To celebrate the launch of our new Chairman\u2019s Collection journeys, where guests get to meet legendary locals around the world, including Francesco, we sent Luxury Gold\u2019s content producer, Rachel Gee, to Tuscany to find out more about the Marchese himself, his beautiful home and the Mazzei wine dynasty.<\/em><\/p>\n As I step through the elegant iron gates to Marchese Francesco\u2019s fairy tale Tuscan villa, I am greeted by three loyal companions.\u00a0Francesco soon joins us, sweeping the smallest, Brio, up into his arms.<\/p>\n Francesco Mazzei at home with two of his dogs.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cWe have quite a few dogs on the property, six in total. Five big ones and this little one, Brio \u2013 he\u2019s the boss,\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n Dressed in a blazer and tailored trousers, Francesco is the image of Italian chic and his eloquence and modesty only add to his charms. Despite the fact he descends from the famous Mazzei family and owns the second oldest winery in Italy, he remains humble and keen to show me his estate, something he also shares with Chairman\u2019s Collection guests.<\/p>\n \u201cMy family has owned Castello di Fonterutoli since 1435, so for 25 generations. We\u2019ve been living here forever, it\u2019s our paradise,\u201d he explains, and I can understand why.<\/p>\n Fonterutoli village.<\/p><\/div>\n We begin in the picturesque village, situated next to the Castello.\u00a0 Walking down its cobbled paths,\u00a0we are not only presented with beautiful rustic buildings, decorated by rose pink flowers, but kind conversations with the local villagers. And everywhere we go Francesco is met with a wave, embrace and jovial banter.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a young boy, I used to play hide and seek with the local children. We\u2019d hide over here,\u201d he says pointing at a woodland area near his house.<\/p>\n He directs me to his car to drive down the country road to the winery itself. Noticing the impressive road bike attached to the back, our videographer \u2013 also a keen cyclist \u2013 gets into an in-depth conversation about biking. It\u2019s this kind of approachable nature that makes the Marchese such a hit with our guests. They love talking to him about a range of topics.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been playing football all my life, but for the last 10 years I\u2019ve really got into bicycles \u2013 road bikes and mountain biking. The hills around here are perfect for it.\u201d<\/p>\n We drive a short distance surrounded by these glorious landscapes, passing through Francesco\u2019s lush vineyards to the winery. I am led down to the impressive cellars, a vast space taken up by thousands of barrels, all decorated with the Mazzei family\u2019s official stamp.<\/p>\n Francesco Mazzei inside his family’s winery.<\/p><\/div>\n Having already told me who his most surprising guest was \u2013 Billy Joel \u2013 I am keen to know who else he\u2019d love to bring here.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I could bring anyone here, past or present, it would have to be Thomas Jefferson. He was a real wine connoisseur\u201d.<\/p>\n Jefferson also happened to be a close friend of Francesco\u2019s ancestor, Filippo Mazzei, and was a Founding Father of the United States, contributing to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Filippo is credited for being the\u00a0inspiration behind one of its famous quotes: \u201cAll men are by nature equally free and independent. Such equality is necessary in order to create a free government,\u201d something later acknowledged by President John F Kennedy in his book, \u201cA Nation of Immigrants\u201d.<\/p>\n After a fascinating afternoon talking about sports, philosophy, history and of course wine, I leave the estate in a jovial mood, having refueled with pasta and a glass of red wine from the family\u2019s osteria. This quaint restaurant, surrounded by the rolling Tuscan countryside, is where Chairman\u2019s Collection guests enjoy a delicious, rustic, meal during their own trip to Castello di Fonterutoli.<\/p>\n Meet Marchese Francesco Mazzei for yourself on select departures on our Ultimate Italy<\/a> and La Serenissima<\/a> trips.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Legendary Locals: Part 2 \u201cBill Joel, Billy Joel was one of our most surprising visitors. He really enjoyed our wines,\u201d…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[357,54],"tags":[391,390,125,206,70,157],"class_list":["post-6651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-luxury-journeys","tag-chairmans-collection","tag-chianti","tag-italy","tag-luxury","tag-luxury-gold","tag-wine"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.luxurygoldvacations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/1150EULG2018-1024x683.jpg\")
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