Southern Tuscany offered a very different, and no less spectacular, scenery. Today we enjoyed one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful stretches of road as we drove south to the Val d’Orcia. Here we found barren hills, dotted with cypress trees and stone farmhouses. We visited the remote, serene Abbey of Sant’Antimo and nearby Montalcino, once an impregnable fortress and now the centre of Brunello wine production. We enjoyed a light lunch and wine tasting at Altesino wine estate. In the afternoon we took a stroll in Pienza; the streets are lined with delightful little shops filled with goodies. We sampled the region’s famous Pecorino cheese at a local artisanal cheese maker, and enjoyed dinner this evening on our way back to Chianti.

The view from Altesino Winery

After a great lunch and wine tasting at Altesino Winery

The view from Podere Il Casale, the farm we at our dinner at

The goats at Podere Il Casale farm, which are used to make cheese