Crete Senesi & Chianti Wine Tasting
Whilst there are many beautiful roads to travel in Tuscany; many places to discover this is surely amongst the most startling. Landscapes in our zone are dramatic year round, but something truly magical happens in Winter when the sun is lower and the blades of winter wheat grass are new and brilliant green. In these images the Crete Senesi zone in January. This area is about 25 minutes from Siena House. On crystal clear windy winter days the landscape can appear ‘monochrome’ in vivid greens and soft greys at the end of the afternoon. In Wheat and pasture zones the incredible intense green achievable when shooting into the sun are irresistible… my eyeballs are still aching…
Crete Senesi means simply ‘Sienese Clays’. Long long ago this land was under water; under sea. The formation of the landscape in undulating clay waves dating from the Pliocene period some 5.2-1.8 million years ago…
We took a little detour en route home from downtown Siena (Sienna) to travel this road and take these images. It’s a little ‘dog leg’ straight off the main Siena – Perugia highway, the ‘San Gusme’ turn off: you’re in the zone upon exiting the road. Explore for a few Kilometres towards ‘Torre a Castello’. Continue towards Asciano – or as we would recommend, turn back and continue towards San Gusme and take a wine tasting at Felsina in Chianti.
