| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 13 positive, 0 negative]
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| 09/01/08 |
Positive
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Hello, Dave,
We're very nostalgic about our time at what we are
now calling "our" home in Tuscany (we wish it were
ours!). It exceeded our expectations - the website
doesn't do the views justice, and we were so
surprised at how much larger the rooms are than
they appear in photographs. We had so much
trouble dragging ourselves away from the pool, the
terrace, and the view, so we didn't do nearly as
much sightseeing as we'd thought we would - but
it was all good! The location is perfect - close to
everything, but far enough away that it's quite
private and quiet. We were in awe. You have a slice
of heaven at Villa Brunello at San Sebastiano! |
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The Seatons, Vermont
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| 10/15/07 |
Positive
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Dear Dave,
Thank you for opening your wonderful home to us for a fall wine retreat. We spent the days traveling to various wineries and towns in the area, afternoons sitting in the backyard, and evenings eating at as many resturants as possible. We'd love to come back again...........enjoy your treasure.
Bob and Nancy, Mike and jackie |
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Bob and Nancy, Mike and jackie
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| 07/17/07 |
Positive
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| The four of us had a thoroughly delightful time at the Villa. The views were truly breathtaking from every angle. We had several great dinners at I Poggolio in Buonconvento. Enjoyed all the surrounding towns and Sant Antimo Abbey for Gregorian Chants. The pool and Villa were very clean and well-cared for. Brunello wine is wonderfully rich. Hope to visit again. |
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Anonymous, Fountain Valley, CA |
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| 07/15/07 |
Positive
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Hello Dave,
We wanted to write and let you know what a lovely time we had at your villa in Montalcino. We had our children ages 15 & 17 with us and Dennis' mom - a great time was had by all.
Moreno was delightful! We left a day early to go to Florence and he appeared Friday morning to say goodbye to us. I'm sure you know how fortunate you are to have him working with you. He was very patient with me and my newly learned Italian. There were only a couple of times I had to rely on my picture dictionary ;) We didn't have a chance to meet his wife, but I'm sure she's just as much a treasure.
The place met and exceeded our expectations! We thoroughly enjoyed the surroundings and the town of Montalcino... Il Moro Ristorante became a favorite of ours as well -the food was amazing and very affordable. On our second visit we were joined at our table by Roberto. He had a bottle of wine sent to our table and shared stories with us -we were able to speak in Spanish with him. My only regret is that I neglected to take a picture of the lady who owns the little market Moreno took us to when we arrived on Sunday afternoon. Her name is Mirella. She was adoreable, we visited her store frequently during our stay.
Dennis and I are looking forward to planning another trip for just the two of us. It was a great family vacation, but I think we'd like to do alot more wine tasting in the region!
Thank you again for opening your home to strangers -what a leap of faith, we are so grateful to have found you.
Two of the pictures I've included are of the tiniest hummingbirds I've ever seen -they were feeding in your lavendar bushes...amazing!
I feel like I'm echoing the sentiments of others when I say we'd really like to look into how to go about purchasing a property in the area. I took over 650 pictures during our 2 weeks in Italy and none are as breathtaking as the sunsets from your back yard, or the morning views of the sheep being herded out to pasture. We can see why you love it.
We look forward to our next visit. Have a wonderful remainder of the summer!
Ciao!
Yvonne & Dennis
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Yvonne & Dennis, Northridge, CA
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| 07/06/07 |
Positive
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| My husband and I spent a wonderful week in Dave's Villa Brunello with three other couples. Florence and Rome were also on our itinerary, but the week in Tuscany was by far the best part of our trip. It was very warm while we were there, but always relatively cool on the hill with the pool as a great place to cool off on the hottest of days. Our day generally included sight-seeing in the earlier part of the day and drinks by the pool in the afternoon. Seeing as we all fancy ourselves to be relatively good cooks, we alternately cooked at home and went out in the evening. We were pleased that the kitchen had everything we needed and dining outdoors with the views and the sunsets was better than any restaurant. Taverna del Grappolo Blu was a big hit with our group; we were waited on by the charming and gracious owner. Montalcino was, of all the quaint mountain towns, our favorite. Worth going in for Friday's market day with all its colorful people and fun shopping. We did have the pump go out while we were there, but Dave was able to get the caretaker, Moreno, out to help us very promptly. One suggestion is to make sure that you have a European cell phone with you for those emergency calls. |
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Linda Herman, Minneapolis, MN |
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Homeowner Response:
Thanks Linda for the nice comments. Linda did it right. The best days are those where you get out early and see the sights and then come back for leisurely afternoons by the pool. I am very lucky to have Moreno and our guests seem to love him.
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| 04/24/07 |
Positive
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My entire family stayed in Villa Brunello for two
gorgeous weeks in April, soaking in the intense
green of the hills and the wonderful wine. It was
the ideal location for jaunts across Tuscany and
Umbria as well as for sitting out on the patio all day
being mesmerized by the view. We loved driving
the tiny country roads, getting lost on purpose, and
exploring the towns filled with history. Moreno was
prompt and helpful with everything that we needed,
and we felt welcomed by the Italian people. It is
now our dream to own a villa there too someday. I
recommend taking all of Dave's suggestions of local
sights and restaurants (we were never led astray
with those) and visiting the "Il Paradiso di Frassina"
vineyard just up the road where they play classical
music to their grapes! Thanks for a great stay. |
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Katherine Thompson, Topanga, CA
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Homeowner Response:
Katherine,
Thank you for the beatiful words. I hope you will indeed buy a place right up the road. We would have a great time.
Ciao,
Dave
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| 09/28/06 |
Positive
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| The Villa Brunello was a perfect location from which to visit the historic hill towns of Tuscany. It was everything we expected and more, very spacious and breathtaking vistas. Because the home is on a peak with vineyards spilling down the hillside, we had a perfect perch for observing preparations for the grape harvest. Viewing seeminly endless acres of vines loaded with grapes from our very private rose filled patio was a treat, regardless of the time of day. At night we could see the lights of Siena in the distance as we sipped our Brunello around the pool. Moreno, the friendly and capable caretaker, kept the pool spotless. The extensive notebook with instructions for everything in the house down to making coffee added to the ease of our stay. Suggestions for restaurants were most helpful, with Il Grappolo Blu becoming our favorite in Montalcino. Exploring Montapulcino, Cortona, San Gimingano, Volterra, Pienza, Buonconvento, Siena, Florence, and Torrenieri, always with a wonderful lunch and wine, was such great fun. We fell in love with the Italian people and their passion for history, wine, food, and life. Great vacation. |
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James and Mary Magee, Tulsa, OK
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Homeowner Response:
Thanks James and Mary,
It sounds like you covered a lot of ground in your two weeks and yet had time to stop and enjoy the surroundings.
Moreno (our caretaker who we inherited and who has been taking care of the property for more than 20 years) described his experience with you both as "Bravissimi!" Please come again. There will be a bottle of brunello waiting with your name on it!
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| 08/28/06 |
Positive
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| David, My husband and I, with our daughter & son-in-law spent a glorious week celebrating our granddaughter's first birthday, Tuscan style, at beautiful Villa Brunello. Waking to the warm Tuscan sun, breakfast on the patio overlooking the lovely vineyards and beautiful Tuscan countryside, a swim in the pool, and then off to the many little hillside towns. We loved wandering the streets of Montalcino with the locals, visiting Siena and San Gimignano, and another of our favorites--Pienza, then dinner in one of the many great restaurants you recommended, or visiting the surrounding shops for homemade pasta and delicious sauces, cheeses, salami, etc., and of course, wonderful Montalcino wine, and then home to a grand meal on the patio while enjoying the spectacular sunsets. We were all ready to become permanent residents of Tuscany. Thank you for sharing your lovely home! Betty |
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Betty, Los Angeles, CA
310 - 397-7896 |
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Homeowner Response:
Betty,
We would love to have you as neighbors in Tuscany. Thank you for being so nice to our caretaker and housekeepers. Come back anytime.
Ciao,
Dave
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| 08/21/06 |
Positive
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| Just a quick note to say that this property is fantastic! The location is perfect for anyone wanting to see the real Tuscany. The pool was lovely and our kids had a wonderful time. |
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Brian Macaluso |
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| 08/20/06 |
Positive
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Your villa was the highlight of our incredible vacation. Twilight with a bottle of Brunello Montalcino, some toscano pecorino, and a loaf of rustic bread, amidst your garden overlooking the valley, was heaven on earth. Montalcino was a simple, yet sophisticated, medieval town.
During the day, we lived next to your beautiful pool. We cannot wait for a return visit and can plan more future dreams. |
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Christine, Santa Cruz, CA
831.475.8468 |
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| 08/04/06 |
Positive
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| What a great property! The views are spectacular and we so enjoyed the sunsets each evening while eating our dinner on the patio. It was great to have the pool to entertain the kids, while the adults sat under the umbrellas and read books. Your caretaker, Moreno, was very helpful with all of our needs and saved the day when he was able to replace some fans for us. Montalcino is a nice little town with great restaurants and shops and the wine from the area is fabulous! We will definitely recommend this place to our friends, who after hearing about our trip, are eager to plan their own. Thanks. |
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Pam Hascall, Denver, Colorado
303-794-9196 |
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Homeowner Response:
Thanks Pam. We are happy to have guests as appreciative and kind to our caretaker as you were. I see you found my favorite dining spot!
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| 07/28/06 |
Positive
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Dear David,
I just wanted to let you know what a great time we had at your villa and how
much we enjoyed ourselves. The recommendations you provided were spot on,
and the views, the yard and the furnishings were more than we could have
hoped for. I will be sure to recommend your property to any of my friends.
I just wanted to let you know that my sister and her extended family stayed
at a nearby property for twice as
much money, and actually liked your (our) place better. Of course, I am
not saying you should raise your rates. ;) In the end we were happy that
our research had paid off as we did not find your site right away with our
intial searches and that we booked as early as we did. My kids want us to
buy a place now and even picked their favorite villages in the area.
By the way, I counted over 70 rosebushes. Everywhere we turned, we lost our breath from the beauty. Of couse, we brought home some brunnello to reminisce. |
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dorothy, San Diego, CA |
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Homeowner Response:
Thank you Dorothy. Maybe we will be neighbors some day.
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