True Chianti classic: Tuscany, Italy

The British have long been in love with Tuscany.

Along with Provence it is the region that encapsulates best what many Brits dream about swapping their rain drenched existence for – namely good food and wine, good views and more than a good deal of sunshine.

In days gone by of course ensconcing oneself in a Tuscan farmhouse was the preserve of the wealthy and well-connected, with Tony Blair returning year after year with his family during his long premiership.

But times have changed – the advent of web based services like www.holidaylettings.co.uk  have meant that securing your very own little place in the sun – at least for a week or two -  has become a reality for most of us.  

With a crawling 10 month old baby in tow we needed our particular piece of paradise to be accessible, spacious and safe – as well of course as being stunning, secluded, well appointed and utterly charming!

One quick search later and we’d found Villa Petralexa, a renovated barn perching on a wondrous Chianti hillside overlooking vineyards and olive groves.  Situated in the heart of the Chianti Classico region midway between Siena and Firenze, Petralexa’s  nearest two towns of Lecchi in Chianti and Radda in Chianti are a picture of Tuscan tranquillity.

The place looked perfect on the web page – but then they all do don’t they?

Two months later as we turned into the track off the main Radda road and made our way deeper into the Tuscan countryside the usual doubts began to creep in about fish eye lenses, trick photography and details which owe more to hyperbole and the estate agents dark descriptive arts, than they do to accurate representation.

We needn’t have worried – someone had taken a lot of care to make this place a beautiful little hideaway.

We were greeted by a housekeeper and her young daughter who fantastically spoke as little English as we do Italian (and I thought those days in Europe were long gone). Phrase books and ludicrous hand gestures notwithstanding we got the gist of the washing machine, the BBQ and the Pool filter and were soon left alone to explore our new Tuscan hideaway.

 Unlike some barn conversions the place had been expertly designed to give as much space and comfort as possible while retaining the cosy and intimate feeling you need to forget that you are well, in a barn.

The foot thick stone brick walls and mighty roof beams played host to the kind of farmhouse table you’d love in your own kitchen but would have to move out to accommodate, as well as snug lounge that was perfect for sleeping off the one, two or even three glasses of the utterly divine locally produced red that the owner had left as a welcoming gift.

But it was the Villa’s grounds that really set it apart from some of its competition. Aside from the BBQ area, the top terrace built to allow you to take in every ray of the evening sunlight and the pool; there are also acres of wild, untouched woodland at the very bottom of the garden.

Waking up early in the morning, strolling round your Tuscan garden with your son in your arms and seeing a wild deer or an even wilder boar peering up at you from the forest undergrowth is something that will live long in the memory.

As will playing tennis on the court the villa shares with its sister property further along the track – the blame for the poorness of my forehand being placed fully on the distracting nature of a backdrop of such beauty that Andy Murray himself might even have sent  a couple wide of the line.

A trip to Radda and its quietly bustling high street invariably meant buying yet more of the local food – the travelling vegetable market perfect for the healthier side of things and the well healed deli on the main road all too faultless in terms of its range of melt in the mouth hams, cheeses and cured meats.  

Further afield of course lie the over chronicled but never over-hyped delights of Siena, San Giminangio and Florence itself – a day trip to each possible even with a bambino, thanks to the local’s obvious love for and tolerance of the nappy wearers amongst us.
But somehow we found ourselves never straying too far from our farmhouse – because as the days passed that’s exactly what it felt like – ours.

When we did tear ourselves away it would only be to drive to the next nearby hamlet to discover yet another cafe or tiny restaurant tucked away in a back street.

Then of course there were the local vineyards, pumping out gallons of some of the world’s finest red wine and making the Chianti region as famous as any in the whole of Italy - and you didn’t have to go far from PetraAlexa to sample the delights either.

Just over two miles away up a hilly lane which wends its way through the kind of tiny settlement which hasn’t seen any great change in centuries, lies the small Poggioantinora vineyard and museum. 

With a history stretching back to 1234 this place offers a fascinatingly intimate glimpse into just how important Gallo Nero really is to the area.

Of course it’s not all a social history lesson  – there’s a wine tasting tour delivered by a local expert and including a beautiful selection of salami and local cheeses, that leaves you wishing you could permanently become a Tuscan.

But with that just not being an option for the vast majority of us, having a place like Villa Petralexa as your own makes for an excellent alternative.