During our weeklong stay in Tuscany, Italy, we worked with a local expert to compile an itinerary of 7 unique and authentic food experiences. Our first stop also happens to be our family’s first taste of true Italian pasta, as we enjoy an al fresco lunch overlooking the city center of Siena at a little place called Al Mangia. The name comes from the tower of the Palazzo Comunale. With wondrous views of the Piazza, you can enjoy traditional Sienese and regional dishes.
After experiencing the quality and flavors of that meal, we take a short stop to fill the kids with gelato and treat ourselves to a local wine tasting with food pairings, in a medieval village called Monteriggioni.
To wrap up our first full day of experiences, our Inspirato concierge set us up at a restaurant that’s a favorite among locals and just a ten minute drive from our hilltop villa. Il Grillo Moro in Sovicille.
When we decided to venture out and spend a day in the nearby region of Chianti, our trip planner recommended a a spot we couldn’t miss – in the historic birthplace and home of Chianti Classico. As soon as we stepped onto the property at Colle Bereto, we felt like family and were given a behind-the-scenes look at this award winning traditional winery. The vineyards are gorgeously sprawled along the Tuscan hillsides and create the perfect conditions for a variety of top-notch wines. But the pinnacle of this experience was the private wine tasting and organic lunch under the shade of grape leaves and overlooking the sprawling vineyards. In addition to trying every wine in their lineup (and even letting the kids sip a few), we got a taste of the Colle Bereto soul, knowing that every ingredient in the meal was grown, harvested, and prepared right here.
While in Chianti, we had to try Dari Cecchini’s famous chophouse from the Netflix special Chef’s Table. Officina Della Bistecca lived up to the hype and we even got to meet the man himself!
For our final food experience, we spent the afternoon at Podere Paugnano—a family-run goat cheese farm, learning about the Pecorinos they produce and enjoying an incredible, homemade, family style, al fresco, Tuscan lunch with the family themselves. This farm is completely organic and follows a simple philosophy of respect for nature and self-sufficiency. The setting couldn’t be more perfect for a breakaway from a busy life like ours. Every dish is lovingly created by the family and friends of the household using fresh products collected on the farm or produced in nearby organic farms.
In addition to the authentic flavors, we passed the time discussing everything from history to politics and we did almost all of it in Italian… with a little translation help from their oldest daughter and our iPhones. And that was probably one of the most unique experiences from our first year of travel: sitting back with an international family and soaking up their way of life without any concern about what time it was. We’re in love with the Tuscan life.
And that made this experience the perfect conclusion to a fantastic week in Tuscany. As they say, all good things come to an end and now it’s time for us to jet off to our next destination. If you haven’t already, please consider tapping that Subscribe button—and the notification bell—so that you can come along on our next exciting journey. Thanks for watching.
Contents:
0:00 Al Mangia, Siena
1:40 Monte Chiaro, Monterrigioni
3:01 Il Grillo Moro, Covicille
6:00 Caffè Casolani, Casole D’Elsa
11:55 Colle Bereto, Chianti
15:31 Officina Della Bistecca, Chianti
21:03 Podere Paugnano, Siena
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