Archive for 'Food and Wine'

The area of Grosetto is a coastal region of Tuscany that is an excellent holiday destination for those looking to enjoy a villa on the Tuscan Coast. While a villa in Grosetto does not necessarily ensure you will be right by the sea, the sea will be within driving distance and you will also quickly discover that there are lots of other wonderful attractions and natural gems to explore in the area. From Blue Flag beaches, to Ancient Roman ruins, to Saturnia's famous hot springs, to incredible cave systems, to the astounding beauty of Lake Burano, to the annual Vivamus wine festival in the town of Montemerano each July, there are endless things to discover while on holiday in the region. However, if you're looking for a particularly relaxing outing, then we suggest a visit to a winery. Wandering the grounds on a tour, enjoying a guided tasting of their wines, and stocking up on some wine to savour during your holiday or bring home for yourself and as gifts, makes for a perfect itinerary for those looking to spend a day simply unwinding and making the most of being on holiday. While there are many wineries in the province of Grosetto to choose from, one of the best and the most interesting for those also interested in archaeology has to be the lovely La Biagiola.

The pretty and historic centre of Lucca is a lovely place to wander and explore if you have found a villa with pool in Lucca and are getting to know the area but, as you stroll around, you may soon find yourself quickly working up an appetite. If you are in need of refuelling while discovering the ancient and picturesque core of the city, then we highly recommend a visit to the charming Osteria Tosca, particularly if you happen to be headed to the nearby Puccini Museum that is a mere stone's throw away from the restaurant.

Osteria Tosca is located right in the centre of Lucca, in the Piazza Cittadella, next to the statue of beloved composer and lauded Lucchese son, Giacomo Puccini, who was born in a house only a few yards away. Cosy and inviting, the restaurant has a small garden area and an intimate interior and serves up the best of the tasty and wholesome home cooking from Lucca. Grab a seat inside in the pretty and romantic interior or relax at a table outside and take in the lovely surroundings and people-watch as typical scenes of Tuscan life unfold before you. Once you have settled in, you can then sit back, unwind, and enjoy a pleasant lunch or a relaxing evening tasting the menu of delicious local classics, paired with some great local wines, all at extremely fair prices.

One might associate the heavy scent of citrus on the air with holidays in the south of Italy, in particular, but if you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and you want to take in that tangy smell, buy some incredible citrus products, and visit a unique garden then we suggest a visit to the Hesperidarium Il Giardino degli Agrumi (or Hesperidarium Citrus Garden). Just browse our luxury villas in Florence and our villas with pool in Lucca and plan a day-trip to the town of Castellare di Pescia, in the province of Pistoia to come explore this impressive and beautiful botanical garden for yourself.

Siena is a city in Tuscany famed for its mad-dash annual historic horse race in the main square in its core, for beautiful surroundings, and for delicious pastries. Some of the region's most enduringly famous and popular traditional treats were born or popularised in Siena. And, while there are plenty of places to buy tasty baked goods in Siena, from local supermarkets to cafes to traditional bakeries called pasticcerie, there are some must-see spots that food enthusiasts visiting the city would be wise to make note of. If you have found a villa with pool in Siena and you have worked up an appetite wandering around her picturesque medieval streets, then we highly recommend heading to the oldest pasticceria in town, the Pasticceria Nannini.

Peroni is the Italian beer that is most familiar to those outside of Italy and, while there are more Italian beers that are household names to locals, there is also a craft brewing industry that has become bigger and bigger in recent years, as is the case in many places across the world. Tuscany, in particular, is home to quite a few micro-breweries, brew-pubs, and other small producers of craft and artisanal beers that the foodie and beer enthusiast who has found a villa in Tuscany will be excited to discover. In fact, we have previously written a guide to some of the highest rated craft breweries in Tuscany that can be found here. However, today, we are focusing on one of the region's breweries, La Petrognola Brewery.