La Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo is well worth a visit to experience rural Italy and its culture.

La Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo, a breathtaking luxury destination in Tuscany that offers everything you are looking for in the perfect getaway that has everything you could possibly hope for. Delicious food, gorgeous scenery, and full-bodied local wines.

Azienda Manucci Droandi

La Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo is an organization that began in 2000 to bring together vineyards and wine companies and as of today has expanded to 180 participants. Among them are wine producing farms, inns, farms specializing in traditional production of foods and wines and wine bars and  restaurants .

A total of 124 miles (200 km) of vineyards spread throughout 19 towns in the Tuscan countryside, La Strada brings together all of the wonderful products of Tuscany. This is a magnificent region in Italy in the heart of Tuscany and includes cities  such as Cortona, Arezzo, and Valdarno.

Traveling in this picturesque region provides visitors many treats for their eyes and well as their palate’s. The vineyards, olive groves, tobacco cultivations, and chestnut woods line the rural roads.   We followed these ancient roads and encountered museums, artistic programs, and visited  many  estates in the area.

Tenute di Fraternita

The Wine Road, ‘Terre di Arezo,’ goes across the Valdarno, a valley characterized by an unbelievable variety of landscapes. From one side, vines grow in rows on terraces surrounded by dry walls, villages, and castles. The other side of the road is a sharp contrast, filled with large craters which are remnants of open-cast mines.

Upon reaching our next stop we encountered ancient abbeys and fortified villages set on the hills covered by centennial olive groves. As we continued to explore the winding Wine Road, we reached Valdichiana, which is filled with beautiful views and Renaissance pictorial masterpieces which date back to the dawn of civilization and the Etruscan culture sent us back in time

The next destination is Arezzo, a medieval town surrounded by hills, where vineyards and olive groves abound. Arezzo rises in the heart of four valleys which are rich in history and culture. Its food and agricultural products are of the highest quality. The famous Antiques Fair is held monthly along the street in the historical center.

Minolta DSC

The road then continues from Arezzo towards the Casentino, and continues to follow the Arno River North. At first, the course of the valley is hilly and then opens into a perfect amphitheatre-like shape.

The valley is moved by slopes that end up to the age-old forests which cover the mountains in the North. Leaving Arezzo we continued to proceed along the Strada Provinciale Setteponti until we reached  the bottom of Pratomagno. Charming medieval villages and Romanesque parish churches can be admired along this last part of the route. The beautiful terraced vineyards here are a example of perfect harmony between man and nature.

The Arezzo area also produces excellent wines.      Chianti Colli Aretini DOCG (DOC in 1967, DOCG in 1984),Vinsanto of Chianti’s Colli Aretini Occhio di Pernice DOC,        Valdichiana DOC (originally only white, it has now a selection of both red and white),Cortona DOC (DOC in 1999 with a variety of wine and Vinsanto),Vald’Arno di Sopra DOC, Chianti DOCG, Colli dell’Etruria Centrale and Vinsanto di Chianti.

Accommodations are world class and provide and experience that will linger in your memories for a life time. It is almost like an old Italian movie and you are the star.  The Baracchi Estate is located on a beautiful slope just east of Cortona with a wonderful view of the Valdichiana Valley and Under the legendary Tuscan Sun.

A typical Tuscan villa which dates back to the 17th century, it is now completely restored and transformed into countryside Relais. The old olive groves and the new vineyards surround the property. Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet and Trebbiano are all produced here and are a tribute to the land of Cortona and to the pleasure of good wine.

Syrah Grapes

Il Falconiere is situated in a quiet, elevated, rural location amid vineyards and olive groves. It enjoys enviable views of the Val di Chiana to the West, and Cortona, the ancient Etruscan hilltown, just three kilometers to the South.

The Relais is ideally located for short trips to some of the most famous art cities of central Italy, such as Arezzo, Perugia, Siena, Florence and Assisi, all within in an hour’s drive away.

This region and its 19 towns provide travelers mouthwatering regional cuisine, world class wines picturesque villas and an opportunity to travel back in time. La Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo is well worth a visit to experience rural Italy and its culture.