Archive for 'Food and Wine'

Come and witness the most anticipated annual food and wine event in Pisa, the popular White Truffle Festival in the hill town of Volterra!

Why not plan to stay here for a few days and choose from some lavish villas in Volterra with swimming pools?

The Volterra festival takes place in late October and is packed full of food stalls and has lots of cookery demonstrations and entertainment to suit everyone.
Learn all about truffles and how they’re carefully harvested.


The courtyards and buildings of Volterra including the beautiful Palazzo de Luigi open their doors to the public and invite them engage in some truffle tasting as well as experiencing the delicious flavours and texture of other local foods like creamy cheeses, crsty breads and spicy home-made sausages! Also worth a visit is the fascinating ancient Roman stone theatre just outside the town where several music and theatre performances take place this time of year!

If you’ve ever wondered what the labels of DOCG, DOC, IGT AND VDT mean when you see them on Italian wine bottles, then you’re reading the right article to find out! During the late 20th century, Italy decided to create laws to protect the quality and uniqueness of their wines by implementing certain rules that had to be strictly obeyed to receive a certain category of quality label. Visitors staying in a tuscany villa rental are sure to see a selection of these labels which might help inform their choice of wine to enjoy.

When travelling on holidays to Tuscany, it would be well advised to learn a bit more about their famous coffee that fuels Italian life! The art of coffee making has been a subject of heated discussions between passionate enthusiasts ever since it first arrived through the city of Venice in the 17th century and became an almost instant success. It was originally discovered much earlier by a goat shepherd in Ethiopia who noticed his goats got became quite hyper after eating a certain type of seed which came from the berries of the coffea plant!

Tourists will rarely enter any restaurant, bar, holiday accommodation or public place in Italy without spotting somewhere to enjoy a selection of delicious coffee brews. Here are some of the most popular coffee variations to learn more about them.

This might help you decide which ones you’d like to try before you order from one of the numerous coffee making professionals in Italy!

The favourite of all Italian coffees is of course the espresso. Espresso is made using 25ml of boiling water that is brewed using a pressurised system that forces it quickly through seven grams of a ground Italian coffee blend into a cup. It’s strong in flavour and delivers an almost instant caffeine boost to liven you up for the day’s activities! If you wish to order this you simply need to ask the waiter for ‘un caffè’.

If you’re thinking of whisking your partner away on a romantic holiday to Tuscany then why not browse through our wonderful selection of romantic articles of things to do and see during your stay!

All of the mentioned locations in these articles including Livorno on the Tuscan coast, Lucca and Florence city have a superb collection of luxury villas and other tuscan vacation rentals available to rent and relax in during your romantic break away.

Take to the skies in a breath taking hot air balloon trip together and see the beauty of Tuscany as you’ve never seen it before. Located only a few kilometres outside of Florence city, you both can enjoy a lavish breakfast after your exciting experience accompanied by a crisp cold bottle of sparkling prosecco!

Why not learn how to cook a romantic Italian meal with your partner during your vacation in Tuscany to experience an exciting endeavour that could prove to be an aphrodisiac!

Tourist couples wishing to engage in this fun learning experience can really go anywhere in Tuscany, the home of plentiful rustic cooks, but this link (no longer available) could be perfect to both stay in and enjoy a cookery lesson. It’s called Casal Gheriglio and is one of many properties in Tuscany that can accommodate visitors and provide them with a cookery lesson in one ideal package!

Many similar properties have an owner that are accomplished chefs who provide demonstrations which can include a week long, full or half day cookery course, as well as wine, honey and olive oil tasting courses. These can be enjoyed as part of a specialised price that includes your accommodation.