Tuscany is a delight for all senses. I spent seven days in Tuscany in September 2023 taking in all it has to offer. The landscape is a patchwork of rolling vineyards, olive groves, and cypress-lined avenues. The iconic architecture showcases medieval towns like Siena and San Gimignano. My favourite thing to do while in Tuscany was to walk the narrow streets, photographing the stone buildings and imposing towers.
Food
Tuscany is also know for it’s exquisite food and wine. I must say, I fell in love with the food while in Tuscany. At home I never really cared for pasta or pizza but to have pasta freshly made and not come out of a box was a delight to the palate. In North America we are so used to the convenience of processed, pre-packaged foods it’s easy to forget how food should taste. Italian cuisine is simple but rich in flavours. The key, I was told, is using high-quality ingredients. Olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs are essential flavours. I encourage you to switch to a higher grade olive oil and fresh pasta for all your Italian cooking. With the price of the grocery store brands these day, the difference in cost isn’t that much but the food is so much more flavourful and healthier.
Wine
Of course, you can’t go to Tuscany without taking in a few wine tours. Full disclosure here, I don’t like wine. I know! What’s wrong with me? After three days in Italy I came to the conclusion wine just isn’t my thing. I’m definitely a cocktail girl. Anyway, the people I was with on these tours loved the wine and even bought it by the case. All of the wineries will ship your purchases back home free of charge. The wine is guaranteed to arrive on your doorstep within three weeks of purchase. I can only imagine the excitement when that package is delivered. Why did I go on the wine tours if I don’t like wine you might ask? Well, I love visiting family business, hearing the history, and seeing the production process in action.
Podere il Casale
One family business I visited was in the town of Pienza. Podere iI Casale (https://podereilcasale.com/it/) is an organic cheese and wine farm overlooking the Sienese countryside. The 300+ year old buildings host weddings, cooking classes, wine and cheese production, and provide facilities for tourists who choose to spend the night in the small campsite on the premises. The views from the hilltop are breathtaking, the hosts are very welcoming, and the food is excellent. Here I got to sample lots of delicious cheese.
Shopping
Shopping in Italy is also a delight. What I like most is the absence of the franchise stores that all sell the same products. Because I visited mostly small towns, the shops were bespoke, owner operated stores where you could get a unique gift for family, friends, or, if you are like me, something for yourself. Of course there are lots of souvenir shops that sell the usual trinkets too.
So, things to take with you to Tuscany; comfortable walking shoes, a sun hat, and a credit card. Of course when packing, leave room in your suitcase because you will go shopping, hence the need for your credit card.
Towns I visited while in Tuscany
Lucignano
Lucignano is a medieval hilltop town in the heart of Tuscany. Here we stayed in a rented villa for the duration of our visit to Tuscany. The villa overlooked the picturesque Tuscany landscape and offered a rooftop pool and a basement spa complete with Turkish bath and steam sauna. Unfortunately my itinerary was so full I didn’t get to take advantage of the amenities the villa had to offer. It was nice, however, having a central hub where I was able to relax after a long day. Unpacking on day one and not having to repack until day seven was a nice change from the usual tours I take.
Siena
Siena is a captivating city known for it’s well-preserved medieval charm. The historic centre of Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The iconic Piazza del Campo, with it’s unique shell-like shape, serves as the focal point of the city. Here you can escape from the afternoon sun and enjoy a cold beverage under one of the huge canopies while people watching. Siena is home to the Basilica di San Domenica, famous for it’s black and white marble.
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is a hilltop town known for it’s stunning landscapes, excellent wine, and features renaissance and medieval architecture, winding streets, and charming piazzas. The towns elevated location provides breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards and rolling hills.
San Gimignano
San Gimignano is a 13th century walled city known as the “Town of Fine Towers”. It’s famous skyline is adorned with 14 well-preserved medieval towers, which were once status symbols of the town’s noble families. It is popular for it’s hand crafted leather goods, saffron, and distinctive white wine called Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
Cortona
Straight out of “Under the Tuscan Sun”, literally. This city embodies Tuscany. From it’s winding, narrow streets, to the wine and cheese shops, and, of course, the medieval architecture, Cortona is popular with tourist. While in Cortona I could not resist sitting under the Tuscan sun while I enjoyed some local bread and cheese.
Pienza
A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for it’s pecorino cheese and olive-oil, Pienza also offers visitors many bespoke stores full of unique gifts such as hand-crafted perfumes and natural soaps. Pienza is another example of preserved Renaissance architecture.
Tour Hosts
My tour was organized by https://www.tuscanyfoodandwinetours.ca/. The hosts, Darren and Darlene, put lots of thought into planning the tour in order to maximize the experience for their guests. Their love of Italy was evident in their excitement to show us their favourite places. The price of this tour included return airfare to Rome from Toronto, accommodation for the duration of the trip, daily excursions, breakfast each morning, wine tours, dinner most nights, lots of wine with dinner, and the knowledge and expertise of our hosts who greeted us at the airport in Rome and accompanied us on all of our daily excursions. These are small group tours which means they sell out fast and normally have a wait list. https://www.tuscanyfoodandwinetours.ca/ also organize tours to the Amalfi coast which, I am told, are just as well organized and interesting.