Castello Banfi
"I can't believe we get to do this!" I exclaimed to my friend Jonette as we were led to a table for two at La Taverna at Castello Banfi and presented with a five-course tasting menu that was to be our lunch for the day. We had already been greeted in L'Enoteca with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, accompanied by cheese and delicious dried plums from the estate.
I was definitely ready for a glass of wine after the somewhat harrowing drive out of Florence in our rented Fiat that morning. We had left Florence around 9am and arrived at Banfi around 11:15am. Driving in Florence is not for the faint of heart, but we survived and once we got out of the city it was not difficult, thanks to my trusty GPS.
Jonette and Myrna at L'Enoteca.
After our glass of sparkling wine, we were led to our table in La Taverna. The restaurant was full of small groups and couples, there to enjoy lunch and wine tasting. Our server greeted us and brought us our tasting menu for the day, five courses, each paired with a wine from the estate.
Our first course was Sformatino di parmiggiano con coulis di pomodoro (parmesan cheese flan with a tomato couilis.). This was paired with Banfi's San Angelo Pinot Grigio, 2011, and it was a great match. The crispness of wine worked well with the creamy texture of the dish.
Our second course was Sedadini del Castello trafilati al bronzo con pomodoro e salsiccia (Home-made sedadini with tomato and sausage.) This was paired with Banfi's 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva.
By the time the third course showed up, we were already getting full and happy but we had to be brave and soldier on. This course was Costata di manzo arrosto con patate al rosemarino (Baked sirloin steak with rosemary roasted potatos). This was paired with the Belnero 2009.
This was followed by a selection of Pecorino cheese with Tuscan honey, which was paired with Banfi's flagship wine, their Brunello di Montalcino (2007). Our lunch ended with dessert, a chocolate tart, paired with Banfi's famous Rosa Regale (a sweet sparkling wine that worked very well with the chocolate). I sadly have no photos of the last two courses - once the fourth wine was poured, things got a little fuzzy for us.
After lunch, it was time for our winery tour. Castello Banfi is one of the most famous wineries in Tuscany. The estate is over 7,100 acres. The Castello on the property dates from 1318, and has been beautifully restored into a restaurant, hotel, and enoteca. The winery on the property is state of the art and produces a full range of Tuscan wines. The current owners purchased the estate in 1983 and developed the winery into a world class operation producing delicious wines.
We were lucky to be visiting during harvesting, so we got to see the grape sorting process. Check out the photos below.
Experience Castello Banfi for Yourself
If you want to visit Castello Banfi on your own for lunch and a winery tour, reservations are required. Visit their website at this link. There is a hotel on the estate, and they also do destination weddings.
Roux Wine Tours is planning a group tour of Tuscany in 2014. If you would like to join the fun, click here for all the details. We will most likely include the Castello in our itinerary, as well as several other great wineries. We can also create a custom tour of Italy for you, just give us a call 1-888-251-3096.
