Last night, we booked a spur of the moment tour of Castello di Brolio and the Barone Ricasoli winery. The grounds were spectacularly beautiful, and the vistas from the terraces were even better. We learned a lot about regional history, and tasted some lovely wines. Bambino loved the castle, and thankfully napped through the tasting. A mag and a couple other bottles are coming home with us.

After the tour, we headed to Radda for lunch and exploring. We found a fantastic bottega. To make things even better, their special was tagliatelle con cinghiale– il Marito’s all-time favorite. It was the best I’ve ever tasted. Bambino was loved, kissed, and entertained by the entire bottega staff. He also finagled a complimentary piece of strawberry cake.

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After a family siesta, we took a nice walk in the garden, and made dinner. I’m not ready to leave. Life is pretty good here.

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Disclosure– I’m Team Piemonte. The Piedmont was the first place in Italy that truly caught my imagination. I’ve met its winemakers, ate its tartufi in season, and have seriously contemplated how I could retire there. It is the epitome of all that is good about Italy, in my not-so-humble opinion.

In my mind, Tuscany was filled with annoying tourists who saw one to many rom coms. It was cliché. A little Disney. I liked Lucca a lot, but stuck my nose up at the rest of Toscana. Silly me.

Volpaia has won me over. It’s not my beloved Piemonte, but it’s gorgeous. The people are lovely. Paola Barucci, the proprietor of our local wine bar, spent part of the evening reading books to Bambino in Italian. She also serves fantastic local wines and good food. Maybe the rest of Tuscany is hackneyed, but Chianti is the real deal. Visit here. Rent an apartment with a garden. You won’t regret it.