Castello Ginori di Querceto

Here’s something for families who want the Tuscan sun but don’t want to spend the earth. Querceto is a hamlet, a rambling medieval borgo on many levels, whose nucleus is a castle around which workers’ cottages have evolved (and in the family since 1543!). Leave the car outside the walls and enter a timewarp; the Liscis may own 15 hectares of vineyards and produce a number of important red wines but no-one is in a hurry here. The apartments will charm you: a clean plain décor in a rustic style, comfort without the frills. There are bright tartan cotton bedspreads, dark shutters to keep out the light, resuscitated floor tiles and nice old doors, simple kitchens with copper pans; the farmhouse sleeping eight (set apart with a small private pool) is brilliant value. The restaurant in the village serves traditional Tuscan dishes following the Ginori Lisci family’s old recipes, you can order fresh bread at reception and buy locally grown farm veg twice a week. The grounds (not the gardens) are yours to roam, picnic spots are close and the big swimming pool is down the steep track, surrounded by olive trees.