Before 2015 I had never heard of agritourism, but I was booking a trip to Italy and was looking for interesting and affordable places to stay. I ran into a listing of some of Italy’s Agritourismo locations in Tuscany. Agriturismo is from Argricoltura (agriculture) and Turismo (tourism). Because we were looking for wineries and wine tastings we found a few really interesting places to stay.
The first Agritourismo we stayed at was Castello di Gabbiano, which is in the Chianti region of Tuscany and is about 15km south of Florence. It is a winery and castle that was established in 1124. Gabbiano is a beautiful place to stay, with rolling picturesque vinyards that you can only see in Tuscany. They have spacious rooms and suites available along with a beautiful wine cellar that sends you back centuries as soon as you walk in.
We attended one of their wine tastings and brought home three of their wines. Alleanza IGT Rosso Toscana, Bellezza Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezeione, and thier Chianti Classico Reserva, which is available locally. Because it is easy to get where we live, there is always a bottle at the ready in our wine fridge.
We also chose an aged balsamic vinegar to bring home with us called Dilizia Del Castello. When we bought it in 2015 it had been aged 10 years, and as of 2019, we have not yet opened it, but look forward to it.
The second Agriturismo we stayed at was in the very south of Tuscany in a small mountain town called Pitigliano. We spent a couple of nights at Poggio Al Tufo which is an amazing place with a spectacular view.
Poggio Al Tufo is owned by the Tommasi Wine family, who produce dozens of excellent wines. One of the highlights of our stay here was the food. They have an ancient recipe for a lamb stew that is called Buglione, which has become one of my favorite dishes to make at home.
It is hard to put words to our stay at Poggio Al Tufo, between the beautiful property, the fantastic wines, and the amazing food it remains one of my favorite things in Italy.
Our third Agriturismo experience in Italy was on our 2017 trip. Friends recomended that when we visited Verona that we stay at Musella Winery and Country Realis.
As soon as we arrived at Musella it felt like we fit in. They showed us to our suite called the Club House. It is a rustic suite with a fireplace that makes you feel like you are staying at an old farmhouse. Outside the back window you can hear the babbling of the brook which is just feet away.
Our friends Claudia and Elva joined us for a private wine tasting with Enrico. Enrico talked to us about the history of the estate and the wines and taught us about biodynamic wine. This was my first real introduction into the difference between biodynamic and organic wines. Biodynamic wines treat the entire estate like an ecosystem and this was the place that made me a believer.
I was always wary of organic wines, but Musella’s wines absolutely changed my mind. Every wine we tasted was excellent, but the one that drew my attention the most was their Valpolicella Superiore Bio. I will always be grateful to Enrico for opening my mind to biodynamic wines.
As it turns out, you don’t have to go to Italy to stay at an agriturismo, you can do that here in the United States also. Here it is simply called agritoursim. You can choose to stay at a winery or any variety of farms. This is a great way to travel because you get to interact with people, learn about how they make their living, and often times get food and wine directly from the source.
If you are looking to stay at an agritourism farm or winery, simply go to your favorite search engine and search on agritourism and where you would like to go. The prices are sometimes a little less than traditional hotels, but if you can live without a concierge to tell you where to eat, it is often a way to get off the beaten path and stay right where it all happens.
Thanks so much for reading, and remember, if you have any comments, suggestions, please let me know! Talk to you all soon.