Reccos for Cinqueterra or Tuscany?

We'll be in Cinqueterra for a couple of nights starting September 3 and then staying in Tuscany (Gaiole in Chianti) for about 10 days, I'd greatly appreciate any recommendations for wineries to visit (Have plans to visit Badia and perhaps San Felice), places to eat, and general recommendations for either area.
Thanks in advance.
Charles

Well, if you're already staying in Gaiole, Charles, you might sashay over to Brolio. The Castello di Brolio is a pretty damned impressive place to visit. The winery is in the valley at the foot of the hill.

About halfway down the slope from the Castello is an albergo-type place...very basic, almost rustic, but boy o boy do they serve some great, simple, robust, Tuscan food! Lots of fagioli, lots of pasti, great salads, etc.

It's simple, country-style food, but it's top quality, there's lots of it, and the price (when I was there) was great. Wine's good too.

Even without the food, though, the view from the Castello is superb.

And it's worth the short trip to Siena if you haven't been there. Wonderful town.

Thanks for the suggestions, Hoke. And I've been wanting to get back to Siena since a visit thereabout 10 years ago. Perhaps I'll spend a few days in the Enoteca there
Charles

We loved Da Delfina in Artimino in Tuscany, a country restaurant located about 12 clicks northwest of Florence with views of two wonderful palaces.

There's an excellent short NY Times review at http://travel2.nytimes.com/top/features ... 3919801421
with a note from a reader as happy as we all were with the food and service. Quite a nice wine list with reasonable prices.

Very highly recommended.

And, if you are in Sienna drive north to Florence and have lunch or dinner at Villa San Michelle located in the Fiesolle hills. A wonderful place to stay, but great to visit for a meal -- incredible views of Florence featuring the Duomo, superb food and wine, impeccable service. We've stayed there several times and enjoyed a number of meals. Worth stopping just to walk the grounds and the hotel public areas. The food and wine prices are not really outrageous given the high quality.

Their webpage is great, but I like the overview on the five star alliance. http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury_ ... an_michele

I've got lots of other suggestions, but these are our two must do sites in Tuscany.

Regards, Bob

[James Roscoe]

I am supremely jealous. I teach European history and so I would love to spend some time haunting the land of Lorenzo the Magnificient. Tuscany is very high on my 'must go to" list. History and wine and natural beauty in one area. Have a blast and take pictures!

Bob:

You reminded me of some excellent times in Firenze with your comments. We dined a couple of times at La Loggia, out on the terrace there, and it was superb. Sadly, we never stayed at the Villa San Michele though.

One of our lunches at the Loggia, I was with a group of folks from Brown-Forman. During the lunch I glanced over, did a double take, then pointed out to one of my companions that two tables over were Robert Mondavi and Dottore Frescobaldi. I walked over and introduced myself, and we had a nice chat (even took a picture with my celebrity besotted companion grinning between them). As we walked back I said, "Something's up. Something's going on here. This was not just a casual meeting of those two."

Sure enough, a few months later they made the big public announcement of the joint venture between their two respective entities.

Charles, I've already chimed in, but I can't resist one more bit of advice:

You'll be seriously overloaded with things to see and do in Firenze. It's an incredibly enchanting place.

I know you'll probably want to see the Uffizi, and the Accademia (where Michelangelo's David is, and to me the even more impressive sculptures of the giants), and you absolutely must spend time at the Duomo and the Baptistery (The Doors to Paradise).

But please, do not miss going to the Church of Santa Croce. It's probably my favorite place in Florence. The piazza in front is small and inviting, the nearby buildings have wonderful old frescoes and facades, and the church itself is awesome...not huge, mind you, but filled with tombs of some of the most amazing people---like Michelangelo, Leonardo, etc., etc. Plus, on the back of the church is a corridor to the School of Leatherworking, which is a treat in and of itself. Then, as you leave, there is a small, serene sculpture garden/enclave between the church and the convent next door that gives you a brief respite before you're catapulted back out into the noise and people and hubbub of modern Florence. Decent shopping around there too (inasmuch as there is decent shopping in Florence).

What a great experience, Hoke -- thanks for sharing. Regards, Bob

Charles, I've already chimed in, but I can't resist one more bit of advice:

Thanks, Hoke. Much appreciated.

Bob, the only other time We were in Italy, about 10 years ago, we actually stayed in Fiesole, but at Penzione Bencista, a lovely old place that fit our budget.

Charles

We'll be in Cinqueterra for a couple of nights starting September 3 and then staying in Tuscany (Gaiole in Chianti) for about 10 days, I'd greatly appreciate any recommendations for wineries to visit (Have plans to visit Badia and perhaps San Felice), places to eat, and general recommendations for either area.
Thanks in advance.
Charles

Cinqueterre: Nothing to talk about wine-wise (local wines are more special because of the terrain, than they are quality wise). The place is fine though and good for a decent, albeit IMO overcrowded walk. The harbourside restaurant in Riomaggiore is difficult to get a table at, but others on the rhs on the way up are decent enough. The wine shop up the hill on the left does Produttori del Barbaresco wines, so if you've got an apartment, grab the local flatbreads, some good stuff from the deli's and have a picnic en-route or at the apartment to enjoy the views. Monterosso has the best wine shops with some serious wines.

Oh, and have some of the fruit called Nespalone (yellow/orange coloured). It is absolutely divine and as a breakfast with some yoghurt it's a super start to the day.

No recco's from Tuscany as yet to go and folk like Robin I'm sure have plenty of experience.

regards

Ian

"Fiesole"

The Etruscan museum has greatly improved since ten years ago, Charles. The town itself is still quite charming with that fantastic statue in the town square.

I like Ian's suggestion of buying bread, cheese and wine and having a picnic walking in the Cinqueterre area. I added a couple of wines from the area to my life list, but found nothing remarkable.

An hour west toward Genoa I can recommend Grand Hotel dei Castelli for lunch or dinner. The grounds are lovely and Sestri Levante is a charming town.

Oh, an off beat book makes a great companion in Tuscany: Matthew Spender, Within Tuscany, an interesting survey of various parts of Tuscany by an English artistic hippie exploring various aspects of Tuscany: Michelangelo quarry, Michelangelo’s sculpting techniques, a village band, romance, and much more. The reviews at
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014017 ... e&n=283155
will give you an idea of how good the book is. Spender focuses on details -- it's not a guide book, but more a guide to the sense of Tuscany. I really enjoyed dipping into it for a few minutes at a time.

Regards, Bob