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In the hills of Chianti
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| The hills of the Chianti region are gentle and its wines invaluable, dating back to distant traditions, unforgettable perfumes and dreamy atmospheres that are magnificently evoked by poets and film directors. We embark on a journey from Florence to Siena to allow ourselves to be inebriated by the beauty of the places and the delights of the wines. |
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| The Chianti area has in recent years become the chosen destination for English and German tourists, who love to immerse themselves in the calm of its vineyards and its culinary traditions. But the splendours of this region are no recent discovery. The thirteenth century saw the constitution of the Chianti League to defend the area, often contested by Siena and Florence. The institution has survived to this day so that its members can work to valorise the local wine and carry out at least one good deed each year. The only task left for visitors to the area is to choose an area to visit and allow themselves to be carried away by the pleasures of living. One excellent starting point might be Greve in Chianti, a pleasant town in the province of Florence. Much visited by international tourists, it was the birthplace of renowned navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano: the triangular main square features his statue. Castello di Verrazzano, where he was born in 1485, (Telephone: 055854243) cannot only be visited but it is also possible to purchase the Classic and Reserve Chianti from its cellars as well as the Balsamico di Verrazzano dressing which gives the local cuisine a slightly sweet-sour taste. Just a short distance from Greve is the evocative medieval town of Montefioravalle; outside its walls lies the oldest church of the Chianti region, the Pieve Romanica di San Cresci (Roman Parish Church of San Cresci). At this point, it is worth heading into the countryside until one reaches Badia di Passignano (The Abbey of Passignano), so as to admire the abbey founded in 1049 and which belonged to Vallambrosian monks until 1810, when it was turned into a farm. It is an oasis of heavy silence with beautiful Renaissance cloisters, a Romanesque church dedicated to San Lorenzo and a refectory which houses a fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio portraying The Last Supper. In the Bottega (055.8071278) just outside the abbey, it is possible to buy some of the best Chianti wines in the area from the renowned Antinori wine producing business. Not to mention the famous Vin Santo, of course. In order to try some of the other typical Tuscan products, head towards Panzano and have a snack with the typical "sciocco" bread dressed with extra-virgin olive oil. The Da Fantodi farm (055.852005) is an excellent destination for a pleasant break and a chance to buy food and wine and take a stroll overlooking the Pieve di San Leolino, with its sixteenth- century portico which frames the Romanesque church. |
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FROM BARBERINO VAL D'ELSA TO GAIOLE IN CHIANTI |
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| But Chianti is not the only thing that Tuscans make. Another delicacy produced in the area is Vin Santo, a delicious golden nectar made from dried Trebbiano, Malvasia and Canaiolo grapes, with an alcohol content between 14 and 17 degrees. The best place to try it with the famous cantucci biscuits is Tenuta Isole e Olena at Barberino Val d'Elsa (055.8072763). Continuing south, one comes to Castello di Volpaia (0577.738066), an ancient fortified town dating back to the XII century which is now a farm and provides a backdrop for a romantic landscape. The honey produced there is worth trying, as is the fig jam. A deviation takes you into the heart of the most rustic Tuscany, to Castellina in Chianti, in the province of Siena. There are a number of welcoming wine bars and inns amongst which is an interesting local antiques shop featuring twentieth-century print reproductions: Le Botteghe (0577.740980) in Via Ferruccio, the main road in the old town centre. In order to savour the town's hospitality to the full, stop in at Palazzo Squarcialupi (0577.741186), a fifteenth-century building comprising a luxury hotel and a wine bar where one can try out the very best wines. A little inebriated by so much good wine but rested after a good night's sleep, one can resume the trail heading towards Radda in Chianti: a medieval town with an elliptical layout and Florentine walls that date back to the fourteenth century when the town was the capital of the Chianti League. An enchanting village immersed in vineyards near the Convento francescano di Santa Maria al Prato (Franciscan Convent of Santa Maria al Prato) which houses the Museo di arte sacra del Chianti (Chianti Museum of Sacred Art). To best wind up the tour, one can't but visit the place where modern Tuscan red wine was born: Castello di Brolio at Gaiole in Chianti (0577.7301). Owned by the Ricasoli family since the XII century, the estate has always stood out for the quality of its cultivations, whilst international fame arrived in the second half of the nineteenth century when Baron Bettino Ricasoli identified the precise composition of grape varieties which to this day forms the basis for Chianti Classico, with a decided preponderance of Sangiovese. |
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 Lo Sfizio
Telephone and Fax: 0577.749501
Address: Via Ricasoli, 44/46 - Gaiole in Chianti (Siena)
E-mail: losfizio@chiantinet.it
Closed: Tuesday
A rustic venue looking out onto the square in Gaiole in Chianti. The typical Tuscan cuisine is lovingly prepared by those who know it well. Ribollita, pici (a particular type of handmade pasta) with sauce and homemade bread are just some of the foods to be savoured. Accompanied, of course, by wines from the best local wineries.
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