Archive for 'Wineries & Breweries'

Italy is not a famous beer-producing country, unlike many of its neighbouring European counterparts further north. If you are planning a holiday in Tuscany, you are likely to be thinking of evenings spent sipping wine on a terrace, meals accompanied by excellent vintages and wonderful local wines, and day-trips to some of the region's incredible wineries and vineyards both small and intimate and massive and famous (read about some of our favourite Tuscan vineyards here). However, despite this long history of wine production and this reputation for being excellent producers of wine over beer, a craft brewing scene has developed in Tuscany in recent years, as it has in many far flung places the world over. If you're planning a trip to Tuscany and like wine well enough but can't quite give up your beer (and who can blame you; does anything hit the spot quite like a cold brew when you're on holidays?), then never fear! Read on to our guide to some of the must-see and must-sip craft beer spots that can be found in Tuscany.

Today, in fact, there are over 100 craft breweries in Tuscany alone! Despite the restrictions and intense specifications that are enforced in the production of craft beers in Italy, the industry has flourished in the region. The oldest example of one such establishment dates back to 2006...

If you are a wine-lover and you have ever considered Tuscany as a holiday destination then you are seriously in luck; the two couldn't possibly be more compatible. Over the years, we have written about the various incredible vineyards, wineries, shops, bars, experiences, and varieties of wines that you can look forward to upon visiting Tuscany but we thought it about time to compile a list of some of the most unique, interesting, and memorable wine experiences of all that can be had in this beautiful region of Italy...

Wine-lovers who are looking for a perfect holiday destination will find few locations as perfect as Tuscany. There is absolutely no shortage of incredible wineries to choose from and endless places to sample, taste, learn about, and buy wine in Tuscany. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Montalcino, in particular, you will find that there is an especially intriguing and unique winery in the area: Podere Le Ripi.

With a distinct and very unique layout employing innovative planting methods, beautiful architectural elements, and attractive landscaping, it is visually striking and a particularly picturesque winery, which is no small claim amongst the abundant stunning wineries of Tuscany. It is also an incredible experiment in biodynamic viticulture that has yielded some absolutely delicious results.

Established in 1998 by Francesco Illy, of the famous Illy coffee empire family, this winery is made up of 75 acres of biodynamic vineyards that are set across two opposite mountainsides and nestled between a forest, olive groves, a vegetable garden, and fruit trees. Located in the stunning Tuscan landscape of Montalcino, the views from the winery are breath-taking, taking in great swathes of the surrounding landscape. Beginning back in 1998 with the site in Castelnuovo dell’Abate on the eastern side of Montalcino, the winery was since expanded in 2017 to an additional site at Il Galamppio for vineyards on the western side. Both sides boast uncontaminated oceanic soil, but with each belonging to different geological areas, as well as pure air, all of which gives the vineyards optimal conditions to grow the ideal raw ingredients necessary to produce delicious wines.

There is no shortage of wineries in the Chianti region of Tuscany. Famous for her wines, with one of the most globally-renowned types of wines on the market bearing her name, Chianti is all about wine, wine culture, and wineries. The landscape of Chianti is just dotted by farmhouses, wineries, vineyards, olive groves, lovely stone towns, and castles and, as such, there is endless choice of places to go to learn about wine in Chianti, to taste wine in Chianti, to buy wine in Chianti, and much more besides. However, one particularly perfect place to do all of the things mentioned above and to do so in the most typically beautiful and typically Chianti of settings is the Castello di Verrazzano winery. Set inside a stunning Chianti castle that is nestled amongst the beautiful landscape of rolling hills blanketed by vineyards and olive groves of the region, the Castello di Verrazzano is both well-respected and utterly gorgeous. It is the ideal place to sip on some delicious Tuscan wines if you have found a luxury villa in Chianti.

The castle is named after the Verrazzano family, originally hailing from Lombardy and famous due to their most notable family member Giovanni da Verrazzano (who was the explorer that discovered the bay of New York and was born in Castello di Verrazzano in 1485), and the name likely derives from the Latin words "verres" (meaning wild boar) and "zona," (meaning place) and translates to the “land of the wild boar.” However, the history of the castle is much older and was originally an Etruscan and then a Roman settlement. The Verrazzano family came into possession of the castle in the 7th century and remained there until the family line ended in 1819. Since then, the castle has passed through several different hands but has been managed by the Florentine Cappellini family since 1958.

Extending over 306 hectares across two sites – at Montalcino and Scansano – the winery of Fattoria dei Barbi goes back centuries and helps preserve the rich history and heritage of wine in the area. Having won prizes for their Brunello all over Europe since the late nineteenth century and continuing to do so to this day (but now all over the globe), this is the ideal spot for those interested in Tuscan wine and the Brunello variety, in particular. Just find your perfect getaway spot by browsing our luxury villas in Montalcino and then set aside some time to visit the winery for yourself and learn more about their business, history, and production while also getting to taste some exceptional wines in Tuscany.