What features should a wine resort have for an unforgettable experience among Tuscan hills and wines? All the advantages of the Castello Banfi Wine Resort.

Choose the best wine resorts in Tuscany

If you are looking for a relaxing holiday, with good food, and views of the Tuscan hills, then a wine resort is the perfect choice. Staying in a wine resort in Tuscany means immersing yourself in the beauty of unparalleled views, surrounded by the fragrance of ripening grapes and fairytale castles, where you can enjoy the area’s finest wines. 

The wine resort phenomenon is a relative newcomer to Italy and it represents an exclusive type of holiday. In just a few years, the number of wine resorts in Tuscany and the rest of Italy is destined to grow. In Tuscany alone there are 65 such facilities that can be classified as wine resorts. Of course, we are talking about the land of Chianti and Brunello, an area where there is no shortage of fine wine, hospitality and stunning views.

What is a wine resort?​

But what is a wine resort? For wine lovers it is a place in which to explore the area where the finest labels are made, face to face with the people who work there, enjoying tastings of the highest level, surrounded by nature. For lovers of relaxation, it is a little corner of heaven in the hills, where they can be pampered and spoilt as they sip on a fine wine, maybe from the comfort of a spa pool. For couples it is the ideal location for special events, dining from a menu of typical local specialities and fine wines, in a fairytale setting of castles and mediaeval villages. 

There are three main characteristics that every wine resort needs to have: hospitality, stunning views and of course, great wine.

Wine resorts: the characteristics​

A wine resort is generally run by medium-large wineries that can offer tourists the possibility to stay in historic homes, old castles or converted mills, as well as to taste typical products and to enjoy guided tours of the wineries and vineyards.

Attention to detail is one of the characteristics needed by a wine resort: the traditional old buildings are renovated and furnished taking care to preserve their ancient splendour, but they can still offer all the comforts of a modern luxury hotel. There is no shortage of wine resorts with wellness centre, spa, gym, pool and everything you need for a splendid, relaxing stay. It is no coincidence that many resorts in Tuscany are chosen as locations for events and weddings.

Another essential characteristic that separates a wine resort from its more “traditional” cousin in the Tuscan hills, is the unavoidable link with wine. A holiday in a facility of this type is also an immersion into the world of wine and its production: in some periods of the year, it is also possible to take part in the harvest, as well as to visit the wineries which often still contain the traditional tools, a priceless heritage from both a cultural and historic point of view.

As well as fine wine, we should not forget great food. A stay at a wine resort in Tuscany is an experience for all the senses: many wine resorts also offer Slow Food where you can enjoy the typical dishes of the region, prepared by top chefs, according to tradition and using local produce.

Finally, the views: the beauty of the land of Chianti and Brunello simply speaks for itself, with its sunny hills with their rows and rows of vines, under a bright blue sky, accompanied by the smell of ripe grapes and dotted with villages and castles.

Hotel Castello Banfi Il Borgo, one of Tuscany’s best wine resorts​

Out of the best wine resorts in Tuscany we find Castello Banfi Wine Resort, created inside the walls of an old mediaeval castle, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and hills, in the stunning setting of Castello di Poggio alle Mura. This facility, which is part of the Banfi, winery has all of the characteristics needed by an excellent wine resort: hospitality, great wine, and stunning views.

The rooms at Hotel Castello Banfi Il Borgo, furnished by famous interior designer, Federico Forquet, have every comfort and stand out for the attention to detail, fine fabrics and decorations added by hand. Shared spaces, such as the elegant Reading Room overlooking the castle courtyard or the modern wellness centre, have been designed to pamper our guests in every way.  La Sala dei Grappoli, the wine resort’s restaurant is a super-elegant dining room in the shadow of the historic Castello Banfi, and it serves excellent local dishes and traditional Tuscan specialities, with a seasonal tasting menu designed specifically to make the best use of typical regional produce, accompanied by the finest selection of Banfi wines.

Lastly, and it could not be otherwise, seeing that this is one of Tuscany’s best wine resorts, Castello Banfi Wine Resort offers guests the opportunity to visit the Enoteca, an elegant traditional Tuscan shop selling Banfi’s finest labels but also artisanal products and fine foods from the area.