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.