I like Chianti wine and visited Chianti region years ago. So when AIFB (Italian Food Bloggers Association) and Castello Fonterutoli wineries organized a blog tour, I was more than enthusiast with the idea of visiting this enchanted place again.
I love Tuscany and was already thrilled while driving through this wonderful region, with breathtaking panoramas to arrive in this enchanted old village full of history itself.
The Mazzei family produces wine since 1435 and where they used to have the cellars (recently moved to a modern buiding) they created a cozy bed & breakfast that gives accomodation for those who want to visit the cellars and taste good wines while trying exquisite dishes from chef Lorenzo Baldacci.
Chianti – where to sleep, Castello di Fonterutoli B & B
The B & B rooms are very comfortable. They are located in antique houses that have been refurbished (but carefully keeping their characteristics). You feel like being a host in a common house in the middle of Chianti vineyards. It is possible to relax in absolute silence and comfort, as out of the rooms there is a comfortable living room. The rooms are close to the Fonterutoli wine house and tavern. I admit I particularly appreciated the good aroma into the rooms and the (natural) wonderful views from the windows.
Right out of the door, you find yourself close to a Medieval Roman passage that probably was part of the history regarding Siena and Florence boundaries. A legend says that to establish the boundaries between the two cities, both decided that two knights would depart from the own city towards the other and, where they met, that would be the confine. The knights should depart as the cock began to sing in the early morning.
Siena decided to feed their cock abbundantly, believing it would sing louder. The Florentines, instead, took a small black cock and decided not to feed it at all – so, moved by hunger, the Florentine cock began to sing much earlier and so the boundaries were set just 15 km from Siena and 45 from Florence. Florence was then able to have all the Chianti region under its property and today the black cock is the symbol of Classic Chianti wine producers.
The Mazzei family conserves the family old house, dated 1400, with care, restructuring it after the war damages and keeping it preserved during all these years. The older Mazzei still use this house and access the family archives – today computerized by Siena University as it is part of the local history. These archives contain all documents relating the business and other affairs between the family and other people, including important names such as Vespucci and Macchiavelli.
Know more about Mazzei Wineries clicking here