A weekend with a bubbly Tuscan charm er
SLICING open a bottle of bubbles with a large knife is a first for me. But that’s how they roll in Il Falconiere near Cortona in Tuscany.
Riccardo, who runs the hotel with his wife Silvia, is an eighth generation olive oil and wine maker. The vineyard produces 150,000 bottles a year and their wine is exported across the world. Their sparkling variety is made using yeast which dates from 1851. They seem to embody the good life, though I am sure it’s not as easy going as it looks.
We’re certainly relaxed in this lovely spot dotted with terracotta pots filled with bright red geraniums, overlooking rows of vines and then the calming layers of Tuscan landscape beyond.
Dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant is served on a rose-entwined balcony. The food is, of course, delicious and generous — this is Italy.
It’s a treat to have the full Michelin experience — though my boyfriend Rob is astonished to be offered a water menu. We almost don’t have space for breakfast, where it’s easy to gorge yourself on cakes, fruit flans, breads and hams. Cortona, atop the hill to the south-east, is a ten-minute drive. There’s a gorgeous Fra Angelico in the Diocesan Museum, empty when I visit. The gold trimmings — angel’s wings, hem, dainty slippers — seem to glow. Amazing, considering it was painted in 1434. While the MAEC museum shows discoveries from the nearby Etruscan tombs, which date as far back as 580-570BC. Graves were classified as belonging to women where they found hairpins or spindles and to men where they found spears and knives.
There are plenty of lovely Tuscan towns to explore nearby — including Montepulciano — but we become rather lazy back at Il Falconiere.
We don’t try the falconry nor the hunting which are on offer. A guest brought his falcon along years ago — as you do — and inspired Riccardo to give it a go. He loved it. Riccardo brings back the game and Silvia cooks it. She’ll also teach you to master Italian recipes so you can try to re-create a portion of this Tuscan magic at home. Bellissimo.
TRAVEL FACTS
FLIGHTS to Pisa from £62 return,
ba.com. Rooms at Il Falconiere from £117 per night, chicretreats.com.