristic game of ancient origins. It is the Palio del Cacio Fuso, where players from every district of the town have to push and roll whole blocks of pecorino cheese around a small wooden spindle placed in the center of the main square.
A Montepulciano, on the other hand, it is the wine that reigns supreme.
The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, obtained from grapes of Prugnolo gentile, together with the Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, is one of the 3 most famous Italian wines of the world. In Montepulciano they produce DOCG “Nobile” and DOC Rosso di Montepulciano, Vin Santo, Chianti Colli Senesi and Bianco Vergine Val di Chiana.
Nobile is the ideal wine to accompany local cuisine, offering simple, yet robust and tasty products and dishes such as Cinta senese sliced, the typical pici all’aglione or the classic grilled Chianina steak.
Do not miss the famous Bravìo delle Botti, a historic race that takes place every year in August, in which the eight districts of Montepulciano compete among the historic streets of the village by rolling bolds:(| barrels of about 80 Kg each), along an uphill path of over a kilometer, all accompanied by flag-wavers and re-enactments.
