Precise Tale Poggio Alla Sala

Worth getting out of bed for

Precise Tale Poggio Alla Sala lies close to mediaeval hilltop town Montepulciano, but amid the estate’s holm oaks and cypress-lined paths, strips of vines and olive groves, you’ll feel like you’re living in a landscape painting. Onsite, days pass slowly with a swim here, a spa visit there, some wine tasting… And, things don’t get much speedier offsite, but there’s a wealth of history to sniff out and plenty of vino nobile to sip. Wander along Montepulciano’s Il Corso, looking out for Renaissance churches, noble palazzos, and the Punch-topped Torre di Pulcinella; and swing by the Piazza Grande, known for its grand 16th-century manors and as the setting for The Twilight Saga: New Moon. There are two Unesco-protected areas of extreme natural beauty within reach, the Lucciola Bella park with its sprays of colourful wildflowers, and the Val d’Orcia, Tuscany’s quintessential postcard snapshot. Siena is about an hour’s drive away, and is best known for its breathtaking Palio horse race (held twice a year in July and August) and colourful cathedral and duomo. It’s sort of a mini-me of Florence’s Santa Maria del Fiore, which you could also see IRL, as the city of the Uffizi, Accademia, Ponte Vecchio and more lasting landmarks is an easy day-trip, a 90-minute drive away. Now, about that vino… The countryside is awash with it, and the hotel’s own cellar Tenuta Poggio Alla Sala Winery is a short drive away for tastings of Rosso di Montepulciano and Chianti Colli Senesi. Or sip your way through La Ciarliana, Azienda Agricola Canneto, or Golo (we recommend a designated driver, because the list goes on). 

Staff can supply you with mapped-out routes to ensure you don’t miss the region’s hidden treasures, say from Siena to San Francesco Church, passing the Contrada della Civetta, fortified mansion of Castellare degli Ugurgeri, Santa Maria in Provenzano church, and Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra. From Montepulciano through the wooded Val di Merse, spying 7th-century Etruscan palaces and Romanesque abbeys; walk the wynds of the Val d’Elsa’s teeny villages (stopping into crystal shops along the way); or chase Chianti classicos through the wine’s namesake region.

Local restaurants

Tucked into the verdant folds of the surrounding countryside are cellars and farms serving up fabulous food. Take Bindella, Tenuta Vallocaia, a vineyard where alongside tastings there are Tuscan platters with pecorino, honey, cold cuts, pickles, breads and bruschetta; lunches of Chianina carpaccio with goat’s cheese mousse and eggplant, pork with carrot pudding and a coffee crumb, and pastries; or steak dinners. Terraces threaded with roses and wisteria and a white-beamed dining room make Ristorante Castello di Fighine a headily romantic spot. And there’s just as much passion in the cuisine, created by lauded chef Heinz Beck, who offers up the likes of spaghetti tossed with rabbit, wild garlic and olives; turbot with pink grapefruit; or pigeon in a salted onion and pepper sauce. And Montepulciano is small but gastronomically talented, with eateries such as Le Logge del Vignola (for wilder-side dishes of pasta with orange pesto, lemon gel and lavender ‘sand’), or La Grotta, which has sits opposite the picturesque Church of San Biagio and errs towards tradition (ricotta gnocchi with vegetables, pappardelle with guinea fowl ragu).

Local cafés

Producers of fine pecorino Cugusi will pack you a picnic stuffed with cheeses, homemade breads, cold cuts, pickles, salads, jams and honey – and wines, of course.  

Local bars

There’s no shortage of juicy reds in Montepulciano – slake your thirst at humbly outfitted Enoteca Borgo Divino (2 Via dell'Opio Nel Corso), which doubles up as a deli. Or opt for the Perbacco Wine Experience, where you can wax as lyrical as you want about all things vino with fellow aficionados; but even the uninitiated will find a flight to suit them.