"Luxury on a wine estate This wonderful wine estate ticks all the right boxes. Set in a timeless landscape of gently rolling hills and vines, olives and cypresses in the southernmost part of the Chianti wine producing area, Borgo San Felice is a stone hamlet that once housed the estate workers and their families. Today, the buildings have been beautifully converted into a top-class hotel with just about everything you could possibly want for a luxury holiday in the hills. There is an elegant, gourmet restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef, a trattoria serving typical Tuscan food for more casual dining, an enoteca for sampling the (excellent) estate wines, a swimming pool, tennis courts and mountain bikes and extensive gardens for wandering in. You can ease away stress in the newly re-vamped spa with the signature wine and olive oil treatments that will leave your skin silky smooth for days, and work off those excess calories in the small gym. The 50 or so bedrooms and suites are scattered throughout the village and range from large apartments to cosy doubles: all are done out in country chic style with a clean, fresh colour palette and natural fabrics. There is plenty to do on the estate itself, but Siena, Florence and Arezzo are all within easy reach if you feel like some culture."

"Bird's-Eye Views of Chianti One of the most memorable (and unusual) ways to see Chianti is from the basket of a hot-air balloon. To catch the best weather conditions, flights take off just after dawn and last from 45 to 90 minutes, during which you will glide silently over hilltop villages, castles, and vineyards set in incomparable scenery with 360-degree views that extend for many miles on a clear day. Flights finish with a typical Tuscan breakfast of bread and olive oil, cheeses from the farm, and cold cuts, accompanied by prosecco."

"Lunch Stop on the Chianti Road If you find yourself on a road trip from Florence into the Tuscan countryside, take the Chianti road and stop for lunch or a stroll in Greve in Chianti. The town square often hosts a market—we were there on the flower market day—and houses a Museo de Vino. Many open-air restaurants line the square for a long Italian lunch of antipasto, primi platti, secondi platti, and dolce. Make sure your carafe is full at each course of the vino de la casa for your first taste of chianti in the countryside."

"This Is Where It All Began The story of winemaking in Chianti began on this estate when, in 1870, Barone Bettino Ricasoli established the formula that was to become the basis of Tuscany’s most famous export. Today, the Barone Ricasoli wine-making business is based in a 19th-century rendering of a Spanish-style castle where you can visit the cellars, taste the formidable wines, and purchase to your heart’s content."

"Lazy Lunch in the Country One of the best affordable country restaurants within spitting distance of Florence , this place offers creative Tuscan cuisine (plus four comfortable bedrooms) and a lovely terrace with a view. Menus change with the seasons but expect dishes like taglierini with zucchini flowers and truffle shavings, guinea fowl breast poached in Sauternes with sultanas, and fabulous desserts like white chocolate bavarese with pistachio sauce."

"Winetasting at One of Tuscany's Oldest Estates The aristocratic Mazzei family has been making wine on this estate, immersed in typically rolling Chianti countryside near Castellina, since 1435. Today, you can visit the state-of-the-art cellars, taste the award-winning wines and sample the Tuscan cuisine at the highly-rated Osteria di Fonterutoli. You can even stay the night at the estate’s own B&B."

"The Maestro of Meat Dario Cecchini is the most famous butcher in Italy and is probably the only one who recites Dante while carving up his carcasses. His small shop on the outskirts of the medieval village of Panzano is a Mecca for carnivores seeking quality meat (plus curious tourists), and he also has a restaurant—Solociccia—where you can sample some of the best bistecca in the region. If you visit his Antica Maccelleria Cecchini on a Sunday morning, when he works to a background track of jazz and opera, you'll be offered a glass of wine, a hunk of pecorino cheese, and a nibble of some of his meaty products (like the fennel-flavoured salami called 'finocchiona') to ease the waiting time."

"Castellina and Chianti Classico The hilltop town of Castellina lies at the heart of Chianti with medieval fortifications and an imposing Torre presenting a formidable image to the world. Its raison d’etre these days is the production of wine and there is no lack of places to taste and buy. The Bottega del Vino Gallo Nero (the black rooster is the logo of the Chianti Classico DOC) at Via della Rocca 13 is a good place to start."

"Wine tasting in a noble castle If you are based in Florence and want to escape the city for a day of wine tasting and good food, Castello di Sonnino, home of the aristocratic Barone de Renzis Sonnino family, is only a twenty-minute drive away, and you can get there on the public bus. The oldest part of this fairytale castle and its rambling outbuildings dates from the 1200s, but it has been added to over the centuries. Part of the Chianti-Montespertoli DOCG, 48 hectares are planted with vines and the wines have won many awards including a gold medal from Decanter magazine for the 2015 Vin Santo. A visit here can include a tour of the cellars, a tasting of the superb wines and lunch in the restaurant: you may even meet Caterina, the present Baroness. And if was you are too tired to make the journey back to Florence, there are several apartments for rent on the property."