Villa S. Andrea
San Casciano Florence, Italy………utterly breathtaking.
Villa S. Andrea’s extensive acreage of greenery is located in the heart of Tuscany, between the provinces of Florence and Siena. It spans around 600 acres in the Chianti Classico area. In the center there is the ancient village of Fabbrica, where you can find the Villa, the Church of S.Andrea and the Ancient Wine Cellars dating back to around 1000 AD.
The silence was deafening!
Arriving at this destination was not as peaceful as expected due to a nearly catastrophic map detour that took us up a road where we had the scare of our lives. Our Google map navigation led us to a back road only used for the land workers. The road was too rough for our small rental. and the road became less and less drivable, we realized something was wrong and needed to turn around. We got to a point where the road was so narrow, turning around wasn’t going to be easy and we could risk going over a small cliff that would’ve have done major damage to both the car and us.
Because the edges were difficult to see, I got out of the car to guide Diana through the most terrifying Austin Powers car maneuver we had ever experienced. After countless shifts from drive to reverse we were finally turned around and ready to face the bumpy road again. I phoned Elena at reception, who then guided us to the correct road.
After we parked, both Diana and I had to take a moment of silence and put the road scare behind us. We checked in to the dreamy villa and proceeded to our traditional Tuscan room.
We lucked out in getting the best room of the villa for only 139 euro ($163.00). It included a wine tour and tasting, a complimentary bottle of their famous red wine, access to the swimming pool, complimentary breakfast, and not to mention, we had our own private terrace. After checking in with the wonderful hostess Elena, it was nearly time for the last wine tasting presentation of the day.
The first 4 photos are from the balcony before heading out. You can see the entrance to the Wine Cellar in photo 3. We were joined by another group staying at the villa. Our wine tour was not only informative about the process but gave a bit of history of the estate.
Osteria - Capanna del gallo
After the tour of the cellars, we walked back up to the villa and started drinking….I mean tasting! The Tour Guide presented us with 3 different wines. Chianti Classico, Riserva and the bold tasting Grand Selezione.
The other group weren’t wine lovers so after everyone left it was just Diana and I and 3 half drunk bottles of fine wines. Ha, we could not let it go to waste, right? We drank what we could and took the rest to our room. We sat out on the terrace drinking as the night sky changed from light to dark.
Elena had mentioned that the grounds had a restaurant down the hill where we parked. Right about then, we were feeling pretty good. You can see a few photos of the restaurant on the last row. It was such a cute and quaint little spot.
Their colorful salad was the best I’ve ever tasted. The tomatoes, radishes and cucumbers were unlike anything I’ve had before. And the delicious spaghetti and white fish shown in the picture was my favorite dish……. and still is.
The next morning we had breakfast with all the hotel guest. Asides from a few laughs, all you could hear was the clanging sounds of forks and spoons hitting the plates as we ate the most delicious breakfast buffet in silence. A mixture of fresh fruits, pastries, bread and fine meats. Yummy………………..!!!
Ready and packed we said our goodbyes to Elena who gave us a big hug then we set off to our next destination. Volterra.