Osteria del Castello | Brolio | Coltibuono | Chianti

Siena:  Our day started with a goal of doing a little laundry. We have been away 9 days and needed a wash. Our land-lady told us to take our laundry down to the bottom of the hill and the lady living in the villa below would do our washing while we were out. Sounded like a plan, except the lady decided she would happily do our laundry, but would return it on Monday. Woody would be naked until then, so we used the GPS to find a launderette in town. The girls hopped out of the van and began our adventure in laundry land.

There was not a customer in Lavarapido. Instructions were in Italian and English, so between the three of us, we figured out how to get the tokens and Mary and Kathy started to sort the clothes while I hiked up the street to find laundry detergent. Buying detergent in Italy isn't as simple as it seems. First, using my vast Italian language skills, I had to ask the shop keeper for detergent, and then make sure it was for a "machina". That settled, I had three brands from which to choose. I chose the one with the prettiest label. Done. But, the last customer in the shop had forgotten her groceries - her shopping was left next to the counter - so the shop owner had to chase after her before she could take my money. Then, realizing I would be needing all sorts of coins to complete my washing for the day, she ran across the street to get change in coins for me. (I did not ask her to do this - she must have assumed on her own that I was going to use the coin-op down the street.) By the time I headed back to the launderette, Kathy was out on the street looking for me (and the soap!).

Laundry, Italian-style

While we were doing laundry, the boys had found a place to park and everyone was at the next-door internet cafe checking emails and folding laundry between emails. We met a fellow launderer, a girl from Utah and chatted with her about our time in Florence and where we were headed next and where she had been, etc. Then another dirty-clothes-owning person came in with a lovely yellow lab. Of course, Mary went directly to the dog for some loving. It has yet to be determined if the owner of the dog was a man or a woman, but s/he told us the dog was four years old. S/he was Italian, and asked if we spoke French. Using this communal language, we understood the dog details. Our chore completed, and everyone feeling much better for it - we dropped our clean clothes at our villa and headed out into the scenic hills of Chianti to explore the source of Dave's favorite wines.

Our first stop was to the Castle at Brolio. They have a gorgeous castle, vineyard, wine processing center, tasting room, a small museum and a gourmet restaurant. We hiked a half-mile uphill to the castle, only to find it closed until 3 pm!

Kathy on the path to the castle (jrw)


Brolio Castle (iv)

Luckily the restaurant was open and absolutely one of the best in Tuscany. Operated by South African chef Seamus de Pentheny O'Kelly, the restaurant brings raves from clientele around the world. O'Kelly runs the restaurant and also teaches Tuscan cooking classes. His menu consists of his whims and what is ripe in his garden or interesting in the markets that day. Osteria del Castello has a perfect setting and a wonderful menu. There was a large, shepherd-mixed-breed sort of dog sleeping in the corner of the restaurant during our meal. He was so quiet, he may as well have been stuffed... until he rose and wandered outdoors as we finished our luncheon. The people seated behind us had a Maltese at their table. This entire country is very dog-friendly! The tables were laid with rich Tuscan linens and set with hand-painted local pottery. Service was friendly and prompt... well, as prompt as service can be at a restaurant in Italy.

Gourmet lunch for six


Appetizers: pecorino and walnut soufflé


Stuffed zucchini flowers in a balsamic vinegar reduction


Assorted bruschetta


Stuffed, fried, chicken breast


Fresh fettuccini with truffles


Linguini with shrimp and lemon


A view from of the vineyards

After our perfect lunch, we loaded our full tummies into the van and headed deeper into the Chianti region. The countryside is just spectacular, nearly every inch planted in grapes and if it isn't planted in grapes - it is wild and wooded. Ancient houses, churches, castles, wineries, estates and walls dot the hillsides. The roads are curvy, hilly and very narrow. Of course, Our Driver took every turn with expert skill and we enjoyed a safe, pleasant afternoon. Our next stop was to Badia a Coltibuono - a big wine producer and home of an antique abbey with a lovely chapel and garden. They also have a restaurant and tasting room.

The Abbey at Badia a Colitbuono

We continued our loop through the Chianti region, stopping to take photos and explore the countryside. Our last stop today was in Radda - one of the smallest and quaintest towns we have yet to discover in Tuscany. The boys went into a wine shop to taste and purchase Chianti wines. The girls went shopping and had our daily gelato fix. Radda is a one-street town, but is situated on a hill-top at around 2000 feet. The views from town are fabulous. The street does not allow cars and the town square holds this pretty lion fountain (below).

Radda town square (jrw)


Discussing wine (iv)


Near Radda


Ready to harvest (jrw)

On the way back to our villa, we passed along the route of a road rally tomorrow! We must have seen fifty cars prepared to race - and noticed countless giant bales of hay and tires duct-taped to road-side barriers as safety measures for the racers. Many of the drivers had towed their cars to the starting line with teeny RVs! The cars were old, and of every make and model.

But we were getting tired and it was getting dark. We had driven through the heart of Chianti and we had several bottles of wine to explore tonight. Kathy put out an array of cheeses, meats, vegetables and we pulled several corks, read through several wine guides to learn about the wines, a cribbage board appeared, and we had an enjoyable evening planning our day in Florence tomorrow.

The grapes are nearly ripe. It seems every vintner is waiting for the perfect moment. Probably that moment is tomorrow. Maybe Sunday. Whatever the day - every able-bodied person in the area will be picking grapes! Tonight, our land-lords brought their tractors out to the fields. Even though it is very late now, the workers are outside fine-tuning the engine of an old farm tractor - making sure everything is ready for the harvest. I would assume they are going to start harvest in the morning. For the first time tonight, we have heard all the dogs barking and there is a lot of activity in the neighboring vineyards. All systems are go.

Pedometer today: 14,013 steps (5.95 miles).

Gelato flavor of the day: Pistachio. Not my favorite, but I thought I would give it a try.