Tuscany and Umbria: why I go back

I have been to Italy a handful of times in a handful of regions. But Tuscany and the inner wine regions always stand out. Perhaps it's because of my love for gardening, appreciation of wine, similar to when I go to Napa and feel like I am home. But it's more than that really. Tuscany and Umbria have the nicest most down to earth people with cuisine with complex but fresh flavors, almost like your italian grandma that you never had made every meal. The wine is a huge variety from a vintage standpoint, but truly you can't go wrong ordering the carafe of wine at the local pizzeria freshly delivered from the basement of the chef's sister-in-law. It's still that good. The scenery is impeccable: rolling hills, farms, wild boar running down the road, and we did see a bear. Also, the rabbits are big enough to sit on their laps.

So, here are the beautiful places I have stayed. There is a villa or an apartment for everyone in wine country. Whether you prefer the unmarked tiny pedestrian streets of Siena or Orvieto, a quaint farmhouse near a town, a 12th century castle on a hill, or even the usual hotel fare, there are lots of options. I am including links to all the places we have stayed at the end of the blog post.

This trip: a group of 16 hooligans from the greater Cincinnati area converging on a newer villa rental on a sprawling wine estate with 3 houses, a pool, a chef if needed, bikes for exploring, a nearby town with a local train depot for further away exploring, and 2 cats and a bulldog. Rosella and her husband have owned the property for a long time, but only recently with the help of their son have they started renting, and we could not be happier that they made this move.

Podere La Specola is situated in Figline-Valderno about 40 minutes southeast of Florence. The main house has 4 bedrooms, the front house as 3, and the cottage another 2. It's big enough for reunions, large families, a retreat, a small wedding. The pool and deck area is spacious and towels and amenities provided and there are fruit trees surrounding the houses. The vines and olive trees line the property with cypress trees marking the driveway. It is quintiscential Tuscany with all the bells.

Furthermore, for the music fans out there, the vineyard, resort, spa, and pizzeria/farmhouse owned by Sting and Trudie is the adjacent property, walkable in 10 minutes to the pizzeria. Il Palagio really has a bit of everything, and we were informed that on the weekends, it IS where locals go for their pizza. I will include links to all of this. Also, they have live music on the weekends, interestingly one of the best country cover bands I have heard was there on our arrival.

In addition to the amenities above, there's also a cook that will make any meal you want for reasonable fees, and a shopper to stock the place prior to going, although the shopping is half the fun in the small towns. Eat tomatoes...no like all of them. Buy the cured meats, olives, cheeses, and make the charcuterie of your dreams. It's that easy, and it is super reasonable compared to the US for both food and wine.

Or, have Sting make you a pizza! Or visit Greve or one of the other bunch of villages in a 20mile radius. And please, give Italian language a try. The locals aren't going to be mad you can't say more than grazie and per favore.

Here are the links to all of the places I've stayed in the region. They are all great but also good for different types of groups!

Near Orvierto: Castello di Benano

Owned by a wonderful Cincinnati couple, this over 1000 year old castello is situated in Benano, a tiny enclave on a hill near Orvieto. 5 stories and 5 bedrooms, internet, terrace, etruscan wine cellar, and some really great neighbors. Their chef, Simona, is fantastic and travels internationally for cooking. They are super accomodating with all needs and the property is once in a lifetime

Manciano: Casa Mira bella we stayed here in 2011 so I can't guarantee everything about current state. The tiny town is a great stepping point for wineries, Saturnia hot springs, and banfi brunch

Transportation: Tuscany and Umbria are just a couple hour trip from Rome depending on location. If you know european rail well, this is going to be the easiest if you are near a train to go to points of interest. However, if you want to venture to the smaller family owned vineyards and sites, a car is more feasible. With the car rental, I recommend going with a rental company you can also get in the US. Our rental this time was a crap old Fiat Panda through budget and even though the plastic rims were all banged up, even Budget tried to mess with us for damages on check out. We never scuffed anything, which is amazing becuase at one point, we were in an archway that was just 4 inches wider that that tiny car. Most cars are manual transmission with auto being MUCH more in some cases.

Money: having some American cash is great, but exchanges for Euro and often upcharged. We recommend going to a small non touristy place with an ATM so you don't have a lot of fees. Most places do card as well, but often not Amex so have a back up.

Italians like to party: check the maps for road closures and disruptions due to a festival here and there as well as temporarily blocked streets (see above mention of tiny archway...we had to go through it to return to our town because the GPS directed us to a closed segment of road.

Food: eat everything you can. If you have dietary restrictions, this is the code for that: