Hi Gavin
Many thanks for the locations. Some good balance in there (not all wine, but some sea & also opportunity to hit the mountains)
When in Florence, if you go to
Pisa, then avoid the areas directly between the two stations and the field of miracles, plus avoid everything around the field of miracles except for the botanical gardens (if taking the train, simply head via Corso Italia and via Oberdan/via Carducci before heading left on via Maffi to get to the tower, baptistry etc. Decades of tourists seeing Pisa as 'the tower and the other stuff around it' have transformed it into the tourist tat you'll see. Those same people who say Pisa is rubbish are typically the ones who have caused these problems, because they've not actually visited Pisa, which is 5-10 mins walk east, and remarkably is a little 'under the radar. Great distinctive churches, some of the best food we had in Tuscany (try via San Lorenzo which had a couple of lovely lunch places - we also liked Il Colonnino, slightly hidden away on via sant' anna, but the wine list is apparently not what it was & quite sparse now, though the food was decent when we went). Ideally take a relatively late lunch, so you'll hit the afternoon passeggiata (say 3;30-4pm onwards) along Corso Italia and via Oberdan (the main shopping streets double up as the place to stroll with an ice cream and people watch)
When in Radda in Chianti, I'd recommend
Colle Val d'Elsa as a day trip. Charming centre, relatively light on tourists, but enough to support a tourist office. I can't find / recall the name of the cosy little restaurant that we we had wild mushrooms in. The other big interest here is glassware, which is very much the local industry. Plenty of showrooms and shops to browse their wares.
My favourite chianti producers all seem to be on the geographical fringes: Selvapiana, Felsina, Monsanto so a bit of a drive to get to them (though the driving is typically very pleasant in Tuscany). However Isole e Olena aren't too far away and they do have an exceptional range when you include their other operations (e.g Piemonte) and the Paolo di Parchi range (their Syrah is wonderful IMO). Nearby Monte Bernardi would be interesting to try as well, started by a flamboyant Greek guy called Stak, they aimed high and the wines were interesting. HE's since sold/lost the business, and I've not tried them since. Plenty of 'drop-in' opportunities in Chianti I'm told, which is unusual for Italy where it's best to assume an appointment is essential.
I've not been to Montalcino, but I'm told it's more wine focused / less other things to see than Montepulciano. In terms of wineries I'm no help, as I've never really taken to the wines. Do show interest in their Moscadello wines if they have them - a revived style that had all but disappeared, so the producers making it probably appreciate the interest.
Montepulciano isn't far away, and has stuff to appeal outside of wine. Probably best to park up in one of two locations: Near the
bus station and walk up the longer but more gentle slope through the city, or park up at the old Chiesa di San Biagio (where the excellent restaurant 'La Grotta' is) and walk up the steeper straight path to the city, which puts you right in the old town. The historic Caffe Poliziano may look a little tired, but do head there for a coffee (or other drink) and try their little mignon cakes & biscuits which are very good indeed, and are so delicate they'll have negative calories
. Lots of old stuff to see in Montepulciano, and wandering around is quite enjoyable, though hard work with the cobbled streets and slopes. Like Chianti, there are tasting rooms open to drop into and I'll recommend Croiciani as good / good value. I think Dei are in the city as well, a little pricier, but still good value. Indeed there isn't that much ego-pricing here and I actually prefer the structure of these wines to the too often flabby Brunello wines. Tastes differ though. Overall Montepulciano is a day to get a balance of plenty of wine, but plenty of other stuff & great scenery, plus to strengthen the calf muscles!
I presume you'll also hit
Siena? If you do, and like markets, there are two very different ones. Wednesday sees a huge chunk of the city given over to a sprawling market in the area around Fortezza Medicea – stadio communale. Quality very hit and miss, and stalls often end up looking juts like one another, but it is an experience. The other market is much smaller on Friday morning in Piazza del Mercato (a couple of minutes walk downhill from the Palio). Small, but utterly brilliant. There was amazing quality here, including probably the best bread I’ve tasted in Italy, and achingly good Porchetta, but pretty much everything was very good – even in an Italian context. Siena itself disappointed a little, but maybe my expectations were too high. We found it a little culturally 'cold' perhaps befitting the city of bankers. One relaxed place to eat, not far from the Palio, but far enough and on a quiet street to avoid it being a tourist trap - Dolceforte on via Calzoleria 12 (a good place to try an artisan beer with food, though they do wine as well). The Enoteca Nazionale based in the old fortress was similarly disappointing, though apparently it has its ups and downs as it's a bit of a white elephant. When we went the staff seemed pre-occupied / aloof. Worth a look to see if it's on the upturn.
That's Tuscany, will take a break before adding in Barbaresco / Verduno & around
I think I'm going to report him to the forum owner 
