UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Panzano’s Celebrity Butcher Dario Cecchini Struts His Stuff

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Celebrity status Butcher Dario Cecchini in Panzano
Celebrity status Butcher Dario Cecchini in his Panzano shop, Antica Macelleria Cecchini

Panzano in Chianti is probably best known for its acclaimed and boisterous butcher, Dario Cecchini.  Travel writer Rick Steeves,  television foodie Anthony Bourdain and countless U-Tube videos have made Dario Cecchini and his Antica Macelleria Cecchini into somewhat of a legend in the sleepy hamlet of Panzano.

I had to see it for myself…

Look for Dario's trademark bull and the psychodelic cow in centro Panzano
Look for Dario’s trademark cow on the side of  Ristorante Solociccia or the famous psychodelic cow in centro Panzano

You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see locals and tourists alike jamming the doorway of the tiny machelleria (butcher shop) and hear the pounding bass of AC/DC rocking through the streets!    It’s quite a party — all the time! [Read more…]

Castello di Volpaia’s Romantic Lure Is Intoxicating

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Volpaia rises high into the clouds at 2500 feet near Radda in Chianti, Tuscany.
Volpaia rises high into the clouds at over 2000 feet above sea level near Radda in Chianti, Tuscany.

Right in the heart of Chianti, five steep miles atop the highest peak, lies Volpaia, touted as one of the most romantic villages in the heart of Tuscany.  Dating back to the 11th century, this medieval borgo (village) is one of the best preserved walled villages in Italy.

Medieval curved walls add charm to the little hilltop village.
Medieval curved walls add a charm to the little hilltop village.

As was customary in the middle ages, people were named for their trade or place of origin.  In the mid-1400’s, Lorenzo della Volpaia, a mathematician, architect and skilled clockmaker, adopted the town’s name, literally meaning Lorenzo from Volpaia (Lair of the Foxes).   Della Volpaia was even said to have consulted with Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo from Vinci) on technical projects. One of Volpaia’s most exclaimed clock works is the clock in Palazzo Vecchio in centro Florence.

Escape to Volpaia for a stay at a medieval bed and breakfast stay.
Escape to Volpaia for a medieval bed and breakfast stay.

Today, Volpaia is owned by the Stianti Mascheroni family (Father Rafaello Stianti gifted the village and winery to his daughter Gionvanella as a wedding present in 1996).   Castello di Volpaia is renowned for its wonderful wines, traditional olive oils and aromatic vinegar. [Read more…]

Montalcino Is Most Famous For Brunello

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Breathtaking vistas surround Montalcino
Breathtaking vistas surround Montalcino as Cipressi (Cypress trees) dot the hills.

One of the highlights of my Tuscany travels was visiting the medieval borgo of Montalcino.  Steeped in history that dates back to the Etruscan times, this hilltop village holds a lot of charm and is best known nowadays for the Brunello di Montalcino wine.

Montalcino is perched atop a hill that dates back to the Etruscan times.
Montalcino is perched atop a hill that dates back to the Etruscan times.

Only 5,300 people live in Montalcino, which sprawls from the centro district along the valley floor below Monte Amiata, a dormant volcano (last eruption was over 300,000 years ago).  Montalcino is a very picturesque area with vineyards lining the country roads and Abbadia di S’Antimo gracing the southern wine trail.

Gregorian monks chant daily at Abbadia di S'Antimo.
Gregorian monks chant daily at Abbadia di S’Antimo.

In centro Montalcino, enotecas (wine stores) are plentiful, all pouring the heavenly juice of Bacchus ~ aka Brunello di Montalcino.  So little time, and so many Brunellos! [Read more…]

Wine Spectator Awards Casaloste 92 Points

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Casaloste is nestled in the bucolic hills near Panzano
Casaloste is nestled in the bucolic hills near Panzano

I was on a mission to find Casaloste in Panzano in the hills of Chianti, about an hour south of Florence.  The wine farm sign pointed down another infamous narrow “white road”, meaning unpaved–adventure ahead!  This time, there were no forests to weave through, just field after field of vineyards!

On the white road to Casaloste...
On the white road to Casaloste…

In the early Spring, the grape vines are pruned and placed in stacks beside the dirt roads.  The cuttings are then set ablaze along with the olive tree branches.   That day, the air was crisp with the sweet smell of burning wood drifting through the air.  Rain was forecasted in the late afternoon, so I wanted to reach Casaloste before the rains would flood the low spots on the rutted road.  After a few missed turns, I found Casaloste!

Bienventu a Casaloste!
Bienventu a Casaloste!

[Read more…]

Villa Dievole ~ Chianti’s Most Heavenly Retreat

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l'aria...in questo luogo e magica
l’aria…in questo luogo e magica

It was love at first sight! I had found the perfect sanctuary– Villa Dievole, a wine resort!  Could there be anything more sublime?

From the minute you approach the resort, you feel that you are in a most special place in the world.   And you are…

Show me the way... to Vaglagli per favore
All signs point to Vagliagli

Villa Dievole was nestled among rolling fields of vineyards as far as the eye could see, and bordered by the Tuscan wooded hills off of one of the “white roads” near Chianti’s main wine road,  the SR222.

The long road to Vagliagli was a solitary drive, meandering six kilometers  through the woods on a secondary unpaved road.  

The "white road" to Vagliagli
The “white road” to Vagliagli

My eyes were peeled for wild boar and deer, but the only “wildlife” I encountered were a few cars madly passing me on the narrow road leaving me in a cloud of dust. [Read more…]