In The Florentine Chianti
The Castello Vicchiomaggio wine estate (tel. 055-854-079; fax 055-853-911; www.vicchiomaggio.it), just north of Greve, offers seven basic self-catering apartments in a National Monument Renaissance castle. Each sleeps two to six and has a kitchenette, TV, hair dryer, iron, and safe. Most have a countryside view, and while there are no phones, there is a pool on a panoramic terrace. Prices start at 100€ ($130) per night for two people. During high season, they often require a 1-week minimum stay.
March through November, Castello di Verrazzano (tel. 055-853-211; fax 055-854-241; www.verrazzano.com) also rents seven double rooms, breakfast included, at 77€ ($100) for one person, 103€ ($134) for two people, and 129€ ($168) for three people. Two apartments with kitchenette are available; one, for two people, is 103€ ($134), while the apartment for four people is 129€ ($168). The apartments require a stay of at least 3 nights. All units have TV and access to the gardens.
One of the largest vintners, Rocca delle Macìe, offers one- and two-bedroom guest villas (and culinary classes) at Riserva di Fizzano (tel. 055-777-371; www.riservadifizzano.com). Call for rates.
For more budget-minded accommodations, the Bar Lucarelli (tel. 0577-733-538; www.lucarelli.info) in the town of the same name offers clean, simple doubles for 40€ ($52) per night.
In the Sienese Chianti
The medieval Castello di Volpaia (tel. 0577-738-066; fax 0577-738-619; www.volpaia.com), listed above as a winery, rents out five agriturismo apartments with kitchenettes and TVs and, in a few, working fireplaces (bookable from the estate) in the stony buildings of its 13th-century village for 570€ to 930€ ($741-$1,209) per week for two people, or 1,000€ to 2,070€ ($1,300-$2,691) for the room that sleeps six. Guests can take part in various programs, from self-guided hikes to cooking lessons, wine tastings, or dinner with the owner. They also rent two lovely villas (sleeping up to 8 or 11) with private gardens and pools with views (bookable only via the private agency Salogi in Lucca at tel. 0583-48-717 or fax 0583-48-727), and lease a casa colonica on a nearby hillock amid the estate's vineyards to a hotelier who operates it as the classy-rustic La Locanda hotel (tel./fax 0577-738-833; www.lalocanda.it), with 200€-260€ ($260-$338) doubles, or rent out the whole villa (14 persons) for 1,400€ ($1,820) per night, breakfast included.
