Chianti area – New flavours around every corner

Chianti is a beautiful hilly area within Tuscany. Although it is not rigidly defined, the area extends over Florence and Siena and includes all the areas in between. The Chianti ‘wine region’ of Chianti extends even further, towards Arezzo and Montepulciano.

The area is instantly recognizable from the millions of photographs shared all around the world. Many will have phone covers, desktop screen savers, and calendars depicting Chianti’s rolling green hills sprinkled with cypress trees, and streaked with long winding roads.

But leave these phones, computers, and calendars at home, and come and step into the landscape itself. Because without popping the olives into your mouth as you cycle up to a farm, or tasting the wine in a local vineyard, you will have no idea how much more beauty Chianti has to offer.

Wine

Chianti is most well-known for its wine, the earliest documentation of which was the 13th Century. The whole area is a world famous winemaking powerhouse, and each Chianti wine has its own flavour. The ‘Chianti Classico’ region alone occupies approximately 173,000 acres of land, and many of the Chianti wines are going vegan now to satisfy the ever-growing demand.

Chianti wine is ruby red, made from Sangiovese grapes, and has a distinct cherry flavour with the subtle perfume of violets. And in Chianti there is no shortage of places where you can do your best to taste all varieties!

You can wander off the beaten track to a local stone farmhouse that offers wine tasting for a truly spontaneous and rural experience, or you can book yourself on one of the many wine-tasting tours, which will come complete with a guide to help with the language (and the tasting!).

It won’t take long before you come away with a refined palate, and probably a case of wine.

Cycling

When you have had just about as much of the famous Sangiovese grape as you can manage for the time being, it is time to have a day off and do some exercise. The roads in Chianti offer the perfect combination of challenging climbs and exhilarating descents. The often taxing climbs offer good excuses to stop for a breather and take in the views that you have seen reproduced all over the world, of the cypress trees dotted alongside farmhouses with red-tiled roofs.

After the climb you can experience what it is like to freewheel downhill for miles at a time on one of Chianti’s winding roads. The most famous of the roads is called the Chiantigiana (Strada Stratale 222). It dates back to the 1700s and is a famous wine road, winding down through the region. From this road you can see the many castles and fortresses in the region. More difficult than the climb up the hill is the decision of where to eat and drink.

As well as miles of forests and vineyards, the area comprises a number of fortified towns where you can find shops, restaurants, and important cultural attractions.

Castellina in Chianti

This is a popular spot in Chianti. It is worth going to the Palazzo Squarcialupi where you will find the Enoteca Antiquaria. This is a 100-year-old wine shop which acts as a sort of wine museum. There is also the nearby Etruscan tomb of Montecalvario where you will be an important example of Etruscan necropolis architecture.

Radda in Chianti

This a charming medieval town protected behind large walls. The narrow streets and main square are a delight to wander around, and there are many attractions including the Museum of Sacred Art of Chianti.

San Donato

This is a small medieval hill top town with several shops and a number of historical sights to visit, including the Gothic church Santa Maria della Neve and the impressive Palazzo Malaspina.

Greve in Chianti

This town is 19miles south of Florence and is distinguished by its triangular piazza, quaint vibe, and stunning surroundings. There is a Franciscan monastery in the centre of the city, along with markets and various churches. It is host to the annual Chianti Classico Wine Festival in September.

Gaiole in Chianti

The surroundings along make this a worthy place to stop and pass the time, but within the city itself there is the majestic Castello di Brollo, a castle still inhabited by descendants of the noble Ricasoli family, who have produced wine for centuries. You are able to visit the gardens, from which there is a fabulous view of Siena.

San Casciano Val di Pesa

This is a charming place with nice restaurants and shops, From here you can visit the nearby famous wine cellar of Albergaccio of Sant'Andre, in Percussina, where Niccolò Machiavelli lived.

Other towns in the area are home to some of the most famous formal gardens in the whole of Italy.

Did you know that Michelangelo, a Tuscan native, was rather fond of Chianti wine? so much so, that he bought some as a gift for the Pope.

If you crave some cosmopolitan life and want to drink you wine in a fancy wine bar, then you are never far from Florence or Siena.

When you are actually immersed in the countryside, however, the photographs pale into insignificance. The rolling hills, as far as the eye can see, can’t easily be captured on paper, it needs to be absorbed through tasting the unforgettable flavours, and touching the grapes and following tiny dirt tracks leading to farms offering cheese, oil, wine tasting.

Text: Lucy Williams