Where to Eat and Drink The
Enoteca le Cantine di
Greve in Chianti is a well-stocked wine bar and shop t (tel. 055 854 64 04;
www.lecantine.it; Piazza
delle Cantine 2; open 10am to 7pm). Its wine cellars include over 1200
labels and 140 only for tasting. They sell a prepaid wine card whose
prices range form €10 to €25, depending on how much you have decided to
taste. To find the enoteca, look for the stairway opposite the supermarket.
Castello di Verrazzano (tel. 055 85 42 43;
www.verrazzano.com) is an estate 3 km from Greve. It offers guided tours
around the property (10 and 11am Mon-Fri). The property is devoted to
the production of Chianti Classico, Vin Santo, grappa, honey and olive
and balsamic oil and has been for a great many years. As well as tours of the estate and gardens, wine tastings and lunches, prepared with the produce
and wine of the estate, are available.
Another wine estate is
Badia
di Passignano. It dates back to the 12th century when the Benedictine
monks came to start this castle-cum-abbey sitting among vines and olive
trees. The abbey is about 8 km away from Greve to the west. The
frescos by Passignano and Domenico and Davide Ghirlandaio are not open for public-viewing unfortunately as the abbey is inhabited by the monks.
The
Antinori store their productd in the abbey´s cellars, and what is available to the public are the guided tours at 3.30pm from Monday to
Wednesday and Friday to Saturday taking 2 hours and which include the
cellar, vines and tasting.
Winery-cum-restaurant
Osteria di
Passignano (tel. 055 807 12 78;
www.osteriadipassignano.com; Via
Passignano 31; open 10am-11pm closed Sun). Reservations necessary to see the wine cellars.
Villa Bordoni´s menu includes innovative, modern dishes, accompanied by local wines and served in a traditional atmosphere. Due to its high standard, reservations are necessary. (tel.055 8840004;
www.villabordoni.com; Via San Cresci 31/32, località Mezzuola I; Greve in Chianti; open Mar-Dec).
La Cantinetta di Rignana (15 minutes away from Badia di Passignano) is housed in a beautiful old oil mill and has an enchanting terrace from where to admire the real Tuscan landscape.Just a few of their delights are wild boar carpaccio and truffle-filled ravioli. (tel. 0555 85 26 01;
www.lacantinettadirignana.it; open lunch and dinner; closed Tue).
Osteria le Pazanelle offers a wonderful atmosphere and excellent wines (tel. 0577 73 35 11; Lucarelli; Panzano in Chianti; open lunch and dinner, closed Mon).
