The place to Eat and Drink in Garfagnana, Italy

Thousands and thousands of worldwide vacationers overrun Tuscany every year, choosing over the vineyards in Chianti Classico, packing the area’s medieval hamlets, and mobbing the Renaissance masterpieces in Siena and Florence. The summer time crowds can appear unrelenting — till you drive about two hours northwest to the excessive inexperienced mountains and river-crossed valleys of the Garfagnana. This pocket of Tuscany breaks away from the area’s manicured city facilities, rewarding guests with journey sports activities, a romantic bucolic way of life impervious to mass tourism, and rustic mountain fare.

Distinctive river rafting and hikes make Garfagnana a must-do for wilderness seekers, however the microregion is a little-known wonderland for adventurous gourmands too, who traipse between the hilltop cities, refueling at every cease. Meals purveyors forage within the countryside for farro and chestnuts, sheep chomp away on wild herbs, and unbiased wine producers buck rules-bound consortiums to discover uncharted territory. However Garfagnana isn’t completely lower off from civilization; whereas it presents the untouched wilderness of neighboring central Italian areas like Umbria or Le Marche, it receives a gradual feed of tradition from close by cities, notably Lucca, dwelling of Puccini, postcard-worthy squares, and low-key festivals.

Garfagnana strikes the best stability between distant escape and accessible hotspot, excellent for vacationers eager to transcend the picture-perfect Tuscany everybody else sees.

What’s Garfagnanan delicacies?

Foraged substances, wild boar, slow-cooked stews, historical grain farro, intensely flavored cheeses from mountain goats and sheep, and heritage forms of formenton otto file (orange-red corn) and legumes are the protagonists of meals in Garfagnana. A number of the finest meals might be discovered at agriturismi (farm stays), the place visitors return from lengthy hikes to feast on chestnut honey (produced by bees who feed on chestnut blossoms) drizzled on native cheeses, salumi reminiscent of biroldo (spiced head cheese) organized on antipasti boards alongside farro-based breads, and pasta made on-site.

The culinary seat of the microregion, Lucca is dwelling to a handful of Michelin-starred eating places, notable cheese producers, and a few of the space’s extra refined meals, together with preserved metropolis partitions, Puccini museums, architecturally vital church buildings, and festivals devoted to every little thing from comics to paper sculptures. Starting within the twelfth century, the town’s tight maintain on the silk commerce made it comparatively rich, and that prosperity paved the way in which for a wealthy delicacies that pulls from Garfagnana’s peasant mountain fare, creating dishes like tordelli Lucchesi: ravioli full of meat, accented with wild thyme and sage, and slow-cooked in ragu.

There’s lots to drink as properly. With out the advertising and marketing energy of consortiums in Chianti Classico, Montalcino, and Montepulciano, Garfagnana was as soon as resigned to churning out low cost wine in bulk. However starting within the ’90s, a brand new technology of vintners — like Gabriele Da Prato at Podere Còncori — took over established household estates, shifting the trajectory from producing utilitarian wines to specializing in the area’s distinctive terroir. Located between the Apuan Alps and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, the excessive elevation, cool and foggy microclimate, and mineral-rich soils create optimum situations for syrah and pinot noir to rival these of the Rhone Valley or Burgundy. A number of wineries have additionally embraced native grape varietals to provide fruity, bubbly, high-acid bottlings.

What to know earlier than you go

Lima, Larger Garfagnana, and Serchio: These three valleys outline Garfagnana’s distinctive historic geographic zone throughout the Lucca province. The Lima Valley is outstanding for river rafting and mountain climbing by medieval cities. Historic forms of sheep dine on wild flora in Larger Garfagnana, the place native artisans remodel their milk into deeply flavorful cheeses. The Serchio is dwelling to the walled, stone-paved village of Barga, which hosts an annual opera competition, and the realm is well-known for the Ponte del Diavolo, a bridge with a curler coaster-like arch that legend contends was made attainable by a cope with the satan.

Agriturismi: Many guests spend their evenings on farms generally known as agriturismi, normally strategically positioned near mountain climbing trails the place visitors can work up an urge for food. After a day of wine tastings and sizzling springs, there are few issues higher than returning to rustic delicacies at an agriturismo. (Be aware: You’ll must drive to succeed in the assorted farmstays within the area. If that’s not an possibility, keep in Lucca and work together with your lodge concierge to arrange excursions.)

Seasons: Garfagnana usually serves as a cool escape from summer time crowds in Tuscany’s fashionable cities, however it’s finest within the spring and fall, when temperatures are chic for mountain climbing. The spring brings contemporary pecorino cheeses, river trout, and dishes heightened by wild herbs, whereas the autumn is finest for foraging geeks, who’re rewarded with earthy porcinis and buttery chestnuts. The autumn can also be decidedly decadent with wine harvest celebrations, wild honey, necci (chestnut-flour crepes) full of mountain ricotta, polenta layered with melted native cheeses, historical grain soups, and pasta dressed with wild sport sughi (sauces).

The place to eat within the countryside

Al Teatro (Castelnuovo di Garfagnana)

Run by two younger cooks, Alessandro Pineschi and Luca Triti, Al Teatro makes use of domestically sourced substances for conventional a la carte dishes and tasting menus with up to date twists. You may see wild garlic, straw syrup, elderberry capers, and mountain ricotta amongst its dishes.

Osteria Vecchio Mulino (Castelnuovo di Garfagnana)

This straightforward osteria focuses on savory pies, tagliere boards with specialty cured meats, and artisanal cheeses. There are additionally specialty farro- and potato-based breads and a well-thought-out wine record.

Ristorante Eliseo (Gallicano)

This small bed-and-breakfast features a century-old restaurant outfitted with wooden paneling and luxurious cabin decor. The kitchen prepares contemporary pasta with native porcini, truffles, wild boar, varied grilled mains with aromatics like juniper, and old-school classics like fried veal cutlets.

Mulin del Rancone (Camporgiano)

Refined Garfagnanian delicacies is the order of the day at this farmstay in Camporgiano. Search for river trout crepes, pestos produced from native wild herbs, chestnut pastas, grilled porcini, and polenta flan.

Il Grillo (Giuncugnano)

This natural farm operates an connected restaurant using seasonal greens from its fields in dishes like farro soups with winter chicories, chestnut flour-stuffed piadine (flatbread), and tortino (root vegetable pie), paired with native wines and craft beers.

The place to eat in Lucca

Il Giglio

Awarded a Michelin star in 2019, Il Giglio crafts tasting menus combining conventional peasant staples reminiscent of snails, offal, or pigeon with luxurious comforts like sea urchin spaghetti.

Da Giulio in Pelleria

The Italian model of a greasy spoon, this historic eatery focuses on Luccan delicacies and Tuscan staples, together with stuffed pastas with ragu, zuppa contadina (grain and vegetable soups), chestnut desserts baked with pine nuts and rosemary, and panzanella.

La Griglia di Varrone

A steakhouse and cocktail bar with classic enchantment, La Griglia di Varrone is superb for anybody with a meaty urge for food. The menu is organized by lower, with breeds sourced from all around the globe like Angus and pata negra.

Fattoria Sardi

Set within the hills above Lucca a number of miles from the town heart, this biodynamic vineyard and agriturismo can also be dwelling to one among Lucca’s extra compelling eating places. Chef Damiano Donati elevates consolation meals like braised beef with the vineyard’s personal bottles and roasts natural potatoes grown on-site.

The place to drink

Podere Còncori

Podere Còncori appears extra like a nationwide park reserve than a biodynamic vineyard. Gabriele Da Prato took over this humble nook of land within the late ’90s, changing manufacturing from funds bulk wine. He began crafting high quality bottles of syrah, earlier than the operation grew to embody chenin blanc and pinot noir. As we speak Gabriele’s daughter Susanna works alongside him, getting old wines with minimal intervention and incomes accolades from varied gastronomic wine guides reminiscent of Italy’s Gambero Rosso.

Azienda Agricola Macea

Positioned in Borgo a Mozzano within the Serchio Valley, this farmhouse is tiny however mighty. For the final 20 years, winemaker Cipriano Barsanti has garnered a quiet following within the pure wine world, however refuses to scale up the Macea winery to fulfill demand. The rugged plot on a slight elevation sees large temperature fluctuations, which assure wines with crisp, contemporary acidity much like bottles from Burgundy. The calling playing cards listed below are pinot nero, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio. Don’t sleep on any of the releases; they promote out rapidly.

Cantina Bravi Alessandro

The primary enterprise right here is an agriturismo; the small, unbiased vineyard is a pure ardour mission. Positioned close to the Serchio river, the vineyard grows grapes in soil with vital ranges of schist (which impacts the wine’s pH and lends contemporary acidity). Whereas a few of the varietals are worldwide, reminiscent of pinot noir and merlot, during the last six years the vineyard has gained respect within the wine world for reviving historical native grape varieties (briefly nicknamed Garfagnine till extra analysis is accomplished to correctly classify them). The unnamed grapes are very fruity, with excessive acid, little construction, and excessive alcohol potential, making for nice food-friendly glowing wines.

Maestà Della Formica

Spearheaded by a pair of younger enologists, this winery sits 3,000 toes above sea degree, the place it produces some uncommon high-acid wines with gorgeous terroir. The riesling is particularly nice, much like the elegant variations produced within the Trentino-Alto Adige area of the Italian Dolomites. Like Cantina Bravi Alessandro, the winery is lauded for utilizing native Garfagnine grapes for chilled pink pet-nat sparklers.

The place to top off

Pizzicheria La Grotta

This unassuming deli in Lucca, open since 1865, is excellent for the sheer collection of cured meats and cheeses from the area. It additionally has seating inside and behind the store in a small sq., do you have to need to crush a meat and cheese board with a bottle of wine from its tightly curated choice. It in all probability hasn’t modified a lot because it opened, so it might seem like a kitschy Tuscan vacationer lure at first look, however the look belies the standard of the products. It additionally sells dried pastas, olive oils, dried native grains, honey, and different souvenirs.

Pasticceria Taddeucci

Additionally positioned in Lucca, this pastry store is taken into account the custodian of a prized native candy delicacy, buccellato (“candy bread”), a ring-shaped cake full of raisins. The deal with dates again to medieval instances, first documented within the 1400s (earlier than issues like cream custard and butter modified up Tuscany’s pastry sport). No matter how you are feeling about raisins, it’s a should in the event you go to the Lucca space of Tuscany.

Caseificio Bertagni

In a rustic that has at the very least 450 completely different registered forms of conventional cheeses, some actually particular cheese comes out of the Garfagnana mountains from free-roaming goats and sheep. In comparison with notable counterparts in Siena and Sardinia, sheep of Massesi and Garfagnini breeds frequent in these mountains produce much less milk, however what they do produce is extra extremely concentrated in taste and bacterial funk, with a major tart tang from their eating regimen of untamed grasses. Caseificio Bertagni makes varied sheep and goat cheese blends, principally goat ricottas and aged pecorinos with robust nutty umami notes. It additionally makes chestnut honey and fruit compotes, ethereal pairings for its tacky creations.

Caseificio Marovelli

When the destruction of WWII left swaths of Italy in desperation, this household turned to cheesemaking for its livelihood. Three generations of cheese artisans later, Marovelli makes varied sheep milk cheeses from contemporary to aged in conciato kinds stemming from historical Roman strategies, wrapping cheese molds in chestnut leaves and grape should to age in oak barrels. It additionally incorporate spices, native herbs, and cow and goat milks into its creations.

Bellandi Antica Norcineria

Since 1945, this salumi purveyor has been making native cured and pressed meat specialties conventional to the Lucca province. Hyperregional biroldo (head cheese), mondiola (a neighborhood sort of mortadella salami with sage leaves), and bazzone (excessive altitude-cured prosciutto hams) are definitely worth the trek to this meat market.

The place to sleep

Grand Universe Lucca

Born throughout the pandemic, this lodge is a best choice for adventurers staying in Lucca, since its sturdy concierge companies assist set up journeys into the countryside. After you’re achieved exploring, chill out on the bar’s terrace overlooking the town, sipping on bubbles sourced from close by producers (and from zones like Champagne). A double room begins at $350 per night time in excessive season, $235 in off-season.

Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa

This five-star lodge in the course of the mountains makes an excellent distant base for visiting wine producers, cheesemakers, and small cities close by reminiscent of Barga. The on-site restaurant presents native delicacies, in-house baked breads, and a neighborhood wine record — plus the views and concierge service are unbeatable. A double room begins at $300 per night time in excessive season, $145 in off-season.

Agriturismo Pian di Fiume

A small slice of paradise on Earth, this farmstay treats visitors to delicacies produced on-site, reminiscent of cured meats, chestnut honey, farro-flour flatcakes and pastas, wild herb liqueurs, and jams. It runs a family-style trattoria the place pastas are crafted with unbelievable ardour — cacio e pepe sauced ravioli filled with roasted meats, tordelli Lucchesi, stranded pastas with ragu — plus fava bean soups with pancetta. That must be sufficient to gasoline the river rafting, mountain climbing, and farm excursions the lodge presents as properly. A double room begins at $100 per night time in excessive season, $80 in off-season.