If you have been following along on our Italian Adventure, we started our journey in Rome and then made our way up to Tuscany. Our first two days in Tuscany were spent in the beautiful town of Montepulciano. You can read more about that here. This blog post covers the next two days of the trip, which we also spent in Tuscany.
Most of these two days were spent further north in Tuscany, near the town of Volterra. We stayed at a luxury resort called Borgo Pignano, and they had several activities and restaurants on property. We spent a lot of our time at Borgo Pignano, but we also did a few things outside of the resort like wine tastings and strolling around the town of San Gimignano.
Day 1
We started off our morning with a drive from Montepulciano to San Gimignano. It took us a little over an hour to get there, so you could definitely visit both towns in a day!
When we arrived in San Gimignano, we immediately searched for a coffee shop to grab a quick espresso. We found a cute café off the main town square, so we stopped in to get our caffeine fix. If you go to Italy, be sure to try some of the little biscotti cookies with your coffee! They taste so good together, and some people like to dip the biscotti in the coffee.
We walked around the town of San Gimignano for an hour or so, and I felt like there was so much to see. There are several churches, restaurants, gelato shops, grocers, etc. I was almost overwhelmed at how many businesses existed in this tiny town! I thought all of the shops were darling, and I wanted to buy everything. Save your money and go shopping in San Gimignano!
As you can see from photos above, this town reminds me of a movie set or something you would see in the movies. I love the architecture and the medieval feel. It’s almost like nothing has been altered or updated for thousands of years.
Instead of sitting down for a more formal lunch, we decided to snack on pizza and gelato. The gelato in Italy is unlike anything I have ever tasted, and it’s so much more authentic in Tuscany than it is in Rome. We got a pistachio gelato cone to share, and I was hooked from the first bite. Pistachio became my favorite gelato flavor while in Italy!
And of course, the pizza was just as incredible as the gelato. I mean, look at that beautiful slice of pizza with all the olives! The street food was really impressive in San Gimignano. If you are wanting a faster (and cheaper) lunch option, I would highly suggest the grab and go food.
After walking around San Gimignano all morning, we got back in the car and headed towards Borgo Pignano. We wanted to check-in and get settled before our cooking class at 2:30 PM. We booked two nights at Borgo Pignano, mainly because we thought it would be nice to stay in the Tuscan countryside.
The property at Borgo Pignano is gorgeous and all the buildings have so much charm. We were given a quick tour of the grounds before going to our room, and I was surprised at how many amenities they offer. They have multiple pools, a library, several restaurants, and a spa. There is no shortage of things to do and see here!
After settling in, we went over to the kitchen for our cooking class. I was excited because the chef was going to teach us how to make fresh pasta! I had never seen this process in-person, so I was eager to learn. To be honest, it’s pretty simple to make a homemade pasta if you have the right ingredients. All you really need is flour, salt and eggs. Simple, right?
The harder part of making pasta is forming the different shapes. We definitely struggled when it came time to make the bow tie pasta. I actually thought the ravioli was relatively simple, but certain shapes were more challenging than others. Regardless of how bad we were at making pasta, we still had a great time learning more about the process.
The best part of the cooking class was getting to eat the pasta at the end! Surprisingly enough, everything tasted really good……and fresh. I guess we weren’t so bad at making pasta after all. 🙂 I think the pappardelle pasta was my favorite creation from the day.
After a hearty lunch, we decided to stroll around the grounds a little more and take a few photos. Everything was so beautiful, and I loved all the greenery on the buildings.
Borgo Pignano provided us with a complimentary bottle of wine, so we ended up spending a little time relaxing on our balcony. Even though the weather was a little cooler than expected, it was nice to get some fresh air. Of course, we had to take a selfie to capture the moment.
One of the fun things about Borgo Pignano is that they do sunset cocktails around 6 PM. In the summer, the bar is outside overlooking the beautiful hills of Tuscany. During the cooler months of the year, the bar is located inside next to a cozy fireplace. Unfortunately, we had unseasonably cool weather while we visited, so the bar was inside. Despite that, we still enjoyed the cozy atmosphere.
We enjoyed our cocktails inside for a little while, and eventually moved outside to get a few photos. The scenery was just too pretty, and we couldn’t help but step outside for a few minutes. The “cold” weather didn’t stop us from experiencing the magic of Tuscany.
We ended the evening with a fancy dinner at Villa Pignano, which was conveniently located next to the cocktail bar. It was a really nice meal and the atmosphere was very romantic. This restaurant is a great option for couples on a date night or for couples visiting Tuscany on their honeymoon. I will say, it was a LOT of food, but everything was delicious. They offer a couple different options, but it is more or less a customizable tasting menu. They also have a extensive list of wines to choose from.
Day 2
We slept in a little bit later this morning since we had a late dinner the previous night. We also didn’t have any set plans till noon, so we thought it would be good to take it easy and relax. We probably would have sat by the pool, but the weather was so cold and rainy.
Our first stop of the day was a winery called Guardastelle. This place is also a Bed in Breakfast, and they offer cooking classes in addition to the wine tastings. Guardastelle is extremely close to the town of San Gimignano and you could practically walk over there from the property. This would be a good place to stop if you plan to visit San Gimignano during your time in Tuscany.
We booked the premium tour with lunch because we wanted to really experience everything they had to offer. First up was the tour where we were given a nice overview of the vineyards, the land and the types of grapes they grow. Even though it was rainy, the scenery was incredible. Everything was so green because of all the rain.
After touring the vineyards, we went into their production facility where they house some of the barrels. They are a super small winery, and they are family owned and operated. We actually met the owner and winemaker when we were on our tour! It was nice to see that they were so involved.
After getting an overview of the winery, we went inside for our wine tasting and lunch. I really appreciated that they paired each wine with a different dish. Some of the wines tasted so much better with food and other wines tasted better on their own. It’s always fun to see what everyone prefers when it comes to the food pairings.
I think my favorite part of the meal was the charcuterie board. They served us a wide variety of meats and cheeses, in addition to some of their local honey. Everything was so fresh and tasted amazing. If only we could have taken some home with us! For the final course, we were served biscotti and pound cake with the dessert wine, Vin Santo. Overall, we really enjoyed the experience at Guardastelle and would return in the future. Note: If it is warmer/not raining, they will seat you outside with a view of San Gimignano!
After our wine tour, we decided to drive to the town of Volterra and stroll around for a while. It was a cute town, but we didn’t get to see much. The weather became extremely colder and windy. We did not have winter clothes with us, so we were freezing. Who would have thought we would need our winter coats in late May?! Anyways, we left after about 20 minutes and decided to head back to Borgo Pignano.
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at a grocery store outside the town of Volterra to grab a few things for dinner. We wanted to eat something lighter than the previous night, so we grabbed some lettuce to make a salad. We also had picked up some salami while walking around Volterra, so we thought this would be a simple and easy dinner.
As soon as we got back to Borgo Pignano, we decided to indulge in cocktail hour. This time, we sat inside by the fire since we needed to warm up. It was so cozy. We both ordered Old Fashioneds, and it definitely hit the spot on a cold, rainy day.
After eating dinner in our hotel room, the sun FINALLY came out. I found this quite comical since it was our last night in Tuscany. It was seriously the most gorgeous night ever! Since it started to warm up, we took our wine outside and enjoyed the sunset. I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to end our time in the Tuscan countryside. It was one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever witnessed.
Despite the crummy weather, we still had a great time exploring Tuscany. I plan on returning someday when it is later in the summer, in hopes that we can avoid all the cold weather.
If you are curious about what else we did in Italy, check out my other blog posts linked below:
- Two Weeks in Italy – An Itinerary
- Rome in a Day
- Tuscany Part I – Montepulciano
- Italy – What I Wore
- Two Days in Florence
Have y’all ever been to Tuscany? If so, what were some of your favorite towns? I’d love to hear what you think of this region!
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