• Home
• Who's John Foy
• Restaurant Consulting
• Wine Cellar Consulting
• Wine Auctions
• Success Stories
• Current Articles
• Wine Dining
• Wine Lodging
• Tour with John
• Links

Wine Lodging - My Rating System

Lodging:	Good =		Excellent =
	Very Good =		Extraordinary =
Royal Blue Background denotes Elegance..

Wine Trails: Lodging:

Borgo San Felice

Eight miles north of Siena lies the village of San Felice. Bought by a German company, the entire village has been restored to a refined estate of a 43 room hotel with a pool, spa, and walking trails. The first rate winery, vineyards, and olive groves are all part of the parcel.

A member of the Relais & Chateaux group, the hotel rooms are divided amongst the various building dating back centuries. Each room retains the authenticity of Tuscany with the modern conveniences of a top-notch hotel.

Listening to your feet walking on the stone paths between the perfectly restored buildings, sitting in the palazzo, visiting the chapel and wine museum are moments to savor. The architecture and vista across the Tuscan landscape return you in time and capture you in beauty.

You can view it at: www.borgosanfelice.com

Villa Vignamaggio

Driving up a cork-screw shaped road, you arrive at the understated, tasteful, and unique Villa Vignamaggio. Clinging to the hillside are its olive trees and vineyards; and overlooking it all is the magnificent 16th century Villa, where Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa, the daughter of Anton Maria Gherardini, was born at Vignamaggio in 1479.

Nested behind hedges are the converted farmhouses: Casolese, Fienile, and Cenobio that have a mix of suites and double rooms. Two cottages, Casaccia and Barriccaia are tucked into the Tuscan landscape for couples wanting privacy. Everything is authentically Tuscan, which is to say tasteful; every staff member is authentically Italian, which is to say caring and gracious; and every moment is memorable.

Villa Vignamaggio is not a hotel. It doesn’t have room service and people at your beck-and-call. It does have two pools, a spa, tennis court, and exercise room. It has a large room where you have breakfast while looking across miles of rolling hills. It has a charming wine bar where you can taste Vignamaggio’s excellent Chianti Classico, its super-Tuscan, Obsession, and its newest wine from southern Italy.

Villa Vignamaggio is as close as you’ll get to living in a piece of history. Or owning it. Villa Vignamaggio is quiet; it is beautiful; it is for those who want to experience the culture, place, and sense of time when traveling.

Visit their website: www.vignamaggio.com Villa Vignamaggio is located on the southern edge of Greve in Chianti. It is about 45 minutes south of Florence.