~ Tuscany Through Pictures – what better way to begin this photo essay than staring through the Monteriggioni Porta ~
Tuscany charms in many ways. I find myself repeating this often. Yet whether it’s scenery, wine, food or something else, I’m always reminded of that phrase.
I recently returned from 10 days in Tuscany – and for the most part – it was a relaxing holiday with journalistic wine appointments not the focus. We meandered around, shopped, enjoy culinary delights in classic, and…….not so classic, eateries.
This article is the result of a Poll I conducted on X (Twitter) over the span of several days. It was one of three choices for me to pen and it was voted as the winner. As a result, I give you “Tuscany Through Pictures”.
We rented a private villa off the beaten path in Vagliagli. The beauty here is, that despite feeling somewhat remote, Vagliagli is right in the middle of Chianti Classico. Siena and almost all commune in Chianti Classico are 15-20 minutes drive. We arrived in plenty of time to settle in and head to dinner by 8PM.
~ There isn’t much in Vagliagli itself, but there is an amazing restaurant. It’s a great outdoor area and the food is incredible and reasonably priced ~
I had made a reservation a few weeks in advance but there were plenty of open tables. Despite the hot day time weather, the diurnal shifts in Tuscany are a dream. There is rarely humidity to contend with and 72 degrees with a light breeze was magical for al fresco dining. My first primi of the trip set the bar high.
~ These are garlic rubbed crostini adorned with an over easy quail egg and shaved black truffles. It was utterly superb ~
A little background is warranted. My wife and I were in Tuscany because this was our 10th wedding anniversary. We had spent our honeymoon in Vagliagli and so decided to return to the same villa. That little plan went awry but it was more than made up for by the villa rental company. 10 years prior, after arriving several hours late courtesy of lost luggage and a rental car fiasco at FCO, we dined at La Taverna and enjoyed the Fontodi Classico. This time we arrived in much better form but still chose to repeat the wine. (the price makes it almost impossible not to).
~ Bottle Numero Uno, served with the Primi ~
The 2021 Fontodi Chianti Classico was exactly how I remembered from the 100th Anniversary Chianti Classico Tasting. Except maybe it’s fresher. I didn’t take notes, but the wild berries here are juicy, fresh and incredibly lively. Perfectly balanced, it was great with the crostini and my wife’s wild boar pasta. Persistent with a long finish of vanilla and sweet tobacco. Compelling in every way, including from the wine list at $28. Find this wine.
The service that night was slow, but we didn’t care. We were relaxing, talking, drinking…..looking forward to what the week held. By the time our secondi arrived, the Fontodi was gone.
~ Perfectly grilled rack of lamb with porcini, braised leek and cipoline ~
The wife wasn’t in the mood for Fiorentina as we knew that was coming later in the week with Daniele. So I pivoted to the above and man was I glad I did. This was succulent lamb. The porcini were unbelievably good while the onions were sweet and earthy. It was perfect with the next wine.
The 2020 Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo is massive. I knew it would be and I had them decant it for us. It wasn’t tight. On the contrary, it was expressive with what it showed; pure black cherry fruit, spice and hints of tobacco. Fresh, tannic and lively, but not very complex. And that was OK in the context. But for readers looking to add this wine to their cellar, I’d say go for it. But be prepared to let it sit for 8-10 years. This was, I think, $65 from the wine list.
~ A herculean wine that will be better in about 10 years ~
After rising the next morning, we headed over to Castellina to do some shopping. Castellina is a key hub in this area. It’s close, and a lot is packed into the lovely ZTL. There are numerous shops selling all sorts of local products along with a grocery store, a butcher and several enoteca. We bought a lovely Fiorentina for dinner.
~ Homemade Fiorentina! ~
There are also 4 or 5 really good restaurants in Castellina so we found ourselves returning often after lazy afternoons poolside. My favorite is probably Trattoria La Torre. The food is authentic, delicious and reasonably priced. The wine list is a good size and also reasonably priced. Sitting outside is always comfortable and the service is wonderfully attentive. Family owned.
~ Trattoria La Torre sits on the main Piazza ~
Two of my favorite things to enjoy in Chianti are the Pappardelle with wild boar ragout and white beans with oil and sage.
~ Pappardelle with wild boar at Re’ Gallo, Castellina ~
~ Fagiolini Bianco in perfect oil with sage ~
We had made plans to spend an afternoon and evening with Daniele from Campochiarenti. Figuring the logistics of our day, rather than go back and forth between San Gimignano and Vagliagli, we decided to motor out to Volterra.
Volterra is gorgeous. It’s very high and commands incredible views of the valleys below. There isn’t much around Volterra so your view extends for miles. It’s gorgeous and I’m glad we went, but in terms of shopping, there isn’t anything there that is not found in San Gimignano, Siena or Castellina.
There are tons of restaurants and bars, so my advice would be to head out early – the parking garage gets full fast – and then have lunch in one of the many wonderful spots.
~ The top of Volterra sits by an underground parking garage. And as you can see, it was laundry day! ~
We also decided to visit Siena for a day and night. My wife had never been, save for our honeymoon when we briefly went there to find a cell phone charger when our luggage was lost. This time I booked a Hotel room for the night and made arrangements for a 2 hour walking Tour of the city with a registered guide whom we use for the Rustic Tuscany Tour. As usual, she was amazing and despite my touring with her 3 times already, she managed to bring new anecdotes and factoids to the Tour; especially when it came to knowledge of the Siena Duomo.
~ The duomo is built of white and green marble. But over the centuries, when oil lamps were lit inside the church, soot has made the green marble appear black ~
~ A close look at the window above the Altar ~
Finally, we stopped to see a carving on one of the walls of the Church. It was explained to us, that the original artist quit, mid-project, to do something more lucrative. He left behind his unknown 21 year old apprentice to finish the job. A new, insignificant artist named Michelangelo!
~ You can see Michelangelo’s skill here. This is obviously “pre-David” but look at the detail on his hands and face ~
While this trip was all about relaxing, I did do some Business Development Research for future Rustic Tuscany Tours. One of those was a visit to Il Molino di Grace. In what is becoming one of my favorite Panzano Estates, Il Molino di Grace will very likely be on next year’s itinerary.
~ The lineup at Il Molino di Grace is very strong. The Margone and Riserva stand out, but the Classico is lovely too. And their Vin Santo is dynamite ~
The estate has wonderful amenities for a visit and is very picturesque. Not to be discounted, it is also very easy to find.
~ The old Mill that gives its name to Il Molino di Grace ~
~ The tasting room with view of the barricaia will be a great setting for Rustic Tuscany Guests ~
Just by happenstance…..or maybe not really depending on how well you know me, on the way back from Grace, I happened to passed right by Dario Cecchini’s mobile burger outpost. The McDario was inevitable. And yes, it was juicy and delicious. I opted against the $3 euro cup of wine.
~ A delicious burger with caramelized onions and “pomodoro sauce” ~
A few more closing images…..
~ The view of Vagliagli from our villa. Down the front slope are vineyards, olive groves, fig trees and wheat fields ~
~ The sun beginning to set over Villa Cignano. This was about 7PM as we were heading to dinner. You can see the property is strewn with lavender and rosemary ~
~ It was hard getting out of this pool to take pictures. The infinity edge spans the valley below. Un bello posto!
Alla prossima……. Ciao!
