There’s a moment in the week when everything slows down. It’s not Friday evening, when the weekend has already begun and the rush to make the most of it takes over. It’s not Sunday, which always carries that aftertaste of things to do the next day. It’s Thursday evening. That point when the week is almost over, 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’s the estate’s weekly aperitivo, a fixed date that from 6:30pm to 8pm turns the villa’s terrace and garden into a place where time is measured in glasses and sunsets.
It’s not just any aperitivo. It’s an aperitivo with vineyard views, with the sun setting behind the hills of Vinci and the light changing colour minute by minute. It’s the way Dianella eases into the weekend: unhurried, glass in hand, with the Tuscan countryside as the only backdrop.
One aperitivo, many ways to enjoy it
Rosso di Sera has no rigid format. There’s no assigned table, no programme to follow. There’s a space, an atmosphere and the freedom to enjoy it however you prefer.
Some arrive to meet up with friends around a large table, with laughter mixing with the clinking of glasses. Some choose a quieter corner for a romantic evening for two, with the sunset as a backdrop and no hurry to leave. Some, after a day’s work, treat themselves to an aperitivo with colleagues immersed in the quiet of the Tuscan countryside, far from the noise of the city.
Whatever the reason for coming, the result is the same: you relax. The villa, the vineyards, the evening light do their job better than any playlist or studied decor. It’s a place that doesn’t need to be built up: it’s beautiful on its own, and the aperitivo is simply the best excuse to enjoy it.
What to drink: the sommelier’s cocktails or Dianella wines
Choosing what to drink is the evening’s first pleasure. The signature cocktails are called Rosso Dianella and Bianco Dianella, made respectively with our Vermentino and our Chianti.
For cocktail lovers, Villa Dianella’s sommelier prepares signature drinks designed for the season and the place. These aren’t city cocktail-bar drinks: they’re creations using local ingredients, herbs from the vegetable garden and often the estate’s own wines as a base. The offering can change every Thursday, following inspiration and ingredient availability.
For those who prefer wine, the natural choice is Dianella wine. A glass of Sereno e Nuvole, the fresh, mineral Vermentino, is perfect for starting while the sun is still warm. The rosé All’Aria Aperta, light and elegant, is the wine that seems made to be drunk outdoors on summer evenings. And for those who want something more structured, a glass of Chianti Dianella pairs well with the transition from light to dark, as the air cools and the flavours can grow 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’re born, is an experience that adds a layer of meaning to every sip.
What to eat: Tuscan offerings to share
Aperitivo isn’t just about the glass. It’s also about the table.
Rosso di Sera features a selection of Tuscan offerings designed to accompany the glass and to be shared. It’s not a dinner, it’s not just any board: it’s a selection curated by the Bistrot delle Scuderie’s kitchen that blends genuine flavours, tradition and conviviality.
These are small dishes that work perfectly with wine: bruschette with the estate’s extra virgin olive oil, a selection of local cured meats and cheeses, olives, small focaccia and other little temptations that change with the season and with what the vegetable garden offers.
They’re dishes meant to be eaten with your hands, shared among friends, accompanied by conversation that stretches on into the evening. Nothing formal, nothing complicated. Just good things done well.
The place: where sunset becomes a show
If the aperitivo is the excuse, the sunset is the true star.
Villa Dianella’s position, on the hills between Vinci and Empoli, offers a west-facing view that on summer evenings becomes a natural spectacle. The sun sets behind Montalbano, 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 scent of Tuscany.
This isn’t a sunset watched from a window. It’s a sunset lived immersed in the landscape, feet on the grass or seated on the Bistrot’s terrace, glass in hand, with no building interrupting the view.
It’s the kind of experience that can’t be reproduced. Every 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 isn’t random. It’s the day the working week starts to loosen its grip and the craving for lightness takes over.
On Friday and Saturday, Tuscany fills up with events, venues, places open late. Thursday evening is still a more intimate, more low-key moment. Those who come to Villa Dianella on Thursday do so by choice, not by habit. They’re looking for a beautiful place, a relaxed atmosphere and quality in what they drink and eat.
Rosso di Sera is designed exactly 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 nicest way possible.
It’s also a perfect opportunity for those who don’t yet know Villa Dianella. The Thursday aperitivo is an accessible, informal way to discover the estate, the wines and the atmosphere of the place without the commitment of a full dinner or tasting. Many who come for an aperitivo later 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 6:30pm to 8pm at Villa Dianella. From 8pm, those who wish can move on to dinner at the Bistrot delle Scuderie.
The Food & Wine Experience starts from €22 per person and includes the selection of Tuscan offerings and a welcome glass.
Booking isn’t required, but it’s recommended, especially in the summer months when the terrace fills up quickly.
To book or for more information you can contact Villa Dianella on 0571 508166, via WhatsApp or by writing to info@villadianella.it.
Villa Dianella is located in Via Dianella 48, 50059 Vinci (FI), less than an hour from Florence and Pisa. For those arriving by car, parking is free within the estate.
Whether it’s an evening with friends, a special meeting or a toast after work, we’ll see you at Villa Dianella at sunset.
