Archive for 'Food and Wine'

Brunello di Montalcino is a red wine made in vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino in Tuscany, Italy. It is one of the most famous and highly regarded red wines in Italy and was the first to be awarded the first DOCG designation (modelled on the French AOC) back in 1980. Brunello di Montalcino first appeared in the 19th century when Clement Santi made a wine from a selection of Sangiovese Grosso grapes. It wasn't until the 20th century, however, that it became known outside the region. Due to its rich, intense flavour and very long life, it has remained particularly popular. It makes the perfect accompaniment to meat and cheeses and is suited to a range of cuisines internationally.

Any trip to Florence inevitably means a touch of insanity as you try to see everything the city has to offer and considering its status as one of the most historically, culturally and artistically rich places in the world – that's a lot to see. All of that walking from museum to museum, lining up for said museums, craning your neck to see the architectural gems all around and influx of new knowledge is bound to work up quite the appetite! Luckily, Florence is also a fantastic place to eat with more restaurants to choose from than any one article could mention. Here are just a few highlights so why not find a luxury villa in Florence, see those sights and get eating?

Siena's centre is a historical and cultural treasure trove but when in Italy one of the major attractions has to be the food!

Tucked into corners and down winding little streets, the city has plenty of amazing little restaurants to keep any visitors happy. Here are just a few of the places that are unique to Siena and certainly add to its charm.

Why not find yourself a luxury villa nearby and spend a week or two living the good life – wandering the city, seeing the sights and, of course, tasting the food!

Prato province is the smallest of the ten provinces of Tuscany and one of the smallest in all of Italy. Six main communes are situated in Prato province and would make for a few excellent day trips if you’re planning to rent a villa in Prato for some or all of your vacation.

The capital is called Prato and it’s the second largest city in Tuscany after Florence.

The other main towns are called Cantagallo, Poggio a Caiano, Carmignano, Montemurlo, Vernio and Vaiano. Prato city is located at the foot of Monte Retaia and offers a wealth of attractions to keep tourists entertained.

It's home to many stunning buildings, beautiful piazzas and monuments which would be well worth a tour around for a day. Textile production was a large part of Prato’s economy and can be learned about in greater detail at the large textile museum here in the city. It also displays an incredible collection of archived writings by the master Tuscan poet, Dante Alighieri.

Journey to the land of Tuscany through the words of Pat Musick in her beautiful new memoir titled “The Piero Affair”.

In this 250 page book filled with colourful photographs of her adventures, the author vividly describes her experiences of Tuscan culture, art, history, food and the slow pleasant way of life in small towns and villages here.

In the charming little village of Pergine, she writes about gathering ingredients for a tasty Tuscan antipasto: