A wagon full of traditional Tuscan demigiana( courtesy Keith Levit)
locals by shopping for lunch at the Co-op in Siena. No, do not just live on the skinny: treat yourself to a memorable meal. Si, ensure you visit great wineries, or taste some iconic Tuscan wines. No, do not avoid regional, everyday wines offered at local places.
One could spend weeks in Tuscany and barely scratch the surface. But a few moments of being there is enough to fall in love.
Sampling Tuscan wine is experiencing an art form of the highest order. Wine is produced in every small corner, from the coast to the Apennine slopes. From this canvas, grape growers and winemakers offer an array of impressive wine styles. At its heart are the ancient hills between Florence and Siena, a rolling landscape of vineyards, villas, cypress trees, and olives.
In the wine bars of Castellina in Chianti, one of the anchors of Chianti Classico, many owners know their winemakers as well as their wines. A modern wine tasting here can be enjoyed at a stand-up bar on a small street, protected by the town’ s medieval fortified walls. Stop to shop, taste wine, and shop some more at wine bar and boutique Enoteca Le Volte di Olmastroni Alessandro( at 12, Via Ferruccio).
A scenic drive south of Castellina is Montalcino. The town sits atop a hill, its stone walls majestically dominating the landscape that
Continued on page 36