Rooted in a Tradition
of Excellence
Built for fun-filled exploration
Chianti vintage Expeditions was born out of two decades of hosting international guests at Villa Bordoni – one of Tuscany's most beloved historic, family-owned hotels- and listening to what people truly wanted in order to get the very best out of their precious time here in the Chianti Classico.
They didn't want a coach tour. They didn't necessarily want a 'limousine' to take them on over-trodden routes or to be treated like 'tourists'. They wanted to rub shoulders with other people: locals and similar-minded fellow travelers. To get under the 'skin' of the territory and taste it's distilled essence. They wanted to discover the hard-to-find, the unspoilt; the very best of our 'terroir'. They wanted to make memories and do things in style.
The vintage Landrover started as a private passion of the owner: a rusting heap found in the countryside near Anzio in Southern Italy. Painstakingly restored by an expert in Lucca, this sturdy much-loved vehicle with it's timeless appeal was the natural answer for touring the very best of our mountainous territory. A masterpiece of classical design which brings a nostalgic smile to the lips of those we pass by! Carrying no more guests than could fit around a dinner table, our trusty Landie is ideal to get us off the beaten track.
Small travelling party. Deep experience.
Jovial company.
Intimacy
A maximum of six guests means every tour is, in effect, a private experience. We move at your pace. We stop when something catches your eye.
Authenticity
We work with family producers who open their doors not for volume, but for the pleasure of sharing their work with people who appreciate it. Behind every bottle is hard work — and we take pride in telling that story.
The Long View
This landscape has been shaped by generations of careful stewardship. We tell that story — with respect for the land and the people who tend it.
Born from the magical world
of Hotel Villa Bordoni
Chianti Vintage Expeditions grew out of two decades of hosting guests at one of Chianti's most beloved, historical boutique hotels — home also to the restaurant 'Il Guardingo' and the Chianti Cooking School. The same natural love of people and place, the same commitment to details and personal attention. We guarantee an authentic, truly memorable experience: the eternal beauty of our land and culture inspires everything that we do.
Visit Hotel Villa Bordoni
Il Guardingo —
Osteria nel Chianti
Perched above Greve surrounded by vineyards, 'Il Guardingo' is our restaurant — a small, popular Tuscan osteria where international travellers can rub shoulders with locals. The name guardingo is a little-used word for a medieval watchtower; in our case a rugged 10th-century stone fortification where a handful of Florentine knights lived frugally and rode out on patrol. The ground floor of this historic tower is now the fireplace room of our restaurant — the arrow slits long since filled in with bricks, the metre-thick walls plastered and decorated. The crenellated battlements long since collapsed through abandonment or perhaps an earthquake. Many unrecorded events happened over more than a thousand years of intense history and centuries of fighting in this border area between the rival medieval civilisations of Florence and Siena. During the Renaissance, the noble Bordoni family of Florence built their summer residence, farm and hunting lodge on top of the ruins of this fortification. The dungeon of the knights now serves as our perfect vaulted wine cellar with a stable temperature. The old walled compound has, since the 15th century, become a romantic geometric Italian garden dotted with iron tables and chairs for guests to dine al fresco in the warmer months. Our restaurant is stylish but unpretentious — specialising in honest, traditional country cooking with a little extra flair. Everyone is warmly welcomed with equal enthusiasm by our longstanding, experienced team of locals.
Book a table at Osteria Il Guardingo
The Chianti
Cooking School
In the professional kitchen at Villa Bordoni — custom-made Molteni stove, Carrara marble surfaces, the smell of soffritto in the air — the Chianti Cooking School has been teaching the art of Tuscan cooking since 2005.
Hands-on, friendly, fun, unhurried, and always followed by a delicious dinner made up of dishes you have cooked yourself with one of our expert local chefs. The same spirit that pervades our tours: slow down, relax, enjoy — look and listen in the knowledge that you are in good hands.
Book a cooking lesson
Your expedition awaits
Join us for a great off-the-beaten track Chianti Classico experience!
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