Tuscany - Italy - page 167

Why Is a Chianti a Chianti?
There are strict rules that govern what can and cannot be called “Chianti
Classico.” With that designation, the grapes must come from 1 of 12
municipalities between Siena and Florence. The sangiovese grape must
compose at least 80% of the blend, and from 2006 on, no white grapes
will be allowed in the mixture. Also, only a certain density of vines are
allowed per acre, and the end product cannot be sold until October 1 in
the year following the harvest.

ACCOMMODATIONS, BOTH STANDARD & NOT
€€ I think one of the best ways to experience the life of the area is to actually
bed down at a winery for the night, and perhaps the loveliest place to do that is
the Casali Della Aiola

(North of Vagliagi on sp 102; % 0577-322797; www.
aiola.net). Once a famous Siennese stronghold (the Florentines razed it in 1544,
after which it was rebuilt with a moat), this estate is today a 100-hectare (250-
acre) working farm operated by the extended family of Senator Giovanni
Malagodi. His daughter runs the vineyards and winery, and his granddaughter,
the charming Federica, and her husband, Enrico, have turned one of the farm-
houses on the property into a B&B, polishing the terra-cotta floors to a shine,
restoring the wood-beam ceilings, and preserving the farmhouse look. As is
appropriate for this winery/lodging, the small reading room contains an honor
bar where you can partake of the farm's bounty. Doubles go for

55

90, including
breakfast. There's also a family-size junior suite. For those not staying here, there
are cellar tours and tastings.

€

5 9

(Castellina in
Chianti, Via Chiantigiana, 29; % 0577-740402; www.albergoilcolombaio.it) has 14
rooms (doubles for € 103) behind the thick stone and wood walls of a 16th-cen-
tury house that once sheltered shepherds and their sheep. For a reasonably priced
place, it has some very nice amenities like good-quality bed linens, fluffy towels,
and a pool with countryside views. Ask for an upstairs room—they're bigger with
better views; downstairs was where the sheep used to sleep! The Albergo's sister
property, the Villa Casalta, sits about a mile outside of Castellina, and has 13
homey rooms in the main manor house and six in another farmhouselike structure,
with a pool between them. You can reserve a room with a kitchen, or stay B&B-
style and eat in the large breakfast room. Doubles go for € 90, including breakfast.
Be sure to check out the Etruscan Tomb at the end of the dirt road next to the
hotel. You'll see a huge green mound topped with a ring of trees. Below are the
empty vaults, lit by button-operated lights. It's quite spooky to visit at night.

Another solid B&B option, the Albergo Il Colombaio

€€

€€€ - €€€€ As its name implies, it sometimes gets windy at Borgo Casa al
Vento (Gaioloe in Chianti; % 0577-749068; www.borgocasaalvento.com), but the
stone buildings on the ridge's top location are as solid on the outside as they are