Wine is bottled poetry, said Robert Louis Stevenson, the writer of famous novels such as “Treasure Island” and “The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”.
How can we disagree?
In Tuscany among vineyards, wines and golden dreams
To convince the most skeptical, there is nothing better than a holiday in Tuscany, one of the most famous regions for the excellence of its wines and for its beauty known throughout the world. We have chosen and tried for you three charming food and wine destinations, to discover extraordinary places where you can relax immersed in the countryside and taste the best of local wines.
And, at the same time, wandering among villages rich in charm and history staying in resorts, estates and farmhouses surrounded by nature, where you can try the experience of living in timeless structures, with the products of the earth grown on the spot, visiting the vineyards and observing how wine is produced in the cellar. But with all the comforts, including swimming pools, spas and excellent restaurants. Here is the food and wine tour tried for you!
Badia a Coltibuono, Gaiole in Chianti
It starts from the homeland of the Chianti Classico, that of the Gallo Nero, one of the oldest wine-growing areas in Italy. Here the particular microclimate favors viticulture in which Sangiovese excels, the vine at the base of the Chianti Classico that Badia a Coltibuono produce organically. Dove? In Gaiole in Chianti, in the former Abbey of San Lorenzo, founded in the 11th century by the Firidolfi feudal lords of the village, today a farmhouse full of charm and ancient suggestions that takes its name from the good harvest, Cultus Boni, which in the area it is made olives for oil and grapes for wine.
The Badia, overlooking the valley on one side and a monumental Italian garden on the other, lonely dominates the woods of the Chianti mountains in an almost monastic silence that accompanies those who visit the ancient frescoed refectory, the cloister and the cellars of aging of the wine in which the historic collection of the abbey is preserved.
From the grapes harvested in the vineyards around the relais and in other estates in the area, wine labels are produced, such as the Chianti Classico Riserva, produced only in the best vintages such as that of 2006, passed in barriques for two years and aged in bottle for 4 months, which we tasted in the restaurant housed in the ancient stables (Ristorante Badia a Coltibuono, Località Badia a Coltibuono – Gaiole in Chianti – Siena – tel. +39 0577 749031 – ristbadia@coltibuono.com) on the typical Tuscan flavors enhanced by extra virgin olive oil produced on the estate.
The production of the 56 hectares planted is mainly Sangiovese, but there is no lack of native vines such as Montebello, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo. In addition to the Chianti Classico, Badia a Coltibuono produces the “supertuscan” Sangioveto and the Chianti’s Vin Santo, for a total of about 400,000 bottles per year.
Badia a Coltibuono
Gaiole in Chianti – Siena
Info: +39 0577 74481 – www.coltibuono.com – badia@coltibuono.com
La Melosa resort, Roccastrada
Other wines and other scenarios moving to Maremma at La Melosa Resort, not far from Massa Marittima. Here the protagonists are the dense forests of Turkey oak, downy oak, holm oak, chestnut and beech that surround La Melosa, which in the 11th century was a Benedictine parish church dedicated to San Cassiano, then the domain of the Aldobrandi family mentioned by Dante in Purgatory.
Today it is a small charming resort with spa and restaurant, managed on the outskirts of Roccastrada by Gemma Solari together with her husband Gabriele Rum, a son of art as his family also owns the Hotel Castello Monticello on the island of Giglio.
The twelve rooms, each one different from the other, overlook the lush garden with rose plants, lavender bushes, fruit trees, large oaks and tall cypresses, and the large and inviting swimming pool. Relaxation assured in the welcoming Wellness Center, branded Deckelmann, with sauna, turkish bath, energizing showers, whirlpool tubs and massage cabins with the wonderful beneficial effects that the cosmetics of the natural line “MelOil” have on the skin created exclusively for La Melosa Resort with olive oil from the upper Maremma, officinal herbs, vitamins and plant extracts.
To taste the robust dishes of the gastronomy of the area, take a seat at Il Canto del Gusto, the restaurant of the structure open every evening also to outsiders that offers a different menu every day to combine with the Maremma DOC: the reds Monteregio and Montecucco, grown respectively on the Metalliferous Hills of the Upper Maremma Grossetana and in the territory between the Amiata and the Maremma.
Melosa Resort
SP 157 km 22, Roccastrada – Grosseto
Info: +39 0564.563349 – www.lamelosa.it – info@lamelosa.it
Tenuta delle Ripalte, Capoliveri – Elba Island
The views from the terrace of the Tenuta delle Ripalte winery on the island of Elba are spectacular: carved into the rock, designed by Tobia Scarpa and included among the 14 Cantine d’Autore in Tuscany, it is a parallelepiped inserted in a wild landscape, which recalls the industrial architecture of the nearby Calamita and Ginevro mines.
Here the grapes from the vineyard of the most famous and typical Elban wine are processed, the Aleatico, from which the Rosato delle Ripalte is obtained, very fresh with typical hints such as dog rose, violet, morello cherry, but at the same time rich of the aromatic bouquet typical of the Mediterranean scrub and also of the terroir with strong mineral connotations. From the same vineyards of Poggio Turco cultivated in Aleatico was born the Brut delle Ripalte: a rosé sparkling wine vinified with the Charmat method.
The main grape variety of Rosso delle Ripalte is Grenache, also called alicante, cannonau and garnacha, which adapts perfectly to the arid and dry climate of the island, as well as Vermentino, produced by Vigneti dei Pascoli Alti which ripen late and guarantee white grapes that compose them finesse and acidity.
In addition to wine at Tenuta delle Ripalte, hospitality is also at the top in the beautiful nineteenth-century villa, once a retreat for the noble Tobler Theodoli Quintavalle, in the farmhouses, luxurious villas and 10 super-equipped tents of Glamping, always in contact with nature, between cycling and horseback riding, among the vineyards and between coves and beaches where you can enjoy the sea and the sun. And an incomparable view of the island of Montecristo.
Tenuta delle Ripalte
Capoliveri – Elba Island (Li)
Info: +39 – 0565 94211
www.tenutadelleripalte.it – info@tenutadelleripalte.it
