Castello di Volpaia

We stayed at the Castello di Volpaia in March of 2024 as part of our bucket list trip to Italy which had to include a stay in a winery in Tuscany. Volpaia is a tiny village that dates to 1000 AD when the Romans built a castle. Today it is a winery and four restaurants without losing any of its medieval charm. After the hustle and bustle of Venice and Florence this is a tranquil paradise. It is difficult to describe the incredible kindness and warmth of the staff - they are all five stars! The “hotel” has different types of accomodations and we chose the upgraded regular room. Extremely cool 2nd floor room with whitewashed beams and ceiling. Modern bathroom and a comfortable bed. We were lucky to have a private balcony and lower terrace with loungers overlooking the understated pool area but every room is different. We had friends in the same class of room but had a very different but positive experience except for a hard bed. Our mornings started with the breakfast buffet that was much more. Go, the lady in charge is wonderful along with her young and capable assistant. They provide a great continental buffet but also cook eggs to order along with porchetta which is the local equivalent of bacon but so much thinner and crispier. You can’t believe it until you try it! And the cappucino was amazing. What a great way to start the day. The delightful thing about Volpaia is that this quaint medieval town hides a modern winery which produces beautiful Chianti Classico and Reservas as well as others. The wine tour was as interesting for its vinicultural experience as for the exposure to the ancient architecture. The village has four restaurants, all wonderful in their own right, which I will post separately: Osteria Volpaia, La Bottega, La Piazzetta Bar-Ucci and the Pizzeria. No exaggeration that this was one of the best travel experiences of my life. Now for a strange personal story that accentuates the kindness of the people of Volpaia. My wife and I decided to drive to Siena on one of our days there. We had been advised by the car rental company to use Waze rather than Google Maps. That turned out to be questionable advice. Our suggested “shortest” route took us out of the back of the tiny village through a narrow walled archway that was impossible to pass without scratching the back fender. I know you are thinking “what a dumb tourist” but reversing seemed more daunting than hoping for the best. After that we quickly left the paved road for gravel that descended to dirt and rocks but again with little options for reversing course. Eventually we ended up in the bottom of a vineyard unable to continue up steep slopes. I called the emergency number for roadside assistance and was informed we were not covered for roads without pavement. We were f*cked. I left my darling to “guard” the car and walked back up a long hill for two kilometers to the charming village of Volpaia. I staggered into the reception of the hotel / Cast

Volpaia was a great experience. Staying in a small medieval village was very charming. The interior temp was very comfortable even in June. Max temp outside was 82F but inside felt like 76F with evening cooling down to 70. Not humid. Several dining choices from home-cooking to formal. Centrally located to other towns in the. Chianti region. Staff were great with excellent service and communication.

So glad we found this gem! It’s an idyllic medieval village with the most stunning views, and the staff made us feel so welcome. They truly cared for their guests and took the time for each one. Plus the restaurants/food options available are unreal and the wine, of course, is amazing - best we’ve had on our trip. Great location to visit any number of other wineries and towns in Tuscany! We’ll definitely be returning!

Castello di Volpaia was the best! We were greeted by the owner on the first day on our arrival with a smile and everyone had a smile on their faces from that moment on. The property is a beautiful medieval castello/villa in the Chianti area. The road to get there is stunning, the property too. We took a wine tour with Francesco which was incredible. The wines from the winery are delicious. On our last evening, the owners and workers of the winery/hotel were all sitting outside the wine shop having a glass of wine with some antipasti and they invited us to sit with them. It was the most sincere and authentic experience we could have had during a trip to Tuscany. I will definitely come back and would recommend to anyone without hesitation.

The entire location is very charming and romantic. It gives you the feeling of living in a small castle but with all the comfort you need. The rooms are freshly renovated and the breakfast is also very good. We also enjoyed the peace of this place at the pool.

Great … very peaceful !