Villa Il Poggiale

[creasy bear]

Has anyone stayed here and if so can you provide feedback on your stay?

[Lourdes]

Ciao Creasy Bear,

I've personally visited Villa il Poggiale for a dinner and a musical event, not actually stayed overnight. But I was able to see the gardens, the common areas and got a peek into the wellness area and everything I saw impressed me as being very elegant and stately, as it was a home in the past for a noble family. The welcome from all of the staff was very warm and even if I wasn't a guest, it certainly made me think it would be a good place to stay at. The dinner was really good, so I imagine breakfast and everything they offer should be high quality.

[creasy bear]

Ciao Creasy Bear,

I've personally visited Villa il Poggiale for a dinner and a musical event, not actually stayed overnight. But I was able to see the gardens, the common areas and got a peek into the wellness area and everything I saw impressed me as being very elegant and stately, as it was a home in the past for a noble family. The welcome from all of the staff was very warm and even if I wasn't a guest, it certainly made me think it would be a good place to stay at. The dinner was really good, so I imagine breakfast and everything they offer should be high quality.

Lourdes,

Thank you so much for your insight. My wife and I will be making our first trip to Italy in April and will be staying at Villa il Poggiale. As a follow up, can you recommend places to eat near near the Villa?

[Lourdes]

I found out that there is a restaurant within the villa which is for guests only. Fresh ingredients, handmade pasta, the olive oil used in the kitchen is produced from the olive groves around the villa. The menu changes daily.... I'd definitely recommend eating there for sure! I've had very good experiences eating at hotel restaurants, which generally have a limited menu but everything produced is just for the few guests who request it so quantity is small but quality has always been high. I so miss the restaurant at the hotel we stayed at in Elba a few weeks ago, seriously!

Aside from that, you can head to San Casciano for nice restaurants as well as more typical osterie - SAn Casciano is less than 2km from the villa. "Cinque Divino" and "Nello" offer elegance and good food quality, both offering traditional Tuscan dishes.
If you can spend a little more and enjoy a full Chianti experience with good wines, head to "Tenda Rossa" in Cerbaia (about 5km from the villa) or to "Osteria di Passignano" (10lm) - both of these have a one star rating on the Michelin guide.

I've actually eaten at the Osteria di Passignano as someone else's guest, it was definitely a great experience and the surroundings are beautiful with the monastery next door and vineyards all around. Very elegant, and great wines. The osteria belongs to the Antinori family wine estate, they've been wine producers for hundreds of years. We had different wines with every course. I have no idea how much was spent but I think it would be a great splurge to do at least once. They are also open for lunch, which I'd recommend so that you can enjoy the view of the surrounding vineyards much better than at night. There are also wine tastings and tours of the cellars - if you have the time, I highly recommend those as well ;-)

You can see pics and more info on the restaurant and cellars here: http://www.osteriadipassignano.com/

If you have any questions about the villa or the area, I'd also suggest you getting in touch with them directly. While I've been to San Casciano, they are there so they are the experts in all the services available and in the wineries and such that are close by... I'm sure they'll be happy to offer info and assistance, too. If you have any other questions about planning your itinerary, I'll try to offer suggestions ;-)

[creasy bear]

Lourdes,

Again, thank you so much for the information. We are so looking forward to our visit.

[Lourdes]

you're welcome! hope you're enjoying the planning stage ;-) if we can help with anything else, just let us know!

[creasy bear]

you're welcome! hope you're enjoying the planning stage ;-) if we can help with anything else, just let us know!

Just found out Sting has a winery in Tuscany. Do you know if it is close to this villa and if they provide for tastings/tours?

[Lourdes]

Sting's villa is called Tenuta il Palagio and is near Figline Valdarno, along the eastern edge of Chianti. It is practically due east from Villa il Poggiale. The estate's major business is wine, oil and honey production with a shop where you can buy all their products, including fresh produce, and I believe you can do tastings there.

If you take the fast route heading first to Florence and then on the A1, the trip takes about 40 minutes.... but if you take the scenic route through Chianti, passing through Strada in Chianti, the trip only takes about 10 minutes more (or more since you'll want to stop and take pics along the way) and will be more beautiful!

Here's the contact info for the Tenuta il Palagio Farm Shop
Via Sant Andrea 11, Figline Valdarno
and the coordinates for your GPS:
N 43 36.943
E 11 26.155
and the official site.

[creasy bear]

Sting's villa is called Tenuta il Palagio and is near Figline Valdarno, along the eastern edge of Chianti. It is practically due east from Villa il Poggiale. The estate's major business is wine, oil and honey production with a shop where you can buy all their products, including fresh produce, and I believe you can do tastings there.

If you take the fast route heading first to Florence and then on the A1, the trip takes about 40 minutes.... but if you take the scenic route through Chianti, passing through Strada in Chianti, the trip only takes about 10 minutes more (or more since you'll want to stop and take pics along the way) and will be more beautiful!

Here's the contact info for the Tenuta il Palagio Farm Shop
Via Sant Andrea 11, Figline Valdarno
and the coordinates for your GPS:
N 43 36.943
E 11 26.155
and the official site.

Again, thank you so much for your help.