A stone house, on a hill, in the middle of a vineyard. Add in a bunch of exploring and time lounging by the pool. Now add ideal weather, a full moon, and some fantastic food and we have the ingredients for a dream visit to Tuscany.
Pisa was the starting point for this leg of the journey. There is a lot more to Pisa than just climbing the leaning tower but we didn’t see it. We had a great day being tourists, just being in Pisa and finally seeing a city we had bypassed on previous trips.
Driving through Tuscany is a special part of the adventure. The tiny twisting roads battle for your attention with the truly stunning scenery. We discovered Cinque di Vino on the ride from Pisa to Panzano and sat outside overlooking a park in a sleepy little Italian town.
We stayed in a perfect Tuscan Villa. La Rimbecca is not an easy place to get to, but a wonderful place to experience Tuscany. David and Valentina were wonderful hosts. Beautiful and delicious homemade breakfasts by the pool, Antipasti, and vino in the evenings surrounded by countryside that stays with you long after you leave.
Just a few miles away is the destination that brought us to this corner of Tuscany. We first learned of Dario Cuccini on cooking shows and on Netflix. His butcher shop and his restaurant Solociccia focus on the lesser-known cuts that he grew up eating as the son of a butcher. We dined with strangers on parts of a cow I have never tried before. We had a special meal in a special part of the world.
We also ate at La Castellana, a tiny little place in the middle of the tiny little town of Montefioralle. Our lunch at La Cantinetta Di Rignana had a view to die for. Both of these places were recommended by David and Valentina at La Rimbecca.
The places in the world that are dedicated to wine deliver a similar experience of slowing down to enjoy some of the true luxuries of life. Spending time with people we love, eating spectacular food, drinking good wine, and being amazed by the beauty of this world. Tuscany is a place that we will long to experience again.