Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Greve in Chianti
A narrow road leads from Greve in Chianti up to the medieval village of
Montefioralle
, the
ancestral home of Amerigo Vespucci (1415-1512). An explorer, navigator and carto-
grapher who made two early voyages to America following the route charted by Colum-
bus, Vespucci wrote excitedly about the New World on his return to Europe, inspiring car-
tographer Martin Waldseemüller (creator of the 1507
Universalis Cosmographia
) to name
the new continent in his honour. It's an extremely steep walk or bike ride, but the panor-
amic view makes it worth the effort.
Sights & Activities
Antinori nel Chianti Classico
(
www.antinorichianticlassico.it
;
Via Cassia per Siena 133, Località Bargino; tour & tasting €20, bookings
essential; 11am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun)
Visiting this cellar complex is a James Bond-
esque experience. Show a print-out of your reservation at the gated, guarded entrance and
then approach the sculptural main building, which is built into the hillside. Inside, your
one-hour guided tour (English and Italian) finishes with a tasting of three Antinori wines
in an all-glass tasting room suspended above barrels in the cellar (wow!).
There is a shop (naturally) to buy wine, glasses and other wine-related paraphernalia
and within this there's a state-of-the-art bar where you can taste 16 different wines (€4 to
€9 per tasting); have a 'guided tasting' of three different wines with the sommelier (€9 or
€12); or simply drink a glass of wine (ranging from €7 for a glass of Marchese Antinori
2009 to €35 for a glass of Solaia 2009). Afterwards, be sure to enjoy lunch in the Rinuccio
1180 (
Click here
)
restaurant.
Bargino is a scenic 20km drive northwest of Greve via the SS222, SP3 and SS2.
WINERY
Badia a Passignano
(
www.osteriadipassignano.com
)
This 11th-century abbey located 6km west of Montefioralle is
owned by the Vallumbrosans, a Benedictine religious order. It is surrounded by a pictur-
esque wine estate owned by the Antinoris, one of Tuscany's best known winemaking fam-
ilies. The main building is closed for a restoration that doesn't look as if it will be com-
WINERY
