Visiting Tuscany

In September 2009 we were lucky enough to spend 10 days in Tuscany and what we didn't realise at the time was that our visit coincided with the annual Chianti Wine Festival. If you're planning a visit to Italy then it's certainly worth timing your visit; the festival was an amazing experience that still makes me smile whenever I think back to it.

We started off with a couple of days in Pisa before heading south to Greve-in-Chianti where we stayed for the rest of the holiday. As is usual for us we didn't take or hire a car and got about using public transport, which in itself was an adventure - but you get so much more of a feel for a place doing it that way.

We were staying on a vinyard and spent our time visiting other vinyards, exploring the nearby city of Florence and walking in the Tuscan hills. Here's my short guided tour to this remarkable area of Italy,

Pisa is all about the leaning tower, and it is very impressive to look at, but if all you do is look at it then you're really missing out. Timed tickets are available to climb to the top of the tower and this is certainly worth doing. It's a little disconcerting at first to find you're climbing up stairs but feeling like you're heading downwards, rather like finding your sea-legs when on board a boat.

From the top of the tower there are stunning views across to the mountains in the east and down over the Piazza Del Duomo below you. A guide will be on hand the whole time to explain key features of the tower and answer any questions you may have.

Pisa is a small town so you won't need much more than a couple of days if you just want to visit the key historical sites. Sadly we only had one day so we didn't have chance to spend time inside the cathederal, perhaps next time.

When we left Pisa we took the train to Florence and then caught a bus to Greve in Chianti. It's quite daunting using public transport abroad, but a phrasebook and a sense of adventure will probably get you through!

These days you can research all the bus and train timetables for most European nations online. Before we left England we knew what time our connections were and could even download a map from the hotel to the station. What we couldn't have forseen was a 1 day strike by some of the train drivers, though fortunately it didn't affect our journey too badly.

On arriving in Florence we immediately took a wrong turn and got a little lost looking for the bus station. I spied a bus from the appropriate carrier stopped at some traffic lights so asked in my best (dreadful) Italian where the bus station was. The bus driver took pity on us, waved us onboard and took us there, when we asked what we owed the reply was "niente", "nothing", a very nice surprise for 2 confused Brits!

We made it to Greve in Chianti in the middle of a parade, it would seem that most Sunday's throughout the summer there is some celebratory festival or another, however we managed to locate the transport to our apartment despite the chaos and were glad to ditch our bags at long last.

For a wine to qualify as being called Chianti Classico it must contain a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grapes, a maximum of 10% Canaiolo grapes and a maximum of 20% of other red grapes. Prior to the 2006 harvest white grapes could be included but this is no longer the case.

Chianti Classico must have a minimum alcohol content of 12% and have been aged in oak casks for at least 7 months. To attain "riserva" status the alcohol content must be at least 12.5% and the wine must have been aged for 27 months.

Each Chianti wine will have the symbol of the black rooster (or "Gallo Nero") on the neck lable along with a serial number allowing you to trace your wine back to the source vinyard. Interestingly whilst Gallo Nero is Italian for "black rooster" and has been used by the consortia of local farmers for over 500 years, they were sued by the E&J Gallo Winery in the US and can now now longer display the rooster or the word "gallo" on the main wine label or in any of their publicity. It's fair to say Ernest & Julio Gallo wines are not popular in Tuscany...

The Chianti Classico Wine Festival in Greve in Chianti takes place each year in early September (6th - 9th September in 2012). The historic village square in Greve in Chianti is filled with wine stalls from many of the local vinyards along with some food producers - mainly olive oils. Once you purchase your wine glass (usually engraved with the year) you are free to sample the wines from each of the producers who will clip your ticket for each sample taken. There is a wonderful atmosphere as people from all over the world mill around enjoying the sunshine and the local produce.

If you can manage a smattering of Italian you will be well received. Many of the stall holders welcomed my faltering attempts at their language and rewarded me with free additional samples and a few helpful Italian lessons!

The stalls generally close around 8pm. During the Friday and Saturday evenings of the festival the stage is taken by local musicians and there is much dancing and singing to classic Italian tunes. The atmosphere is truly wonderful with no drunken bad behaviour and people of all ages joining in and having fun. I have glorious memories of dancing and singing along to the classic "Volare" along with several hundred locals.

The wonderful historic city of Florence is an easy 60 minute bus ride north of Greve in Chianti. Brace yourself for a long day and a good long walk if you're planning to tackle it in one day as we did.

By exploring a city by foot you can discover far more of the hidden away spots and make some effort to escape the typical tourist routes. That said the key tourist attractions in Florence are well worth seeing and if, like us, you're doing it all on a budget, then there are plenty of amazing free views in every direction.

The Piazzale Michelangelo is a bit of a hike along the river and up a hill but will reward you with iconic views over the city. Giotto's Bell Tower is breathtaking to look at and a good work-out to climb, more stunning views over the city await you at the top. These are the big landmarks, but the small alleyways and hidden away piazzas are worth tracking down, here you can enjoy a cool drink and a bite to eat for a lot less than in the main squares.

I found the area around the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) particularly fascinating, tiny winding streets in every direction and a real sense of history all around. The area is usually very crowded and the tiny streets weren't built for the 1000's of tourists who flock along them every day, so take a deep breath and be patient, there's plenty for everyone to see.