When most people think of Italy I’m sure one of the first things that comes to mind is a long table groaning with food under an ancient olive tree, or in a beautiful vineyard, with happy people eating and drinking into the late afternoon. This is just what we did on Sunday…and it was good.
Fattoria del Teso is in Montecarlo, near Lucca. As we drove into the lovely driveway we could see the hilltop centre of Montecarlo in the distance.
A flock of egrets decided to visit the vineyard at the same time as us.
The Montecarlo area has been known for vineyards and wine production since the time of the Romans. In fact it was called Vivinaia until 1333 when it was renamed. Fattoria del Teso has been spoken of since the middle ages, but since 1970 it has been extensively modernized and uses the latest techniques in grape growing and wine making.
The property is beautiful.
We were first taken to the cellars to try some of their excellent wines.
Here are Heather from Sapori-e-Saperi and Jim having a good look.
There is an amazing area in the cellars where lunch is served on summer days, when it just too hot to be outside.
As well as delicious red and white wine Fattoria del Teso produces Vin Santo, the heavenly dessert wine.
Their Vin Santo is made in a traditional way, taking 10 years to mature. We went upstairs to see how it was done. The grapes are first dried on cane racks.
The best grapes are then selected, pressed and the juice is put into barrels for 5 years.
Then the juice is carefully moved to smaller barrels, leaving the sediment behind. The new barrels are completely sealed and the maturing wine sits for another 5 years.
Here in the lovely rooms grape juice slowly becomes Vin Santo.
The barrels are sealed as they sometimes explode…look at the ceiling.
I’m sure having this gorgeous window and view behind the barrels helps.
If it had been a fine day instead of one of the wet days we have been having for months, we would have had lunch near the vineyard.
Instead we walked from the cellars to a prepared area outside.
This was the view from my seat.
The entire wall of the building is covered in wisteria. As you can imagine, the smell was divine.
Now, to the food. We had antipasti, ribs with olives grown on the property, sausages with white beans special to the area, new potatoes and porchetta.
Of course we had to try the Vin Santo, which is traditionally served with cantucci.
If you are staying in Lucca, take the time to visit Fattoria del Teso. Â Look on their website for details, www.fattoriadelteso.it, or telephone to make an appointment. 0039 347 6416099 and speak to the delightful Samanta Giannini.
As usual, I took far too many photos. Here are a few more.
The first picture looks like a painting! And that wisteria covered outdoor dining space looks divine 😀
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on April 29, 2013
at 9:57 am
It was a fairly dull day. It would look even better with the sun shining.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 10:14 am
Photographs are amazing.The food on the large tables are so tempting,I feel like flying out there and tasting some of the delicious food.
Ranu
By: ranu802 on April 29, 2013
at 10:40 am
We had a wonderful day at the vineyard, you should fly over.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 8:59 pm
Love this post. What a beautiful place – thank you for sharing it with the rest of us! A new place to buy my Montecarlo Rosso. We’ll definitely be booking for lunch and a tour during the summer holidays.
By: christopher oconnor on April 29, 2013
at 10:44 am
Their wines are very good, you will love it there.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:00 pm
Even on a bleak day the winery looks beautiful. Another outing to add to our list.
By: Jim & Kerry on April 29, 2013
at 10:47 am
It is not very far away and the town of Montecarlo is lovely too.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:00 pm
Oh Italy, how I love thee! Lovely photos Debra 🙂
By: relishandgraze on April 29, 2013
at 11:18 am
There is lots to love in Italy. You will be back soon.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:01 pm
I feel the same 🙂
By: Victor Tribunsky on May 3, 2013
at 5:37 pm
Definitely my kind of event …. so it’s on the list for next time. For an event like this one, what’s the approximate cost?
By: aFrankAngle on April 29, 2013
at 11:25 am
The cost was €30 each, which we thought was excellent value.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:02 pm
The fare seems fair.
By: aFrankAngle on April 30, 2013
at 10:47 am
How heavenly that looks. The Wisteria is so beautiful. Eating and drinking in such a setting, it just has to be good for your soul, your psyche and everything else we humans carry around in our baggage.
By: Jan on April 29, 2013
at 11:47 am
I thought it was worth it for the wisteria alone.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:02 pm
The place and the food looks superb. I love Vin San to and I used to serve it as a dessert with “cantucci”, although nowadays I serve it with slices of “castagnaccio” according to my own recipe… which is richer than the standard one.
By: mulino dominillo on April 29, 2013
at 11:57 am
I like Vin Santo as well and would be very happy to try it with castagnaccio.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:03 pm
wow the bella tavolata e che bel posto!
By: Our Adventure in Croatia on April 29, 2013
at 1:27 pm
Grazie!
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:04 pm
I want to be you!
By: paninigirl on April 29, 2013
at 1:34 pm
Come on over and we can have lunch together.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:05 pm
ooh my god everything looks tempting but its so sad how i will always hear it in stories because from uganda to itary it will take mi a life time to get that money but with gods grace i will be there
By: mariontasha on April 29, 2013
at 2:08 pm
I hope you make it one day.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:05 pm
yes i will since i have your prayers
By: mariontasha on May 29, 2013
at 8:57 am
What a wonderful post. I want to be there. 🙂
By: Tuxedo Sophisticated Cat on April 29, 2013
at 2:53 pm
It was a great day, you should come to Italy soon.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:06 pm
Your posts make me hungry…for more!
By: alexandrapettitt on April 29, 2013
at 3:07 pm
We certainly had a delicious lunch.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:07 pm
Wow great pictures. Looks like a bit of heaven on earth.
By: Trinity Rivers on April 29, 2013
at 3:57 pm
The vineyard is absolutely beautiful…and the food was great too.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:10 pm
The vineyard is absolutely beautiful…and the food was great too.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:10 pm
Thank you so much for sharing Debra. My aunt and Uncle live in Montecarlo. Your beautiful photos fill my soul.
By: Susan Brock on April 29, 2013
at 4:20 pm
How lucky they are to live in Montecarlo. It was actually the very first town we stayed in when we first came to the area 10 years ago.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:11 pm
Storybook beauty! Thank you for sharing, Debra. Hope you enjoy meeting Marijane and Jim when they arrive!
By: Karen Overton on April 29, 2013
at 4:53 pm
We will be meeting them on Wednesday.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:12 pm
There is NO such thing as too many photos–not when it is of such beauty! 🙂
By: Heather in Arles on April 29, 2013
at 5:03 pm
Fattoria del Teso is a beautiful place to spend some time.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:13 pm
Beautiful wisteria photos!
By: eponato on April 29, 2013
at 7:48 pm
I see that your wisteria is looking lovely right now.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 29, 2013
at 9:16 pm
Wow – Would love to have been there for lunch. The pictures are beautiful!
By: Pam Proctor on April 29, 2013
at 9:27 pm
It’s time for you to come back to Italy.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:15 am
Incredible but so absolutely typical and ‘normal’ at the same time. A great portrait of what Sundays are all about. Great work!
By: janinevasta on April 29, 2013
at 10:06 pm
It is a pity not all Sundays can be devoted to eating lunch in vineyards.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:16 am
This we will have to try. We’ve not been to their vineyard YET!! LOL! The food also looks amazing…don’t think I could ever tire of the view…
By: Our Kitchen Inventions on April 29, 2013
at 10:12 pm
Try to come at wisteria time. Weren’t you here around this time last year?
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:17 am
Yes, and it was lovely then! I really wish I could be there now, but work interfered with this year’s visit…soon!
By: Our Kitchen Inventions on April 30, 2013
at 3:20 pm
I am here until the end of June. Let me know if you are coming before then.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 6:59 pm
Having Sunday lunch at a Tuscan winery sounds divine – good food and wine and a gorgeous view.
By: Just Add Attitude on April 29, 2013
at 10:12 pm
It is certainly a treat to be in such a lovely place.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:17 am
Takes me back to the many meals I had with my Taste Travel group in Italian wineries.
By: Roslyn MacAllan (@roztaste) on April 29, 2013
at 10:19 pm
Lunch at my sister’s winery in Victoria can also be great. They have a beautiful sandstone building with a very long table. It is wonderful in winter with the fires blazing. They make some of Australia’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:20 am
heaven Debra. my idea of absolute heaven.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on April 29, 2013
at 10:45 pm
It was a great thing to do on a Sunday.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:20 am
How did you get so lucky to be invited to lunch?
By: tesorotreasures on April 29, 2013
at 11:16 pm
The vineyard/winery is open to the public and you can pay to have lunch there. They will also pack a picnic lunch for you to take into the beautiful area beside the vineyard.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:21 am
That is a wonderful thing for them to do!!! I wish they would do that here in California!
By: tesorotreasures on April 30, 2013
at 6:49 pm
There are many wineries in Australia that do this. My sister has a beautiful vineyard and winery in Australia. They have some great events there. Perhaps you could start something near you.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 7:01 pm
If only I owned a vineyard!!! My dream come true 🙂
By: tesorotreasures on April 30, 2013
at 10:04 pm
It does sound romantic and lovely, but there is also lots of hard work involved.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 3, 2013
at 5:07 am
Oh geez! I don’t know which is more beautiful, the food or the setting. Off subject, I have a couple of questions: 1- where are all the ugly electric wirings? Did the communes have the foresight to bury them? And 2- something I’ve wondered for decades,why are the bell towers separate from the church for many centuries? If you don’t know I’ll be surprised. They all seem distinctive too. Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to identify the villages by their towers?
By: directgood on April 30, 2013
at 4:04 am
I didn’t see any exposed wiring at the vineyard, but if you look carefully at the photo with Montecarlo in the distance you will see wires going across the centre of the photo. Possible explanations for separate belltowers are…tall towers tended to fall down so it was a good idea to keep them separate from the church…they were often built at a different time from the church…and keeping the tower a little distant from the church allowed them to use larger bells as the sound waves could damage the main building.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 5:14 am
It puts our Dutch food to shame, Debra. Except for the bread and cheese. We’re good at bread and cheese.
By: Richard Tulloch on April 30, 2013
at 6:55 am
We had some great meals in Amsterdam and yes, the bread and cheese is excellent
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 6:50 pm
You can never take too many photos! Lovely post.
By: frenchfry36 on April 30, 2013
at 7:12 am
There were so many lovely things to see, I couldn’t help taking lots of photos.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 6:51 pm
Another lovely photo journal, Debra. Ahh – those long lunches.
By: kayrpea61 on April 30, 2013
at 7:23 am
Lunch is such a beautiful setting makes everything taste better.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 6:52 pm
Just perfect. So Italiano. Loved every bit of this post. Gorgeous photos. Fabulous setting
By: aussiegirl0905 on April 30, 2013
at 8:21 am
It was a fun day. I hope I can go back soon.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 6:53 pm
debra the pictures are so lovely and they look new every time i look at them.omg my dream coutry itary
By: mariontasha on April 30, 2013
at 1:07 pm
Italy has many good reasons to visit.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 6:53 pm
How beautiful! I LOVE vin santo. This looks like a near-perfect day! Xcat
By: Catherine on April 30, 2013
at 6:31 pm
You would really love this Vin Santo! You should drop in a buy some.
By: Debra Kolkka on April 30, 2013
at 7:00 pm
What a wonderful post Debra – I really felt as if I was there with you. You always manage to take us with you on your outings and really share the day with us – its a great skill that not many people can do as well. The wisteria is fantastic, and the pictures of the food made me hungry for Italy! 😀
By: dearrosie on May 2, 2013
at 8:41 am
Thank you for your lovely comment. There are lots of special days here in Italy.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 3, 2013
at 5:08 am
[…] Debra’s post Sunday lunch at a Tuscan vineyard, began, “When most people think of Italy I’m sure one of the first things that comes to mind is […]
By: Best travel blog posts in April « 101 Holidays blog on May 2, 2013
at 2:17 pm
Marvelous post Debra. Great wine, beautiful setting and fabulous food…..what more can one ask for? The wisteria seems to be vying for equal billing with the fabulous wines and winning 🙂
By: Madhu on May 2, 2013
at 5:47 pm
The wisteria was magnificent. I have about 3 flowers on my wisteria in Ponte a Serraglio. I am hoping to do better at Casa Debbio.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 3, 2013
at 5:09 am
[…] Debra’s post Sunday lunch at a Tuscan vineyard, began, “When most people think of Italy I’m sure one of the first things that comes to mind is […]
By: Best travel blog posts in April | Reiseblogg / Travelblogg on May 2, 2013
at 6:51 pm
Oh my. I absolutely love it. The Rustic table, amazing food……sigh.
By: Damommachef on May 3, 2013
at 11:53 pm
It was a delightful day at the vineyard and winery.
By: Debra Kolkka on May 4, 2013
at 4:55 am
[…] Sunday lunch at a Tuscan vineyard (bagnidilucca.wordpress.com) […]
By: Make your own Homemade Wines | The Epigenetics Project Blog on May 23, 2013
at 12:30 pm
If I sent it before; you can just enjoy it again. Oh swoon; how I would love to be there. Still would like to hear about Victor’s trip….
By: Cathy Rowley on May 26, 2013
at 12:49 pm
Enjoyed your photos n commentary! Do you know what the cost for lunch n wine tasting in US Dollars ? We will be in Lucca area on a Sunday mid November this year and would Love to arrange to go to this winery.
Thanks
By: donna colonna on August 31, 2013
at 5:38 pm
I am not sure what it would cost in US dollars. Try sending them an email. It would be a good idea to book anyway.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 31, 2013
at 9:28 pm
[…] Last year we had Sunday lunch at the very beautiful Fattoria del Teso, a vineyard and winery near Monte Carlo. Here is a photographic reminder of the day. See the full post here. […]
By: Take the wine bus to Fattoria del Teso | Bella Bagni di Lucca on April 16, 2014
at 8:25 pm
I cannot wait to have Sunday lunch here.
By: Dina on April 18, 2014
at 8:55 am
that looks and sounds beyond the most perfect thing to do in Tuscany. Think I may have commented once before but would just love to do it sometime. The photos are magic Deb and especially love the ones with the Wisteria, so was it spring time or summer?
By: Dianne CANT on August 27, 2016
at 3:54 am
It was spring. Wisteria is usually about in April…a beautiful time of year.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 27, 2016
at 7:34 am