Art And Wine At The Famous Castello Di Ama

Castello di Ama is a famous winery located in the medieval Tuscan village of Ama in the Chianti region. The setting is picturesque, perched on a hilltop surrounded by vines and black cypress trees, with views across the surrounding landscape. The village, itself, is a charming collection of buildings largely dating to the 18^th century and is almost entirely owned by Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti, the couple who run the winery. Once you venture through the village and on to the winery, you will find a unique experience that combines art and wine in an engaging way. When you arrive, brightly-coloured paving, mirrored walls and other oddities will catch your eye which heralds what sets this winery apart from others; over the past 15 years, some of the worlds preeminent artists have been invited to contribute works to the estate. If good art and even better wine are your thing, then finding a vacation rental in Chianti and planning a visit to the estate during your time in Tuscany is a must.

Castello di Ama produces standout wine that regularly ranks as some of the best in the area. It came into being in the 1970s, when four families came together and formed a partnership to purchase the land and produce world-class wines. It is one of the main Chianti wine producing estates, located in the heart of the Chianti, just a 30 minute drive from Siena and 15 minutes from Gaiole in Chianti and Radda in Chianti.

The modern estate covers 500 acres of land, 200 of which are meticulously cultivated vineyards. Uniquely, here the best Sangiovese grapes are used to produce Chianti Classico, unlike many Tuscan producers who have chosen to blend their best Sangiovese into Vini da Tavola or Super Tuscans.

Today, it is possible to do a wine tasting tour of the estate. This must be booked in advance and is available only from Monday to Saturday. It includes a visit and explanation of the vineyards and cellars, both modern and old; a tour of the estate, villa, gardens and a viewing of the collection of contemporary art that has been gathered on the grounds. The art collection includes works by artists such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Anish Kapoor and Louise Bourgeois. Begun in 1999 with a piece commissioned from Pistoletto called "Tree of Life", a split tree trunk with mirrors inserted into its gut, creating refracted images. The collection has continued to grow. Kapoor's piece is a bowl cut into the floor of a centuries old chapel that glows a deep red against the gloom, Bourgeois' is a kneeling woman with the head of an artichoke and Hiroshi Sugimoto was recently commissioned to produce two huge marble structures; one is suspended from the ceiling while its twin rises up from the floor. You will find it difficult to stumble across a so unique and captivating destination elsewhere so be sure to put Castello di Ama at the top of your must-see list in Tuscany!