My name is Alberto and both sides of my family are natives of and have lived in the Tuscan village of Montescudaio for centuries. My grandparents, Pietro and Anna, bought the San Valentino farm and historic buildings many years ago with the vision to make fine wines in the cellars of our property. I still vividly remember the smell of the wine in the giant oak casks in the morning when I got up to go to school. Nonno Pietro would often proudly call me down to the wine cellar to let me taste the grape juice not yet fermented, sweet and delicious. My grandfather was an early proponent of the DOC Montescudaio, one of the first areas in Italy that designated and promoted a regional wine making style with specific locally grown grapes.
In 2001, when my grandfather passed away, our family decided to shift our focus from winemaking to our centuries’ old olive groves and the production of some of the finest quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Europe. It was then that we decided to renovate the wine cellars into the two present apartments that are now Casetta Luna and Sole (Moon and Sun Cottages). The classic architecture of the cellar, having been open on two sides as well as being constructed of thick stone walls, make our apartments nice and cool in the summer and warm and cozy in the winter.
It is with much pride that I currently manage this small family business together with my parents, Elena and Marcello, who are present and available to answer your questions and assist in making your stay enjoyable. We are joined by my sister-in-law, Virginia, who moved from Andalusia to Tuscany with my brother, Alessio, and whose sweet young son Mario represents the next generation.