We headed to Volpaia in the heart of the Chianti in Tuscany for five days of relexation, eating and drinking good wine. There are places which you know that you will keep on visiting and probably will never get bored of. Tuscany is clearly one of these, at least until the equation of excellent food and reasonable prices remains intact. The value for money in the Tuscan countryside is indeed impressive. And out of the four times that I have been there, there has rarely if ever been a disappointing epicurian experience. I still remember the first Bistecca alla Fiorentina at a Trattoria in Fiesole overlooking Firenze some years back. And then there is the most amazing restaurant I have been to, the Gambero Rosso in San Vincenzo which helped me on my way to eliminate my phobia of cheese.
This time round, there would be no visits to the main cities. Instead we remained in the heart of the Chianti, visiting villages like San Gusme, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Panzano.
We arrived in Volpaia and headed to the Casetto, a villa in the middle of the vineyards of the Volpaia winery. The views were amazing and it was just a three minute drive from the quaint square of Volpaia which remains our favourite village in Tuscany. There we spent time at Bar-ucci, a splendid bar in the heart of the square and La Bottega, an unassuming but amazing restaurant which is not only exceptional value for money but serves amazing food. Here we tried the likes of Zuppa ai funghi porcini, Pici al Cinghiale, rabbit in a truffle sauce, a wild boar stew with black olives, amazing pappardelle al tartufo and a mouthwatering Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Not to mention the divine chocolate cake which made us order a second helping 0f dessert – indeed a first for me in a restaurant.
In the Chianti, we visited the Querciabella winery which makes a great Chianti Classico but is also known for the Supertuscan blend Camartina which is only produced in good years as well as the Batar, a splendid white blend. The winery has invested in a bio-dynamic production which is very evident on the palate. The wines are flawless.
