Badia a Coltibuono

Badia a Coltibuono may be considered one of the most beautiful countryside hotels in Chianti.

Unlike our other stops, this place is not a village nor a town, but a 1,000-year-old monastery complex that belonged to the Vallombrosian Benedictines from 1051 - 1810. Today the Romanesque church of San Lorenzo is all that remains of the abbey.

A visit to the Chianti is not complete without visiting this beautiful estate now owned by the family of Guido Giuntini, a Florentine banker, and is the great grandfather of Piero Stucchi-Prinetti, the present owner.

The estate lies in one of the best sites in Chianti. It has vineyards, chestnut, walnut, and olive tree plantations. It is a fully functional agritourism site and hosts cooking classes, a farmhouse hotel, and one of the renowned restaurants in Tuscany amidst age-old fir and cedar trees, one of which stands 20 meters tall with a circumference of 7 meters and is listed by the Italian Forestry Commission as one of Italy's monumental trees.

This countryside hotel, also has a medieval garden with geometrical box hedge divisions around beds of aromatic and medicinal plants, and needless to say, a spellbounding panoramic view of the Chianti hills.

Of course, this winery produces one of the best wines in the region. Our recommendations - Badia a Coltibuono 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva - Sangiovese Red Wine, Vin Santo 1999, Classico 2000 and Chianti Classico 1999.

Guided tours of the site are available on the hour, every hour for a modest fee. For more information, visit their website.

You might want to stay awhile for a quiet vacation here, or enroll in one of their future cooking classes.

From Badia a Coltibuono our next destination in this Chianti driving tour is Gaiole.