Vertine is a tiny hilltop town west of Gaiole in Chianti, honeycombed with narrow, winding streets. It is a long way off the beaten tourist track and so perhaps retains some greater feeling of authenticity than do some of the more popular (more easily accessible) hill towns. On a Sunday afternoon, it was certainly peaceful enough. Maybe too peaceful, for as we finished photographing our desire for a gelato was frustrated because the only shop in the town had already closed for the day. Authenticity has its price.