Road Trip through Tuscany
In San Gimignano parking the car is an impossible task. You generally have to leave it far from the historic center, in one of the nearby parking lots. One option is to park in the neighbor St. Lucia . If you are lucky enough to do so, you will walk about 20 minutes next to a road. But not just any road. You will be lucky to be able to contemplate one of the best views of Tuscany.
The vineyards in the foreground, the town in the background, flanked by its imposing towers. Some towers that have earned it the title of "Medieval Manhattan". A skyline that reveals its impressive beauty. Precisely those vineyards in the foreground they are one of the attractions of Tuscany.
San Gimignano
Because we all think of cypresses when this land comes to mind. But some of the best wines in the world are grown here . There are three axes that put a face on Tuscan wine: Chianti , Brunello from ** Montalcino ** and Vino Nobile from Montepulciano .
The vineyards from the road to San Gimignano
THE ROAD TO CHIANTI
The Chiantigian Way It is one of those panoramic roads where vineyards and fields of all colors come together. Sinuous and lively driving, **connects Florence and Siena** showing the essence of Tuscany at a glance.
But for all its beauty, driving the roads of the Chianti area can be a real headache. Its narrowness and the number of curves per kilometer, the result of a terrain forged into the hill, mean that pull a good map , beyond browsers, worth it.
A good option is map of the wine area Le Strade del Gallo Nero , which includes main and secondary roads, but also extensive information on the wine estates in the area.
The Chianti area gives its name to the homonymous wine. In it you can discover jewels such as Montefioralle , which with its cobbled streets is one of the oldest corners of Tuscany.
Chianti wines are made from between a 75% and 100% Sangoviese grapes , one of the great families of Italian grapes. The production standards differ according to the different types of wine, ranging from the most common, the Dry Chianti , to the most exclusive Superior Chianti.
Montefioralle
THE BRUNELLO OF MONTALCINO
In Tuscany, the wines also have other labels. It is the case of Brunello of Montalcino , to the south. As usual in Tuscany, Montalcino grew up on a hill . Its medieval appearance and layout has Fortezza or Rocca , which presides over the city from above, its greatest exponent.
In the fields that rest at the foot of Montalcino, the grapes that give rise to the Brunello . A 100% Sangoviese grape wine It comes from vintages that spend at least five years in oak barrels. If they remain less than this period they are known as Rosso di Montalcino.
Leaving Montalcino behind, on the way to Val d'Orcia, the countryside is vineyards and cereals with cypresses dotting the winding roads. Tuscany shows in this area all its Mediterranean air. The postcard that we have imagined so many times becomes very real here.
Brunello of Montalcino
THE NOBILE WINE OF MONTEPULCIANO
To get to Montepulciano From ** Montalcino ** you have to stop at ** Pienza **, a small town that - not to vary - stretches out on a hill. Pienza has been a World Heritage Site since 1996 for its Piazza Pio II and the buildings that surround it, all jewels of the Renaissance. So much beauty makes Pienza a wonderful place, although everything is said in passing, extremely touristy.
Once the 'check' is done, it is best to take the car and head west, on the way to Montepulciano. But first, an unavoidable stop: Monticchiello. More off the beaten path, strolling through it is to fully immerse yourself in the Tuscan spirit, with streets full of nooks and crannies and balconies and windows adorned with geraniums and a multitude of flowers.
Monticchiello
This entire area is conducive to sangovise, but in this case the variety that reigns in these parts gives rise to Montepulciano Noble Wine , the urban center around which this part of Tuscany revolves. Here the wine must have a minimum of 70% Sangoviese or Prugnolo for the locals. It mixes with cannail and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. It spends a minimum of two years in the barrel.
All these wine territories are supervised by the castle that heads Montepulciano . Climbing the tower offers a spectacular view. At a glance and in 360 degrees, Tuscany shows itself from here imposing on a sunny day.
Once down, on the main street you can find numerous wine bars where get a copy of the Vino Nobile . With the car already parked, it only remains to toast.
Montepulciano
Rent a car and... be free