Greve is the sort of town that makes you want to put the kickstand down and wander. Its heart is an odd, wedge-shaped piazza lined with arcades, with a statue of the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in the middle. He was born in a castle nearby, and he is remembered as the first European to sail into New York Bay. Under the porticoes are butchers, wine shops and cafes, and on market days the square fills with stalls selling cheese, sausage and local produce. It is the natural capital of Chianti, in the best sense, a working market town, not a museum.
The Chiantigiana, the old state road that runs between Florence and Siena, passes right through, and it is a classic of Tuscan riding. The bends are easy, the surface is generally good, and the landscape rolls past in a pattern of vineyards, olive groves, cypress and stone farmhouses. The black rooster, the symbol of the Chianti Classico wine league, appears on signs and bottles everywhere. It is not a road for speed, because there are too many cyclists, camper vans and rental cars, but it is a road for pleasure, especially on a weekday in spring or autumn. Summer is hot and crowded, and the light at midday is flat.
Wine is the point, and the wine of the region is made mainly from Sangiovese. In the shops of Greve you can taste Chianti Classico, from young and fruity to aged and complex, and buy bottles to take home, if you have luggage space. A plate of ribollita, the hearty Tuscan bread and vegetable soup, or a slice of bistecca alla fiorentina is a fine reward. If you are riding, a small taste is enough, and a coffee will do the rest.
Greve has everything a rider needs. There are petrol stations on the edge of town, supermarkets, banks, pharmacies and plenty of places to eat, and it is a good base for a few days in the area. Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, about twelve kilometres away, is a larger town with more services. The hills around are dotted with castles and villas, many of which offer tours and tastings.
The best times to ride the area are May to June and September to October. In October the grape harvest brings tractors and the smell of crushed fruit to the roadside, and the slopes turn gold and red.