Villa Saletta Hotel

Italy

If la dolce vita had a physical manifestation, it might just be Villa Saletta deep in the Tuscan hills. With a history spanning centuries, this traditional, wine-producing estate has restored three separate, spacious villas, all with alfresco living and lounging as their reason for being. No excuse needed to find a shady spot in the mature gardens to enjoy a glass of the estate’s award-winning wines or spend evenings chatting over a table laden with produce – think seasonal baby artichokes, rustic loaves and tender salad leaves – from surrounding farms. Big groups are well catered for at the 19th-century, hilltop farmhouse or secluded country house, sleeping 14 and 13 respectively, while a bijou hunting lodge is ideal for up to six. Many of the unspoilt towns nearby hold festivals and open-air concerts in spring and summer – and the wonders of Pisa and Florence are within striking distance.

Villas from £3,500 for 7 nights. 00 39 0587 628 121, villasaletta.com

Words by Liz Atkins.

This review was taken from the 250th issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.