“Once upon a time a princess comfortably living in a stunning castle surrounded by luscious vineyards and wild bush…” This is the classic incipit of many children’s fairytales, but what if it would be a reality also?I f you are in Italy, it can be, and you don’t even need to be a royalty to stay in one of them. Over time, numerous private castles have been transformed into luxury accommodations. If you are looking for ways to make your Italy vacations truly memorable, here’s a hint.
The Castle On The Hill
Gaiole in Chianti is a small village in Tuscany countryside that is well-known worldwide for its prestigious Chianti Classico wines. Here, too, is Castello di Meleto, a fortress built in the XI century, which was previously owned by the nearby Badia Coltibuono. As happens to almost all castles, it was the scene of struggles and sieges for centuries. However, starting in the 18th century, it was transformed into a private residence. Today, this impressive building emerges at the end of a fairly winding road up and down the hills of Chiantishire. The appearance can be intimidating, but the surroundings and the interior spaces of the fortress are breathtakingly beautiful.
What’s It Like To Feel Like A Royalty?
Imagine falling asleep on a canopied bed while from your open window on the garden a gentle night breeze brings to you the flavors of flowers and aromatic herbs in full blossoming. Your room has travertine stone, brass fittings in the bathroom and antique furniture. From the terracotta floors to the walls covered by frescos or some trompe-l’oeil nature-themed paintings, everything here is thought purposefully to warmly welcome the guests and make them feel as princes and princesses. An impression confirmed later by the meals prepared in an elegant and bright dinner room. The original look of any room is from 18th century, and due to the recent restoration works they have retrieved all their splendor.
The castle even has a truly unique feature: a tiny, charming private theater (1742), all decorated and still with some of its original scenes. In 2021, the first “Big Bench” of Chianti Classico has been placed, obviously, “green Meleto” colored. This way, any visitors can have a glance at the surrounding landscape. The vineyards stretching all around the castle tell a story of wine production that dates back to the Middle Ages, and now it’s carried on by Vinicola Toscana. A company born out of the first Italian crowdfunding in the wine business.
The Beginning Of A New Journey
In 1968, Gianni Mazzocchi, the editor of “Quattroruote” and “Quattrosoldi” magazines, offered the readers of this latest, focused on economics and finance, the opportunity called “Operazione Vigneti” to purchase shares of an Italian heritage that risked being abandoned: Castello di Meleto. Many joined the proposal, and thus Vinicola Toscana was born. The unusual company owns the castle and over 2718,2 acres of land and forests. From then on, a new era begun for this estate. The castle was restored and turned in a luxury wine accomodation and overall in a modern farm, managed according to the concepts of sustainability and organic farming. A production philosophy that has always been part of the ownership’s mind set.
Walking around the neighborhood you realize that forests and vineyards live in symbiosis: the 321 acres of vines are split in six sub-zones, different in climate, slope, exposure, soil composition and altitude: Meleto, San Piero, Poggiarso, Trebbio, Cerreta and Casi. And the forests are everywhere, often surrounding the vineyards. The trees provide shade for the rows of vines, preventing the grapes from burning, and also ensure constant humidity. Furthermore, they dampen the force of the wind, and reduce the impact of hail. Thanks to its plant heritage, Castello di Meleto can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the wine production cycle. Each year, approximately 7,000 tons of CO2 are eliminated, corresponding to 2,120 intercontinental round-trip flights from London to Los Angeles.
Keeping A Beehive…
Taking care of almost 2,000 acres of forests is an effort that is worth preserving the environment, and bees, butterflies, and lightning bugs (these last have almost disappeared in many Italian rural zones) prove it. The pollinating insects are vital for biodiversity and agriculture, which is why Castello di Meleto created on the estate the “Bees Park,” where 3.2 million bees divided into 90 colonies have their permanent home. In To promote the knowledge and the respect for the bees among the younger ones, in 2020 Castello di Meleto launched the initiative “Keep a Beehive”: with an annual subscription you can become a virtual “beekeeper”, and the beehive taken into custody will bear your name and 2 kg of organic honey for 5 years of custody, for 10 kg. An original and sweet gift for next Christmas.
…And Uncorking A Chianti Classico
Managing a property that is so wide and complex is challenging, but the general manager Francesco Montalbano can count on a young and enthusiastic team of coworkers. He tackles his daily tasks with great confidence and energy: “Today, our products can boast a much stronger identity than ten years ago thanks to the people who manage the vineyards and the fact that they are organic” he says. “Compared to the past, now everything starts in the vineyards. I love to say that we don’t have 100 hectares of vines (over 300 acres) but 100 times 1 hectare, as we do more than 90 micro-vinifications. We think and act as if we had six different small wineries, one for each sub-zone. Castello di Meleto has always had a knack for craftsmanship, but until now, it has never expressed it.”
Being in the heart of Chianti Classico, the most important wines of the winery are denominational, such as the 2022 Castello di Meleto Chianti Classico DOCG. It’s the Chianti Classico as you can expect, sort of a “souvenir” of all their vineyards. It’s produced with a selection of grapes from all their crus, blend of Sangiovese (95%) and Merlot (5%). The aroma of this wine is floral of violets and fruity of cherries, with hints of sweet spices. In the mouth, it is velvety, smooth, and has a refreshing, clean finish. Sober and elegant, it’s an excellent “welcome to Chianti” for everybody – royalty or not.