All glitz and glamour right next to the gently lapping waves of the Mediterranean. How fortunate the Pasquali family were to be invited to this most amazing event held on Sunday evening at Forte dei Marmi on the Tuscan coast.

There is nothing that more signifies the end of the summer season than the slow tractors on the roads and the seasonal workers in their droves dotted across the vineyards. Grape picking – the harvest in Tuscany takes place between the end of August and mid-October usually, depending on the grape and the weather.

You have no idea how excited we are. Our own Villa Campestri honey – the very first harvest,

Some time ago we had the rather spendid idea of offering a service whereby guests could plant their own olive tree, and on return visits could see it grow.

June, July and August are generally very hot months in Italy in general and in Tuscany in particular. Especially the area below the Apennines where Florence is located things can get very sticky!  

The Castello di Nipozzano lies above the Sieve and Arno valleys very near to Pontassieve, just a 30 minute drive from Villa Campestri. The word nipozzano is thought to have historically meant “without a well” – a reference to the area’s very dry lands which are perfect for bearing vines.

Capers are the un-ripened flower buds of a prickly pant called Capparis Spinosa. The plant commonly grows in the Mediterranean and some areas of Asia.

Just a 3o minute drive from Villa Campestri is the tiny hillside town of Vaglia; it lies in a parallel valley to the one in which Villa Campestri lies.  In this tiny town you will find the most amazing adventure park for kids of all ages – a magnificent family excursion and guaranteed you will get them to bed early to0.