Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

If you have found a luxury villa in San Gimignano and are planning on enjoying the best of the best and the most luxurious experience of a vacation in Tuscany then you might be thinking of organising a trip to a winery to spend a leisurely day sipping on some excellent Tuscan vintages. There are endless brilliant wineries in Tuscany to do just that but in this scenario, if you’re looking for the plushest, most elegant, most luxurious winery experience then we highly recommend setting aside some time to visit Tenuta Torciano. This family-run gem is truly picture-perfect, boasts some amazing wines, and offers some unique and uniquely sophisticated and exclusive wine-related experiences on their stunning estate. So, if you’re a wine-lover and foodie who wants to go all out with their winery visit while enjoying a Tuscany villa, then take note...

Located just outside the famously beautiful medieval town of San Gimignano, in a perfect spot between Siena and Florence that would make it easy to visit also if you have found a luxury villa in Florence or a luxury villa in Siena, Tenuta Torciano has been run by 13 generations of wine-makers and their wines are infused with both all of this tradition and the latest technologies. Handed down through the generations for 300 years, this iconic brand is highly celebrated for the excellence of their products with an array of wonderful reds, whites, and a Vin Santo to choose from. However, at this gorgeous venue, it is not just about the undoubtedly high-quality wines but very much also about the experiences of tasting and enjoying them that recommends the winery to visitors. 

You may have noticed a type of wine increasingly in stores and restaurants in the last few years, in particular, that seems new and strange to you: orange wine. These wines are actually part of a very old tradition of wine-making that has been revitalised in recent years and basically involves the macerating of white wines with their skins and the treating of white grapes as one would red ones. While white wine is usually made by pressing the grapes, separating the juice from the skins, and then fermenting this juice, orange wine (or, sometimes, called amber, ramato, macerated, or skin-contact wines) is made by allowing both the skins and juice to ferment together.

Ranging from a golden hue to a richer, redder colour, orange wines have the complex flavour profile and tannins of a red wine but are similarly refreshing to white wine. It is a type of flavour that some find strange at first but it is worth familiarising oneself with as it is a perfect summer drink to enjoy while visiting a vineyard or to pair with a wide variety of meals and foods while dining in the region. And, while the region is not the first that comes to mind in Italy when thinking of orange wine, those who have found a villa with pool in Tuscany or a Tuscany villa will find that many wineries throughout Tuscany are producing wonderful orange wines. 

Lucca is exactly the type of city that one can spend their entire time just wandering around and allowing oneself to stumble upon her various surprises and secrets. From crowds of locals standing around enjoying morning espresso and pastries at little family-run bakeries, to tiny pizza shops serving up piping hot and delicious pizza by the slice, to souvenir shops and perfectly curated clothing boutiques, to artisan’s workshops where beautiful things are handcrafted, to charming old churches, to museums full of fascinating objects, to architectural gems, to picturesque alleys with cats perched on walls...all this and much more besides can be found as you wander Lucca’s lovely historic streets. And then, if you’ve found your villa with pool in Lucca or your Tuscany villa, and you’re spending some time exploring all that she has to offer, you may find yourself on Via Chiasso Barletti, right in the heart of the Old Town. There, on this cobbled, narrow, shop-lined street, you’ll find Etta’s Bookshop.

Etta’s Bookshop is a real treasure and a must-see spot for bookworms who are on vacation in Lucca. An English-language bookshop that was opened in 2019, just shortly before everything was closed down, it has managed to survive the pandemic and we’re so glad. Stocking a wonderful curation of books, owner Giulia Rontani was able to keep going in those first few months due to her loyal customers who ordered books that she would drive around delivering to their homes (according to her interview here). Now, with her doors open once more, she is able to welcome in both those loyal customers and new visitors alike to wander around and browse the brilliant array of books on offer.

Famous French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian once said that, “Perfume is the art that makes memory speak,” and it is certainly true that a fragrance can instantaneously conjure the most incredibly vivid memories. Here at Tuscany Villas, we’re all about memories or, rather, helping you find your dream Tuscany villa so that you can plan a perfect holiday and make wonderful memories of quality time spent enjoying a new place with the ones you love. We want these memories to last a lifetime and to be something brought up fondly over meals and at gatherings for years and years to come. One way to help preserve these precious moments of excitement, leisure, and relaxation and to be able to tap into them whenever you want is to connect them to a particular scent so, for those of our customers who are looking for a luxury villa in Florence and are planning on spending time in the famous artistic capital, we highly recommend a visit to the fragrant Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella and the equally wonderful olfactory experience that is the Museo Villoresi. Discover the perfect holiday in Florence and the perfect scent for you while you’re there to remember your trip by forever more...