Vineyards on a Vespa
Tired of museums and madonnas? Head for the wine-producing hills on a Vespa. The rolling slopes are planted with olive groves that shimmer dark green and dusty silver. Spanning the hills between Florence and Siena, Chiantishire is a gentle vision of olive groves, cypresses, vineyards and villa gardens. This is the perfect terrain for exploring on a Vespa or even a vintage scooter. A typical Vespa tour will follow the Chianti trail and feature a rustic lunch on a wine estate. Tuck into Tuscan antipasti and red wine. You can even ride pillion with a guide if you think you might overdo it on the Chianti. Iconic and utterly Italian, the Vespa scooter is a fun and authentic way to explore Tuscany.
The scooters are cheerful, colourful, stylish and easy to operate. At Tuscany Scooter Rental, based in Radda in Chianti, the fleet includes Piaggio scooters, red Vespas and even vintage scooters with sidecars. This is the only Vespa rental agency in the heart of the Chianti wine-growing region but is only 13 km north west of Castagnoli. On request, you can book a door-to-door pick-up service from your villa, within a reasonable radius of the rental base. The helpful staff speak Italian, English and French and can assist on route-planning.
As for the itinerary, vary it over a couple of days. Delightfully torn between tradition and creativity - like the contradictory Tuscans themselves - the wine scene allows for a duality between provenance and personality. If you’re interested in important estates that double as castles, abbeys or villas, then there’s a great choice locally. Try the abbey estate of Badia a Coltibuono to the north, or the grand estate of Castello di Brolio to the south.
Also visit a few smaller wineries, where the mood is more hands-on than at grander Tuscan estates. Near Lecchi in Chianti the family-run wine and oil estate of Azienda Agricola Casanuova di Ama is homely and hard to leave. The tour may well be with the owner, Daniela, and include a light lunch. Also close to Lecchi is the Castello di Ama winery, perfect for combining with a contemporary art and sculpture tour of the grounds. Just south, slightly closer to Vagliagli, are the wine estates of Dievole and Castello di Selvole, both of which have recommended restaurants.
Address: Tuscany Scooter Rental
Via Trento Trieste 12
Radda in Chianti
Tel: 0577 1515459
Web: www.vesparental.eu
