Docciole, Radda in Chianti

Accommodation

There are several entrances into the large farmhouse, perhaps the most obvious being up the well-trod stone steps to the top floor. Immediately through the front door one is drawn to the light flooding into the very large living-dining room to the right. With chestnut beams soaring over the dining area to double height, the sheer volume of air and light create a marvelously welcoming space. To one side of the dining table for 8 a wooden staircase rises to a mezzanine containing two single beds, while the far end of the living area has sofas set in front of an open fireplace and a doorway leading to a generous country kitchen. Modern appliances find a harmony with a cooking fireplace, bread cupboard and long refectory table and become, in time-honored tradition, the heart of this Tuscan home. Three double bedrooms are on this floor, one off the dining area and two down a side hall past a small study. All of the bedrooms are spacious and furnished with lovely fabrics and country antiques. The two bathrooms, one ensuite and one shared, make great use of terracotta, Tuscany's much beloved material.

Further accommodations are on the ground floor - four large bedroom suites, three double and one twin/double, each with a shower room, dining table, sufficient kitchen facilities to prepare a light meal and an independent access to the outdoors. While the ground floor of the farmhouse does not have an internal staircase to the top floor, three of the lower suites do interconnect, an ideal arrangement for a family unit. While the suites differ in look and layout, care has been taken to provide each with similar comforts.

The garden at the back of the house, planted in fragrant, flowering shrubs and shaded by towering oaks, extends the living space, for under a vine-draped pergola there is a table large enough for everyone to sit down to meals al fresco. There is a free-standing barbecue, a pizza oven, and sun beds to set on the wide lawn overlooking a raised pool bordered on one side by a wooden deck. Additional space is also available for group activities in a charming annex across the drive from the house.

Local area

From the vineyards at the front of the estate the view of Radda in Chianti beckons guests to a first stop and, in fact, it is only one easily walked kilometer to the closest restaurant in the village. The unofficial capital of the region, Radda plays host to several festivals and events throughout the summer, most, though not all, having to do with what is poured into a glass. Nearby there are Castellina in Chainti, so prized by the Medici that they commissioned a fortress to protect it, Panzano and Greve in Chianti, whose street markets and wide piazzas are reasons for a visit and Castello di Brolio, where the standards for Chianti wine were set. When ready for cities on a larger scale, there is Siena, the medieval gem at the end of the winding Chiantigiana road, or Florence, the Renaissance jewel box along the river Arno, less than an hour away. Yet with cooking classes to master, wine to sip and meandering walks to take throughout the estate and the gentle hills that surround it, it is understandable that today's programme might slip to tomorrow's. Tuscan time is, after all, about enjoying the moment you're in, and at Docciole a moment's enjoyment is likely to stretch.

Features

Things to note