Hi there, nice to see you again! Welcome back to the latest La Panza Piena endeavour, the Italy Deep Dive, created as a way of going beyond Instagram and delving deep into subjects which are close to my - and I hope yours too - heart: food, eating, drinking (well) and traveling.
If you’re new, benvenuto! Hop onto the journey for a bi-monthly newsletter that dives into the history and food culture of a place through a traditional product, as well as a recipe, curated tips on where to eat and shop and the story of a wine or spirit from the area. The Italy Deep Dive is only possible with the support of its readers. If you like what you read, feel free to share it with a friend (or two), and if you want to support me, you can subscribe for €5 / month or €50 / year.
This week’s deep dive is into another place that holds a special place in my heart, nestled on top of what I presume is the windiest town in Italy. Before you ask, I won’t be starting each newsletter saying how special the place is to me, it just so happens that I decided to begin this preposterous adventure with my favorite places. The windy town is Montalcino, Tuscany and the exquisite product is Brunello di Montalcino.
Let’s Dive
Once upon a time, in a land of Popes, Renaissance and farmers, there was a tiny hill-top hamlet with a very unique microclimate. Surrounding the town were many self-sufficient farms which did everything from raising pigs to producing wine, olive oil and honey. So viticulture in Montalcino began in a very rural manner, with each podere producing a little something for itself, unlike the nearby Montepulciano, where noble families would make wine in the countryside and age - and protect - it within the walls of their palazzi in town.
In 1825, a Montalcino local named Clemente Santi began experimenting with new methods of winemaking, selecting only the best vineyards to make his wine. Twenty five years later - nothing happens overnight when it comes to wine making - his wines began winning awards at the most important international wine fairs of the time, making Clemente appreciate from the outset the importance of foreign markets. Fifteen years later, in 1865, he presented the first bottle of Brunello di Montalcino, which he had aged for 10 years. A generational change took place and twenty years later, Clemente’s nephew, Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, began examining all the different sub-varieties of Sangiovese, coming to the conclusion that Sangiovese Grosso was the most resistant to phylloxera and the grape with the best ageing potential.
Throughout the course of the 20th Century, Brunello di Montalcino became Italy’s 1st D.O.C. and continues gaining popularity all across the globe, bringing us to modern-day 2022, in which Montalcino has 220 producers, half of which follow organic agricultural methods and a handful biodynamic. By law, it is the wine which requires the lengthiest amount of ageing - 5 years - before being sold, making it an exceptionally high quality product which has the ability of expressing itself very differently from one winery to the next, based upon individual wine making choices and the specific area of Montalcino where the grapes are grown.
A wine and winery recommendation sits, as always, at the bottom of this Deep Dive, however I’d like share a couple of my favorite enoteche and wine bars in Montalcino, where you can taste, learn and enjoy different styles of Brunello. Alle Logge di Piazza and La Sosta for a mid-day Brunello tasting or paired with a light dinner, or Osteria di Porta al Cassero for a full tasting accompanied by a traditional southern Tuscan meal.