San Gimignano: 'I visited a stunning UNESCO heritage town in Tuscany - here's where you should visit'

The historic heart of this tiny hilltop Tuscan town is a pedestrian zone apart from early morning and late evening when a few vehicles are allowed access to supply the shops and restaurants.

So, around 4.30pm, the tourists who have spent the day exploring this lovely UNESCO heritage town, stream down the stone paved road to meet their coaches to take them back to their hotels and holiday accommodation in Florence and Siena.

By 6pm the town is transformed into your own personal historic site.

It is possible to stand in the middle of the main square and gaze up at the towers that soar into the sky, without the noise of chattering holiday makers.

You can get a table in a restaurant, enjoy the local cuisine and wine, then meander back to your hotel.

San Gimignano is famous for its towers. These stand tall, forming a distinctive profile that you can see as you approach the town.

There used to be over 70 of them, strangely square and plain, built in the 1100 and 1200’s to make each family seem more important than their neighbour, but they also came in useful for spying and launching missiles on each other.

Over time, some collapsed, and some were taken down, so only 14 towers of various heights remain. Some are even open to be climbed although I have never tried.

Wine was the source of much of the wealth of the region, and the town is still surrounded by vineyards, mainly growing a white grape, Vernaccia.

This region overlaps with the Chianti Colli Senesi region, and so producers are able to make red wines too. Many of them have also branched out into hospitality so you can stay on farms, or in whole villages, converted into holiday lets.

This is a hilly region, so be prepared for slopes as you walk through the vineyards.

Vernaccia is a grape almost as ancient as the town. Its name means ‘local grape’, so you may come across other types of Vernaccia in Sardinia and other places.

The San Gimignano version was granted the first DOC in 1966, then upgraded to DOCG in 1993, becoming one of the few Italian white wines to win the honour of Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita.

I tasted over 100 wines at the Festival of Regina Ribelle which marks an annual celebration of this lovely wine. It has a light, clean, fresh style with floral notes, a whiff of white blossom, flavours of citrus, green apple and hints of ripe pear, and there is a definite minerally crunch on the finish.

Surprisingly it can also age for several years, gathering complexity without losing its freshness. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a dry wine, and it has enough structure to accompany foods from simple salads to pizza, risotto and even meat dishes.

Many producers are organic, making wines without fertilizers and pesticides, while some are stepping up to biodynamic methods.

Across the whole region sustainability is the watchword, making sure that farming methods have the least impact on the soil and raw materials.

If you are planning to head to Tuscany this summer, here are some places to head for.

Fattoria di Fugnano (www.fattoriadifugnano.com)

This property dates back hundreds of years and is owned and run by Laura Dell’Aria, helped by her son Andrea who combines his agriculture studies with a comprehensive knowledge of the soils of the 200-hectare estate.

There is also a team of enthusiastic, talented workers who seem to have pitched up from all corners of the globe. Tasting through a selection of vintages, I was impressed by the clarity and purity of the fruit, with peach, citrus and herbs vying for attention.

These wines used to be available in Marks and Spencer, but they became so popular that Laura could not keep up with demand. Please will someone import these wines into Yorkshire?

Laura also has several holiday apartments on the estate which look delightful. Check the website.

Pietraserena (www.arrigoni1913.it)

With 44 hectares of vines, occupying the top of a hill facing the towers of San Gimignano, the Pietraserena estate has the best vineyard views I have ever seen.

It is run by Andrea Arrigoni whose family has owned the estate for four generations and he stressed the importance of the location, not just for the views but for the constant breezes that keep disease at bay, and also for the soils, which were under the sea several millennia ago.

“Look around and you can find shells in the soil,” said Andrea and I did. “That gives the grapes a particular, minerally character which you can find in our wines.”

Sadly, Pietraserena wines are not in the UK at present, but if you want to taste them then you can visit the estate where there is an excellent restaurant, and they even have an apartment in San Gimignano to rent. Check the website.

Andrea also sends his best wishes to Harrogate. “I spent several summers in Harrogate learning English. It is a lovely place.”

Macinatico (www.macinatico.com)

“At one time, San Gimignano was an island and where we are standing was ocean,” said Luca Massi at his family estate.

Rescued from ruin a generation ago, this estate now produces excellent organic wines and olive oil, with a separate focus on holiday accommodation and a really good pool.

If you are not planning an Italian holiday, the wines of Vernaccia di San Gimignano are readily available nearer home.

Teruzzi and Puthod Rondolino Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2023, Waitrose Cellar down from £10 to £8 until 1 July: Fresh, clean, minerally flavours in this wine. Perfect with summer salads.

Teruzzi Isola Bianca Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2023, Hic! Ledston, £16.50: I gave top marks to this outstanding wine that has a vibrant balance of pink grapefruit, ripe pear and crunchy minerals.

Montendoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano Tradizionale 2023, Buon Vino £25: Traditional, organic methods make this a rounded complex wine, with the hallmarks of good Vernaccia that can age for up to three years.