If you had only 2 nights for a visit to the best wine region of Tuscany -- where would you go? My husband & I will be travelling via rail or bus (I think) from Rome to Florence. On the way we would like to stop in a town for some Super Tuscan wine tasting and good food. My first thought was Siena followed by Montalcino.
Suggestions on where to stay and how to get there from Rome.
Thank you
Diane

Hi Diane,

If you want to go to Siena from Rome, there is a direct bus, that is easier than going through Florence,
http://www.senabus.it/

Just to chip in with some clarification and, hopefully, useful information, the Brunnelo wine of Montalcino are not considered to be included in what is called Super Tuscan wines. Brunnelos are almost always Sangiovese that, I believe, used a different fining and oak-aging technique from, say, wines from the Chianti. Fattoria dei Barbi in Montalcino is a good example of these wines and has a restaurant and wine-tasting facility.

Super Tuscans are almost always Cabernet or Merlot-based wines fused with Sangiovese grapes. A lot of wine drinkers, myself included, do not even think that these wines taste as Italian or Toscan should. But they are very good, nonetheless. Sassicaia and Solaia and Tignanello (both from Antinori) are prime examples. Antinori's Tignanello estate is only about 30 km south of Florence near Greve.

Cheers.

FWIW, you can also rent an apartment at
Fattoria Barbi.

We tasted a bunch of wines, including Super Tuscans in Greve in Chiati at the Cantina-it's a fun place, about 100 different wines to taste with a debit card that you buy there but Greve is small and doesn't have much else to offer. I prefer Brunello so Montalcino and Montelpulciano were the place to go. Plus Siena is great.

Message: yawning, do you prefer a Chianti Classico or Rosso di Montalcino
when you watch American Idol?

FWIW, I don't believe that the wines of Montepulciano are part of the Brunnelo categorization. Brunnelos are inherent to those in Montalcino.

Although, the wines from Montepulciano (the most famous being Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) are also made from a clone of the Sangiovese grape. But, they are not Brunnelos.

StephenG: None of those stuff that you mentioned. I've popped open and enjoyed a few bottles of mid-90's Beaucastel (from Southern Rhone, France), as well as mid-level Second Growth Bordeaux (once to taste a 2000 Leoville Las cases and the other a late 90's ducru).

HOWEVER, since we're talking American Idol, you have to break out those big Napa cabernets. I did try a '99 Harlan Estate once and it made William Hung's (one of the contestant) rendition of "She Bang" sound better than Ricky Martin's. I'm sure you know what I mean.