Leisure

Activities

  • Art classes can be arranged, together with wine-tasting and cultural / art history tours to Siena and other centres.
  • A horse riding centre is located 10 minutes drive away - lessons are available for six year olds and above.
  • Italian cookery classes can be arranged on request.
  • Truffle hunting in San Giovanni D'Asso. See New York Times website - travel section for their article on the village and its truffle hunters (July 2005)
  • Numerous thermal spas for taking the waters and pampering.

Music

There is an opera festival held on location at Podere Cavargine every summer organised by www.musictuscany.com. A stage is constructed over the end of the pool and so the rolling pastoral hills of Tuscany provide a stunning backdrop for the performers.

In the summer of 2008, the owners of Podere Cavargine played host to the Sutra Dance Theatre visiting Italy on their critically acclaimed Spellbound World Tour 2008. They performed between the ancient walls of the nearby village of Trequanda and to a packed Salone Brunelleschi in the historic Palagio di Parte Guelfa in Florence. See photos of the Sutra Dance Theatre's tour taken by the photographer and (joint) owner of Podere Cavargine on his website Paul Heath Photography.

Wines

Val D'Orcia wines are becoming increasingly recognised, while the Brunellos of Montalcino and the Nobile of Montepulciano are world renowned. The Chianti wine region lies a few miles to the north and exceptionally good red wines at reasonable prices can be found in the Montecucco Rosso just south of Montalcino in the Maremma. There are numerous opportunities for tasting these wonderful wines at the various wine estates.

Restaurants

There is a truly wonderful abundance of good restaurants in the area, so much so that it makes eating out in the Chianti region appear somewhat meagre and limited. The following restaurants are worthy of particular attention for excellence of food and wine.

At the upscale end, a favourite for dinner is Il Castello (with a Michelin star) in the beautiful castle of the Banfi wine estate, about 10 minutes south of Montalcino - it also has a wine tasting / taverna for lunch. Other beautiful upscale restaurants are La Chiusa in Montefollonica and Amarosa outside Sinalunga, set in a wonderful medieval borgo. Also of note is Il Falconiere near Cortona, which produces world beating wines from its small estate.

A favourite midscale restaurant is Osteria dei Leone about 5 minutes south of San Querico in the medieval spa village of Bagno Vignoni. It has young experimental chefs and inovative food, as does Il Pozzo in Chiusure. Other good restaurants are La Grotta with a pretty courtyard opposite the beautiful domed church of Madonna di San Biagio outside Montepulciano, La Grancia in the next village of Montisi or Bocconi di Vino for lunch with its spectacular views from the hillside below Montalcino. At the cheaper end of the spectrum, there is La Compagnia in the nearby village of Torreniere for good pizzas and fish (relatively unusual for the area)