Foody Montalcino!

First of all, make sure you drop an eye into each shop or restaurant  or even an old pharmacy along the main street in Montalcino and you will find everywhere a view open on the breathtaking panorama of rolling hills surrounding the Via Cassia.

When visiting Montalcino area, most people just have a short walk around the small historical town and its fortress and then head to wineries for precious Brunello tasting. Of course, this is a highlight of the place, nevertheless I was pleasantly introduced by Teresa, our guide, to some renown places and habits in Montalcino that you cannot really miss!

After a while you will be captured by the sweet smell of almonds and sugar of the traditional Sienese cakes and biscuits: ricciarelli, pan pepato, panforte. Fresh baked ones offer incomparable tastes with respect to those industrially produced. A stop at Mariuccia’s pastries is a must!

For greedy palates here is another wonderful treat, which is the king of sweets in Montalcino, i.e. Cioccolatoni dessert, chocolate fudge in different flavors, served chilled. Yummy! 

After enjoying some snacks as aperitif, we had soon to stop for a visit inside the Fiaschetteria Italiana, one of the oldest cafes in Italy.

If you are tired of walking and wish a bit of rest, Teresa suggested us a weird but yet very characteristic place to sit for a while and have a chat with locals: the Butcher’s. In front of big pieces of meat and different recipes from stuffed beef to polpette and the chianina steaks, you will enjoy the rustic atmosphere of the place.

After walking all through the historical centre, reach for the Montalcino fortress and its wine bar where you can still access to ramparts and the sentinel’walk.

At last, after such “stressful” day, toast with Brunello wine at sunset! Cheers!