Poggio alle Lame

As a lover of wine, unspoiled beauty and sunshine, I have to say that Italy is my favourite holiday destination. But after too many city breaks in the lovely but sometimes overwhelming Milan, Rome and Venice, I decided to opt for somewhere a little less touristy and a little more peaceful. Tuscany is a magical world full of lush landscapes, medieval villages, authentic Italian cuisine and incredibly friendly people. Chianti is an oval-shaped area of this beautiful region, made famous by the red wine of the same name.

Driving from the airport we caught a few glimpses of the innumerable ancient villages, castles, churches, vineyards and olive groves, until we reached a traditional stone farmhouse which would be our home for the next few days, in the heart of Chianti. I immediately fell in love with the turquoise infinity pool which I’d test out later, the terracotta flowers pots dotted around the terrace and Beatrice, the friendly owner, who was waiting to greet us. She showed us to our gorgeous room which was in a converted barn, boasting a perfect combination of traditional Tuscan décor alongside all the modern facilities of a 5* hotel. Our room looked out onto the gardens, vouching for a pleasant holiday immersed in nature. Our private and furnished patio had a complimentary bottle of wine on the table, one of the many small touches which made us feel welcome. After an afternoon of travelling, I finally felt relaxed when I lay on a sun lounger by the pool, with my book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, soaking up the peaceful ambience where the only sounds were made by birds singing.

After watching the sun set from the terrace a few hours later, we headed to the restaurant where I indulged in some bellissimo antipasti with extra virgin olive oil produced in the estate’s 32 acres, followed by a big plate of fresh pasta, perfectly complimented with a glass of wine and naturally finished off with a few scoops of mouth-watering Italian gelato. Feeling more than satisfied, we wandered back to our room for a peaceful night sleep, dreaming about the possibility of retiring to delightful Tuscany after too many years of working too hard in an office.

After a leisurely breakfast on the terrace, we got lots of advice from Beatrice about what to do in the coming week. Feeling inspired, we headed off into the hills for a day of wine-tasting at a local vineyard. We learnt about the local wine production whilst being surrounded by the amazing flavours and aromas of the cellar, a truly unforgettable experience which has made me appreciate the time and dedication that goes into the art of wine-making.

The rest of our trip included romantic picnics in the countryside, visits to quaint rural villages, hikes in the rolling Tuscan hills and daytrips to Florence and Siena. We returned each evening to our Tuscan farm accommodation where we basked in the sunshine by the pool and feasted on Italian cuisine in the restaurant… a lifestyle I could definitely get used to. For a real taste of authentic Tuscany, Chianti simply couldn’t be more ideal, so if you think the idea of drinking wine whilst being surrounded by complete tranquillity in the countryside sounds like your kind of break, we highly recommend that you hop on a plane as soon as possible and head to Poggio alle Lame to enjoy ‘La Dolce Vita’.