Revived: August 27, 2026 (Published: January 13, 2017)
Having travelled around Italy since 1997, I still come across places that leave a lasting impression. Tiny Bolgheri is one of them. Timeless and surrounded by famous vineyards, this Tuscan village stole my heart with outstanding wines and good vibes.
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 walked into the first restaurant we saw.
LOVE AT FIRST BITE
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 between 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 about Tognoni. We immediately fell for the village itself. I have walked in 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.
In October 2016, I choose the humble and adorable Bed & Breakfast Il Chiassetto, opposite Enoteca Tognoni. As thunder approaches, I just cross Via Lauretta – one of the three oval-shaped streets of Bolgheri – to arrive at Tognoni.
WINE DINNER AT ENOTECA TOGNONI
Now, two years after my first time to Tognoni, I start with a glass of Bellavista bubbles from Franciacorta DOCG, 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. While the interior is not particularly unique, the ingredients are top, and the meat-focused food is tasty and beautifully presented. For wine nerds like me, there are wall-to-wall wine shelves to browse.
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 Central Italy in 2007, I am happy to see bottles of Cortona Syrah on the wine list.
THE PERFECT PAIRING
At Tognoni, my courgette flowers are paired with Campo alla Sughera Achenio, a partially oaked and rare white blend of Verdicchio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Its 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 Bordeaux blend, Cabernet-Merlot.
After praising my dinner – courgette flowers, truffle pasta and peach & mint sherbet – to Francesco, he 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, although local people also feel sorry for me dining alone.
Italy transforms me from a sophisticated buongustaio to a true mangiatore. If I could take just one thing to a desert island, it would definitely be pasta!
WHY DOES BOLGHERI FEEL 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 of Bolgheri’s quirky charisma.
With approximately 130 permanent inhabitants only, Bolgheri is a gem on the Tyrrhenian coast. To be exact, it is eight kilometres from the coastline, but with amazing views towards the sea.
Even though there are nearly as many restaurants, cafés and pottery shops as residents, the atmosphere remains genuine and laid-back. During my morning coffee at La Bottega di Elena, I listen to maledizioni about how politicians “non sanno fare niente” while witnessing a two-woman 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 marshland and later home to dull rosés and pretty ordinary white wines, Bolgheri DOC – the plateau and the slopes of the rolling hills – is famous for majestic, powerful, velvety, and lingering red wines. Some come with quite a price tag.
These reds 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 when it beat all top châteaux from Bordeaux at a blind tasting arranged by Decanter magazine in London.
If you haven’t tried legendary Super Tuscans such as Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso yet, Enoteca Tognoni serves them by the glass. Just be prepared. Iconic Sassicaia that once played a major role in the breakthrough of Bolgheri & Tuscan wine revolution is never cheap.
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 current problem is rising heat that also brings massive, erratic rainfall.
As nice as it is to chat with Francesco over 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 for lunch (approx. 12–14) and dinner (19–)
Tel: +39 393 715 1781 –> bookings by phone
enotecatognoni@gmail.com
UPDATE (2026): Checked in on my favorite spots in Bolgheri – this timeless village hasn’t changed a bit. Going back to Tognoni next spring!
