One of the things I’ve learnt travelling through Tuscany is that the most interesting stories are rarely the loudest ones.They sit slightly to the side.Just beyond the well-known names. In Val d’Orcia, between Brunello di Montalcino and Montepulciano, that’s exactly where I found them. This part of southern Tuscany is everything you imagine it to be, rolling hills, cypress-lined roads, soft winter light, but it’s also where a quieter shift is happening.Less about prestige.

One of the most underrated white wines in Italy — and a personal favourite of mine- is Vernaccia di San Gimignano. In a region globally celebrated for powerful reds, this historic Tuscan white quietly holds its own, offering depth, texture and remarkable ageing potential. If you’re searching for the best white wines of Tuscany, this is where I’d start. Expect aromas of lemon peel, ripe pear, crushed almonds and wild Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it’s dry, structured

Think Tuscany is only for sun-soaked summers and golden wheat fields? Think again. A winter trip to Val d’Orcia reveals a quieter, moodier, more cinematic side of the region, one that feels deeply authentic, atmospheric and wonderfully unhurried. This UNESCO World Heritage landscape, famous for its rolling hills, cypress-lined roads and storybook hill towns, transforms in winter. Morning mist settles in the valleys, olive groves shimmer silver in low light, and sunset turn

Winter in Montalcino and Montepulciano is a different kind of magic, softer, slower, and infinitely more atmospheric. If you’re considering a winter trip to southern Tuscany, particularly in the weeks leading up to Christmas, expect fewer crowds, mist-laced mornings and that low golden light photographers dream about. The medieval streets feel almost cinematic, with wood smoke curling into the cool air and church bells echoing across nearly empty piazzas.

I recently returned from a trip to South Africa where I was lucky enough to visit some wonderful wineries! Creation Wines is just twenty years old but has quickly become one of the most exciting wineries in the Western Cape. Set amidst verdant gardens in the heart of Walker Bay set up by married couple JC and Carolyn (who separately hail from wine-making families in Switzerland and Stellenbosch) who have done an incredible job turning a bare piece of farmland into biodiverse