Chianti is the most famous Italian wine. Orcia Valley wine route
One way to love and understand wine is to travel through a wine region. It is through landscapes, smells, local gastronomy, through acquaintance with winemakers that it is easiest for many, including me, to understand and discover wine. Therefore, acquaintance with Chianti, one of the symbols of Italian winemaking, I propose to start with the landscapes and cities of the Tuscan Chianti region.
1. Start with classic types. Chianti is one of the most popular Italian regions among tourists, whose hills and cypresses are repeatedly replicated on hundreds of postcards. However, this is not a reason to admire them again, especially since these places have downright magical photogenicity.
8. The whole Chianti region in one photo - vineyards, olive groves, medieval towns.
10. Every time I open a bottle of Chianti, I will remember the malachite spills of the hills and the vineyards that go into the distance. These trips to understand wine do more than all the classes and tastings put together.
12. Do you know why roses are planted in vineyards? Not so much for beauty, but for good: they are much more sensitive to disease than the vine. If the roses are not doing very well, the winemaker understands that something has gone wrong, and therefore has the opportunity to correct the situation.
16. This is the view from the terrace of the house in winery Tenuta di Bibbiano where I stayed. One morning in these thickets I saw a deer! A story about the farm and its wines is ahead.
18. The first signs of autumn. The trip took place at the end of September, the weather was summer, and therefore little reminded of the approach of the yellow-orange pore. Now in Tuscany, I think it is a million times more beautiful!
19. At the end of September, the wine festival Vino al Vino takes place in the town of Panzano in Chianti, which I could not help but drop by! The photo shows the moment when you can no longer hold the glass with your hands, you have to help yourself with your feet. ;)
20. How does the festival work? For 16 euros you get a glass and a bag for it, which you saw in the previous photo, a booklet with a story about the producers and a list of wines available for order. Arm yourself with a pen and start walking from booth to booth, trying and making notes.
21. Each winemaker presents a full line - this is usually 4-5 wines. You can taste the wines of all participants, I think, during the three days that the festival lasts. If time is short, then you can take a short cut: for example, I decided not to try classic Chianti, but more interesting and usually more expensive samples. I didn’t buy anything - they still sell wine only for 6 bottles.
22. Winemakers, as you can see, are advanced - they use drop stops (drip eliminators). I talked about them in. The cockerel on the neck is a symbol of the consortium of Chianti Classico producers, we will return to it in a separate post.
24. Wine critics look like this.
25. And their future readers - so.
26. The festival is, of course, the most right place to get acquainted with local products.
27. For the first time in my life I came across a pie with grapes! The traditional Chianti dish is called schiaccia con l "uva, schiaccia con l "uva. I tried both options, the one with dark and fresh grapes I liked more, although the most delicious was the schiaccia I ate a few days before in Castellina in Chianti. I will tell you more about this lovely town and its gastronomic traditions. I think you understand that we have more than one post ahead of us dedicated to the Chianti region, its wines and gastronomy.
29. Here, in Panzano, is the restaurant of the star butcher Dario Cecchini. Unfortunately, during the trip, I was a little behind schedule and didn’t get there, despite the reservation. I've heard great reviews from friends! Been there?
30. I quickly ran away from the festival - Panzano is a tiny town, the pavilions of winemakers occupied one of its miniature squares. It was inconvenient to push around with a glass in hand and with a camera at the ready, therefore, in order to get acquainted with wine, it was decided to go further, to Greve in Chianti. If you follow my route, don't miss this place, Antica Macelleria Falorni.
31. A good selection of wines both by the glass and by the bottle, sensible snacks, excellent tartars and other meat dishes - I was satisfied. It was very pleasant to sit in the central square and stare around, despite the almost complete absence of Italians in the environment. And this, perhaps, is one of the main features of Chianti - it is simply an incredible, unthinkable tourist destination. Even in remote villages there is an English menu! And even in remote restaurants found somewhere along the road, you will certainly stumble upon a company of American tourists. I have been to many places in Italy, but nowhere, except, perhaps, in Rome, I have not seen so many tourists.
32. The more southern part of Tuscany, where I was in July, seemed to me a more authentic place, where you can feel the rhythm of Italian life, its unhurried course, where the signs of life or the quirks of the locals are in plain sight, and not hidden behind tourist options. Therefore, if you go to Tuscany, I advise you not to stop only at Chianti, but also to go further towards Rome, for idyllic rural landscapes, for towns like
[Chianti is a hilly area between Florence (Firenze) and Siena (Siena), Arezzo (Arezzo) and the Pisan hills (Colli Pisani), which has always been considered the "heart of Tuscany" (Toscana): it is a string of magnificent landscapes with many vineyards , chestnut and oak groves, holm oak forests, medieval towns, romantic castles and charming country houses. It is also the land where one of the best red wines in the world is made: Chianti. . Traveling in small towns
The Chianti area is the ideal place to visit medieval towns, romantic vineyards and characteristic hilly landscapes. In every small town you can find wine cellars, castles and farms, and taste precious wine in one of the many enotecas. The origins shrouded in legends and wine-growing traditions have turned the land of Clante (Clante - this was the name of a local stream during the Etruscan period) into a world famous region. 
For those coming from Florence, the easiest way to get to the land of winegrowers is Impruneta (Impruneta), where there are many monuments, among which the crenellated bell tower of the 13th century, the Basilica of Santa Maria (Basilica di Santa Maria ) and the Treasury Museum (museo del Tesoro). In autumn, two international events take place here: the Wine Festival with a parade of allegorical chariots, as well as the Fair of St. Luke (San Luca). 
Behind Florence, on the way to Siena, an obligatory stage of the journey will be the ancient medieval town of Greve in Chianti (Greve in Chianti), with an ancient peculiar triangular square, on the sides of which there are palaces, porticos and covered galleries converging at the Church of the Holy Cross (Santa - Croce, Chiesa di Santa Croce). 
In September, the largest Chianti wine exhibition takes place on the square. Montefioralle Castle rises above the city - a medieval fortified town.
Then, on our way, Volpaia is a picturesque medieval settlement that arose around the castle, an ancient center of winemaking. 
Nearby is Radda, which grew up around the church of St. Nicholas (San Nicolò, San Nicolò - XIV century) and the majestic praetor's palace (c. 1415). We also recommend visiting the parish church of St. Justus (San Giusto in Salcio, San Giusto in Salcio), immersed in the greenery of vineyards in a small hollow, and the parish church of St. Mary (Santa Maria Novella, Santa Maria Novella) with a characteristic facade in Romanesque style. Very close to Radda is another important point of the program: the Consortium of Chianti Classico Wine (Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico), which houses the Research Center for the History of Chianti (Centro studi storici chiantigiani). 
Continuing towards the Chianti mountain pass, we will first see Gaiole, one of the most famous panoramas of Italy, and then many farms and castles, including San Leonino and Fonterutoli. 
After Siena, of particular historical interest are Monteriggioni, built in the 13th century on top of a hill and surrounded by a massive fortified wall, and Castellina, an outpost of Etruscan origin in Siena with a beautiful central square, which is crossed by the medieval Via delle Volte ( via delle Volte). 
Finally, we will stop at the splendid Poggibonsi, where in October there is a festival dedicated to the ancient technique of pressing grapes of the hilly areas, and in Montespertoli to visit the annual Chianti exhibition.
Wine All Chianti wines are classified as DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita - "Denomination Controlled and Guaranteed of Origin"), but all Chianti wines are different from each other, each with special characteristics due to a specific terroir and method of production. 
The mixture of grape varieties is always the same, only the percentage differs: Sangiovese (Sangiovese) - 75-90%, Canaiolo (Canaiolo) - 5-10%, and Malvasia del Chianti (Malvasia del Chianti) - 5-10%, here perfect composition, discovered in the 19th century by Baron Ricasoli, to which Trebbiano Toscano was later added. This tradition is so ingrained that Tuscan growers plant vines different varieties together, keeping the right proportion required to make wine. 
The cultivation of the vine cultivated according to the Tuscan method is largely due to the soil, which consists mainly of marl, which, being porous and permeable, does not allow water to stagnate at the roots.
In the autumn, after the harvest, you can still see a few clusters of grapes on the vine: this is a sign that the winemaker is practicing the “governo” method, that is, adding fresh must from raisined grapes to fermenting wine in order to start the fermentation process again so that the sugar is completely processed into alcohol. Thus, a dry, stable wine is obtained. 
After the end of fermentation, refining takes place: the wine remains in steel or concrete vats until March, and after bottling it is ready for sale.
A Chianti wine that has undergone many years of aging (and at least three months of refining in the bottle) may be entitled to bear the name "Riserva" (Riserva), provided that at the time of drinking such wine has an alcohol content of at least 12% by volume, compared with 11.5° Chianti Classico.
Properties 
Color: red, bright ruby, aroma: intense, with notes of fragrant violet, iris and vanilla, taste: balanced, dry, with a hint of vanilla and almonds; becomes velvety and soft with age. Approximately 63 million bottles are produced annually.
At the table
Young Chianti and all simple DOCG wines - perfect wines pairing with any dish. Old wines and wines of the Riserva category - the best choice for meat, game and spicy cheeses.
Bottles should be stored in a horizontal position, wine is served room temperature. Among the typical dishes of Tuscan cuisine: "ribollita" (ribollita) - a mixture of boiled vegetables left over from yesterday's dinner, stewed again with the addition of stale bread and extra virgin olive oil ("extravergine").
Another classic local dish – traditional snacks for example, chicken liver crostini (crostini di fegatini di pollo), bruschetta (baked baguette) with tomatoes (bruschetta con il pomodoro), and the Sienese pork neck sausage known as finocchiata ). 
Chianti is exactly what you think. The wine fully reflects the peculiarity of the region. Through it, you can appreciate how sunny the days are in Chianti, how rich the aromas of its herbs are, how clean the air is and how measured life is. The landscapes of Chianti are endless vineyards, interrupted only by the houses of their owners, well-groomed greenery, hills lined with bushes one after another. For lovers of such idyllic pictures, they even built a special road that will lead through the best wine-growing lands directly to the birthplace of the famous Chianti - Brolio Castle.
Ancient towns are scattered throughout the region, where the atmosphere of rural life has been preserved under sunbeams. The beauty of these places was appreciated by Leonardo da Vinci, it is hardly by chance that he painted the famous Mona Lisa here. According to one version, Mona Lisa was originally from Chianti.
Flights to Chianti
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How to get to Chianti
By plane
The airport, which serves the Chianti region, is 1 km from the center of Pisa and 80 km from Florence. There are no direct flights from Moscow, so you will either have to be content with connecting flights through Rome or other European cities, or use land transport.
By train
The railway network connects the cities of the Chianti region with each other and with neighboring provinces. Florence and Siena can be reached from Rome and Milan in a couple of hours.
Hotels in Chianti
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The Chianti region is strewn with hotels and guesthouses, the choice depends solely on the preferences of tourists and their transport capabilities. It is convenient to travel between towns by car, and then you do not need to become attached to large settlements. In this case, you can choose a picturesque house away from the noise, feel like the owner of vineyards, wake up and watch orderly rows of plantings from the window. Many hotels are occupied by old mansions, in which you can also pretend to be at least a duke. At the same time, it is not necessary to empty your treasury clean.
The minimum expenses for living in Chianti - from 40 € per day for two. For this money, you can get a simple room in a house or hostel, for example, in Greve (Residence Casprini da Omero) or Gaiola (La Fonte Del Cieco, Villa Vittoria Gaiole In Chianti). In Gaiola, you can also stay like a king in the five-star Castello di Spaltenna Exclusive Resort & Spa (from 200 €), several similar places at once - in Castelnuovo Berardenga.
The cost of three-fours varies from 80 to 300 € per night.
Shopping in Chianti
Wine. Wine. And again wine. You can even take it out in boxes, most importantly, check it in as baggage, meeting the standard of your airline. However, difficulties may arise at the entrance to Russia. According to the current customs rules, you can import into our country no more than 2 liters of spirits per person. In addition to wine, Chianti produces grappa, limoncello, cognac. Marking - a red label with a black rooster in the center - indicates high quality. Good wine costs from 10 €.
In addition to alcohol from Chianti, you can bring local olive oil, cheeses, sausages and delicacies from wild boar meat.
Wine tasting in Chianti
Any institution will offer visitors local wine. But some places are especially loved by Italians and the interest of foreign tourists.
In Panzano, queues line up for Antica Cecchini. This legendary butcher shop is famous for its Florentine steak, where the owner reads excerpts from Dante's Divine Comedy and pours Home wine from private cellars. In the butcher's shop Dario Cecchini hangs autographs of fans of his creative approach to carcass and work: Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Elton John and other celebrities.
There are two Michelin-starred restaurants in Castellina, the chefs prepare dishes that go best with Chianti different years harvest.
In Radda, you can look into the castle of Volpaia, where tasting tours are held with a sample of freshly squeezed olive oil. Of course, they won't let you go without a glass of wine either. The drinking place will be an old church turned into a bar, or a picturesque garden.
At Meleto Castle in Gaiol after a tour of the castle and winery they offer to taste wine, grappa, cognac for an appetizer of cold cuts of local production. There is also honey and organic olive oil. Everything can be bought right there.
The taste of Tuscany is the taste of wine, olive oil and other delicacies; A full acquaintance with these tastes means not only tasting the best examples, but also observing the nature, landscape and production, thanks to which they are born into the world.
In contact with
The gastronomic tradition of the region is extremely rich: there are 42 EU-certified wines in Tuscany alone (DOC and DOCG categories). Also in Tuscany there are 19 farms with registered origin and as many as 455 traditional products. For those who want to learn more about the richness of the local gastronomic culture, there are specially designed routes.
Wine route Vino dei Colli di Candia (Lunigiana)
Spelled Garfagnana IGP © finedininglovers.it
The chief product of the Garfagnana region is the chestnut; for many years it has been a staple food. No less famous is the local spelt of the IGP category (patented geographical name), from which many soups are prepared. The neighboring area, Lunigiana, is best known for the lard from Colonnata (also of the IGP category). You should also definitely try “testaroli” - a kind of pancakes cooked on special “dough” disks made of cast iron or iron directly on a live fire, “zgabei” (fried dough strips) and “panigacci” (flat cakes made from water and flour that are baked in wood stove). In this corner of Tuscany, despite the mountainous landscape, two wines are produced under controlled origin (DOC): Candia dei Colli Apuani Doc and Colli di Luni Doc.
Lucca and Montecarlo: wine and olive oil
© comitatounplilucca.wordpress.com
Extra virgin olive oil from Lucca, DOP category, is produced from at least 70% Frantoio olives, as well as Leccino, Moraiolo and Pendolino. Specialties local cuisine is garmuja soup made from meat and vegetables, pies with artichokes, onions or potatoes, as well as trout with pan-fried beets. The main dessert is a buccellato cake made from flour, butter and sugar with the addition of raisins and anise seeds. Wines from the Luccan hills (Colline Luccesi) and from Montecarlo (Montecarlo) have an extremely ancient history dating back to the Etruscan era.
Flavors and colors in the Apennines of Pistoia
Two traditional products for which the region is famous are the ornamental citrus fruits of Tuscany IGP and magnolia from Pistoia IGP. The local farmers are also proud of the beans from Sorana IGP: this variety, with white, small and slightly flattened, flat fruits, has a very delicate taste, which was appreciated by the composer Gioacchino Rossini. They also make pecorino cheese from raw sheep milk from the mountains and valleys of Pistoia and sweet chestnut flour from the mountains of Pistoia.
"Chestnut Road from Mugello" in Marradi
Chestnuts from Mugello © teladoiofirenze.it
For a long time, the inhabitants of the town of Marradi have associated its history and name with chestnut: it is also called “breadfruit” here, since not so long ago for the inhabitants of the mountains, chestnut was one of the few sources of food. Local chefs have created a mass a variety of recipes to help you appreciate main product these forests; in October, a chestnut festival is held in his honor - Sagra delle Castagne. In addition, in this area they love and know how to cook mushrooms, polenta, tortelli, sausages, sauces and game main dishes.
Products of the Casentino Valley
Prosciutto from Casentino DOP © ilmangiaweb.it
Products from the Casentino Valley have been renowned for their quality for centuries. As in many other places in Italy, local producers try to use local products and raw materials to the maximum. Far beyond Casentino, the local ham (Dop category), the Sanbudello pork salsiccia, the Chianina (IGP) Central Apennines white gobies, from which the famous Florentine steak is made, have become famous. Cheese "abbuccato" from Arezzo is not quite ordinary; Chetika is famous for its chestnuts, truffles and red potatoes. The latter is grown traditional way and used to make tortelli (dumplings).
Route through the Tuscan part of the Tiber Valley (Valtiberina)
This valley is home to white Central Apennine Chianina gobies (IGP), whose meat is ideal for steaks, as well as roasting, stewing and boiling. “Pork season” is considered December and January, when sausages, hams, salsicci, sambudelli, soprassata, capocolla, ciccioli and other meat products are harvested. The local olive oil smells of herbs and is made from Gentile, Morcona, Oriola, Frantoia and Lecchina varieties. The list would be incomplete without Kentucky tobacco, which is used to make the famous Tuscan cigars.
Wine route around Arezzo
The Val di Chiana gave its name to the Chianina cow breed, which is now grown in other parts of Tuscany. The meat of this breed has a pronounced taste and contains moderate amount fat evenly distributed throughout the meat. That is why the cooked meat is so soft. A special variety of beans "zolfino" and "Valdar beans" grow here. From meat products mention "porchetta", a roll of suckling pig baked in a wood-fired oven. Other typical dish- Etruscan rabbit, which is stewed in a pot with onions, garlic and olives. Unusual local yellow salty bread. As for the desserts, you should try the "Aretinski Gatto" - a biscuit roll with chocolate custard. The main wine is Chianti Colli Aretini (Docg) and Cortona (Doc).
Introduction to Chianti Classico
Chianti cuisine draws on the culinary customs of the two provinces, Florence and Siena, creating its own image based on them. A typical example is straccotto alla chiantijana, beef ham with beans, sage, rosemary, garlic and tomatoes. Chianti Docg is the most common wine in Italy. It is grown in six provinces (Arezzo, Florenia, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Siena). Chianti from traditional places growth is indicated as Chianti ClassicoDocg. This incomparable wine is characterized by the smell of violets and plums, has a fruity and harmonious taste and a sour aftertaste that emphasizes its freshness.
Route through the hills of the Chianti Colli Fiorentini wine region
© turismo.intoscana.it
This area is considered a zone of "poor cuisine", the birthplace of such dishes as "trippa" and "lampredotto", "ribollita" and "pappa al pomodoro", which are cooked with stale bread, as well as soups, penne stracciate pasta. Peposo alla fornacina, beef stewed in wine, is another famous local specialty, once a favorite dish of Brunelleschi himself. Pork Cinto-Toscano (Dop category pending) is valued no less than the olive oil "Colline di Firenze" (Dop category pending). Wine Chianti Colli Fiorentini Docg - bright ruby color, transparent, in the "reserve" version has an even more complex taste and smell with hints of tobacco, baked cherries and plum jam.
Road of Chianti-Rufina and Pomino wines
© chiantirufina.com
IN local cuisine mushrooms play an important role. Quite popular here unusual mushroom- early hygrophorus, which appears in February, when the snow melts, delighting gourmets with its strong and great taste. Local potatoes are valued: tortelli with potatoes are considered a symbol of Mugello cuisine. Of the dishes that have almost gone out of use, it is worth remembering the soup from chiny and "brodo di compenso" - vegetable broth, to which butter and a cheese rind. Typical wines of the area are Pomino Doc and Chianti Rufina Docg.
Montespertoli wine route
In terms of slope exposure, soil composition and climate, the area of Montespertoli is ideal for growing grapes. In 1997, the Chianti Montespertoli sub-zone was created to emphasize the high quality of local wines intended for long-term bottle aging.
The cuisine here is traditional for the Florentine region: ribollita with kale and canellini beans, panzanella, pappa col pomodoro and Florentine steak. Chianti Montespertoli Docg has a ruby red color that becomes more garnet with age; smell - berries and violet. The wine has an excellent structure, velvety and elegant taste.
Medici Road: wines of Carmignano
Dried dates from Carmignano on reed mats have been considered a delicacy since ancient Rome. enjoys fame shortbread almond biscuits"cantuccino di Prato" goes well with "vin santo". Carmignano is the smallest Docg area in Italy, and the first Tuscan wine (along with Chianti) to be controlled and guaranteed by origin. Its taste is dry and harmonious, the smell is violets and wildflowers.
Montalbano route
Olive oil IGP Toscano, with the refinement Montalbano, is produced from olives of the varieties Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino, Pendolino, Rossellino and Piangente. It Green colour with hints of yellow, the taste is fruity, with notes of almond and artichoke. From the sweet, we note “brigidini di Lamporecchio”, the thinnest anise-flavored cookies, “berlingozzo” - a bagel that village gourmets used to wear right around the neck, “cantuccini”, which go so well with a glass of “vin santo”. Chianti Montalbano, now the Docg zone, was famous for its wine as far back as the 13th century! This wine was served at the table of the bishops of Pistoia.
Wine route "Colline Pisane"
Most famous delicacy province of Pisa - white truffle, fruit - cherry from Lari. Table grapes from San Colombano are also known. It is worth noting several unusual meat dishes, for example, "testicciola alla pisana" - boiled head young bull or lamb, but dominates here, of course, fish cuisine. A typical example is cuttlefish ink risotto. A DOP category for pecorino cheese from Balze Volterrane is currently being formalized. The recently registered Chianti Colline Pisane Docg has become a new star among Tuscan wines.
Wine Route Vernaccia di San Gimignano
San Gimignano is best known for its medieval tower houses, once owned by local aristocrats, each of whom sought to outdo the others in height. Along the route you will meet whole fields of saffron (just now a DOP category is being issued for it).
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg is an ancient wine that even Dante mentioned in The Divine Comedy. First, it was awarded the Doc category, and in 1993 - Docg. It's white dry wine yellow-straw color with a delicate smell and dry harmonious taste.
"Collie Senesi": in the hills around Siena
The most famous Sienese dish is pici. "Panforte" and "Ricciarelli" are also quite famous in Italy, the Igp category for them is now being formalized. The first, by the way, was first mentioned already in 1205: at that time it was made by no less than apothecaries, apparently because of a large number ingredients in the recipe. It consisted of candied fruit, honey, caramelized sugar, almonds, flour and many spices. The progenitor of "Ricciarelli" was marzipan, they also include sugar and almond nuts. The sweet became popular in Siena in the 15th century. Wine Chianti Colli Senesi Docg is almost entirely made from the Sangiovese variety. Ruby red wine has a characteristic violet smell. Dessert Vin Santo dei Colli Senesi attracts more and more oenological tourists to the region.
Wine route Nobile di Montepulciano
To the southeast of Siena, at the very border with Umbria, is the town of Montepulciano, called the “pearl of the Cinquecento” for its amazing architecture. As elsewhere in the Siena region, they eat "pichi" (a type of spaghetti made by hand) with meat and mushroom sauces. Red wine Nobile di Montepulciano is mentioned for the first time at the beginning of the XIV century. In 1980, it was awarded the Docg. "Nobile" - slightly tannic, dry, characterized by a garnet color with orange hues, intensifying with aging of the wine. The smell is violet, more or less intense.
Orcia Valley wine route
Local cuisine: grilled meat, homemade pasta, soups, game sauces, Pecorino Terre di Siena cheese, lake fish. Orcia Doc Rosso - versatile wine, white Orcia Bianco is combined with light and fish dishes
Montalcino wine route
Buristo - salami, which almost disappeared from the shelves due to new sanitary and hygienic rules, has been made for centuries from pig blood, fat, lemon peel, raisins, pine nuts and spices. Salami "bastradro" - dried sausage, which is made from the same minced meat as salsiccia. Brunello di Montalcino is the first Italian wine to receive the DOCG category. It is produced on the territory of the commune of Montalcino exclusively from the Sangiovese variety, in the local dialect called "brunello". This classic wine pairs well with red meats, roasts, game, and aged cheeses. It can be drunk on its own, as the Italians say, "for meditation."
Wine and food route
Monteregio di Massa Marittima
The cuisine of the Maremma is very diverse and rich, including soups, tagliatelle with sauces, pork and wild boar salsiccia, game dishes. Wine Monteregio di Massa Marittima Doc became known not very long ago. There are eight categories in Doc, including red, reserve, pink, novello. All of them are made from Sangiovese and other red grape varieties. Montregio goes well with different dishes.
Etruscan Coast wine route
The route runs close to the sea, from Cecina to Piombino, partly capturing the island of Elba. Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci are home to the most famous vineyards in the world, from which the Sassicaia is made. Game plays an important role in the local cuisine, and proximity to the sea means big choice fish dishes. Octopus with potatoes, Elbe-style mussels, stokkafisso alla rieshe and other interesting recipes are popular on the Elba. An unusual local specialty is strawberry jam, slightly sour, ideally combined with pecorino cheese.
Monteccuco Wine Route and Amiata Mountains
© tuscanyholidayrent.com
The route covers the slopes of Mount Amiata, which is located between the Maremma lowlands and the Sienese hills. There are many forests, vineyards and olive groves, medieval towns, castles and farms with ancient wine cellars and olive oil presses. In this non-tourist part of Tuscany, food producers do not shy away from innovation, as long as they do not violate centuries-old traditions. The area is famous for its game, mushrooms (primarily porcini and royal mushrooms), IGP Amiata chestnuts, Seggiano olive oil (DOP category pending).
Montecucco red wine acquired the Doc category not so long ago, in 1998. It is made from Sangiovese and other red grape varieties.
February 16, 2015 2:24 pm Greve in Chianti - Italy February 2014
We travel abroad by public transport. Somehow I'm afraid to mess with a rental car. I don't drive myself. The daughter steers quite confidently, but this is in the vastness of Israel, but in other people's open spaces ... In short, I'm afraid and that's it.
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And if visiting large cities, an individual does not really need this car, then in order to travel to the expanses of suburban and suburban personal transport is necessary. This need is especially felt if you are in such a region replicated by its beauties as Tuscany. And where should the poor tourist go? That's right - book a private tour. Pleasure is not cheap, but fortunately, I did not regret it for a second.
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Our lovely guide, Elite, met us in the lobby of the hotel, put us in the car, and we set off under a measured drop of rain, which decided to spoil our pleasure. But from this gray veil of rain, on the contrary, for some reason it became very comfortable and humbly. You know, when peace descends on the soul, and she, wrapped in this peace, like a fog, without excessive zeal, but with sincere curiosity, watches what is happening.
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A gray day, under a rainy drizzle, could be mistaken for autumn, if it were not for the almonds blooming in early February. The smell of preli, the sloping wet slopes, evoked thoughts of the November hunt for wild boars, which the locals love to indulge in, or at least picking mushrooms in the predawn morning.
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The elite drove the car carefully and confidently along the wet road, rising uphill, where the first stop at the Verrazzano castle was waiting for us at an altitude of 348 meters. (You can get to the castle on your own from the bus station of Florence (located in Piazza Santa Maria Novella near the railway station) by intercity bus number 365 (about 1 hour on the way).
Built as a fortress during the Lombard era (the name of this place was first mentioned in 1170 in a manuscript preserved in the abbey of Passignano), in the 13th century it was transformed into the so-called “signor’s house”. And in the XVI century it turned into a classic villa with a typical Tuscan farm, surrounded by a beautiful garden. And these lands belong to the family, already, from the 7th century.
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But the family recently sold the castle. I don't know who. We didn’t manage to enter the house, because the next day we were waiting for the arrival of the new owner, either for a name day, or for my daughter’s birthday. And so out of season they even let you inside. But we didn't succeed.
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But it was completely free to look around and admire the neighboring castle of Vicchiomaggio and the vineyards, stretching like a fan right up to the forest estates. And in this castle lived none other than Mona Lisa Gherardini. It is believed that it was she who posed for one of the most famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. The incomparable landscapes of Tuscany served as a background for the image of the beautiful and mysterious Mona Lisa.
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And then we had a tasting, and absolutely free! We liked the wine. And I liked the youngest, two-year-old. We ate this splendor with bread and olive oil. And it's even hard to say what I liked more - wine or oil. Tart with bitterness, the smell of beveled mint, chrysolite gold, it spread over the bread crumb. We bought them there, without further ado.
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Yes, they also sell wine vinegar. Its consistency is more like liquid marmalade. And it tastes sweet with a hint of wine. It ripens 8!!! years in oak barrels. And by the end of the 8th year, the volume decreases by more than 2 times.
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The far barrels are larger than the near ones. kind of like a pyramid.
It was here that the famous navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano was born in 1485. Served Giovaniya, however, the French crown. He was the first European to explore the lands of the eastern coast of the Atlantic, reached New York Bay and Naragansset Bay. In New York, a bridge is named after him, which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island.
The sailor's death remains a mystery. According to one version, he was killed and eaten by cannibal tribes from the Antilles. According to another, he was captured by the Spaniards and hanged as a pirate in Cadiz. But his countrymen remember and honor him. In the neighboring town of Greve in Chianti, where we went after the castle, a monument was erected to him.
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Of course, we went to this Tuscan town not for the sake of a monument to the navigator, but for the sake of tasting local cellars. Imagine our surprise when it turned out that the tasting room was closed. In fairness, it should be said that there was not a single tourist on the street of the town, even the locals hid somewhere.
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Greve, in fact, is a commune with a population of about 14 thousand people. The town is tiny, but the buildings there are very old XIV-XV centuries. In 1325, Greve was completely burned down and literally reborn from the ashes. It took almost a century to restore it, but now it is considered one of the main cities of the valley.
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On the main square of the city, an unusual triangular shape, rises the Church of Santa Croce, it is on the sharp top of the triangle. And on obtuse corners there are statues of the aforementioned navigator and such a cupbearer god, which is more like a quartered lover.
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As one of my friends said: "I fell in love!"
Despite its microscopic size, Greve in Chianti is the capital of the valley, symbolized by this lively black cockerel.
According to one legend, in the 13th century, Siena and Florence had armed disputes over their borders (in the end, the Florentine Republic absorbed Siena). And so it was decided, at dawn, with the first cock crow, to send messengers from each city, and through the point where they intersect, to draw new borders. And while the well-fed, white and fluffy Siena cockerel slept soundly, the Florentine messenger had already set off, thanks to the premature cry of a black rooster, who roared with a good obscenity, when it had not even dawned yet, because on the evening before he had not been fed. It was this bird, and it was for these merits, that they first placed on the flag of the Military League of Chianti Classico, and later on the labels of bottles of famous wine.
But besides wine, the valley is also famous for its pigs, from which all sorts of delicacies are made. These pigs are the product of selection of a restless person, but in this case glad that the crossing took place naturally, not with genetic engineering. So, a domestic pink pig was crossed with a wild free boar guy, and the Sinta Sinese breed turned out. sausage different varieties we stocked up to the eyeballs of the suitcase. It was delicious.
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For the next famous product produced in the Chianti Valley, namely the Florentine steak, we went to the nearby village of Panzano to visit the famous butcher Dario Cecchini.
When an epidemic of mad cow disease swept through Europe, the Florentine steak was banned in Italy, since the causative agent of rabies was first found in the animal's spine. At this tragic moment for all the butchers of Italy - Dario arranged a "bistecchi funeral", he was shown on all Italian television channels and he immediately became famous.
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This steak, Florentine in the sense, is made from local Chianina cows.
To be honest, we did not order a kilogram steak for each nose (one for two is not allowed, the policy of the institution). My pancreas is not someone else's, it will not endure such excesses, and I do not like to throw away food. Ordered two portions meat delicacies and one, like, a hamburger. First time eating raw meat. I thought a terrible thing would happen, but nothing, the body did not protest either during the process of absorbing the evidence, or afterwards. True tasty, but not a masterpiece, again.
We sat and chatted about life with the Elite. We drank, we ate, we paid. I like it. A kind of local Tuscan popular flavor. Not true, it was good.
And the end point of our journey was the famous city-commune of San Gimignano. I was already in it, but my daughter was not. My first visit happened at the peak of the tourist season, when tourists rushed in swarms along the two streets of this fortified city, spinning around 14 medieval skyscraper towers in Brownian motion.
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