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Crete Senesi refers to an area of Tuscany south of Siena comprising ranges of hills and woods among towns from Asciano in the north to San Quirico d’Orcia in the south. It is characterized by low hills some of which sport fortified towns such as Rocca d’Orcia, where we stayed for two nights. The underlying soils are a gray clay (which gives the area its name), and these support less abundant vegetation than is found in surrounding areas.

Much of what I wrote about Chianti applies as well to Crete. There are fewer trees, and vineyards give way to wheat fields and grasslands. Landscapes are more stark, but simpler from a compositional standpoint with plenty of lone trees and isolated groves.