Al fresco tables set with white tablecloths, glittering cutlery and chinking glassware, are perfect for sunny days. Geese strut around this 17th century stone building like they own the place, but the kudos should go direct to delightful owner Andrea Leonelli who has made culinary magic in one of the quietest corners of Umbria. The Etruscan town of Cortona, which featured in the novel Under a Tuscan Sun, is a short drive away. An old stone barn has been converted into a sweet little trabaccaia, where Alberto serves authentic dishes inspired by local produce and his own wine. Charming host Alberto, whose great grandfather purchased the property in 1918, has turned it into a boutique organic farm, with olive trees, vineyards and gardens that in turn contribute olive oil, organic vinsanto wine, honey and jams to the farm offerings. Il Cipresso's seven suites are lovingly integrated into the shuttered three-storey villa, mingling the grandness of a high-end hotel (air-con, a writing desk, complimentary wine, a pool) with the warmth of a guesthouse. Dinner is served communally on a huge table with Rosella sending authentic Tuscan dishes from the kitchen, while Giacomo pours vino and enlightens guests about local truffle hunting, olive oil tasting and hilltop towns including Montepulciano and Montalcino. Renovated wings and outhouses have been converted to rooms with a provincial Italian feel – fresh flowers, throw cushions, decorative plates and other nods to nostalgia. He and wife Rosella own this characteristic old farmhouse set amid rolling woodlands and olive groves near the town of Traquanda, in an oasis of Tuscan serenity. Renello's extra virgin olive oil was the official oil at this year's Milan expo, a tribute to the skills of keen agronomist Giacomo.

Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson