Castello Vicchiomaggio

Located at the top of a hill overlooking the valley of Greve in Chianti, Vicchiomaggio offers an unforgettable holiday experience in an ancient castle. A great place to go on vacation, take part in a wine tour, have a fairy-­tale wedding and organize business meetings.

Castello Vicchiomaggio is located near the town of Greve in Chianti, in the heart of the breathtaking Chianti area, just 18 km from Florence and 38 km from Siena.

Its location makes it an ideal place not only for a relaxing stay away from everyday life, but also as a starting point for exploring Tuscany, the famous artistic and architectural beauties of Florence and Siena and the fascinating and less known places like San Gimignano, Greve in Chianti, Monteriggioni, Volterra, Pisa and Crete Senesi.

THE HISTORY
The origins of Castello Vicchiomaggio, once named Vicchio of the Lombards, dates back roughly to 1400 as reported on some ancient preserved parchments. Its location on top of a hill overlooking the Val di Greve just 18 km from Florence and 38 from Siena has proved to be a very strategic position over the centuries.

Castello Vicchiomaggio is built of solid stone, at the heart of which is the high embattled tower dating back to 1100. The castle is preserved by its defensive boundary walls. Thanks to careful and meticulous restoration, it is well-­‐preserved and has been recognised as a national monument.

In the middle Ages, Castello Vicchiomaggio demonstrated the crucial importance of its position by playing a vital role in the defence of Florence during conflicts with Siena. Later it became an exclusive Renaissance Manor House and reached its maximum splendour.

It was during this period that it was proposed to add the word ‘Maggio’ to the original name “Vicchio” in the memory of Maggiolate of Calendimaggio. In its long and glorious history, many celebrities stayed at the Castle, including Leonardo da Vinci and Francesco Redi.

Leonardo da Vinci stayed at Castello Vicchiomaggio during the period in which he painted his masterpiece, the Monna Lisa. He drew a charming and impressive picture which can be found in his personal documents proving that he stayed here; Francesco Redi, an academician, composed his famous poem “Bacchus in Tuscany” here in 1865.

SUITES
In adition to the apartments that are available in the castle itself, Castello Vicchiomaggio also offers its guests spacious suites which are located in the Canonica, a building adjacent to the Castle, which has been recently restored in a classic and elegant style with great attention to detail.

Inside the Canonica there are seven elegant, comfortable and tastefully furnished suites. The Canonica features a relaxation area which is shared among guests residing in the suites and a private garden overlooking the hills and vineyards of the Castle. The bathrooms have large showers, a single sink and a few also have spectacular views of the Chianti hills.

APARTMENTS
Castello Vicchiomaggio offers their guests spacious apartments of different sizes and layouts inside the castle itself, with the unforgettable Chianti hills as their backdrop.

The apartments can accommodate from 2 to 6 people and are an ideal solution for families with children. They are tastefully furnished in a classical style, equipped with vintage furnishings, terracotta floors and vaulted ceilings or ceilings with exposed beams.

THE RESTAURANT
The restaurant is located inside our castle in a beautiful renaissance hall with vaulted ceilings. It is the perfect meeting place to come and try typical Tuscan dishes, prepared following age old recipes that have been revisited with taste and refinement by our chefs.

HOLM OAK
These trees are the beating heart of our estate. Located in the middle of our garden, you can come and enjoy breath-taking views over the hills of Greve and our Chianti vineyards.

It’s a magical place that we set up for lunches and dinner for outdoor dining in summer. The wine list of our restaurant offers award-­‐winning labels belonging to Vicchiomaggio Castle, produced on our 35 hectares winery.

THE SWIMMING POOL
Castello Vicchiomaggio wine resort, located in the heart of the Chianti Classico, offers guests a stunning infinity pool from which you can enjoy uninterrupted views of the vineyards and the Chianti valley. The area surrounding the pool is covered with handmade clay floor tiles, made by skilled craftsmen and is equipped with umbrellas and sun beds.

WEDDINGS IN TUSCANY
Marriage is without doubt one of the most important moments in the life of a couple and symbolises the beginning of a new life together. The Chianti hills offer the most charming and romantic backdrop for celebrating your wedding.

Castello Vicchiomaggio offers the possibility of a truly unique wedding celebration (civil and religious),reception and accommodation, all in one place. It has both indoor and outdoor spaces that can accommodate guests for a magical and unforgettable experience.

Your wedding can start in our Renaissance garden which is perfect for aperitifs and after dinner get togethers, passing through the charming courtyard, and then enjoying the romantic atmosphere during dinner in the beautiful banquet hall of the castle.

THE WINERY
Castello Vicchiomaggio is also a well-known producer of internationally renowned wines. Wine has always been produced at the Castle and its owners, John and Paola Matta, dedicate their lives to preserving this centuries-old tradition. The estate covers 140 hectares, of which 34 are vineyards, 10 are olive trees and the rest is park.

Among the cultivated varieties: the most prominent vine is our Sangiovese, which is the fundamental grape for Chianti Classico, but there are also other indigenous grapes such as Canaiolo and Colorino, as well as two international varieties which are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The latter are in particular demand for the production of our famous IGT-certified red wines.

The Chianti Classico area is characterised by a mediterranean climate and the soil, which is called “Galestro”, is rich in clay and large stones. Particular attention is paid to the direction in which our vines are planted. In fact, they are all facing south, ensuring maximum exposure to the sun throughout the day.

As for the type of pruning, the family has chosen two types: Cordon and Guyot. Their application depends on the chosen variety and yield of each vine. These applications determine the amount of grapes produced and consequently, the quality of the end product.

In addition, these pruning systems help prevent an excessive removal of branches from the main trunk and therefore promote a higher concentration of substances necessary for the proper ripening of the grapes.

Harvesting is done by hand and takes place between mid-September and mid-October. Once harvested the grapes are pressed in special machines. The obtained product is then transferred into stainless steel tanks and maintained at a controlled temperature.

At this point, alcoholic fermentation begins (and lasts from 12 to 15 days), promoted by the presence of yeast. Following this, the fermented juice is filtered to separate the liquid from the skins, which up to now have contributed to the natural alcoholic fermentation.

The skins are not wasted and get reused in a distillation process for the production of grappa. The filtered wine remains in steel tanks for 20-30 days more, where the second fermentation takes place, the so-called malolactic fermentation.

In January, the wine is transferred to the maturing cellar, where it will rest in French oak barriques and large barrel. The period of ageing in wood varies from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 24 months, depending on the type of wine. Once ageing is finished, the wine is bottled and left to settle.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
After wine, olive oil is one of Tuscany’s most authentic traditional products. Renowned for its fragrance and lightness, it has always been an essential pairing to Tuscany’s famous cuisine.

An ideal flavouring in all recipes, it enhances any food, giving it that authentic and sophisticated Tuscan flavour. It is totally cholesterol-free and recommended by health studies around the world. It all begins in the olive groves, with the centuries-old trees covering an area of 10 hectares – 650 trees with the traditional varieties of the area: Moraiolo, Leccino & Frantoio.

Our olives are only picked by hand therefore guaranteeing a far superior quality than most other oils. Hand picking ensures that any olives with even the slightest defect are discarded immediately. The production is very low. Once picked, the olives are loaded onto our tractors and taken straight to the mill and within 24 hours are cold pressed and then bottled.

EXPERIENCE
Tours of our vineyard and historical cellars allow you to discover the secrets to the production of our wonderful award winning wines. Visits are by appointment only and have an average duration of one hour and thirty minutes.

After the guided tour of the cellars, you can choose to continue your experience at Castello Vicchiomaggio with wine tasting and lunch in the restaurant of the Castle or with a tasting and a dinner paired with the labels belonging to the Castle.

COOKING LESSON
A fun way to learn how to make fresh egg pasta. In this session, guests will discover the secrets to make a great pasta dough, how to create typical local recipes to easy propose back home. Lesson will be held in English or Italian and last about two hours.

When the lesson is finished, lunch will be served in our beautiful banquet hall or garden (depend on the weather) and to let guests try 2 different kind of pasta they so lovingly prepared during the lesson. Lunch will be accompanied by wine and water.

WINE TASTING
A guided tour of the vineyards (weather permitting), the historical cellars and the Castle’s Italian Gardens. Lunch will be served in one of the castle’s Renaissance dining rooms. Enjoy a tasting of 3 wines: Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, IGT Supertuscan

Paired with: Bruschette with Extra Virgin Olive Oil; tomato sauce and chicken liver patè. Fusilli with wild boar sauce, “Stufato contadino” (stew beef) with a seasonal vegetable and home made dessert paired with Vin Santo (sweet wine). Grappa and Coffè.

Rooms: 16

Price: from 137 EUR per night

Source: www.vicchiomaggio.it