The beautiful hill country between Firenze and Siena forms the area known as Chianti. The Monti del Chianti, which rise into the Appennini, form Chianti's eastern boundary and comprise some of Toscana's loveliest countryside. Chianti is divided between the provinces of Firenze and Siena, into the areas known as Chianti Fiorentina and Chianti Senese. The area is famous for its internationally known wines, particularly the Chianti Classico, a blend of white and red grapes, recognizable by the Gallo Nero (Black Cockerel) symbol.

The Chianti landscape is stunning: a patchwork of forests, olive groves and vineyards, dotted with an extraordinary number of castles built by ancient Florentine and Sienese war lords, the Romanesque churches known as pieve and restored villas. The area has attracted many foreigners who now call the Chianti home. Italy-Lonely Planet

For our visit to Tuscany, we decided to try to find a place to stay that would be convenient to both Florence and Siena. We were extremely lucky to find the Podere Le Vigne, a small bed and breakfast inn located 1 kilometer outside of the small town of Radda in Chianti. Although the hotel is quite modern, it retains the qualities of an old villa with brick ceilings, tile floors and lots of old wooden furniture. Fortunately for us, the most popular restaurant in Radda was located downstairs, the Risorante Le Vigne. The food there was very good but since it was also quite expensive, we only had dinner there twice. A word of warning: as the restaurant is quite popular, making a reservation to eat there is necessary (Tel.0577.738640).

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