Martino Brillo

A Wine-Centric Rural Retreat

This redesigned residence sits smack dab in the center of a Verdicchio vineyard and has been transformed from its former life as a modest agricultural structure into a casual, contemporary vacation home. Awash in bright colors, with walls of charming, exposed stone, the villa for rent in Italy features easygoing enhancements such as former livestock troughs turned into lighting fixtures, and restored terracotta floors. Plus, it’s an ideal spot to have a truly immersive wine tasting and workshop experience, given its prime, heart-of-a-vineyard location.

This charming stone home with a hilltop garden swimming pool sits at the center of rows of wine grapes that extend in every direction from its neatly landscaped garden. Its owners, the Milanese husband and wife team operating one of our very small luxury hotels, Cingoli B&B, specialize in creating country escapes that preserve the harmony of their surroundings, reimagined for peaceful modern living. In this instance, the former agricultural outpost has been completely renovated to welcome eight guests within its low key, luxurious accommodations. 

The modest, tile-roofed rectangle contains a sleek kitchen, a bright dining room and comfortable living area where patinaed, cobbled floors meet whitewashed, wood-beamed ceilings and newly installed blonde wood floors. Exposed stone walls and original wooden doors bring an air of rural authenticity to the spaces, including the cheery bedroom suites with their neatly draped windows opening out onto vineyard views and the green valleys beyond. 

Décor is most notable in the on-site tasting room, home of the property’s wine experience, one of several food- and wine-related offerings on tap. The space features velvety midnight-toned walls, antique barrels and wine storage, and all modern, climate-controlled wine fridges filled with local bottles.

AROUND

Located just outside the peaceful rural village of Staffolo, in the Le Marche region, the home and its rambling grounds are a veritable island in a sea of Verdicchio vines, the area’s signature dry, yet fruity white variety that has been cultivated in the area for centuries. The region of Le Marche is one of Italy’s lesser-known, a place of unspoiled beauty that is gently hilly and very green, home to several wineries and family-owned estates producing the wine across two appellations, one extending across an area only about 25 miles from the Adriatic, the other further inland. 

This villa for rent in Italy is a great starting point for exploring the wine region by car or bike, and hiking and cycling are popular ways to visit the nearby Conero beaches along the Adriatic Sea and the rural region’s picturesque villages, such as Cingoli or Macerata, also situated nearby. Hikers and cyclists will appreciate the protected Gloa della Rossa e di Frasassi National Park at the foothills of the Apennine mountains. Additionally, the home offers easy access to the neighboring region of Umbria, with its historical, cultural and outdoor recreation opportunities.

LOCATION

Staffolo, Le Marche, Italy. Nearest airport: Ancona, 30 minutes, Florence

BEST TIME TO VISIT: May to September