Design Hotels : Ferragamo's Il Borro

Salvatore Ferragamo left no stone unturned when restoring Il Borro, a Tuscan estate tucked in the  foothills of the Pratomagno mountains in the Valdarno region of Italy. Il Borro's deep medieval roots are evident, from the private countryside farmhouses to the Italian villas amid the vineyards. If you tire of your designer digs and infinity pool head over to the hotel's winery or the estate's medieval Italian village. And true to the Ferragamo design aesthetic, stylish simplicity and elegance blend seamlessly into this utterly gorgeous historical manor... Wouldn't you love to spend at least a weekend here?

The Best of Napa Valley : Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa or Castle of Love is a definite must-do in Napa Valley. We planned only 1 hour there but I tell ya', we time warped to medieval Tuscany and stumbled out in a (sober) stupor 4.5 hours later. What a dreamy place! It may be California wine country but depending on which winery you're in, you could very well be in a chateau in France or a vineyard in Italy. I actually purchased my first wine (don't like liquor remember? so much for that.) – Fantasia, a delicious & sweet partially fermented rosé that I happily packaged in a new vintage-style leather wine case from the winery boutique.

For more on Napa Valley visit my posts on , Vineyards & Chateaus, Taste of Napa and Wine Country.

Napa : California Wine Country

I've mentioned before that I don't drink but boy do I love me some wine-tasting and vineyard trips! Strange, I know, but there's so much more to 'wine country' than just drinking. There's the amazing food, the chateaus, the ambience, the art of wine-making... I mean the list goes on and on and Napa Valley is no exception. Our first stop was Chateau Montelena followed by Castello di Amorosa, which was so grand, it deserved a blog post all its own. I'm obsessed with how yummy those grapevines look so I tried to coerce my friend to drive up next to a row lining the driveway which would allow me to snatch a few and speed off with my prize, but nooo. She refused. So Napa, I'm coming back for you and your grapes.

The Chianti Wine Region of Italy

In case you missed my feature in last month's issue of Vécu magazine, here is the piece on Chianti. Make sure to check out my other stop in the Tuscan town of Lucca!

"Ok, I don't drink but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a little bit of wine-tasting... I absolutely love the art and cultivation of the wines and the delicious food culture that surrounds it. By the way, have you ever noticed how creative and graphic liquor bottle designs are? They're fantastic and another thing to love about wine culture. During our time in Tuscany, my sister and I decided to spend an afternoon in Chianti visiting one of many spectacular vineyards in the region. Unfortunately I have since forgotten its name but it was set in a splendid castle-style structure and surrounded by miles and miles of grape deliciousness. (I should have snatched a few while no one was looking) But no matter, we had our selection of cheeses and then went for a walk in the town where we had some of Caffe Lepanto's exceptional gelato... I went with raspberry :-)"

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A rooster , the symbol of Chianti Classico.

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