A way to explore Chianti at a slower pace

 

Fancy a few days strolling through one of the most picturesque vineyard regions in the world? 

Chianti in Tuscany is just delightful - and well worth a few days of leisurely exploration. 

UTracks has just launched a new Chianti Highlights Walk, a five-day itinerary designed for people who "enjoy unhurried days and evenings that stretch longer than planned". 

The walk can be enjoyed as a group experience and combines scenic walking with cultural and culinary experiences.

 
You don't need to be super fit: walks clock in at around 10 to 16 kilometres per day. 

The walk covers beautiful villages and vineyards between Siena and Florence. The promo material says it showcases olive groves and low wooded hills, following quiet roads and clear trails through delightful Chianti towns like Radda and Greve, where medieval streets and small piazzas are buzzing with locals. 

The experience is promoted as being "ideal for couples or a group of friends". 

Accommodation is pre-organised, luggage is transferred ahead and a navigation app helps the days unfold without fuss.

For details see www.utracks.com/Italy/Self-Guided-Walking/Chianti-Highlights-Walk

A taste of Italy that won't break the bank

Well-made Italian wines that are age worthy, but ready to drink now?

If that is your desire, then the wines under the Astrale label - imported into Australia by Single Vineyard Sellers - are well worth a look.

Unlike many Italian producers, Astrale does not have a pedigree dating back centuries.

The business was founded in 2011 as a negociant-style operation, making wines using fruit from several different regions.

Winemaker Peppe Randazzo (below) is originally from Avola in Sicily and has 20+ years of experience. 

He and his team travelled across different Italian wine regions to meet with local grape growers, sourcing fruit from the best vintages, while maintaining a Tuscan focus from a base in Castellina in Chianti.

Currently available in Australia are three red wines where I found it difficult to find a definitive favourite.

The 2022 Astrale Chianti DOCG is a smooth, food-friendly wine with classic sangiovese red fruit characters to the fore, and a steal at $20.

The unusual NV Astrale Rosso ($40) - a blend of primitivo, sangiovese, montepulciano and Nero d’Avola across several regions - is more savoury and herbal but has plenty of depth and freshness and would pair well with dishes like rabbit ragu.

Probably the pick, though, is the 2019 Astrale Chianti Riserva ($40), with its layers of darker sangiovese fruit flavours, earthiness, well-integrated oak and soft tannins. Lovely stuff. 

The appeal of Randazzo's wines to an Australia audience should not be as surprise. His CV includes vintage stints at Leasingham and Chalk Hill, as well as at Nobilo in New Zealand