Castellina cycling or wine-tasting tour

Consider a cycle ride if you want more than the familiar wine-tasting experiences. Variants include picnicking in the vineyards or lingering in the Dievole wine estate for lunch or dinner. South of Castellina, around the hamlet of Vagliagli, is an appealing cycle route that takes you past rolling vineyards in leisurely fashion. Expect flitting butterflies, trilling birds and the smell of baked earth as you cycle. The route begins in Vagliagli, with an intriguing 26 km trail around vine-clad slopes. At its heart is the Dievole wine estate, a 400-hectare property 12 km north of Siena. Although it’s a private estate, anyone is welcome to ride the trail, which has recently been revamped and signposted. The `new’ trail was devised by an estate-worker, who knows the land like the back of his sun-leathered hand. In one sense, the trail is as ancient as the hills and was used by Tuscan sharecroppers for almost a thousand years. Ideally consult the Dievole estate before setting off on the trail and consider booking the gourmet picnic option.

The Dievole 80-hectare wine estate has been cultivated since 1090, when it was a monastic holding. Today, the property also produces award-winning olive oil. From the highest point of the vineyards stretch views of olive groves, deep woods and cascading vineyards planted with the grapes required for Chianti Classico. The estate offers gourmet picnics and cycle tours, as well as wine and olive oil tastings, complete with Pecorino cheese and crostini drizzled with olive oil. If won over by the spot, linger over a romantic gourmet dinner at Ristorante Dievole, or just a light lunch in the same place. The fallback restaurant, Giardino del Tasso, is another recommended spot for a candlelit dinner.


Address: Dievole, Località Dievole 6
53019
Vagliagli
Castelnuovo Berardenga
Tel: 0577 322613 & 0577 322632
Web: www.dievole.it