Tuscany, ti amo.
Two months making wine and travelling in the heart of Chianti Classico.
Before I went to Tuscany I had heard so many romantic stories about the region’s culture & beauty, that I knew this was a place I had to spend time travelling through slowly. After I studied and became passionate about wine making, my desire to visit became even greater. I wanted to fully immerse myself in Tuscan culture, wine & food; learning as much as possible from the hundreds of years of traditional family wine making in the area. I got in touch with a huge number of wineries & I was fortunate enough that one of my top choices in a tiny town in the heart of Chianti Classico, offered me a position for vintage in late 2019.
This is my photo diary of the two months I spent slowly making my way around the diverse & spectacular region that is Tuscany. Every small town or village I came to held such rustic beauty. I fell more and more in love with the area & this only helped to fuel my addiction to the Italian way of life - family, great food & wine, lots of laughter and stopping to celebrate all of the small things that make life special. I will forever be in awe of watching the changing Tuscan sunlight touch the many hillside vineyards, casting a magical glow across the landscape; I took so many moments like these to just stop and take in my surroundings. The traditional architecture was something else that I adored; old stone masonry, neutral earthy tones & buildings which were crafted to reflect and blend into the landscape surrounding them. I was there over the changing of the seasons from summer to autumn, and I was able to watch as the landscape slowly evolved from vivid green, to bright yellow, to burnt orange & then to dark red as the vines slowly shut down for the winter.
I worked hard, sometimes over fifteen hours a day, seven days a week in peak harvest time, but I learnt so much about the traditional wine making practices in Tuscany. I also spoke next to no Italian, which was very difficult & quite lonely at times, but I met friendly locals every where I went, who where intrigued about what I was doing working in the area and were happy to share their passion for the region. It was such an incredible experience and I feel so lucky to have spent two months in such a beautiful area of the world.
I visited countless small towns and villages and each held it’s own charm. My recommendations for towns where accommodation would be easier to find would be: Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, San Gimignano, Montalcino and Montepulciano.
Radda in Chianti is a small, quintessential Tuscan town built within the old town walls which date back to the 1300s. Spend a day getting lost within the tiny cobbled alleyways & tunnels that criss-cross the main street and reward yourself with a gelato or Campari Spritz (or both) at Lo Sdrucciolo. If you’re feeling that way inclined there is also a pretty special spa set underground inside the old stone walls and tunnels (I treated myself to a massage & it was bliss).
Mingle with the locals in Gaiole for an afternoon as they return from work and join them for aperitivo time. Aperitivo is one of the best Italian traditions ever & I think every bar in the world should do this. In the late afternoon or early evening, if you order a drink at the bar they also give you a number of different (free) nibble options, ranging from the likes of chips (crisps), nuts & olives to bruschetta, focaccia, meats & cheeses. Who doesn’t love a drink and a nibble?
San Gimignano is definitely a tourist hot spot, but with good reason - it is seriously beautiful and it is also a World Heritage UNESCO site. In the 13th century it was a town full of wealthy families who tried to out compete each other for the tallest tower-house. At the height of it’s glory there were 72 towers (!) today there are just fourteen left, but it still makes for an extremely impressive sight. This town is also home to Gelateria Dondoli, rated the “World’s Best Gelato” on more than one occasion - honestly, it would be rude not to, it’s that good. They make a killer Tuscan white wine locally too, it’s called Vernaccia di San Gimignano and you can pick a bottle up for around EU$4 - bargain. Check out the interior of the Duomo while you’re there, the paintings inside are seriously moving, even to a non-believer like me.
Montalcino is home to the famous Tuscan red wines of Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. Even if you don’t spend too much time in this town, make sure you at least do a wine tasting in one of the numerous wine bars or wine stores dotted around. The best wines from this area are simply outstanding and represent a really serious side of the Sangiovese grape variety. We were travelling in our van but this is one of the towns where we decided to get a lil’ fancy and treat ourselves to a few wine tastings and some yummy local food for lunch. The town is breathtaking in itself too, sitting high up on a hillside overlooking miles of vineyards and lush scenery.
I am sure you have heard of Montepulciano because you have probably bought a bottle of wine which has that name on the label. Wine nerd alert here but there are actually two wines with the name Montepulciano on the bottle - one is the Sangiovese grape and it comes from a town in Tuscany called Montepulciano and the other is made from the Montepulciano grape in the wine region of Abruzzo in central-east Italy and called Montepulciano d’Abruzzo - confusing I know. Anyway, the town of Montepulciano is incredible and you should definitely spend at least one day wandering around the many streets and alleys that make up the town. Start your morning right and get an espresso & pastry from Caffe Poliziano and take a moment to sit in the sun on their outdoor balcony, overlooking the Tuscan hillside. When you have worked up an appetite (and a thirst) in the afternoon, La Vineria di Montepulciano has some incredible local wine and platter options; and do not (I repeat, do not) miss out on lunch at Osteria Aquacheta.
The towns of San Sano, Lecchi in Chianti, Monticchiello, Assisi, Pitigliano, Sorano, Passignano sul Trasimeno and Capalbio are all well worth a visit during your stay too. They are a lot smaller but they are equally beautiful and traditional as the towns I mentioned above, and generally quieter with less tourists (which is always a win). Some of them only have two or three local options for food & drink, but half of the adventure of travelling is walking into a place and having to try and communicate to people who don’t speak your language! I spent at least half a day in each place slowly walking around, taking in the beauty and (depending on the time of the day) having an espresso, a glass of wine or a Campari Spritz. Civita di Bagnoregio is a tiny town you must also make the time to see if you can. It is a real wonder - a tiny seventh century fortress town perched on top of an eroding hill, once only accessible by stairs cut into the hillside.
I would also recommend visiting the ancient hot spring towns of Bagni San Filippo, Terme di Saturnia & Bagno Vignoni while you are here. If you are pressed for time, skip Bagno Vignoni. Terme di Saturnia is a current Instagram obsession, but with good reason. It is the most incredible experience. We visited in off-season and had the place almost to ourselves, bar some locals. We took a bottle of red wine and watched the sunset, and then returned the next morning for another sunrise soak - it was magical. Bagni San Filippo was a less known hot spring area and whilst not quite as astonishing, it was still naturally beautiful. Walk all the way down to the bottom section and climb up the rocks to find a small cliff side pool all for yourself.
The culturally & architecturally rich cities of Siena, Arezzo and Firenze (Florence) were filled with art, hole-in-the-wall wine bars and the most beautiful buildings too. Each has their own decorated Duomo and they are architecturally to die for. These cities are obviously a lot busier, but can be good places to base yourselves for day trips. Regardless of where you stay in Tuscany, you will need a car (or a camper!) to get around, so make sure to factor this in to your planning. I promise you that the driving around this area is just as part of the charm of Tuscany as the towns you are going to visit.
To finish… if you couldn’t already tell, food and wine are two of my great loves, so hopefully you can try a few of the following recommendations. Eat famous focaccia at Osteria All’antico Vinaio in Florence; sip on a delicious local white wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano in the incredible town of San Gimignano; enjoy local wines and plates sitting in a medieval tunnel built in the 1300s at Enoteca Casa Porciatti in Radda in Chianti; treat yourself and your taste buds to tartufo (truffle) pasta, the Cinghaile (wild boar) main, traditional Tuscan bruchetta and tiramisu, alongside a bottle of Brunello at Re di Macchia in Montalcino; try local wine & charcuterie at Azienda Agricola Matteoli in Gaiole in Chianti; stroll through the picturesque cobbled streets of hill side towns Pitigliano, Sorano, Capalbio, Montalcino, Lecchi in Chianti & stop for a cold local beer or wine at any of the small wine bars along the way; and eat and drink to your hearts content, making sure you finish by dipping the homemade sweet Cantucci into an ice cold glass of local Vin Santo, at Osteria Aquacheta in Montepulciano.
I hope you enjoy my recommendations and find Tuscany just as enchanting as I did. It really is such an incredibly beautiful region. Please feel free to send me a message if you want any more information or have any questions about this area or Italy in general.
Thanks for reading & happy travels!
G x
