While the trail is known as Tra Santi e Vigne (Between Saints and Vines), I found the experience more analogous to being between heaven and earth. I encountered heavenly views of majestic Alps and iconic hilltop villages, and the earthly delights of the vine, not to mention the table, in this Italian paradise called Monferrato.
My journey started with the vines, lining the rim of a sun-drenched bowl. Descending into the bowl and crossing a small stream, the trail led up a road and into more vineyards, which ultimately dropped into more natural bowls. This is a hilly country, ideal for hiking and vines, not to mention castles, of which I saw several.
What I Learned
The Monferrato has a long tradition of wine-making, pre-dating even the Romans. As the famous Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder noted, the Romans greatly appreciated the wine coming from the Muscat grape cultivated in the Monferrato as a varietal resistant to cold weather.
The rise of Christianity and establishment of monastic organizations ensured that even after the fall of the Roman Empire, and especially after the barbarian invasions, the production of wine would continue in the Monferrato up until today.
Trail Name: Tra Santi e Vigne (Amid Saints and Vineyards)
Trail Type: Short distance trail, in the Piedmont region of Italy; varied trail surfaces from paved, to hard-pack, to grass, to soft sand or mud, somewhat maintained, but the route itself is not sufficiently marked to follow without a map or GPX coordinates.
Length: total – approximately 9 kilometers/ 5.5 miles
Convenient to: Asti, or Casale Monferrato, Italy
Marking: Both a trailhead sign and rectangular signs with red and white stripes overwritten “740”
The name seemed familiar, one I thought I’d seen on a Chianti wine bottle label, which sports a colorfully dressed knight on horseback. So I followed the signs and found an impressive looking castle (now housing a hotel), a great wine shop, and a fabulous restaurant. Much to my delight, I also found another trail through an estate’s vineyards in Chianti territory! Trails are a rarity here. So, changing my shirt and shoes, along with my plans for the day, I seized the opportunity to follow another trail through a Chianti estate.
What I Learned (Production: Style and Methods)
Chianti wine comes from the wine region of Chianti, south of Florence, in Tuscany. Chianti wine has been well-known for centuries. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until 1996 that the wine district of Chianti Classico was created. The current district boundary most closely approximates the geographic limits of Chianti wines identified by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1716. All modern day wines bearing the words “Chianti Classico”, must come from this designated area. (Look for the Black Rooster!)
Trail Name: Castello di Gabbiano
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; variety of surfaces from paved to hard-packed, or loose, gravel, to grass; maintained, but not marked.
Length: Total: 3.2 kilometers / about 2 miles
Convenient to: Chianti, Florence, Italy
Marking: None
Beautiful Tuscany! The landscape, the people, the food, and of course the wine! And Chianti, the region and the wine, is what most people think of when they think of Tuscany. While opportunities abound to enjoy the food and the wine, there are precious few opportunities to experience the Chianti landscape, especially the terroirs of some of the better known wine areas, to walk them, to hike them, to see them from other than a car window, on your way to a winery, or a well-known town for a quick visit. Given the number of people I met on this trip that bemoaned the lack of well-established country walking opportunities, it appears there is a definite interest in trails (if for no other reason than to be able to walk off all those food and wine calories)!
That is why I was delighted to have identified trails on a recent trip to Chianti. The estate of Vignamaggio, specifically, has developed three short trails that showcase their vineyards, forests and olive groves. This is a private initiative that could go far in promoting their efforts in eno-tourism.
Continue reading Vignamaggio: Paths to Enotourism Excellence
What I Learned (The Region and Districts)
Chianti is the area south of Florence and north of Siena, in Tuscany. The area is a large one. Forests, olive groves and vine dot the slopes of its many hills. In between are small towns with names widely known by travelers to Tuscany as iconic Chianti villages and towns: Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti.
