Archive for 'Food and Wine'

La Fabbrica di San Martino is a beautiful vineyard nestled among the lush rolling hills just north-west of Lucca around 5km from the city centre, in an area called the Colline Lucchesi (Lucca Hills), which is a DOC wine region in Tuscany. At the centre of the estate is an 18th century villa and surrounding it are grounds that stretch over 20 hectares and encompass vineyards, olive groves, a forest, gardens and more. The estate, itself, is a stunning place to explore and spend time but it is also home to a vineyard and winery that produce celebrated wines. If you have found a luxury villa in Lucca and are looking for the perfect setting for some wine-tasting, it is an excellent option. Come and sit back and relax, take in the wonderful views, sip some wine, try some local delicacies, and meet the friendly staff members and the cute furry pals that live on the estate.

You imagine a certain kind of rather traditional option for restaurants and coffee shops in Italy but, of course, there are more modern and cutting-edge options available and one thing that we love to do is track down all sorts of different kinds of places to eat on our next trip to various cities. With Florence currently in mind, I was looking at lots of places, hunting for something special, when I came across the magical and appealing interiors of La Ménagère.

Tuscany is one of the great wine regions of the world, as beautiful as it is prolific, an ideal place to holiday, sip, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Throughout the year, there are all sorts of wine-lead events and festivals as well and there are several great times to choose to plan a wine-based vacation in Tuscany but, if we were to recommend one in the coming months, during the lovely springtime in the region, it would be the Orcia Wine Festival in April. Just browse our vacation rentals in the Val d'Orcia and plan to attend this amazing festival and try some delicious Tuscan wines for yourself in the stunning surroundings of this gorgeous part of the region.

Taking place each year during the last weekend in April, in the town of San Quirico d'Orcia, the Orcia Wine Festival is an event that was created in order to promote and celebrate the excellence of the wine production of the Val d’Orcia. Conceived and organised by the Municipality of San Quirico d'Orcia, the fair takes place in the beautiful eighteenth century rooms of the Palazzo Chigi and involves technical tasting sessions, food and wine tastings, specialist talks and the organising of visits to the wineries in which the excellent local wines that are showcased over the course of the festival are actually produced.

Tuscany, with her rolling, picturesque landscapes, excellent food and wine, pretty villages and impressive cities, beautiful coast, stunning buildings, and truly incredible works of art is an inherently romantic destination. It birthed great poets and writers of singular devotion to one beloved such as Petrarch and Dante. It boasts some of the most spectacular sunsets in the world. It is overrun with gorgeous palaces and cathedrals. The pace of life is perfectly suited for focusing entirely on someone special. Really, Tuscany simply is a perfect place to dash to for a little city break for a long weekend or to escape to for an extended getaway with your Valentine.

If you were considering planning a Valentine's getaway in Tuscany together or surprising your love with a
vacation rental in Tuscany this Valentine's Day, you're sure to make incredible memories that will last a lifetime. Here are a list of some of the most romantic things to get up to in this impossibly romantic location....

Bottega Pecchioli is a highly-regarded family-run winery and vineyard in Carmignano, Tuscany, not far from Florence. If you have found a vacation rental in Florence and are thinking about setting aside a day to go wine-tasting and to learn some more about wine and Tuscan culture, then it is an ideal option.

The history of the winery is long and goes back to when the surrounding area of Poggio alla Malva was a small farming village. The first note of the family institution records the Bottega Pecchioli and its “storage area of salt, oil and wine, corn, candles and coal.” In the second half of the 18th century, it became a precursor to what we know a food store to be today and over the years it has been various kinds of business including a tavern, bakery, milk and butter shop, a post office, and wine bar.