Castello Banfi appears on the Tuscan horizon like a pink hilltop castle straight out of a fairy tale. A tall, slender Rapunzel-style tower overlooks a huge estate that reaches almost as far as the nearby Mediterranean. Within this authentic medieval fortress lies a cozy courtyard; outside lies a cluster of stone cottages with narrow vine-covered streets, a hamlet that clung to the castle walls in the dark ages. The estate holds vines, olive groves, wheat fields, plum orchards, and woodlands; within those same forests live wild boar, deer, pheasant, even truffles.
But unlike many European winery castles, this place is no fortress when it comes to visitors. It has two restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star. It has a gorgeous wine store with spacious ceramic flooring, handsome dark wood rafters, and attractive display shelves. The winery facilities with their endless rows of barrels are immaculate, as are the 14 guest rooms located in the surrounding stone cottages.

The winery even has its own onsite cooperage, where the best oak planks from France and Slavonia are custom made into barrels. If this isn't quite enough, what surely marks this winery out as a must-see in southern Tuscany is its intriguing Glass Museum, six rooms displaying glass from the present day all the way back to the 15th century B.C. Egyptian urns sit beside Babylonian vases beside ancient Roman ampules and goblets; present-day examples include decorative crystal by some guys called Picasso, Cocteau, and Dalí. It focuses your mind temporarily away from the wine onto the see-through object that holds it.

Such rich, historic splendor has its genesis in the most unlikely of places -- Long Island, New York. This is where owner John F. Mariani's father started out with an Italian wine importer called Banfi in 1919. His timing could not have been worse -- Prohibition came a year later. He limped through those dry years selling wine for "medicinal purposes," then wasted no time importing the very best from Italy when the law was finally lifted. Business boomed, and over the years Banfi introduced the finest of Italian wines to the American market, including Lambrusco, and Chianti.
The winery itself has put its faith in Sangiovese; vineyards teeming with the grape now besiege the castle walls. While the whole complex has a somewhat polished, corporate feel, rest assured that this is no Disneyland of wine -- it's the genuine article.
Contact Information:
Castello Banfi, Montalcino; tel.
39/577/840111;
www.castellobanfi.com.
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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The coast line is over 220 kilometers. Rhodes is a very fertile island with rich cultivations and natural forests, especially at the South. It is famous for several agricultural products as fruits, olive oil and wine.
At the mountainous villages of the inland, there are also considerable stock-breeding and dairy products.
After a long and quite turbulent history, today the island is prosperous and famous again. It has been developed to a tourist island, offering high quality facilities and warm hospitality.
As a result it is a pole of attraction for many visitors and it is perhaps the most popular destination among the tourist resorts of Greece. Having an intense night life, it has gained in fame and many tourists come to the island to enjoy high quality amusement and nightlife for any taste.
Rhodes has been attributed several names , most of them very explicit : It has been called “ the island (or the daughter) of the sun ”, “the island of the Knights”, “the lady of the Aegean” etc.
Access to the island is possible by boat (at the central port of the town of Rhodes) and by plane (at the International Airport of Rhodes, called “Diagoras”, after the name of the famous ancient Olympic champion). There is also connection with most of the neighboring islands, as well as with the opposite Turkish coast by excursion boats.
The island of Rhodes is found at a distance of 260 nautical miles southeastern to Piraeus, with which it is connected every day by ferryboats, at least one in winter and more in summer.
The most comfortable way is of course to arrive by airplane. From El . Venizelos, the International Airport of Athens there are more than two flights to Rhodes everyday, all year round (in summer maybe more); there is also connection with Thessalonica, whereas in summer the island is connected with other cities and islands of Greece. In summer several charter flights from all around Europe are landed at the International Airport of the island.
There are also local connections, especially in summer, with several islands of the Dodecanese, of Cyclades and with Crete and the islands of the Northern Aegean, as well as with the Turkish coast across.
With in the island there is a good network of public buses that connect the capital town of Rhodes with the tourist resorts of the coast, as well as with the most important villages of the inland. Taxi is also a popular means of transportation, at least for the destinations found at short distance.
The town of Rhodes is connected daily with Lindos and Skala Kameirou by excursion boats. From Skala Kameirou excursion boats can get you to Chalki every day, or to Alimia for a short – stay excursion.
Of course, the best way to know the island is the car (rented or private). And, if you wish to go to most remote places, where cars have not access, the best way is to use a motorbike.
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