by stefan adelaar, euro-connection

Life is good and even better if you share it with your loved ones. That was my experience during a family reunion visit to Tuscany this summer.

We celebrated my brother's 30th wedding anniversary with the entire family by staying in a Tuscan Villa for an entire week. The villa was in a small town called San Miniato,  a well preserved Medieval town in between Florence and Pisa. Of course we visited the charming towns of Lucca , Volterra and our favorite San Gimignano.

One of the highlights of our stay was a wine tasting we did at the Fattoria di Bagnolo. The Fattoria di Bagnolo is a small wine and olive oil producing farm in Impruneta, the Northern part of the Chianti region and just outside of Florence.  From its marvelous location, on the top of a hill,  we had a splendid view over the hills of the Chianti. The Fattoria di Bagnolo is owned by the Bartolini Baldelli family . It's been in their family for many centuries.

Marco Bartolini Baldelli gave us the best tour you can imagine. He was a splendid, patient and courteous host.

We were shown the old cellar and the way they used to make wine. After that we explored the more modern part of the wine operation. We walked the beautiful grounds and ended up in the cozy wine tasting room. This is where the magic began.

Marco dazzled us with his amazing knowledge. We enjoyed his splendid wines and tasty snacks. From a regular table wine, to some fine Sangiovese Chianti wines and their Capro Rosso which has been aged for 12 years.  All this was accomplished by different regional dishes. Marco is an incredible host. He went to great lengths in explaining all the different wines and procedures. We met his lovely family and really enjoyed our time there. Drinking fine wine, eating great local food and having a gracious host. Bellissimo! Thank you Marco and your family for hosting us and making us feel welcome. You truly understand the art of hospitality.

Tip: You do need a car to get around   A good GPS system is definitely a plus. 

This is an excellent destination if you are traveling with a small group.

We would love to help you make your reservations for the wine tasting in addition to your Tuscan hotel reservations.

Call us at 1-800-645-3876