In a week time Florence will be the capital of wine. From September 30th to October 3rd the city hosts Wine Town Firenze, international event gathering together high quality wine producers. A great event dedicated to wine stewards and professional buyers, but also to wine lovers, tourists and Florentine people. Read the post »
I’m writing several new articles for our guide to Chianti and I think it’s a good idea to spend the weekend in the Chianti region to refresh memories and sensations of visiting the area. I have visited Chianti many times, but it will be fun to go back while I’m writing about it.
So on Saturday morning I’m planning to go to Greve in Chianti and visit the weekly market, a market that really impressed Grand Duke Leopold I back in the 19th century. Nowadays, it’s a big market with a vast range of local products, as well as clothing and flowers. For lunch, I want to tray the famous Mac Dario at the Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti. It is a 10 euro menu made of a 250gr hamburger with roast potatoes, vegetables and onions, bread and water. It’s the Tuscan alternative to fast food 
. After lunch I’ll move on to Castellina in Chianti and spend the night there. Saturday night is the “Calici di Stelle” event and I want to do wine tasting and enjoy good Tuscan food.
On Sunday I intend to visit Gaiole in Chianti and its surroundings with its famous castles and churches. My plan is to take a guided tour of the Castello di Brolio with wine tasting included. For lunch I want to go San Gusmè, a beautiful medieval town where there is an excellent trattoria, Sira e Remino. I love the Pici Cacio and Pepe, handmade spaghetti pasta dressed very simply with cheese and ground pepper. In the afternoon, I’ll then stop at the Castello di Vertine and at Badia Coltibuono and maybe have dinner there before coming back home.
I cross my fingers so that it won’t rain – hope you have a nice weekend as well!
Finally June has arrived! From the weather you wouldn’t say it, but I’m not worried for my plans for this weekend in Tuscany. Yes, this weekend I don’t plan to stay in Florence but plan on going around Tuscany. So, these are some of my plans.
Saturday morning early wake up, about 9.00, because I want to go to local markets. First I want to go to Impruneta and then to Greve in Chianti. I want to have a “light” lunch in Greve eating some schiacciata (Tuscan bread) filled with sbriciolona (a typical ham) at the Macelleria Falorni in the main square. Then I’ll head to Siena, have to be there before 5 p.m., because at that time starts a big treasure hunt in the historical center. The event is the conclusion of the great wine festival Chianti è. The treasure hunt will also meet the traditions of the Palio and will end with a typical dinner in Contrada. English speaking staff will assist you and reservations are required. Read the full post »
Today is Thursday and I’ve started planning this last weekend of May in Florence since from the next one we Florentines generally like to leave the hot city for the seaside or the countryside, even if I personally am fine with a little bit of warm sunny days.
My attention is focused on the eagerly awaited Florence Gelato Festival. It looks like Florence will turn into the international capital of ice cream from May 28th to 31st. The last 4 or 5 weeks the event has been advertised and sponsored everywhere, from newspapers, magazines, blogs, ads on streets and on buses. The festival takes places in different areas in Florence’s city center, in Piazza SS. Annunziata, Piazza Repubblica, Piazza S. Giovanni and Palazzo Vecchio. There are local, national and international ice cream makers, that means lots of ice cream to taste!
If you happen to see a Fiat 500 around Florence making sounds like a rooster, don’t worry, it isn’t a maniac out driving having fun. The cars making the rooster’s cock-a-doodle-do are actually promoting an upcoming event in Chianti’s wine region, Chianti Classico, whose symbol is the black rooster.
Starting May 29th and continuing on to June 5th the event “Chianti è” is an important wine festival organized this year to promote the wine and culture of Chianti Classico, the most regulated and traditional of the various Chianti denominations. Eight days of wine tastings, open cellars, exhibits, concerts, guided tours, cooking classes and much more. Read the full post »
This past Thursday we spent the day in Chianti on a tour designed and supported by the Florence Chamber of Commerce and tourism board to promote the Florentine area of Chianti. We met our tour group in front of Santa Maria Novella train station at 8.45am and aside from a traffic incident that delayed our departure, we were happily on our way to Tavarnelle Val di Pesa by 10am.
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