It would be a crime not to overindulge in the delicious offerings of Tuscany. With years of tradition and toil contained within every bottle of Brunello, Tuscany is a place to be savoured and enjoyed by all the senses.

It had always been a dream to visit Tuscany and experience Italy's famous wine region first hand. So with images from films playing over in our minds, we set off in search of our Tuscan villa in Stigliano, about 15km's from Siena.

It would have helped if we remembered that opening hours of car hire companies did not extend to Saturday afternoons, but alas, our spirits were not to be dampened, as we hurtled through the winding streets towards our destination in a taxi. Luckily our Villa wasn't too far from town!

'Our Tuscan Villa', as it soon became known, was all we had hoped for and more, filled with antique furniture, artwork and artifacts. The large, comfortable beds welcomed our weary, full bodies every evening, repairing our exhaustion.
Our 'village' consisted of about eight houses, a small castle, a few horses, chickens, and a six legged cat. This was a report that was never quite confirmed, and may have been the result of said overindulgence. Stigliano had no store, but did have a lovely restaurant, where we dined on moon shaped filled pasta and minestrone soup, made from fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden.
We picked up our hire car on the third day, and upon mastering the art of driving on the right hand side of the road (almost), we were free to explore the winding roads and breathtaking country side. We discovered small, beautiful villages and heard monks chanting in monasteries.

A Brunello wine tasting tour took us through beautiful vineyards, and educated us on the history and production of this highly regarded red wine. Wine making is a serious business in Italy, and produces must follow strict guidelines in order to be recognised

A day trip to Siena was lovely, and I enjoyed this romantic town, but much preferred the unexpected delights of the small villages we stumbled upon. Radda, in Chianti was a great stop for lunch, where the locals made us feel really welcome.

Tuscany was so vastly different to what I had imagined, but I prefer the 'real' images that now repeat over and over in my mind. The taste of the delicious pasta, bread, soup and the warmth of the wine can be recalled in an instant, as can the aroma of the sharp but silky smooth espresso that picks you up after a hearty lunch.
Memories include a kind old man in a tiny village delivering chocolates to our table as a gift, and long lunches in front of a roaring fire, followed by an afternoon snooze.