Ilaria

At Casa Pietraia, Giancarlo welcomed us warmly and shared some interesting history about how agriculture benefits olive trees. We also learned that climate change has an effect. Then Matteo joined us for a relaxed but really informative introduction to olive oil tasting. He explained the production process in technical detail and left plenty of room for our questions. Since the tasting, I feel ready to ‘send back’ bad olive oil at a restaurant, as Matteo put it. Making good olive oil deserves a lot more respect. We had a lovely experience and highly recommend a visit to Casa Pietraia.

Emma’s food is what I keep thinking about. She made breakfast every morning, with fresh bread, cured meats and cheeses, homemade yoghurt, and cakes she’d baked herself. Her apple cake was especially memorable. She also showed us how to make fresh pasta from scratch, which we ate together with the whole family. We certainly never went hungry. Matteo is passionate about the region and makes a great guide. If you can, take one of his tours. He goes out of his way to tailor the day, whether you’re more into sightseeing or wine, and his olive oil is well worth trying too. We spent a week at Casa Pietraia with Matteo, Emma, and Giancarlo, and felt lucky to share a little of their slow way of life. We only wanted more time there. Their hillside villa is warm, inviting, and decorated in traditional Tuscan style. The views were enchanting, especially the spectacular sunsets with a glass of wine. We hope we can come back someday. It was one of the best places we’ve ever visited, made even better by the people.

Matteo made our olive oil tasting a phenomenal experience. My wife and I learned a lot about olive oil and the surrounding area. He’s passionate, knowledgeable, and explains things clearly. We’d definitely recommend visiting.

Giancarlo, Emma, and Matteo made us feel like family and were always there if we needed anything. Emma cooked us a wonderful dinner on our first night, and Matteo took us around to visit wineries. He knows the area well and suggested places to see and restaurants to try. Casa Pietraia is a beautiful Tuscan villa, with lovely rooms, a pool for sunbathing, and a place to relax and watch the sunset. If we’re in Tuscany again, we’ll definitely go back.