Wine geek foodie nirvana in Tuscany/Umbria?

J

JasonA

Jason Adams
I will spending a couple of weeks or so in a house outside of Cortona in the beginning of July. I have contacted and/or booked tours with Paolo Bea and Monetesecondo and I am looking for other suggestions - wine and food. I will probably be doing lunch at L'Alchemista in Montefalco after the Bea tour. In addition to the house, I have one day+ in Florence and three days in Tellaro (near Lerici, in Liguria) prior to return.

As this is place for all things wine and food, I consider any recommendation fully vetted and or the highest caliber.

Thanks,
Jason
 
The standout for me -- in 1999 -- was Osteria del Bartolo, in Perugia. I arrived early so the chef gave me a tour of the kitchen as well as a tour of his philosophy (something on the order of 'Umbrian olive oil is the finest in Italy and I don't cook with butter because the olive oil is so good').

In any case, the restaurant was very pretty, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and nice cloths/silver. The food was excellent with many traditional recipes. The wine list was also very good, very deep in Umbrian wines (of course).

And it don't hurt that, on a summer night, Perugia is a romantic spot.

(If you're there in daylight, buy Deruta and chocolate.)
 
Gianfranco Vissani's place in Baschi comes - or rather came - quite close to culinary nirvana in 2004, and we drank giacosa at very reasonable prices. Food is quite pricey, but not overpaid as we are on *** level imho.
Padre Eligios frateria offers outstanding cooking with raw materials from the monastery. More Tuscany than Umbria, but close to the border.
You can google both for more information.
Umbria is gorgeous, enjoy.
 
For more everyday eating I've found the Gambero Rosso 'Osterie d'Italia' very useful. I hate their wine equivalent, of course. I believe they also do a 'Ristorante d'Italia' (for more formal spots) but I haven't tried it. Anyplace there are lots of tourists in Italy it pays to have some kind of recommendation...
 
I had a wonderful meal and access to a very well chosen selection of Brunellos at Bocon di Vino, about a month ago. There are some wines on the list there not easily found elsewhere, made by co-owner Roberto Cipresso from small lots around Montalcino, including his own.
 
brings back good memories of spotting st. antimo abbey out there amidst the olive groves, sitting like some romanesque stone spaceship....then wandering inside just in time for some monks to appear and go into their noontime gregorian chants. a couple of birds fluttered about high above in the wooden buttresses and the chants carried on thru the space forever, it seemed.
 
originally posted by Jeff Pinhey, Halifax:
montalcinoJoel,

We went to mass there.... Chant in that space is stunningly coherent....
Click to expand...

Indeed......

one wonders how the acoustics change with the number of people inside (there were more monks than visitors when we were there).
 
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