Florence: A gourmet 48 hours in Tuscany’s capital – what to do for a gourmet getaway | Short & City breaks | Travel
Monterosola Winery tour and wine tasting
After finishing off the meal, it was time to head to the Monterosola winery.
The winery was only bought by the current owners in 2013 but already it is producing an array of delicious wines to be enjoyed.
My visit started with a tour which enlightened me to the art of creating a delicious wine. While the weather was damp, there were still some stunning views on offer as we looked over the vineyard.
The building even had a function area so weddings and large parties could take place with the stunning views. After the detailed tour, it was time to try the wine for myself. The vineyard was fitted with a tasting room which had four stations for different sessions to take place.
The layout of the stations was open which would allow even bigger groups to take part in wine tastings together.
It was on the second evening I was able to sample the fine dining on offer at the hotel.
As well as the main dining room, I discovered there was another place guests can dine in the hotel.
Hidden down a set of stairs was a cosy room, the Mimesi restaurant. Inviting guests to ‘taste the art’, I knew each meal would be served with only the best presentation.
The chef Giovanni Cerroni has a focus on creating seasonal dishes, many of which I got to try that evening.I tucked into the five course menu with pairing wines.
A core theme behind the menu was sustainability and this was recognisable instantly with servings low in meat but high in seasonal produce.
What is served regularly changes keeping this in mind.
I had courses of mushroom, lovage and parsley root, followed by cauliflower, almond and buttermilk and sunchokes capelietti, artichokes and black lime, among other dishes.
A personal highlight was the mushroom, lovage and parsley root.
Each course of the menu was paired with a wine carefully selected to complement the food.
We started with fizz in the form of Nussbaumer Gewurztraminer Alto Adige, DOC 2020 – a personal favourite of mine.
Throughout the meal I sipped on a selection of white and dessert wines. These included Palai Muller Thurgau Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Arneta Tenuta Bella Fonte, Derthona La Colombere and finished with Le Petit, Manicor.
