Having travelled across Italy since 1997, I still come across places that leave a lasting impression. Bolgheri is one of them. Tiny, timeless and surrounded by world-famous vineyards, this Tuscan village stole my heart with truffle pasta, olive trees and outstanding wines.
LOVE AT FIRST BITE
The one that won me over was dark, handsome and rich in butter. We met each other under an arched roof in April 2014 when I was touring Tuscany with my friend Ulrika. After a wonderful morning at the Ornellaia winery, we had driven up to the village of Bolgheri and stepped in the first restaurant we saw.
Simple tagliolini al tartufo nero charmed me in a second. Having eaten countless truffle dishes in Italy, Enoteca Tognoni’s tagliolini is still among the best. The ratio of pasta and butter was perfect while that lavish amount of black truffles would surely put a grin on anybody’s face.
But it wasn’t only the Enoteca. We immediately fell for the village itself. I have walked hundreds of medieval villages in Italy, but there is something unique in and around Bolgheri. Something so unique that when a work trip brought me back to Tuscany two years later, I decided to stay in this village.
My choice for stay, humble and adorable Bed & Breakfast Il Chiassetto, is located opposite to Enoteca Tognoni. As thunder approaches the village, I just cross Via Lauretta – one of the three oval-shaped streets of Bolgheri – to arrive at Tognoni.
WINE DINNER AT ENOTECA TOGNONI
Two years since my first time at this Enoteca, I start with a glass of Bellavista Franciacorta, as Bolgheri is not a sparkling wine region. “On the house”, says owner Francesco Tognoni who has been running his wine restaurant for 12 years.
However, attentive service is just one of the reasons why I recommend Enoteca Tognoni for anyone in love with Tuscan cuisine and wines. Not particularly unique in the interior, food here is tasty and beautifully presented. Even better, there are metres of wine shelves to browse for wine nerds like me.
Those shelves read like an encyclopedia of Tuscan wine. From coastal wines of Maremma to beloved DOCGs Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. Having lived in the Valle Altotiberina region in 2007, I felt happy to discover wines from DOC Cortona Syrah.
If you haven’t tried legendary Super Tuscans such as Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso yet, Tognoni serves them by the glass. Just be prepared for quite a price tag. Iconic Sassicaia that once played a major role in the breakthrough of Bolgheri and Tuscan wine revolution, is never cheap.
THE PERFECT PAIRING
At Tognoni, my courgette flowers are escorted with Campo alla Sughera‘s Achenio, a partly oaked rare blend of Verdicchio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine’s aromas of mint, caramel and yellow flowers convince me to take a bottle home.
Similarly, Campo alla Sughera’s reds are worth trying. Especially, Adéo, a nicely priced bolgherese interpretation of the classic Bordeaux blend, Cabernet-Merlot.
After praising my dinner (courgette flowers, truffle pasta and peach & mint sherbet), Francesco invites me for a coffee the following morning. This is the thing I love in Italy: people are so approachable, so generous to strangers. At least, for an Italian-speaking solo traveller it happens often, albeit local people also feel sorry for me dining alone.
Italy transforms me from a sophisticated buongustaio to a true mangiatore. If I had to take one thing to a desert island, it would definitely be pasta!
WHY BOLGHERI FEELS DIFFERENT?
The beauty of Italy attracts so many tourists that sometimes our admiring thoughts disappear in the hum. Luckily, there are still places that are packed with magic despite being popular travel destinations. Ever since, I’ve been trying to capture the secret behind Bolgheri’s quirky charisma.
With 90 (or 157, depending on the source) permanent inhabitants, Bolgheri is a gem on the Tyrrhenian coast. To be exact, it is five kilometres from the coastline, but with amazing views towards the sea.
Even though there are nearly as many restaurants, cafés and pottery shops as inhabitants, the atmosphere remains genuine and laid-back. During my morning coffee at La Bottega di Elena, I listen to maledizioni how politicians “non sanno fare niente” while witnessing a two-female drama. I also chat with an elderly Italian man who collects red sports cars. Only red ones, he reminds me.
THE LAND OF THE SUPER TUSCANS
The plateau below Bolgheri carries the same name. Once a miserable damp and later a producer of dull rosés and pretty ordinary white wines, today DOC Bolgheri – the plateau and the slopes of the rolling hills – is famous for majestic, dark, powerful yet velvety, lingering red wines.
These reds are are made of Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot – instead of Sangiovese, the unrivalled star of inland Tuscany. One of these wines, Sassicaia 1972, put Bolgheri on the world wine map in 1978. It beat all top châteaux from Bordeaux at a blind tasting arranged by Decanter magazine in London.
Along with vines and ancient olive trees, the Bolgheri landscape is rich with junipers, pines, oaks and ash trees. Surrounding hills protect the area and its vineyards from cold inland winds. Yet, according to local winemakers, the latest problem is growing heat that also brings massive, erratic rains.
As nice as it is to talk with Francesco over my morning espresso, next time I need to come to Tognoni with someone I love and eat two truffle tagliolini in a row. Since Bolgheri is one of the most romantic places there is. Also for your stomach.
Or maybe I’ll just move in when I’m old?
At least the landscape and wines speak on its behalf.
L’Enoteca di Tognoni Francesco: Via Lauretta 5, Bolgheri. Open daily (except Wednesday) from noon to 14.30 and 19–22. Tel: +39 565 762 001.
