Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
169
soft on the inside, with cushy beds and couches, some canopied beds, and calm-
ing decor. They offer a number of lodging options, from apartments and bedroom
suites to a huge vacation villa. Weekly apartment rental for a double is
1,000 in
high season, or
€
150 a night (down to
€
800 a week when business is slow).
There are also suites for
€
5,000 per
week) has its own heated pool, huge second-floor terrace, and can comfortably
sleep six people it its three bedrooms, plus a couple of others on pull-out beds.
€
140 to
€
160 a night. The high-end villa (
€
(Radda in Chianti, Via Roma, 33;
%
0577-
735606; www.palazzoleopoldo.it)
in the center of Radda, has been hosting rich
and famous visitors for 300 years. This former nobleman's villa, with original fres-
coes still on the walls and ancient wooden beams holding up the ceilings, is the
epitome of elegance and a worthy splurge, its rooms starting at
€
150 for a dou-
ble,
5
€€€
-
€€€€
Palazzo Leopoldo
300 for
one of the huge suites. Another lure: a heated “hydromassage” pool in a hidden
underground cave.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
€
€
220 for a superior room (you're paying for the view), and about
€
5
9
(Via Trento e
Trieste, 4, Castellina in Chianti;
%
0577-741163; closed Tues)
is the best stop in
the area, and everyone knows it--it's packed day and night with local families and
large groups. I particularly enjoy the pesto linguini and the grilled pork, but I
don't think you'll be disappointed with anything on the menu. In the evenings,
pizza is added to the choices (try the wonderful mushroom pizza).
Primi
cost
For simple, flavorful meals, with little fuss,
Tre Porte
€
6
to
€
8,
secondi
€
8 to
€
18.
If you're looking for a genuine countryside trattoria, try
La Cantinetta di
Rignana
€€
(exit from Badia a Passignano near Montefioralle;
%
055-852065;
www.lacantinettadirignana.it).
Set in a farmhouse at the end of a long dirt road,
it has a folksy decor (red tablecloths and family photos) and a lovely outdoor din-
ing patio. Tops here are sausage ravioli, or the beef-and-vegetable combination
known as
involtini di manzo. Primi
range from
€
7 to
€
9,
secondi
from
€
9 to
€
55
12. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner.
555
(Via Fiorentina, 63, outside
of Castellina;
%
0577-741042; www.albergacciocast.com).
Tasting menus are a
whopping
€
45 (for five courses),
primi
average
€
13, and
secondi
€
20, but the
food is outstanding, and the ambience is everything you could hope for—with a
view-heavy outdoor dining area. For those chillier nights, there is an elegant,
white-tablecloth-robed room within. I still dream about the stuffed pigeon
(pic-
cione)
and the ricotta-truffle-thyme gnocchi combo I had on my last visit. A top
dining experience.
THE LURE OF BACCHUS—VISITS TO THE WINERIES
Consistency is a virtue when it comes to Chianti. For several thousand years, the
people here have been primarily doing just one thing: lovingly tending the local
grapes and producing, in vineyards that now spread across nearly 6,800 hectares
(17,000 acres) of the region, one of the most prized wines in the world. My
favorites of the many wonderful wineries here are:
The meals aren't cheap at
Albergaccio
€€€
