Archive for 'Food and Wine'

The medieval beauty of a town that is San Gimignano already has endless charms and good looks to impress any visitors who find a villa in San Gimignano and come explore the place but did you know that it also boasts the best gelato in the world?

Gelateria Dondoli, located right in the middle of the historic core of San Gimingnano, has won multiple gelato World Championships throughout the years and has become very famous as one of Tuscany’s prime destinations for foodies and ice-cream fans, in particular. When you approach, you’ll likely be greeted with a long queue as this is very much not a hidden gem but the shop is usually very well-staffed and lines tend to move pretty quickly so don’t worry. And it will, of course, be worth the wait!

There are various accounts regarding the origins of the Negroni cocktail. One of the most popular suggests that it was invented in Florence in 1919 at Caffè Casoni, now known as Caffè Giacosa. Allegedly, Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender, Forsco Scarselli, to give his favorite cocktail a stronger kick. The bartender creatively replaced the usual soda water in Negroni's regular Americano with gin. To distinguish the modified version, an orange garnish was added instead of the customary lemon garnish. The drink became quickly popular and the Negroni Family established Negroni Distillery in Treviso, producing a pre-made version of the cocktail sold as Antico Negroni 1919.

Nothing compares to the authentic experience of savouring a freshly-made Negroni while on holiday in Florence so, as you browse our luxury villas in Florence and plan your vacation, try our recipe and look forward to the real thing in the magical setting of that beautiful city...

As you delve into the culinary scene of the region on a vacation in Tuscany with one of our amazing Tuscany Villas, you may come across certain labels on speciality food products and wonder what they might mean.

Protected by European laws, these labels, such as DOP and IGP are applied to products that make use of the highest quality ingredients and production standards from all across the country of Italy, though Tuscany boasts quite a number of these sorts of wonderful items. So, read on to learn more and then prepare to immerse yourself in the world of authentic Italian flavours and culinary experiences on holiday in Tuscany. 

Tuscany is world-renowned as a food and wine hot-spot with some of both the most delicious and beloved dishes and wines in the world coming from this region of Italy. The wine area of Chianti within Tuscany is synonymous with wine and those who find a vacation rental in Chianti, will have a vast array of wines, vineyards, wineries, wine bars, wine shops, and towns famous for their wines to explore and discover. Among all of these different towns that are important centres of wine, Montepulciano is one of the key stops and is known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. If you have been browsing our Tuscany Villas and are thinking of a vacation in Tuscany involving lots of great wines, then it is a must-visit spot.

Tuscany is well-known for her rich culinary heritage and scene and, as a result, is home to an endless list of local and famous food festivals. These festivals honour saints, celebrate local specialities, commemorate historic events, and highlight seasonal harvests and dishes and often have one dish or product that is the star of the show (though you’ll find plenty of other excellent things to taste as well). As a result of the quantity of these festivals and the long list of different specialities and products that are honoured, those with preferences for specific foods will very likely be able to find a celebration dedicated to exactly the thing they love.

So, for example, if you’re a peach fan, you’ll be well served by browsing our Tuscany Villas and booking a vacation rental in Florence come late August to mid-September, when the Queen Peach will be reigning!