Castello di Meleto ★☆☆

A medieval castle turned winery and hotel

Meleto Castle's twin circular towers stand mighty at either expanse of a long blank wall to watch over the estate’s vineyards.

The poor castle-cum-villa was originally built in the 1100s, but then partially dismantled by the Sienese in the 15C. Rebuilt by the Florentines, it was smashed again by the Sienese in the 17C before a 1700s restoration transformed it to the villa we see today.

In 1966, a group headed by a local magazine publisher crowdfunded an organization called Viticola Toscana to purchase the castle and surrounding lands and start a new winery on the historic property—one still owned and operated by its 1,600 modern subscribers.

You can taste their wines (made with the traditional Chianti grapes as well as Merlot and Pinot Nero) in the cellar enoteca daily 11am–7pm in summer (in winter Fri-Sun 11am–6pm). Light lunches are also available, including salami made from the cinta senese pigs they raise.

Tours of the vineyard and wine cellars last two hours.

As always, it's best to call in advance to arrange a visit, preferably a few days in advance.

They also offer half-day cooking classes.

They also now rent rooms, apartments, and operate an agriturismo.

Farther up this road is the hamlet of Castagnoli, wrapped around the thick, squat walls of an early medieval castle.

Photo gallery

Useful Italian phrases

Sightseeing
Basic phrases
Calendar
Numbers

Useful Italian for sightseeing

English (*inglese*)	Italian (italiano)	Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun
Where is?...	Dov'é	doh-VAY
...the museum	il museo	eel moo-ZAY-yo
...the church	la chiesa	lah key-YAY-zah
...the cathedral	il duomo [or] la cattedrale	eel DUO-mo [or] lah cah-the-DRAH-leh

When is it open?	Quando é aperto?	KWAN-doh ay ah-PAIR-toh
When does it close?	Quando si chiude?	KWAN-doh see key-YOU-day
Closed day	giorno di riposo	JOR-no dee ree-PO-zo
Weekdays (Mon-Sat)	feriali	fair-ee-YA-lee
Sunday & holidays	festivi	fe-STEE-vee

ticket	biglietto	beel-YET-toh
two adults	due adulti	DOO-way ah-DOOL-tee
one child	un bambino	oon bahm-BEE-no
one student	uno studente	OO-noh stu-DENT-ay
one senior	un pensionato	oon pen-see-yo-NAH-toh

Basic phrases in Italian

English (inglese)	Italian (italiano)	pro-nun-see-YAY-shun
thank you	grazie	GRAT-tzee-yay
please	per favore	pair fa-VOHR-ray
yes	si	see
no	no	no
Do you speak English?	Parla Inglese?	PAR-la een-GLAY-zay
I don't understand	Non capisco	non ka-PEESK-koh
I'm sorry	Mi dispiace	mee dees-pee-YAT-chay
How much is it?	Quanto costa?	KWAN-toh COST-ah
That's too much	É troppo	ay TROH-po

Good day	Buon giorno	bwohn JOUR-noh
Good evening	Buona sera	BWOH-nah SAIR-rah
Good night	Buona notte	BWOH-nah NOTE-tay
Goodbye	Arrivederci	ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee
Excuse me (to get attention)	Scusi	SKOO-zee
Excuse me (to get past someone)	Permesso	pair-MEH-so

Where is?	Dov'é	doh-VAY
...the bathroom	il bagno	eel BHAN-yoh
...train station	la ferroviaria	lah fair-o-vee-YAR-ree-yah
to the right	à destra	ah DEH-strah
to the left	à sinistra	ah see-NEEST-trah
straight ahead	avanti [or] diritto	ah-VAHN-tee [or] dee-REE-toh
information	informazione	in-for-ma-tzee-OH-nay

Days, months, and other calendar items in Italian

English (*inglese*)	Italian (italiano)	Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun
When is it open?	Quando é aperto?	KWAN-doh ay ah-PAIR-toh
When does it close?	Quando si chiude?	KWAN-doh see key-YOU-day
At what time...	a che ora	a kay O-rah

Yesterday	ieri	ee-YAIR-ee
Today	oggi	OH-jee
Tomorrow	domani	doh-MAHN-nee
Day after tomorrow	dopo domani	DOH-poh doh-MAHN-nee

a day	un giorno	oon je-YOR-no
Monday	Lunedí	loo-nay-DEE
Tuesday	Martedí	mar-tay-DEE
Wednesday	Mercoledí	mair-coh-lay-DEE
Thursday	Giovedí	jo-vay-DEE
Friday	Venerdí	ven-nair-DEE
Saturday	Sabato	SAH-baa-toh
Sunday	Domenica	doh-MEN-nee-ka

Mon-Sat	Feriali	fair-ee-YAHL-ee
Sun & holidays	Festivi	feh-STEE-vee
Daily	Giornaliere	joor-nahl-ee-YAIR-eh

a month	una mese	oon-ah MAY-zay
January	gennaio	jen-NAI-yo
February	febbraio	feh-BRI-yo
March	marzo	MAR-tzoh
April	aprile	ah-PREEL-ay
May	maggio	MAH-jee-oh
June	giugno	JEW-nyoh
July	luglio	LOO-lyoh
August	agosto	ah-GO-sto
September	settembre	set-TEM-bray
October	ottobre	oh-TOE-bray
November	novembre	no-VEM-bray
December	dicembre	de-CHEM-bray

Numbers in Italian

English (*inglese*)	Italian (italiano)	Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun
1	uno	OO-no
2	due	DOO-way
3	tre	tray
4	quattro	KWAH-troh
5	cinque	CHEEN-kway
6	sei	say
7	sette	SET-tay
8	otto	OH-toh
9	nove	NO-vay
10	dieci	dee-YAY-chee
11	undici	OON-dee-chee
12	dodici	DOH-dee-chee
13	tredici	TRAY-dee-chee
14	quattordici	kwa-TOR-dee-chee
15	quindici	KWEEN-dee-chee
16	sedici	SAY-dee-chee
17	diciasette	dee-chee-ya-SET-tay
18	diciotto	dee-CHO-toh
19	diciannove	dee-chee-ya-NO-vay
20	venti	VENT-tee
21*	vent'uno*	vent-OO-no
22*	venti due*	VENT-tee DOO-way
23*	venti tre*	VENT-tee TRAY
30	trenta	TRAYN-tah
40	quaranta	kwa-RAHN-tah
50	cinquanta	cheen-KWAN-tah
60	sessanta	say-SAHN-tah
70	settanta	seh-TAHN-tah
80	ottanta	oh-TAHN-tah
90	novanta	no-VAHN-tah
100	cento	CHEN-toh
1,000	mille	MEEL-lay
5,000	cinque milla	CHEEN-kway MEEL-lah
10,000	dieci milla	dee-YAY-chee MEEL-lah

* You can use this formula for all Italian ten-place numbers—so 31 is trent'uno, 32 is trenta due, 33 is trenta tre, etc. Note that—like uno (one), otto (eight) also starts with a vowel—all "-8" numbers are also abbreviated (vent'otto, trent'otto, etc.).