Radda in Chianti

Radda sits on a ridge between the Pesa and Arbia valleys, a compact walled town that was the seat of the Lega del Chianti, the political and military league created by Florence in 1384 to govern the territory. The fourteenth-century Palazzo del Podestà, its façade set with the coats of arms of past governors, has served as the town hall since 1865.

Beside the church of Santa Maria in Prato, the Casa del Chianti Classico occupies the adjoining former convent and tells the story of the wine with exhibition rooms, guides and tastings — a good first stop for anyone new to the region.

Above the town, Volpaia is a fortified hamlet almost entirely given over to wine and olive oil: Castello di Volpaia’s cellars are spread through the medieval buildings of the village. In the woods nearby, Montevertine made its name with pure Sangiovese long before the rules allowed it, and its Le Pergole Torte remains one of the reference wines of Tuscany.

Radda’s vineyards are among the highest in the zone, between about 350 and 520 metres, on sandstone towards the Pesa and limestone towards the Arbia; the UGA gives fresh, vivid, elegant wines. The town celebrates them each spring at Radda nel Bicchiere, when tasting tables spread through the historic centre. Radda is also a natural base for the eastern half of the zone: Gaiole, Castellina and Greve are all within easy reach, and the roads between them run through some of the most wooded, least crowded country in Chianti.