Goblets of wine under the stars of Tuscany

Pubblicato il 8 Agosto 2011 da Genni

Calici di Stelle 2011

A visit to Tuscany is not only a plunge into history and culture, a tour of quaint hilltop medieval villages or walks down cypress lined lanes or on striking beaches, but also an oenogastronomic experience one will unlikely forget. And coming up soon is ‘Calici di Stelle’, Goblets of Stars, one of the main events of Italy’s wine-tourism, involving all of its regions, as well as the most expected amongst wine lovers during the summer. As every year on the 10th August, coinciding with the Perseid meteor showers on, what here they call, the ‘Night of Saint Lawrence’, towns all over Italy organize events with wine tastings and cultural appointments. This year sees a record of 30 towns of Tuscany participating, mostly from the area of Siena. Alongside wine tastings, strictly with crystal glasses, there will be local food products to savour, music to entertain, open-air shows and special tour itineraries to discover the less frequented, but certainly not the less attractive,  sceneries.

The Unification Goblet

This year’s edition also sees wine as a symbol of the Italian unification, on the occasion of its 150th celebration and for this reason a special wine glass has been created. Furthermore a particular initiative this year regards awakening public opinion to environmental problems. Together with recycling, alternative energies, energy conservation and waste sorting wine growers are studying other means of optimizing and reducing wastes during the production cycle.

San Gimignano

Among the participating Tuscan towns, Montepulciano is hosting an art and antique market as well as exhibiting its flag-wavers and drummers in its historic centre, whereas San Gimignano is organizing wine related games and a raffle with a first prize of 100 bottles of wine. Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Castiglione d’Orcia and Siena instead are opening their museums by night and arranging evening visits of their main monuments.

A fascinating opportunity for wine lovers who will be able to toast under a celestial shower of meteors.

For more information on this event please write us at info@tuscanyholidayrent.com. For the best Chianti accommodations or holiday homes in the Val di Chiana please click on the links.

Pubblicato in Culture and accommodations in Tuscany, Festivals and feasts in Tuscany, Senza categoria, Tuscan food and wine | Lascia un commento

A Close-up of Cortona Tuscan Sun festival

Pubblicato il 6 Agosto 2011 da Beppe

Last night,  August the 4th 2011,  at the Teatro Signorelli, Cortona,  the performance  Seduction, Smoke and Music  took place,  starring Jeremy Irons and his wife the Irish actress  Sinead Cusack, replacing  the forfeiting Sharon Stone.  (see the blog of Tuscany Holiday Rent  about the  Tuscan Sun Festival of July  the23rd ). The real-life couple staged  the troubled love story between Chopin and the writer George Sand. When they met, he was a Polish twenty eight year penniless pianist,  already undermined by tuberculosis  while the sexually liberated writer was 34 . Their  affair lasted ten years,  rich in exchange of love letters, partially burnt after his death. From them  and from unpublished documents the performance came out. Jeremy Irons stepped easily into the musician’s soul – he says- just listening to the first notes of Chopin’s music.  Theatre,  music, ballet and  the magic spot, Cortona ,conjure up  the miracle, according the actor’s  words. He, as well, underlines his attachment to  the beauty of this  Tuscan corner,  where the only walking among its narrow street seems to him a real  charm.

 He still  wonders about this small town, completely saved from  the ravages of the second world war. He goes on lingering on his father’s memories who would have liked to have here a  good retreat. Since the times of J. Iron’s  starring Bertolucci’s Io Ballo da Sola, he has always been in love  with this  unspoilt landscape, so different from  his industrialized England. He will always be pleased to come back here, available to any interesting proposal, which , we suppose,  won’t be  late.

Pubblicato in Festivals and feasts in Tuscany | Lascia un commento

David Murray at Roselle, Maremma

Pubblicato il 4 Agosto 2011 da Beppe

Tonight  August the 4th 2001,  the popular  festival of Roselle, Grosseto,  will host the Grey Cat Jazz Festival in a former quarry, turned now  into a green workshop of culture and entertainment,  ranging from poetry and philosophy to  music, art exhibition and theatre. Davis Murray and his  Cuban Ensemble are going to celebrate “Nat King Cole en Espanol”  in an environment so different from the usual jazz clubs. The famous saxophone player is coming  to a rustic scenario, made of rosemary, olive trees and lavender of the Stone Park of Roselle, Grosseto. In this magical corner of  the Maremma, Grosseto, he is going to play  a 2010 Buenos Aires recording,  a reinterpretation of the Cuban repertoire of Nat Cole in the late 50s.  Surely, the audience will be given strong emotions by the rearrangement of famous songs like  “Quizas, Quizas” or “Tres Palabras “.

Pubblicato in Festivals and feasts in Tuscany, Senza categoria | Lascia un commento

A last minute accommodation in the Chianti

Pubblicato il 2 Agosto 2011 da Beppe

From August the 20th up to the 27th 2011 an  interesting opportunity to spend your holidays with  your  family or friends in a holiday accommodation in a villa with pool in Chianti. You could choose between two apartments Il Tiglio or La Sequoia (5 and 6 people respectively) ,  at 10 %  off their price, offered by Tuscany Holiday Rent. The Tuscan villa, a historical farm estate, located between Pisa and Florence, dates back to the 14th century. Refined and accurate, it has kept characterizing details: wooden beams, ancient brick vaults, which perfectly match the  typical landscape. The shift from  the inside and the outdoor is  coherently harmonious. The right context for a relaxing holiday. You could, as well, if  you are curious about the cultural background of the area, easily move to  Florence, Lucca, Pisa, without forgetting  small towns like San Gimignano, the 100 Hundred Tower Town or  the Etruscan Volterra,  unexpected discoveries you might bump into.

Pubblicato in Senza categoria | Lascia un commento

Lari Castle

Pubblicato il 2 Agosto 2011 da admin

On the hills between Pisa and Volterra, there is a tiny hamlet, whose name is Lari. This village is interesting not only because its fascinating medieval characteristic, but also because of its very renowned castle. The Castle of Lari has ancient origins, dating back to the 11th century.

Tuscanyholidayrent offers a beautiful accommodation near Lari. Here, you can enjoy a relaxing holiday surrounded by olive groves and vine yards, far from the madding crowd. From Lari you can reach Volterra, San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca and many other beautiful places to visit.

Pubblicato in Castles in Tuscany | Lascia un commento