Italian Culinary Adventure 2003 ~ Day Three ~ Montalcino ~ Castello Banfi

View Of Countryside From Montalcino, Italy

There was a heavy mist hanging low over the countryside upon awakening on day three of our stay at Villa le Focaie, softening the landscape and lush greenery and giving it an almost fairytale appearance. My husband and I went off for our morning exercise once again, walking further up into the hills and discovering many more farmhouses that needed renovation before they would be habitable, but had very obvious potential. One in particular that caught our eye was set high up on a hill, with a view of the entire countryside which was reached by a long winding road lined with the traditional Tuscan cypress trees. After a vigorous hour of walking, we returned to Villa le Focaie, and set up breakfast for everyone in front of the large open windows overlooking the beautiful landscape.

Today we were off to Montalcino; a small town set high up on a hill, which is famous for its wines, particularly Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most popular red wines. The streets in Montalcino wind along up to La Fortezza, a 14th Century Sienese fortress which has an enoteca inside where you can sample and buy some of the local wines. For a small fee, you can walk along the outer walkway of the fortress, and admire the stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The ride to Montalcino was not long, and once we arrived we found a place to park outside the gates, and then walked up into town. We stopped for a quick cappuccino, and then strolled leisurely through the narrow streets, stopping here and there in small shops selling local handicrafts, and in one or two of the wine stores selling the local vintages. We ended up at La Fortezza, and went in to explore the grounds and enoteca. Some of us strolled along the upper walkway taking photographs of the surrounding countryside, while the rest of us relaxed in the patio set up outside the enoteca. In the past, we have enjoyed a nice lunch here of Tuscan meats and cheeses, crusty bread, and of course a glass of Brunello di Montalcino bought from the enoteca, and served in the courtyard of the fortress. We bought a few bottles of Brunello di Montalcino to bring home, and then headed back to our car to head over to Castello Banfi where I had booked lunch. Photo of the Enoteca at La Fortezza

We had visited Montalcino a number of times in the past, always driving by the massive Banfi estates, but until this trip we had never actually visited them. I had read that Banfi offered a nice wine tasting menu for lunch in their taverna which I had booked a month earlier for us to enjoy after our visit to Montalcino. The drive in from the highway takes you by fields and fields of Banfi grapes, and you finally end up on top of a hill at the castle, Poggio alle Mura. The view of the over 7,000 acres of grapes owned by Banfi is breathtaking, and you notice immediately that the grounds are immaculately groomed with vibrant splashes of color from the lush flower beds running throughout the grounds. After parking, we headed into the store to see where we needed to go for lunch, and were offered a nice glass of sparkling wine as an aperitivo. We sipped our wine, and browsed through the shelves of Banfi wines, as well as many items for sale containing their crest. Banfi actually has two restaurants, a taverna used for lunch, and a more formal one used for dinner. We headed over to the taverna when we noticed that folks had started to filter in for lunch, and were soon seated at the front under the high vaulted ceilings.

The lunch was a 5 course affair, of typical Tuscan dishes. Each course was paired with a Banfi wine, and unlike most wine tasting menus, where just a few ounces is offered with each course, we were surprised to find that our server kept coming back to top off our glasses before we could even finish any of them if we let her. The meal began with a typical plate of Tuscan cured meats which was served with slices of crusty bread and Banfi's Serena, a delicious Sauvignon Blanc wine. Photo of Interior Of Taverna Banfi.

Zuppa di Pane, a heavy yet tasty bean and bread soup was brought next, which was paired with Centine, a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes. Thinly sliced rings of onion were offered to garnish the soup, as well as Banfi's full flavored olive oil. I found this wine a little too young and tart tasting for my liking initially, but did find as it warmed up the flavor improved dramatically. Knowing we still had a few more courses coming, only a couple in our group finished their soup as the portions were surprisingly large for this type of menu.

Rosso di Montalcino was the wine chosen to complement our main course which was very tender slices of roasted pork, or Arista con Patate e Taccole. This particular wine proved to be my least favorite, as I found it a little bitter, although the pork, potatoes and snow peas were delicious.

A selection of Tuscan, local cheeses drizzled with honey and pine nuts was our next course, and this dish was served with the Super Tuscan, Brunello di Montalcino. Robust with a deep, rich flavor, we all felt this wine was wonderful, and complimented the cheeses perfectly.

Our meal was finished with a plate of traditional cookies which were served with Banfi's Florus, or Moscadello di Montalcino. Fruity, yet not overly sweet, I really enjoyed this light dessert wine, and found it paired nicely with the nut flavored cookies.

We all had an espresso to end the meal, and we were offered a taste of Castello Banfi's Grappa di Brunello. Only a couple of the men were brave enough to try it, and carefully sipped the powerful drink along with their coffee.

The meal at Castello Banfi was everything we had hoped it would be, and the attractive taverna, efficient servers, and warm atmosphere all helped to enhance the positive experience that day. We were told that reservations were needed weeks in advance, and we found that the taverna was indeed full the day we were there. Although we had quite a bit to eat, our leisurely lunch lasted a few hours, so although certainly none of us left hungry, we were not overly full as you might imagine after a five course meal with wine. After lunch, we headed up back to the store in preparation for our tour of the winery I had scheduled ahead of time, stopping only to take a few more photographs of the rolling countryside, and lush grounds of the estate.

Our tour guide led us down by car to the winery, and took us on a 45 minute tour of the Banfi facilities. The place was immaculate, and since harvest was still a few months away, the winery was very quiet, with row after row of wine casks seen in the many rooms throughout the winery. I think that perhaps a tour in the fall after harvest when the winery is in full swing might be just a little more entertaining that the tour we had. Although our guide was very pleasant, and shared many interesting facts as well as a good deal of history about the Banfi vineyards, the building itself was just a little too quiet.

Once our tour was complete, we headed back to Villa le Focaie, arriving late in the afternoon. Later that night, we had a light pasta dish (Pasta con Aglio, Olio e Pepperoncini) and salad for dinner, and headed off to bed after yet another enjoyable day discovering Tuscany.

Map of Montalcino And Castello Banfi Courtesy of Castello Banfi

Castello Banfi
53024 Montalcino (SI) Italy
Restaurant and Winery Tours Email
Overal Impressions: The whole Banfi experience was a great one, and I would encourage anyone to visit the estate. Lunch was quite simple, but paired with the Banfi wines our meal was truly memorable.

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Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 2003
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