Today we are driving from Levanto to Vignamaggio. Vignamaggio is a 700 year old villa, working winery, olive oil producer and agroturismo located just south of Greve in Chianti.
See map: The Tuscany Region
See map: Vignamaggio
We choose a route that follows smaller roads, avoiding the Autostrada and keeping away from Florence traffic. This option was only 15 minutes longer drive time and made for a pleasant more scenic drive.
Chianti will be the last leg our trip. A perfect relaxing way to end a fantastic journey.
The drive resembles a Tuscan landscape painting. Rolling hills covered in vineyards and lined with cypress trees. We see olive trees at every turn. Every so often we pass through a tiny village lined with ancient buildings. Everything is green and smells of wildflowers. Breathtaking!
It takes us two hours of winding switchback roads through the hills of Tuscana. As we approach our destination Vignamaggio begins to break through the cypress trees. A pink stone villa peeks through beckoning us to come closer.
The estate is vast with two pools, one an infinity pool, a winery with tasting room, a restaurant, breakfast house with veranda and a fully equipped wellness center. Did I just die and go to Heaven? I could easily spend a few weeks here.
The classic Italian garden is beautiful and a favorite wedding venue.
The estate also boasts a large vegetable garden which supplies the restaurant with fresh local ingredients.
After checking into our room we head out to explore the grounds and get some lunch. Lunch while looking out over the rolling of hills of Tuscany with wine and fresh produce sounds good to me!
Vignamaggio also has a large orchard of olive trees which, of course, they make their own olive oil. The olive oil is bright green with a slight bitter taste and delicious.
A side salad with a dressing of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.
After our two hour lunch we walk down to see the infinity pool. The pool is surrounded by trees and flowering bushes with a little grass for good measure.
We agree to stay and enjoy the next day right here. We schedule a winery tour with tasting for the morning and a pool plunge for the afternoon. I can hardly wait!