Growing your own vineyard in Tuscany - not always what you think

I just got back from a holiday at the Italian seaside in a place called Monte Argentario, in the south of Tuscany near Orbetello. We had a hotel with half board and I must say the wine included in the price was not bad at all - a local Vermentino. Seeing as we were eating mostly fish, we stuck to the white.

One fascinating thing about Monte Argentario were the villas constructed around the promontory, that attempted to block public access to the beaches below the cliff faces. On driving around one day and getting lost we finally parked where there were lots of cars and followed some people down to a beach. Afterwards, we decided it would be prudent to make a visit to the tourist office in Porto Santo Stefano and get ourselves a map.

Luckily the map came with instructions on how to reach some of the more remote beaches of the promontory. Invariably the instructions read "You arrive at the gate with a sign 'Private Property' - enter the gate and walk down the road until you get to the stairs that take you to the beach"...

Some of the villas around seemed lovely, complete with swimming pool for those who didn't want to enjoy their coastal location. I leave you with a picture of one of the few cliff top vineyards we saw; you can decide how and for who they produce their wine. I have a suspicion that it's all part and parcel of the villa in Tuscany requirements.