Location: Pignano
The billionaire proprietor (Cardiff by way of Silicon Valley) and charming GM Luciano Lusardi (ex Borgo (*22*) and Verdura) have created an almost-too-good-to-be-true nation property inside 750 acres of natural farmland (olive groves, vineyards, fields, and woods) the place butterflies swarm on sprawling lavender and the soundtrack is birdsong. This biodynamic hideaway has 14 rooms, plus smaller cottages and a farmhouse for 20, however they take bookings so strategically you’ll really feel you virtually personal the place.
All produce is from the land itself, and there may be an on-site bakery (utilizing flour they mill) and backyard kitchen overflowing with herbs and greens. Olive oil and natural lavender rest room soaps and potions are all made in-house, too—and you should buy them to remove. The Al Fresco restaurant is nice for a wood-fired pizza and zingy recent salad, however on the different finish of the scale, Villa Pignano whips up epic tasting menus fusing all kinds of surprising combos—there’s ravioli with blue cheese and white chocolate, and a surprisingly profitable lamb with lavender and almonds. Impressively, the wine checklist is, with out exception, Tuscan and biodynamic. However, earlier than you eat, the largest draw is Francisco, the good-looking bearded mixologist along with his terrace bar overlooking the hills. He’s extra well-known than the total property and makes a imply Negroni.
By day, the actions are limitless: trekking, horse-riding, yoga, mountain biking, truffle looking. There’s a billiard room, library, and even a ballroom. Painting lessons are additionally on supply; pupils from The Royal Drawing School go to each summer season as a part of their curriculum. The spa is model new and, like every part else, deeply tasteful—uncovered stone, handmade oils, correctly genuine, switch-off-style therapies. Then there’s the pool. Arguably the chicest pool in all of Tuscany. It’s infinity, however in a Slim Aarons method, carved out of a limestone quarry. The workers are fantastically caring, at all times readily available to assist, however by no means hovering in that claustrophobic method. And the maintenance is meticulous. Sleep is taken critically, too, and the rooms are staggering. Many have unique frescos, four-poster beds, and even grand pianos.