Taverna del Grappolo Blu, Montalcino

After visiting the Castello Banfi, we drove towards the village of Montalcino. Strolling around, we chose a restaurant which seemed nice. This restaurant is located on a side street of the village.

Being in this wine region, we wanted to try a Brunello di Montalcino. This was easier said than done because the wine menu included several pages with Brunello di Montalcino. The wine selection of Brunello di Montalcino wines was as big as a normal wine menu. We asked the waiter for a recommendation and were not disappointed by our choice. We decided to try some local dishes.

Goat cheese with plums, tomatoes and ruccola

We tried a small starter. It was goat cheese with plums, tomatoes and ruccola. Everything was fresh and a nice combination.

Tuscan pasta al ragu

We chose a typical tuscan pasta with wild boar ragout. Everything was fresh and delicious. 

Salsiccia with beans

We also had salsiccia with beans in a typical tuscan tomato sauce. This is a simple and delicious dish like many other dishes in Italy. The simple Italian dishes cooked perfectly are often all you need. Simplicity is usually better than exotic variations of mediocre dishes. In Italy this point is proven over and over again. There is more than enough variety in Italian cuisine, especially in Tuscany. This restaurant was good value for money and a nice stop for lunch.

Montalcino

Vineyards in Montalcino

Montalcino is one of the most famous wine regions in Italy. The area is famous for the Brunello di Montalcino which is a wine made from Sangiovese grapes. The wine is also known as a favourite of the catholic church or the pope himself.

Vineyard surroundings

Montalcino is a small town. The scenery around the wine regions is picturesque. This is the way you imagine the Toscana and perfect wallpaper material. 

When driving around the area, you feel like stopping everywhere for picture taking. It is a wine region and I definitely recommend buying some wine in one of the shops. There is a shop at the roundabout when you leave the city where we bought some good wines like Tignanello for a reasonable price. As far as I remember we bought the most expensive bottle for around 60 Euros per bottle. As for all wine regions, driving there with your own car is always good definitely need a car in order to have the full experience.

Wine bar in Montalcino

The old city is not very big. There are a couple of Enotecas and restaurants. You can also buy and taste wines in one of the small wine boutiques. Prices are generally reasonable.

Montalcino, old village

Castello Banfi

Castello Banfi Entrance

The Castello Banfi is amongst the most well known producers of Brunello di Montalcino. If you want to try some Brunello and want to see the variety they have to offer, this is a good place to go.

Banfi castle

A long road leads up to the Banfi castle with rows of pine trees leading you up to the castle and the vineyards. The castle and the grounds are very well kept.

Just like in Bordeaux, I just went into the main building into the Enoteca. We asked if there was a tour available. They seemed quite disorganised and we did not bother waiting. There were some groups who went on tours. We later found out that some tours are available but as our time was limited, we did not bother waiting. We just walked around the grounds which was allowed. They actually have a restaurant as well as a wine museum. In the Enoteca, you can buy wine in the very big wine shop and also taste wine. We asked to taste wine. At first they told us that this would cost around 10-12 Euros depending on the wines you taste. They seemed odd to me and I told to them that we were going to buy wine anyways. The wine tasting was then free of charge. The reason for this attitude in Italy is most probably that there are many Italians who just come and drink for free as much as they would be allowed. I am saying this because this is the impression I had when I went to the wine exhibition Vinitaly in Verona. Italians, please do not be offended, this is just an observation. 

Wine tasting in Castello Banfi

The wine tasting was actually quite interesting. They gave us their whole variety. The wine with the lowest price costs about 5 Euros if you buy it there. This is absolutely drinkable and an ok table wine for pasta dishes. We tasted their variety of cuvées. They mostly use Sangiovese of course but not only. The wine culture is adapted from Bordeaux, as it is in most cases. Their top wines are aged in central French oak barrels for 12 months at the most. With the climate, more is probably not necessary. The vines are not very old on average. Castello Banfi also produces a very good grappa.

View from Castello Banfi

Castello Banfi is definitely a place to come back to. Next time I would consider staying in Montalcino and explore the region a little more.

Osteria Al Braciere, Tuscan dream come true

On our tour through Italy and parts of Tuscany, when staying in San Vincenzo, we asked our hotel concierge for a restaurant recommendation for a special occasion which happened to be my birthday. 

View from the restaurant

The restaurant is located on a mountain not far from the city of San Vincenzo. The view and the atmosphere is everything you can expect from Tuscany. The setting is picturesque and the location is simply amazing. We sat at a table outside overlooking the beautiful tuscan surrounding looking at pine trees and and the see shore at the bottom of the mountain. You really could not ask for more. This is one of the most romantic places I have ever seen.

Carpaccio on salad

As starter I had a wonderful carpaccio on salad which was a generous portion.

Goat cheese with dry tomatoes, salad and balsamico

We also had goat cheese with dry tomatoes, salad and balsamico. This was a wonderful dish where the salad was still so crunchy that we thought it had just been picked from the field a couple of minutes before they served it to us.

Fiori di Zucca

As we had enjoyed the Fiori di Zucca, the zucchini flowers before, we decided to also try them. This is a dish which you have to try in Italy. Unfortunately the coating in which they were fried was to thick. This is they only criticism I have for this restaurant.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Our main course was a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, approximately 800 grams. The meat was excellent. They grilled it on the grill close by. We could see them bring out the meat and grill it.

Baked potatoes with salad

With the Fiorentina we had baked potatoes with the wonderful fresh salad. The Fiorentina was great. The side dish was good too. Service was very considerate. We were not rushed. We could enjoy the scenery and our dinner to the fullest extent. We did not have desert as the portions were very big, especially the steak. The atmosphere and setting with the surroundings and picturesque scenery was unique. This was the kind of experience you would only see in a Hollywood movie. Sometimes the simplest things, if done perfectly culminate into a wonderful experience. This is a place you do not want to leave and rather stay as long as possible. With all these things considered, this was one of the greatest dining experiences I have ever had.

Pisa

One of the cities you have to see in Italy is Pisa. The main reason, or maybe the only reason to visit this city is seeing the leaning tower of Pisa.

Road towards the tower

When you arrive by car, it is rather difficult to park. There are parking lots but they are quite far away. We did manage to park somewhere not too far away from the tower in the end.

Leaning tower of Pisa

There are crowds in front of the tower like at any important site in Italy. You can also go up but we did not do that. It would probably have taken quite long to queue up and get a ticket but the thought of walking up a leaning tower is not the most inviting for me personally. 

We basically walked around the overcrowded main square with the tower where we took pictures like everybody else. Most people took pictures trying to show that they are pushing the towers. At first you walk around seeing people making weird gestures pushing out their hands. Later you see what they are actually up to.

As for the rest of the city, there is not very much to see. There are a couple of restaurants and cafes near the tower. They are all terrible. We tried to walk around and find a small restaurant to eat. The service was terrible and the food was not edible. So we left without finishing the meal. When leaving, walking down the road from the tower you have to beware of gypsies and various others trying to steel. They come in groups of up to ten. We were specially warned about this in the souvenir shops. Overall, this is a city you can visit in order to take a couple of pictures. You can then have a coffee and some water at the most and leave for your next destination.