Chianti villa rental - Casa Maramai, Tuscany, Italy

Holiday accommodation in the grounds of a wine estate, near Montepulciano and not far from the Tuscan-Umbrian border. The Gracciano Estate lies in the lush and ample Chiana valley which runs south of Florence from Arezzo to Orvieto. The valley is above all renowned for its wine, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and the succulent T-bone steaks from the wide-horned white Chianina cattle.

The other building (the dependance) was used for drying tobacco, a major crop in the region (a typical Italian cigar is called a “toscano”), and the small elongated building behind, now the pool house, used to be a pigsty.

Maramai is located in the Podere Rovisci, the oldest vineyard of the Tenuta di Gracciano, an estate renowned among connoisseurs for the quality of its wines (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano). The house was renovated between 2000 and 2003 and transformed into a comfortable country house with modern facilities that could be lived in all year round.

The ground floor is light and spacious with many doors opening onto the garden. A massive stone table under a pergola of vines is the perfect spot for al fresco dining. The upper floor and the adjoining dependance house the bedrooms and bathrooms. The house sleeps nine comfortably, while a tenth person can be accommodated on the sofa bed in the dependance.

The house has three villages within 3 kilometres. Here you will find shops, cafes, newsstands, banks and simple restaurants. However all you can see from the property are fields, olive groves and vineyards - not a house in sight. In the house you will find a detailed list of restaurants we recommend in the surroundings. The hospital at Montepulciano is 5km away.

SPORTS: there are tennis courts in the next village (a kilometre), while bikes can be hired in the same village. Guides are available to take you round the area. Hiking is wonderful here, especially in the nearby Orcia Valley.

WEEKLY PRICE LIST FOR 2008: High season: 27 June to 29 August, €4900, Mid season 2: 30 May to 27 June, 29 August to 3 October, €4200, Mid season 1: from 4 April to 30 May, from 3 October to 7 November, €3800, Low season: 1 January to 04 April, 7 November to 31 December, €3000.

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