It was the second time in as many weeks that we took a new family to the wine region for a day of tasting and buying.  This is how it goes.  First we warm them up with a drive around Le Langhe.  Le Langhe is the wine producing area about a half hour from the city.  The name means "the tongues" because of all the rolling hills and deep valleys.  I personally don't see what rolling hills and deep valleys have to do with tongues but as I wasn't around when the name was given who am I to say so?  Anywho.  We drive around the narrow roads going up the rolling hills and down into the steep valleys appreciating the lovely scenery.  If the weather is clear one has great views of the Alps as well, but alas yesterday was grey.  We walk around in some of the hilltop villages to get everyone good and thirsty and then we head for one of our favorite vintners.  Yesterday we started with Stra, who own a small inn as well as their winery.  They welcome us into their tasting room, with an arched ceiling, a fireplace and a long wooden table.  We all take a seat around the table and the owner and his wife start popping open one of each of the wines they produce (quite an array).  Glasses are set in front of everyone.  Bread sticks, cookies and nuts are placed on the table.  The dogs barking at the door are let in to sleep by the fire and the tasting begins.  They introduce each wine, telling us about the vintage:  the year, the aging process, the location of the vines, the type of soil.  All elements that can influence the flavor.  They start from the "lightest" wines, whites, and work their way up to their "heaviest".  After each tasting, about three horizontal fingers depth in a glass, the glasses are changed or rinsed (with wine).  By the time we leave, after a couple of hours, the table is covered with glasses.  We conduct a little business, buying a few of these and a few of those and then move on to the next place.  Yesterday we visited two wineries and spent easily 5 hours tasting.  We stopped for dinner at a place in one of the villages and had roasted peppers with garlic sauce, home made stuffed pasta with butter and sage, and pears cooked in, what else?, wine.  We came home with the trunk full of cases and the veins full of grape juice.  Surprisingly, the wine is so pure and unaltered by artificial preservatives or flavoring, I feel fine today if a little tired from the late hour.  Tonight going to go into the city to see the Christmas displays.  Not exactly NYC but the lights are pretty.  xxoo me