Castello di Poppiano

Castello di Poppiano is a hill-top Tuscan castle that is the base for Tuscany Bike Tours.  After meeting at the bike shop in the centre of town (on Via Ghibellina), we went on a short minibus ride into Tuscany. The journey out of Florence takes you through some spectacular scenery along the Via Senese – or Siena Road – which winds itself through steep curves out of the city. To the south, the town of Galuzzo quickly gives way to a rustic rural setting with olive groves and grape vines that have been grown here for centuries.

The castle itself has been a property of the Guicciardini family for almost nine centuries, a claim documented by an inheritance act of 1199. Here, amongst such a depth of lineage, they grow grapes for their own wines: Chianti (naturally) but also the much respected Vin Santo sweet wine. If you come away with just one purchase from a trip to Castello di Poppiano make it a bottle of Vin Santo.

The bike tour of Chianti starts with a guided trip around the castle: through the wine making facilities, the huge barrels containing hundreds of bottles of wine and rising through the tower, past the Vin Santo area and finishing with a 360 degree vista of the surrounding countryside. There’s plenty of time for photos (or video ) before heading down to the courtyard for some wine and the exceptional Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is produced locally.

Now, for an English guy, the idea of just oil on bread was a bit strange when I first arrived here. However two years on I can totally understand the concept and even flatter myself to believe that I can taste a difference between oils. And there is a difference: just a few months ago I went to an oil party where each person brought a different fresh pressing of the year’s olive oil. Putting the oil on low salt white bread allows the flavours to come through. The best part is that small taster bottles are available to buy for the lightweight traveler!

Villa Mangiacane – the Perfect Tuscan Romantic Getaway

Fiat 500 Touring Club – Chianti Wine Tour

Flip Florence took an outing with the 500 Touring club earlier in the Summer, taking all 6 of their classic cinquecento cars into the countryside of Tuscany. There was local Chianti wine with lunch by the poolside of a beautiful villa in the Tuscan countryside and time to chill out before setting off back to Florence. This has to be the best Florence Tour if you are looking for a day trip out of the city.

Fiat 500 Touring Club Blog

They have a selection of tours of Florence, from just a couple of hours to experience the vintage Fiat 500 in its natural habitat to a full day with wine tasting (local Chianti of course!) food and a stop off for photos in Piazzale Michelangelo. Check out their blog for more information on which tours of Florence or Tuscany you can choose from;

Fiat 500 Tours

Castello di Querceto

In the depths of the Chianti region of Tuscany is an agriturismo set in tranquil gardens where the only noise that might disturb you is the calling of the resident peacocks. We stumbled across this beautiful castle on our trip to film at Greve in Chianti and I’m glad we did. As it was a quiet Sunday, there was nobody around but we’ve made a note to go back and test out their wines, two of which were recommended by Decanter magazine!

Castello di Querceto Website

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Greve in Chianti

This video was taken at the beginning of August at Greve in Chianti (known simply as Greve before 1972) in the heart of Tuscany. As the principle town of the Chianti region it is a mecca for wine lovers and visitors on wine tours. It’s a great day trip from Florence, plus you get to see the lovely Tuscan countryside in between! Easily the best (and most stress free) way to see the beautiful countryside of Chianti is with an organised tour;

The town was very quiet, as many smaller Italian towns are on Sunday, so don’t let that fool you! On weekdays, there is a market in the town that has been running almost continuously for hundreds of years. The centre has a triangular piazza with lovely walkways along the two longest sides which house artisans shops, restaurants and bars. There is a monument to Giovanni da Verrazzano (who discovered New York harbour) in the Piazza.

If you’d rather stay in Greve in Chianti, Venere have 5 properties in and around the town.

Our favourite is Villa Le Barone, with an average guest rating of 9.1 (including a perfect 10 for the surroundings!) it has to be on the prospective list for anyone planning a tour of Greve in Chianti or Tuscany.

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