Casavecchia was one of the very first properties Doorways represented. Today, it remains one of our most successful properties and best values, proving that you don't have to scrimp on character, even if your budget is small. This is a chance to experience authentic charm on a family-run vineyard; you can even help with the harvest if you are there in late September.

The owner, Gabriele Buondonno, produces the label, Buondonno, which is exported to Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Massachussetts, and California. Written up in Wine Spectator, the wine is said to be flinty, elegant and fine. Gabriele and his family live on the property and are wonderfully welcoming. They love showing their wine production to guests.

Just last week, Gabriele harvested the earliest grapes, the Merlot. Next comes the Sangiovese grapes, so important in the production of Chianti. The entire harvest, vendemmia in Italian, takes two weeks. Seven or eight workers are hired to pick the grapes by hand. No feet are used to stomp the grapes!

Poggio delle Rose is one of our newest additions in Chianti. This elegant hilltop farmstead of air-conditioned apartments and a country house has been meticulously renovated, with beautiful gardens and views, and another opportunity to experience a family-run vineyard.

Alessandro, the father, oversees the wine production, while his sons, Duccio and Gianni, now run the family business. Duccio is the wine maker, while Gianni handles wine tastings and marketing. They cultivate 60 hectares (about 150 acres) to produce 30,000 bottles of Chianti and 10,000-15,000 bottles of their superior Luia, which has won high ratings (93 points) in Wine Advocat. (This is also known as Super Tuscan; 40% of the grapes are discarded on selected plants to allow the remaining 60% to flourish, and the wine is aged entirely in oak.)

The altitude is slightly lower here than at Casavecchia, and the area is protected by mountains so the climate is slightly milder and the harvest begins a little earlier. About fifteen people work during the vendemmia. They are mostly Italians; some are retired and some are students. Everyone wants to finish before the rain comes, so during the harvest, they work from 8 a.m. until 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. They pick by hand and by machine and export to California and Nevada. Click here to read more Insider's Tips

Doorways can help you find the best value to stretch your dollars:

Direct flight to Lyon: New non-stop service on Air France between New York (JFK) and Lyon. Drive to Provence in two hours, and you don't have to worry about a missed connection or lost luggage.

Eat your way through Spain: Join hosts Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman and Claudia Bassols for the 13-part series, "Spain…on the road Again." The ultimate foodie road trip premiered September 20th on PBS-TV.

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