Archive for 'Wineries & Breweries'

The kinds of scenery that people imagine when dreaming of a holiday in Tuscany truly come to life in and around the charming little hilltop town of Montalcino. In fact, those who book a villa in Montalcino will quickly discover that it delivers a perfectly idyllic experience of this beloved and ever-popular region of Italy. From rolling green hills and winding cypress-lined roads to paved streets and stunning historic buildings, Montalcino provides a dreamy setting to experience Tuscan life for a little while. So, slow down, relax, take in the beauty all around, and discover the unmissable things to see and do in this stunning Tuscan town...

Many people dream of a vacation in Tuscany. Maybe you’ve been before and can’t wait to get back. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to go and are finally planning a trip. Whatever the case may be, we have thousands of incredible vacation rentals in Tuscany and villas in Tuscany to choose from. From villas with pools in Tuscany to holiday rentals in Florence, right in the centre of the city, we have a range of different options to suit your needs and tastes. However, it doesn’t just stop at helping you find an ideal villa in Tuscany. Here at Tuscany Villas, we want to help you all throughout the entire booking process and your holiday itself – from finding the rental that is just right, to managing payments, to having a smooth arrival, to finding plenty of things to see and do in the area.

As we really want to help you make the most of your time in the region and make that dream vacation happen – whether you’re a seasoned visitor to Tuscany, it’s that first time, or it’s a once-in-a-lifetime blow-out experience – we established this blog years ago to keep guests abreast of the best things to see and do in Tuscany. There are endless articles about famous attractions, what to visit and when, places to eat, unique curiosities that you won’t want to miss, traditions and festivals, special events, hidden gems, and more. So, if you want to know what to eat, where to go wine-tasting, when you should visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa or what to do this spring, you’ll find the answers on our blog – it’s a great resource for planning your itinerary!

Once you have browsed our gorgeous array of villas in Chianti, among the rolling green hills and endless vineyards, the pretty little villages and the famous wine areas for which this beloved destination in Tuscany is so well-known, you will likely be looking forward to experiencing Tuscan wine for yourself. And what an experience awaits!

From delicious wines with your meals in restaurants, to excellent bottles picked up while on a regular supermarket run to be enjoyed by the pool in your villa with a swimming pool in Tuscany, to wines sampled in a guided tasting at a vineyard, there are endless ways to appreciate the lauded wines of the region.

In fact, many years ago, a local told me that while lots of Italian wine is exported, the best Italian wine rarely leave the country. Instead, it is kept to be sold and enjoyed by Italians themselves. So, if you really want to sample the best of the best when it comes to wines in Chianti and at a lower price point than you can expect elsewhere (they haven’t needed to be imported somewhere else after all) then you have to enjoy them while in Tuscany.

Of course, once you’ve scheduled your visit to a winery (or two or three) and experienced it for yourself, then you might want to share this experience with loved ones or your favourite neighbour who watered your plants while you were away. Or you might simply want to stock up for the future. In either scenario, you might be wondering if it is possible to bring wine home from Chianti?

Chianti is at its most breath-taking in September, as the vines grow heavy with grapes and the leaves turn to golden and russet hues. The rolling green hills and lush valleys are always a sight to behold, a distinctly lovely wonder that has made the landscape of Tuscany famous, and when the endless vineyards of the region are ready to be harvested this beauty is only more impressive and striking still. So, if you are a wine-lover who has always wanted to head out on adventures, sampling the incredible wines of Tuscany and exploring her gorgeous landscape and pretty towns, then we think you should book a escape in Chianti this September!

Although wine is what is far more closely associated with a dream getaway in Tuscany, there are also some great Italian beers to try while you are on holiday in this stunning part of the world and, especially if you’re exploring on a hot summer day, a cold beer while sitting in a pretty piazza is just the thing! So, where do you get great beers in Tuscany? Well, if you book a holiday rental in Lucca and have been wandering around this charming and utterly picturesque historic town then we recommend a visit to De Cervesia Beer & Shop.

Located in the historic core of the city, among retail stores that you might be wandering past and into but not quite in the more touristy part of town, on Via Fillungo, you will find De Cervesia Beer & Shop. With a couple of benches outside (but plenty of spots nearby where locals gather to sit on steps or footpath edges or to lean against buildings in groups to chat over a beer), a few seats inside, and just 7 taps (all from the Brùton brewery in Lucca), it doesn’t immediately look like much but this is an absolutely amazing spot to try Italian beers!