The best of Chianti
The wine-growing area of Chianti sits at Florence’s doorstep. Head south down the SS222 road (known as the "Chiantigiana") for classic Tuscan landscapes of rolling hills dotted with olives and striped with vines, ochre-hued villas and imposing castles, and hilltop towns bathed in mellow light.
Località San Felice, 53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga SI, Italy
This wonderful wine estate ticks all the right boxes. Set in a timeless landscape of gently rolling hills and vines, olives and cypresses in the southernmost part of the Chianti wine producing area, Borgo San Felice is a stone hamlet that once...
Greve in Chianti, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy
One of our favorite drives during our May trip to Italy was through the Chianti region in Tuscany, like this road outside Greve. It doesn't take that long to drive through the region - we did it in an afternoon and evening, stopping for an amazing...
Southern Europe
Our last day in Chianti, Rachael & I headed out in the Fiat to explore a couple more places on our list. One of these places was I Sodi, a local, family-owned winery very close to the Bed & Breakfast where we stayed. We turned off the main road...
Loc. Calzaiolo, Via del Masso 14, 50026 San Casciano in Val di Pesa FI, Italy
One of the most memorable (and unusual) ways to see Chianti is from the basket of a hot-air balloon. To catch the best weather conditions, flights take off just after dawn and last from 45 to 90 minutes, during which you will glide silently over...
Greve in Chianti, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy
If you find yourself on a road trip from Florence into the Tuscan countryside, take the Chianti road and stop for lunch or a stroll in Greve in Chianti. The town square often hosts a market—we were there on the flower market day—and houses a Museo...
53017 Radda in Chianti, Province of Siena, Italy
Not sure how La Petraia remains a secret. Set in the hills and surrounded by cypress trees, this property offers all possible Tuscan delights. Everything, from honey to wine, that Chef Susan Grant prepares, from the honey to the wine, is produced...
Località Madonna a Brolio, 53013 Gaiole In Chianti SI, Italy
The story of winemaking in Chianti began on this estate when, in 1870, Barone Bettino Ricasoli established the formula that was to become the basis of Tuscany’s most famous export. Today, the Barone Ricasoli wine-making business is based in a...
Strada Pietracupa, 31, 50028 Madonna di Pietracupa FI, Italy
One of the best affordable country restaurants within spitting distance of Florence, this place offers creative Tuscan cuisine (plus four comfortable bedrooms) and a lovely terrace with a view. Menus change with the seasons but expect dishes like...
53011 Fonterutoli, Province of Siena, Italy
The aristocratic Mazzei family has been making wine on this estate, immersed in typically rolling Chianti countryside near Castellina, since 1435. Today, you can visit the state-of-the-art cellars, taste the award-winning wines and sample the...
Via XX Luglio, 11, 50022 Panzano In Chianti FI, Italy
Dario Cecchini is the most famous butcher in Italy and is probably the only one who recites Dante while carving up his carcasses. His small shop on the outskirts of the medieval village of Panzano is a Mecca for carnivores seeking quality meat...
53011 Castellina in Chianti SI, Italy
The hilltop town of Castellina lies at the heart of Chianti with medieval fortifications and an imposing Torre presenting a formidable image to the world. Its raison d’etre these days is the production of wine and there is no lack of places to...
If you are based in Florence and want to escape the city for a day of wine tasting and good food, Castello di Sonnino, home of the aristocratic Barone de Renzis Sonnino family, is only a twenty-minute drive away, and you can get there on the...
