Things to Do in Chianti

Right in the heart of Chianti wine country, Gaiole in Chianti is a sleepy village these days but as it was an important town in the Middle Ages, it is surrounded by great defence castles including Vertine, Barbischio and Meleto. The most impressive of them all is Castello di Brolio, which commands the surrounding countryside from its perch nearly 1,804 ft (550 m) above swathes of olive groves and vineyards. Unbelievably it has been owned by the Ricasoli family since the 12th century and has long been associated with wine making.

The castle gained its present appearance in the mid 19th century, when it was remodeled into Gothic style with turrets and towers of pink stone by Barone Bettino Ricasoli, the man responsible for introducing Chianti wine to the world. One of the foremost attractions on Chianti wine estates itineraries, today the castle, its private chapel and the family treasures in the Ricasoli Museum can be explored by guided tour.

Located at the heart of Tuscan wine country, Gaiole in Chianti is a tranquil Tuscan village these days but in medieval times it had great strategic importance, a fact borne out by the string of defence castles nearby, including Brolio, Vertine and Barbischio. The turreted, stone-built Castle of Meleto was first mentioned in 1256, when it was the property of the powerful Florentine Ricasoli family, and it has long been associated with wine making. One of the leading attractions on tours of the Chianti wineries, the interior of the Castle of Meleto can be toured three times a day, with attractions including fabulously frescoed rooms, an 18th-century theater and the old wine cellars. Its vineyards are open for tours and the vinoteca for tasting sessions of award-wining red Chianti Classico as well as a sparkling rosé. Other gourmet specialties produced on the estate are also for sale, include grappas, olive oils and prosciutto from the castle’s rare Cinta Senese pigs.