Best vineyard hotels and home stays in Tuscany

Driving up the bumpy, narrow roads toward Lupaia, the only decipherable noise I heard was the soft crunching of the tires against the pebble roads. On the way in, I passed 1,500 olive trees and acres of sprawling hills of greenery and grape vines. Named after the wolves (lupi) that roamed its hilltop 1,000 years ago, parts of Lupaia date all the way back to 1622. Fast forward around 400 years and Heidi and Christopher Mueller decided to leave their corporate lives and restore the original five historic farmhouses on the property to create a 12 room boutique hotel. All rooms enjoy scenic views, one of Montefollonico and the evening sunshine, another of misty dawn over the Chiana Valley, others of Tuscan sunsets. Interiors feature a balanced mix of vintage materials, including oak beams, rustic stones, and antique mirrors, and modern elements from restored wood furniture to Tuscan tiles, locally sourced lighting and ceramics. There’s a restaurant onsite that resembles a cozy, inviting dining room with a traditional Tuscan hearth. Beyond the impeccable interiors, its meals are all exquisite with farm-fresh ingredients including herbs, vegetables, fruits, olive oil, honey, and eggs grown on the hotel’s very own land, plus homemade breads, pastas, and pastries. Guests of the hotel can take part in private cooking classes, wine and olive oil tastings, picnics in the olive grove, truffle hunting, E-bike tours, honeybee exploration and more. Should you want to venture off the property, the towns of Montepulciano and Pienza are a 15-minute drive by car and offer rich Italian history and some of the area’s best Pecorino cheese. Taylor Mead

Price: From about £420 per night.