This year, Chris was awarded with his company's highest honor: The Contrada.
This award is cool because it is not solely based on sales numbers, it is also given to the sales manager who best exemplifies Constellations' corporate vision. You must be nominated by your zone and then the VP of Sales makes the final decision. The award is a trip with your spouse to Tuscany! We had a FANTASTIC time. At first, I thought that it would be a bit of a drag to have so much of the trip planned out, but it ended up being more relaxing than expected. It was great to wake up in the morning and have someone drive you around while stuffing you full of GREAT food and wine.
We visited Siena, Strove, Florence and Pisa. It was so gorgeous. We were taken to a few of the Ruffino wineries and vineyards. They were awesome hosts! One highlight was Il Palio, a bi-annual horse race in the square of Siena.
what. a. rush.
As Mark, our brother in law, puts it: "The jockey does not determine the winner. If he falls off and the horse crosses the finish line first, THE HORSE WINS!" {we crack up every time we think of that statement because he says it in his most dramatic Italian accent}
Here are some pics (there are a lot) from the trip!
The view from our villa in Strove
Lunch by the pool in villa in Strove
Outside of our room in the villa
San Gimingnano (a walled city in Tuscany)
The square in Siena
Contrada Winners
The Duomo in Siena
Lots of fanfare from each village the day before Il Palio
Siena
Our FAVE restaurant Enoteca E Terzi
In the square the day before Il Palio. This is the practice round
The night before the race, we joined one of the villages (known as Contrada in Italian) for dinner
Our Contrada was Girafa
Totally normal to set up the iPad and watch the soccer game durning dinner!
Dinner with 1000 of our closest friends!
Race Day!
This square will be home to 10,000 people for the next few hours. Sooo glad we have a balcony!
Our balcony
Dining al fresco at a beautiful restaurant
THE RACE!
Ciao Firenze!
The Duomo in Florence
Rooftop of our hotel Westin Florence
Ruffino Lunch.... a "light" lunch of only 5 courses
Dinner in Florence
Pisa
Duh....Leaning Tower
You just have to...
Another Ruffino Winery
Dinner on the last night
Bocce in the Ruffino vineyard!
AH-MAZING TRIP!!!!
Ciao...
Much Love!