There is a moment in the week when everything slows down. It is not Friday evening, when the weekend has already begun and the rush to live it takes over. It is not Sunday, which always carries that aftertaste of things to do the next day. It is Thursday evening. That point when the week is almost done, work can wait and the desire to feel good is at its peak.
At Villa Dianella, Thursday evening has a name: Rosso di Sera. It is the estate’s weekly aperitivo, a regular appointment that from 6.30 to 8 pm transforms the terrace and garden of the villa into a place where time is measured in glasses and sunsets.
It is not just any aperitivo. It is an aperitivo with a view over the vineyards, with the sun dropping behind the hills of Vinci and the light changing colour minute by minute. It is the way Dianella eases into the weekend: calmly, with a glass in hand and the Tuscan countryside as the only backdrop.
One Aperitivo, Many Ways to Enjoy It
Rosso di Sera has no rigid format. There is no assigned table, no programme to follow. There is a space, an atmosphere and the freedom to experience it however you wish.
Some arrive to meet friends around a large table, laughter mingling with the clink of glasses. Others choose a quieter corner for a romantic evening for two, with the sunset as a backdrop and no hurry to leave. Others still, after a day’s work, treat themselves to an aperitivo with colleagues, immersed in the peace of the Tuscan countryside, far from the noise of the city.
Whatever the reason for arriving, the result is the same: you relax. The villa, the vineyards and the evening light do their work better than any playlist or studied décor. It is a place that does not need to be constructed: it is beautiful on its own, and the aperitivo is simply the best excuse to enjoy it.
What to Drink: Sommelier Cocktails or Dianella Wines
Choosing what to drink is the first pleasure of the evening.
For cocktail lovers, Villa Dianella’s sommelier prepares signature drinks designed for the season and the setting. These are not city-bar cocktails: they are creations using local ingredients, aromatic herbs from the garden and often the estate’s own wines as a base. Each Thursday the offering may change, following inspiration and ingredient availability.
For those who prefer wine, the natural choice is the Dianella range. A glass of Sereno e Nuvole, the fresh and mineral Vermentino, is perfect to start with while the sun is still warm. The rosé All’Aria Aperta, light and elegant, is a wine that seems made to be drunk outdoors on summer evenings. And for those wanting something more structured, a glass of Chianti Dianella accompanies the transition from light to darkness nicely, when the air cools and flavours can become more intense.
Every wine is an expression of the territory and the estate’s organic viticulture. Drinking them here, just metres from the vines where they are born, adds a layer of meaning to every sip.
What to Eat: Tuscan Offerings to Share
An aperitivo is not just a glass. It is also a table.
Rosso di Sera features a selection of Tuscan offerings designed to accompany the glass and to be shared. It is not a dinner, not just any cheese board: it is a curated selection from the Bistrot delle Scuderie kitchen that blends genuine flavours, tradition and conviviality.
These are small preparations that pair perfectly with wine: bruschetta with the estate’s extra virgin olive oil, crostini with Tuscan chicken liver pâté, a selection of local cured meats and cheeses, olives, small focaccias and other seasonal temptations that change with what the garden offers.
They are dishes meant to be picked up by hand, shared among friends, accompanied by a conversation that stretches on with the evening. Nothing formal, nothing complicated. Just good things done well.
The Setting: Where the Sunset Becomes a Show
If the aperitivo is the pretext, the sunset is the true protagonist.
Villa Dianella’s position on the hills between Vinci and Empoli offers a westward aspect that on summer evenings becomes a natural spectacle. The sun drops behind the Montalbano ridge, the light shifts from yellow to orange to pink, the vineyards take on warm hues and the air fills with that scent of earth and cut grass that is the very perfume of Tuscany.
This is not a sunset watched from a window. It is a sunset lived inside the landscape, feet on the grass or seated on the Bistrot terrace, glass in hand and no building to interrupt the view.
It is the kind of experience that cannot be replicated. Each Thursday the sunset is different, the light changes, the colours shift. But the feeling is always the same: being in the right place at the right time.
Rosso di Sera: Why Thursday
The choice of Thursday is no accident. It is the day when the working week begins to loosen its grip and the desire for lightness takes over.
On Fridays and Saturdays Tuscany fills with events, openings and venues. Thursday evening is still a more intimate, more collected moment. Those who come to Villa Dianella on a Thursday do so by choice, not habit. They seek a beautiful place, a relaxed atmosphere and quality in what they drink and eat.
Rosso di Sera is designed precisely for this audience. For those who prefer an aperitivo with vineyard views to a cocktail bar in town. For those who want to start the weekend a day early, in the most beautiful way possible.
It is also a perfect occasion for those who do not yet know Villa Dianella. The Thursday aperitivo is an accessible, informal way to discover the estate, the wines and the atmosphere without the commitment of a dinner or a full tasting. Many who come for an aperitivo return for a dinner at the Bistrot, a cellar tasting or a stay at the wine resort.
Practical Information
Rosso di Sera takes place every Thursday from 6.30 to 8 pm at Villa Dianella.
The Food & Wine Experience starts from 22 euros per person and includes the selection of Tuscan offerings and a welcome glass.
Booking is not required but is recommended, especially in the summer months when the terrace fills quickly.
To book or for more information, contact Villa Dianella on 0571 508166, via WhatsApp or by writing to info@villadianella.it.
Villa Dianella is located at Via Dianella 48, 50059 Vinci (FI), less than one hour from both Florence and Pisa. Free parking is available within the estate.
Whether it is an evening with friends, a special occasion or a toast after work — we will see you at Villa Dianella at sunset.
