We were a large group and Podere Patrignone took care of us quite well last October. The large kitchen area allowed us to have breakfast and snacks when desired. We went to a nearby village for breakfast supplies, wine, cheese, fruit etc. The views of the Tuscan countryside from our rooms were lovely. The weather was perfect. Some of our group even went swimming on the night of our arrival. There is an outdoor area that accommodated us comfortably in the evening for wine and appetizers. On the night of our arrival we had a wonderful dinner, prepared by Verity and cooked by Simon. Overall, they afforded us a wonderful week at the villa, being in close vicinity to a cooking school. Great time was had by all.

We recently stayed at Podere Patrignone in the Chianti region of Tuscany. It was one of the highlights of our trip to Italy. Simon and Verity could not be better hosts. They were incredibly warm and welcoming. When we arrived there was a loaf of freshly made bread on the table alongside a basket of fruit and a bottle of Chianti wine. There was complimentary olive oil (their own) and balsamic vinegar and in the fridge they had provided some cheese, proscuitto, and milk. It was a wonderful way to begin our stay there as we hadn't had an opportunity to buy any groceries yet.
Podere Patrignone is exactly what we have always thought of as a classic Tuscan villa. It is very rustic and full of charm. The location could not have been better for visiting all the medieval hilltop towns of Tuscany. The self-catering cottage we stayed in was beautifully decorated and very clean and was a lovely place to return to at the end of a day exploring Tuscany. We loved sitting outside in our private little terrace and looking at the view of the olive trees in the distance. Verity even cooked a fabulous dinner for all the guests on one of the nights.
Podere Patrignone is truly special.
R & J,

This was the place we were looking forward to the most out of our 4 week Europe trip and we were not disappointed. It was a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the big cities and enjoyed the rustic charm of Podere Patrigone. We stayed for 7 nights in September which is the perfect amount of time to relax and explore the Tuscan region.

The location of Podere Patrigone, Castellina in Chianti, is perfect - within 10 minutes drive to local towns (San Donato, Castellina) which you can stock up on supplies. It is also within 30 minutes drive of some other great towns such as San Gimigagno (our favourite), Sienna, Florence (i'd highly recommend not staying in Florence! way too busy and touristy, only need 1 day there). Also drove over an hour to Pisa for the day (very much worth seeing the Leaning tower despite how touristy it may seem) and Simon recommended we also see a town called Lucca which was close by and was well worth it ( Everyone rides on bikes you can hire and nice and leafy town built with fortress around it). The great thing about seeing these towns is the drive to them - so picturesque, I was worried about driving in a foreign country especially on the other side of the road, but the Tuscan roads are quiet and not stressful at all. I would definitely recommend a GPS - preferably one in which you can input co-ordinates as opposed to just addresses. Much easier to find Podere Patrigone with the co-ordinates as there is no set address that is picked up on GPS. Make top of the drive as favourite and easy to get back when you venture out on your day trips.

We stayed in the Il Forno room, very charming with own little private courtyard outside with table and chairs (our daily breakfast spot) - 1 bedroom, good size kitchen. Have to admit it did take some time getting used to no TV but that was the point of staying in Tuscany - to get away from everything. There was Wi-Fi which is available in the courtyard ( bit slow but we found we didnt really use it anyway)- it is a good thing that there is no access from the rooms.

The food produce in Tuscany is amazing so to try and make most of the kitchen facilities. It;s great to make use of local markets or even the local coops (supermarkets) are good and pick up local cheese etc and have back at Patrigone! My wife and I are 'foodies' so we explored the restaurants recommended by Simon which were great. Our favourite place was Al Maraceto - we dined there 2 nights it was that good. Simon said to try the Duck Curry Pasta and Suckling Pig. The Duck Curry Pasta is the most amazing dish - favourite of the trip and the best pasta dish ever! Do yourself a favour and try this restaurant - the owner Wynn is a great host. The pizza run by the local football was one of the best in Italy (open between May-Oct). You must book in for the dinner put on by Verity & Simone for guests. It was a great opportunity to meet other guests and hear about their experiences and the food was fantastic. You don't get this opportunity staying at hotels and was a highlight.

Simon and Verity do an excellent job running Podere Patrigone and make you feel at home. The information booklet provided had so much helpful information for things to see and do during our week. The local wineries were world class - our favourite was Setriolo - you must visit this! Simon is very helpful and gave some great tips, the little things like where to park in Florence and Sienna. The dogs, Charlie and Lola, were so great, very nice natured. The complimentary food provided when we arrived was really appreciated as we arrived at 8pm and very hungry - bread, salami, cheese, wine and olive oil. I have a new appreciation for olive oil, Simon's is just the best - we took some home and will never buy the poor quality we get at the supermarkets here at home.

Podere Patrigone was the perfect tuscan experience. We just loved the long dirt driveway surrounded by nice tuscan greenery going past the winery and old little houses to get to the place. After a day out in Florence or Sienna it was great coming back to such a gorgeous, scenic and peaceful B&B and have nibbles (always bread and Simon's olive oil and red wine on the terrace watching the sunset). The pool area is also gorgeous with view of tuscan rolling hills. Olive oil trees everywhere.

If you are visiting tuscany you must stay here! Patrigone is best location in Chianti (middle of everything) and is definitely a special place.

What a wonderful time we had staying at Podere Patrignone. Simon and Verity were fabulous hosts and made us feel at home from the minute we arrived. We had rented a self contained villa which was quaint and rustic. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was clean and tidy.
We found it very easy to find with Simon's good directions out of Florence. The accommodation is down a long dirt road and we had hired a small Fiat, we would suggest probably hiring something a bit larger to cope with the dirt road and the driving through Tuscany.
On the last night we booked in for the group dinner that they cook. We had a fantastic time meeting all the other people staying there and enjoying local food and wine cooked by Verity.
One thing that we didnt know was there was no radio, TV or Ipod docking station for music. This didnt worry us as we didnt want contact with the outside world. We were also out every day exploring Tuscany and Florence and at night we enjoyed cooking our own meals so having no TV etc made no difference to us.
Would definitely recommend staying here.