Radda in Chianti, Tuscany

Tuscany is my favourite part of Italy so far, especially the UNESCO listed site of Val d'Orcia described in my previous post. But the more famous region of Chianti certainly lives up to its reputation too, and a trip to Tuscany should not be a quick drive through this beautiful countryside.

There are a couple of villages/towns worth stopping in in Chianti, with Greve in Chianti probably the most famous as its considered the "gateway" to the Chianti region from Florence. Others include Gaiole in Chianti and Radda in Chianti etc, and the latter was where I decided to spend more time in.

Tourist Information Centre in Radda in Chianti

Views from Radda in Chianti

All these villages are small, and so is Radda in Chianti. You can probably finish walking the streets of Radda in like 15 minutes! So "stopping" in the villages of Chianti for a night or two usually means staying in one of the many bed & breakfasts, farmhouses, vineyards etc scattered around these villages. Of course, from Radda in Chianti itself, being perched on a hill, you can get fantastic views of the countryside, and the ambience of the whole place is really laidback. I stayed in Fattoria Poggerino, a family-run vineyard cum B&B some 2km from Radda. Set in their traditional stone house handed down from their ancestors, the setting is fabulous. Even right from the house, I could get beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And all the while sipping their Chianti Classico. What an enjoyment!

My B&B house!

You can rent a scooter to tour the countryside

I'm sure the various accommodations around Chianti all offer equally enchanting experiences. The point is that one can, and should be enjoying the sights of Chianti/Tuscany by basing oneself in one of these homey establishments and then taking excursions out. Of course, all these is best done with a car, though those intending to do wine tasting tours have to manage it properly, For solo travelers, another option is renting a scooter like the Vespa. So you could take a bus from Florence to Radda in Chianti (or one of the other villages) and then rent a scooter to tour around. Do note that bus schedules are quite limited though.

For wine enthusiasts, landscape photographers, B&B/farmstay lovers, and generally anyone who just loves the countryside, check out Chianti and Tuscany!

Chianti wine country

View of Radda in Chianti from Fattoria Poggerino

Under the Tuscan Moon - Dawn view from Fattoria Poggerino

Val d'Orcia & Pienza

The landscape in Tuscany is well-known, and many breathtaking images had been made there. Aside from the famous Chianti region, famed for its wine, there are other areas with equally enchanting landscapes. In particular, I am somewhat enamored with Val d'Orcia.

Val d'Orcia is added into UNESCO's World Hertiage Site list only in 2004. According to wikipedia, one of the criterions is :
"The Val d’Orcia is an exceptional reflection of the way the landscape was re-written in Renaissance times to reflect the ideals of good governance and to create aesthetically pleasing pictures."


I am absolutely won over by the "aethestically pleasing pictures" part. Indeed, with the rolling hills, the varied shaded fields, and well placed trees, the light play during the early morning and late evening hours is truly mesmerizing. The light and shadows on display create endless possibilities for a stunning image. A landscape photographers' dream scene.

Tuscany is a region that is best experienced with a vehicle. Public transport is limited to buses with limited schedules and only certain towns are linked by trains. However, it is still possible to appreciate Val d'Orcia on public transport and come away with its beautiful landscape pictures. One of the possible village/town to stay is Pienza, which has bus connections with Siena. The town itself was declared a UNESCO site even earlier, and perched on a hill overlooking the valley, it is an excellent site for photographing the landscape right within the town itself!

Pienza, a beautiful old town with beautiful views

Pienza is also situated between Montalcino and Montelpuchiano, both famous wine town/regions. Hence Pienza benefits from their success as well. Good selection of the Brunello Montalcino and the Nobile Montelpuchiano (both very highly regarded wines) are available everywhere, and it is a good life staying here with different wines for each of your meals. Pienza itself is also famous for its pecorino, a kind of Italian sheep cheese. Thus a stay in Pienza entails enjoying Italian food with great wine, sampling pecorino with great wine, and photographing stunning landscapes with great wine. What is there not to like about Pienza? :)

Check out Pienza and Val d'Orcia when you next visit Tuscany!

Sighnaghi, Georgia

The Kakheti region in eastern Georgia is well-known as a wine producing region, and in fact, some say that it is the cradle of the world's wine production! And one of the more popular destinations within the Kakheti region is the hilltop town of Sighnaghi.

In fact, after some heavy reconstruction efforts from the government, it has become a very popular and important attraction for both locals and foreign tourists alike. And it is hard not to like the small town. Beautiful houses with ornate balconies built between neat pictureque cobbled streets, and surrounded by breathtaking Caucasus mountain ranges, it was holiday-picture-perfect. Add to it the wonderful Georgian cuisine, complete with its famous wines, all at affordable prices, really, it was one of the best places to relax and unwind.

Churches, monastery and monuments form most of its attractions, all within easy reach from town. The most famous is its 18th century town wall that stretches 4.5km, one of the longest in the world. Sighnaghi was a fortified town during its time, and the wall contains 35 towers each named after a nearby village, and each offering refuge for the villagers during times of war. The churches and monastery, like most in Georgia, all all worth a visit, though at that time (Kakheti was the last region I visit in Georgia), I may already had an overdose... :p

While the town have fancy hotels and restaurants, and even pretty boutique hotels, I stayed in a beautiful family-run guesthouse (Nato & Lado) that suited my budget. Aside from their amazing hospitality, their homecooked dinner with free-flow homemade wine were phenomenal! Truly one of my best stays in Georgia!

Sighnaghi is easily accessible from Tbilisi by mashrutkhas like everywhere else in Georgia. Just about 2 hours of journey, and you'll be transported to a wonderfully refreshing destination....

Mendoza

Mendoza, a world-renowned wine region, and a city in western Argentina, makes for an excellent stop in your travels through Argentina, particularly if you are a wine/Malbec fan!

One of the unique ways to visit the wineries here, is to go for a wine bike tour. And one of the more backpacker-budget-friendly options is through one of the bike rental agencies in Maipú. Basically, you can take a public bus from Mendoza city to Maipú, and from there, take your pick of the agencies. Hostels and travel agencies in Mendoza itself have lots of brochures on these bike rental companies, so getting there shouldn't be a problem. However, competitation must have been pretty tough. When we showed the bus driver our intended bike rental joint, he stopped us at a competitor's place. Luckily, its a short walk to the other agency. And for 25-30 pesos, you get your bike for the day, a bottle of water, and a map of the attractions/winery nearby. At the end of your excursion, after you return the bikes, you get to enjoy a free glass of wine, and relax and chat with other travelers!

I've taken those day-trip wine tours before, and like most "packaged tours", you usually have little time and little choice of wineries/destinations. I've also taken self-drive wine tours with friends, but usually the driver (which could be you) don't really get to do the wine-tasting. So I find these bike wine tours great, as you have the flexibility to choose where/what to see (there are other stuff besides wineries, like beer garden, olive oil plant etc), although you do need some leg power. The other downside is, well, parts of the road are pretty narrow, and it can get pretty harrowing with trucks and motorcycles whooshing by you...

Mendoza itself is great too, and like many cities in Argentina, offers wonderful dine and wine experience. Even some hostels provide a free glass of wine for your stay, and there are often barbeque nights organized. Oh, there is a wonderful weekend flea market as well!

Yes, I'd love to visit Mendoza again!

Tokaj

Tokaj is a small town in northeastern Hungary. Part of the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its fame? The Tokaji Aszú wine.


The Tokaji wines are sweet wines, with a measurement of sweetness (sugar content) that ranges from 3 puttonyos to 6 puttonyos. Those above 5 puttonyos will be classified as Aszú-Eszencia, which is also known as nectar! A visit to the wine cellars for wine tasting is thus not to be missed if you have a chance to travel to this region!! And the wine tasting is done in the cellars!



The vast underground wine cellars are also quite an eye-opener. Rows and rows of barrels and bottles line the passageways. The cellars are covered with a special mold, which feeds off the alcohol evaporated during aging process. The underground system also keeps the place at a constant cool temperature, and all these constitute the special conditions that is ideal for making tokaji wine.



The vineyards are situated in beautiful country, and is extremely pictureque during sunset. So, check out this part of Hungary!