We'll have a few days to explore this region.is there any "off the beaten path" villages/sights etc. we shouldn't miss?

Tuscany, we stayed at Hotel Residence San Sano just about 20 minutes easy drive up the Chianti Hwy north of Siena. It was paradise. A tiny, tiny village only shown on the most detailed maps. The hotel is part of the village buildings, old stone farmhouses. Very comfortable in the olive groves & has an excellent restaurant for dinner. Breakfast is served in the front courtyard under the arbor. There is a family run tratoria in the village thta is outstanding and inexpensive. They are listed in Fodor's Inns of Charm Italy. Can't recommend them highly enough! Have a wonderful time. I'm green with jealously!

A small gem - Monteriggiono - a small, totally walled hill town. Another gem is a restaurant in Castellina in Chianti called Antica Trattoria La Torre which is right next to the Castellina. Enjoy it!

Thanks Dayle..is San Sano the name of this village? Can we have breakfast at the Hotel Residence there even if we aren't staying there? Sounds heavenly!

Listen to Miller. Other than the "o" at the end of Monteriggioni he hit it just right with his recommendation of a resturant not to miss. Be sure to visit some Etruscan ruins...they add flavor to the countryside and they're "right down the street".

I highly recommend Vertine, a very tiny but picturesque town up the hill from Gaiole in Chianti (you'll see signs for it when you go through Gaiole).

In between Monteriggioni and Colle Val d'Elsa is Abbadia Isola (even the signs in this place spell it two different ways, so I'll just go with this one). There is a fabulous restaurant in this cluster of 10th-11th century buildings called "La leggenda dei Frati." I actually posted a review somewhere here, so you could do a search on Abbadia and it will probably show up.