July 2022

A Weekend in Castellina in Chianti – Tuscany, Italy

When we started planning our summer vacation for Kevin’s birthday, a wine dinner I had been following for years was scheduled around the time of our time off. We had always dreamed about how wonderful it would be to drive a Vespa through the Tuscan countryside and now that we actually had a Vespa we were comfortable driving, we thought that this dream could turn into a reality. Since we had visited Tuscany many times, we did not need much time there so that is how we decided to add Sardinia to the mix and create our summer Italy getaway. 

THURSDAY 

From Sardinia, we flew in the evening from Alghero to Rome and then Rome to Florence. Since both flights were delayed, we did not end up making it to Florence until after 11PM. We figured we would just take a taxi and bite that bullet but when we exited the airport, the taxi line was shockingly long with not a taxi in sight. I read there was a tram that opened recently taking people from the airport to the train station in Florence. Looking around, we saw the tram waiting at the station as we ran to buy tickets and board. The tickets were 1.50 euro each – a steal honestly for what a taxi would have cost. In about twenty minutes, we were back in Florence. 

We walked about ten minutes to our Airbnb and hoped to quickly pass out for the evening. But that was not the case – in looking at the route from Florence to Tuscany, we had concerns about the highway driving. We did not feel comfortable doing it and tried to find another option. I looked at the reviews of where we were renting the Vespa and it was clear it was something people did. It may take us longer but we could find back roads to get us to the countryside. Since we did not want to feel pressured or rushed, I canceled the morning wine tasting and lunch I had booked so that we did not have anything over our heads – the goal was to get to Castellina in Chianti safely.

FRIDAY 

We packed up and headed out for our new adventure. Kevin grabbed a coffee nearby before we started our twenty minute walk to pick up our Vespa from Florence Station Rental. The reviews here were very good and they also specialize in scooter rentals, including Vespas. 

We were given a red Vespa 125 cc – considerably more banged up then our red Vespa at home but as long as it drove well, it was not a concern. The owner gave us specific instructions on how to get out of the city without getting into trouble as well as how to access SR 222 Chiantigiana – the Chianti country road where we could live out of Vespa dreams. We were relieved that there was another way to Tuscany without taking a fast speed highway and risking an accident or unsafe situation. 

We once again promised ourselves patience and time to get this right. Kevin understood the route out of the city well so he followed the directions and once we were out of the city itself, I navigated us to SR 222. Once we arrived on SR 222, we celebrated our first victory – we made it out of Florence. This would be the road we were on for 50 beautiful kilometers. 

Only a few minutes passed when we saw the landscape change into the magical rolling hills filled with villas and vines. Smiling wide from ear to ear, this is why we picked the Vespa. It was just unbelievable and we could not stop smiling and wow’ing at everything. Even though we have visited this area multiple times, it is just different from this perspective. Luckily I had gotten very nimble on the back of the Vespa to take some photos cause it was impossible to not try and capture this. 

Before we knew it, we were approaching the town of Greve in Chianti where we decided to take a stop. We were shocked how fast this drive was going! We found parking, grabbed the bags, and walked around the square. We had visited Greve in Chianti on a previous trip to Chianti so it was nice to be back. 

We passed by a specialty shop and I found it impossible to pass it up. Antica Macelleria Falorni took up over three stores full of beautiful cured meats, an aging room, a cheese cave, and more. The smells were fantastic as we walked through each room. They also had a bistro for food and a wine card program where you could try different wines. 

We opted to get the taglieri gran mix (mix cutting board) of prosciutto falorni, salame grevigiano, finocchiona IGP, pecorino fresco with onion compote and crispy bread. This was the perfect snack and reward for conquering the drive out of Florence. 

Our next stop was Bottega del Chianti Classico just to browse some wine and goodness we could not believe the extensive selection of wine bottles in this store! The displays were beautiful and the Chianti section was so large, I have no idea how you could choose. But Kevin did find a friend – Podere Le Ripi hiding in the Montalcino section. It was hard to pass up so we grabbed the Cielo d’Ulisse 2017 Brunello for a treat over the weekend. 

We got ourselves strapped back up on the Vespa and continued our journey down SR 222. We only had twenty more minutes until we reached our final destination but we had one more stop we wanted to make. 

Whenever we have traveled through Panzano, we also have to make a stop to visit Dario. Each time we go to Tuscany, we have done so and it was great to continue the tradition onward. He was there doing his thing, blasting his American music as we nabbed a piece of bread with lard on it and a glass of Chianti. We also passed by Dario’s newer food truck that offered sandwiches. We were so tempted to grab one but they did not look like they traveled well so we will save it for next time. 

The rest of the ride was even more wonderful as the hills continued to roll entering into the area of Castellina. We were so excited to see where we were staying for the weekend – somewhere I had been planning on visiting for years!

Our turn off of SR 222 led us to a dirt road and while we had a moment of PTSD for Sardinia, this was far more manageable as we made our way up the hill. When we arrived, we were simply stunned at how lucky we got staying at this property – Querceto di Castellina.

Read the full review of Querceto di Castellina here! 

We left Florence at 11AM and with our two stops in Greve in Chianti and Panzano, we made it to Querceto di Castellina just before 130PM. We checked into our suite which was absolutely gorgeous – restored and renovated from the original buildings that were on the property. It had wonderful rustic qualities but with modern comforts – we could have easily stayed a week! We even had a full kitchen that I was already sad we were not planning on taking advantage of. 

We unpacked a bit, Kevin grabbed a bottle of their Rosato, and we went to the pool to spend the rest of the afternoon. The view from this hilltop was just outrageous – I could not believe this was real and that we were staying here! 

With some much earned hours of relaxing by the pool, we got ready for dinner and road the Vespa to the town of Castellina in Chianti. These towns along SR 222 are really magical! Perched upon a hill, Castellina has a wonderful view of Tuscany. We parked the Vespa and walked downtown for our dinner at Taverna Squarcialupi. 

Read the full dining review for Taverna Squarcialupi here! 

After a wonderful dinner, we walked back to the Vespa to head down the road just a few minutes to get gelato that a co-worker of mine recommended. Gelateria di Castellina was situated just like an American ice cream stop – a building all by itself with dedicated parking and outdoor seating. Vespa came through again with no competition for parking as cars struggled. We hopped inside and got a look at the wide variety of flavors, many of which were unique. Sitting outside and enjoying our gelato, we were so happy that we committed to this journey and made it here. 

Our drive back was easy as we settled in for a very comfortable sleep – much needed after a rough night previously. Querceto di Castellina was so cozy, we were so thrilled to be here. 

SATURDAY

We did not set an alarm this morning and really tuned into relaxing. I wanted to take a walk through the grounds before it got hot and also before it got crowded so I grabbed the camera and went on a walk to take everything in. It was hard to grasp how real this place was – what an unbelievable property to look out over this valley and watch your vines grow. For more photos from our morning walk, check out this post.

The first part of the day we spent by the pool simply relaxing until around 12PM when we had our wine tasting with lunch scheduled. We got to try four of the six wines in the Querceto di Castellina collection which we enjoyed all of them equally. Lunch was a delicious spread of homemade gnocchi with gorgonzola fondue and pistachios, then a grazing board of crostinis, meats and cheeses, and finally a dessert of melon mousse. Everything was wonderful and I am glad we did the tasting with lunch. 

We then got a tour of the wine making facilities. It was so different having one-on-one time to be able to ask some detailed questions and see how the small production vineyards operate. It helps that the family running this winery is exceptionally wonderful and welcoming. 

After the wine tasting, lunch, and the tour, we switched back into bathing suits for the rest of the day at the pool. Kevin popped the Podere Le Ripi Brunello and we sipped that for the afternoon. I could not recall the last time on vacation we stopped and did nothing like this (perhaps Hawaii at Aulani) and it really was wonderful. 

Around 6PM, we headed back to our room and got ready for the main event – the reason this entire trip came to be – Cena in Vigna by Querceto di Castellina. 

Read the full experience of Cena in Vigna by Querceto di Castellina here! 

After a wonderful evening, it was such a pleasure to simply walk across the terrace to our room and go right to bed. 

SUNDAY 

Our stay went entirely too fast! I can understand how people stay here for extended periods and we were sad we could not be one of them – maybe next time! We opted for breakfast this morning to fuel our journey back to Florence and it was quite a spread! Fruit, yogurt, pastries – everything was delicious.

Sadly, it was time to check out and make our way back to Florence. We said our goodbyes, loaded the up the Vespa, and heading back up SR 222 for a relaxing drive through the beautiful Tuscan scenery.

We filled the Vespa with gas (amazing how little money we spent on gas this trip!) and took our time trying to navigate the way through the city back to drop off the Vespa. After a few attempts, we figured out the way and returned our red Vespa.

We had several hours before our trrain to MIlan so we did an express loop around Florence to see our favorite spots.

• My Sugar Gelateria
• Duomo – Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
• I Fratellini
• Piazza della Signoria
• Uffizi Gallery
• Ponte Vecchio
• Ditta Argignale

With that, we boarded our train to Milan and started our journey home. That evening, we met with dear friends as we explored a different neighborhood of Milan, had a wonderful dinner, and finished with delicious gelato. In the morning, we made our way to the airport and flew back home.

See our complete itinerary here!

Continue reading about the second half of our trip in Sardinia here!

Read all the blog posts on Tuscany here!

Find our complete packing list here!

Explore all our Italy trips here!