To continue with our Italian adventure... We arrived in Florence and rented two cars for the family to travel from Florence, south to Cortona. On the Autostrata, the journey is typically about 1 1/2 hours, however, there is a secondary road, HWY 222, more famously known as The Chianti Road. This road is a single lane (complete with wildlife) that wraps itself around some of the most picturesque areas of Tuscany and through the famous Chianti vineyards. Starting south of Florence and ending in equally beautiful, Siena, this road will take you through such jewels as San Casciano, Greve, Panzano and Gaiole.
Each bend in the road will give you a new Tuscan landscape, vineyard, upcoming little town and a wide variety of Trattorias begging you to stop and visit for awhile. In fact, many foodies and wine connoisseurs talk about this road as a "must hit" if travelling through Tuscany. I think the only road with more fame attached is "The Pretty Road" in the valley between Montepulciano and Pienza that has been captured on canvas for the rest of the world!
Joe Bastianich, a New York based Wine Guru and business partner with Mario Batali, writes about the journey down Highway 222, including the must eat and drink pit stops on the way. In his book, Vino Italiano, Joe explains the wines of each region and his recommendations. A must buy for wine lovers and those interested in learning more about the all mighty grape! Mario Batali also speaks highly of this journey, and has included some fabulous eating pics on his website. If you are planning to travel to Italy, take a look at his "Explore Italy" page, where he highlights the best of each region, giving you a snapshot of the regional foods, wines and recommendations:
I was very excited to hit La Tenda Rossa, just outside of Greve - Batali compares it to his flagship restaurant, Babbo, where the food is not 100 percent traditional, but very creative. Seeing as my husband and I spent an evening at Babbo last summer, I wanted to compare the experience. However, with no address (tsk, tsk, lack of planning) and five other weary soldiers, when we realized we passed the trattoria, the decision was made to find the runner up : Il Vescovino, deep in the heart of Greve and strategically placed high in the hills. What a fantastic experience walking through the establishment to take a seat on the patio, filled with lush vegetation, beautiful stonework and flowers, only to behold the most spectacular view of the Chianti valley! I'm not so sure it was the runner up after all! We sat and enjoyed our first Italian meal together, opting to have our first of many tastes of Papparelle with Boar Ragu and a beautiful glass of vino, where the only distraction was the sights and sounds and the wonderful warmth of the sun on your skin. Heaven.
That day we opted for driving the first half of the Chianti road and last half of the Autostrata, as time was not on our side with two weary-of-the-car-where's-the-pool kids! Batali describes some phenomenal places to stop, including the famous Butcher in Panzano, Dario. I think I need to re-visit this trip with husband in hand. What a romantic trip to drive through these spectacular roads and enjoy some of the best food and wine you could imagine - simple, local, fresh and let's face it - what grows together, goes together!
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