Travel

Wine tasting isn’t the only thing that will keep you busy in Chianti

Wine and quad biking (not at once!) in Tuscany

The rolling hills of Tusca ny ’s ‘Chiantishire’ are of course wonderful for wine. But there’s a lot more to them than that, as i discovered when i stayed at Podere Brogi (1), a pretty villa sleeping 10, within vineyards, about 50km from both siena and Florence.

light, air y and lu x urious wit hout skimping on homeliness, there is little reason to leave Podere Brogi’s beautif ul poolside ter race, especially wit h pr ivate chefs ava i lable on re quest . should you choose to, however, there is plent y to do, f rom rena is s a nce ar t tours to discount desig ner shopping and quad biking.

We kicked off with a trip to a nearby v i ne ya r d wher e we wer e gu i d e d through the wine-making process by a n ex per t. The v illa is a lso just 4km from the rustic Petrolo estate, a favourite wit h t he Camerons, who know a fi ne, cha r ac ter f ul wi ne when t hey drink one. it’s also noted for its olive oil and honey. A beautiful hour’s drive away t hrough t he hills, you’ll f ind il Pa r ad is o di Fr a s si na, t he v i neya rd famous for play ing g row t h-boost ing Mozart concertos to its vines.

But man and woman cannot live by wine a lone ( lord k nows i’ve t r ied), especially when t here’s a super-chic Prada outlet a 10-minute drive from the villa, offering up to 75 per cent off previous-season Prada and Miu Miu (top t ip: get t here ea rly a nd t a ke a t icket from the dispenser at the door; without one you can’t buy anything).

We also tried quad-biking through Crazy Quad Toscana, a company that took us of f-road, t hrough t he (steep) Tuscan hills, via the Petrolo estate, to lunch at a hidden gem, la Bottega di Duddova – a great way to see this exceptionally beautiful part of italy.

one night we dined at Cecchini’s in sleepy Panzano about 15km west of the v illa. inject ing new energ y into t he a l ready-legenda r y loc a l food scene, meat-mad butcher a nd rest aurateur Da ri o Ce c c h i n i of f e r s be e f pi l e d high on a rag ing g rill, chefs wearing goggles like crazed scientists cooking to loud rock music and Dario himself bellowing out love songs to the cows as you eat.

Whatever you do, it’s a treat coming back to the shaded poolside logg ia of Podere Brog i, t he perfect place to sit with friends and sip a nice glass of, well, Chianti, obviously. — Stacey Thomson

Another great option:

Villa sassolini, Montevarchi (2) should you be craving the perks of a hotel, try Villa sassolini, a restored 15th-century palazzo about 50km from Florence. set in beautiful landscaped gardens overlook i ng t he Chia nt i hi ll s, it ha s a n excellent experimental Tuscan restaurant, an outdoor pool and bar and a cute little spa with a sauna and whirlpool.