The Connected Table

The hilltop medieval walled city of San Gimignano with its many stone towers is one of the most popular destinations in Tuscany, and for good reason. There are the Michelin-rated restaurants, award-winning Gelateria Dondoli, and 360-views from the towers, all built before the renaissance. The surrounding countryside is home to Tuscany’s- and one of Italy’s- most renowned white wines, Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG.

Situated in the wild southern coast of Tuscany, the Bolgheri DOC is best known in the wine world as the birthplace of the “Super Tuscan” wine, thanks to innovative wine producers like Tenuta San Guido (maker of Sassicaia), Ornellaia, and Grattamacco.

The Monteregio Di Massa Marittima DOC is a small wine production area just inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea and encircled by the larger Maremma Toscana DOC. Nearby are the Grosetto Metalliferous Hills, a vast architectural site whose iron rich soils impart the “terra rossa” in many of the vineyards. The DOC includes native vines such as Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Vermentino and Malvasia as well as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier.

Driving along the Orcia River Valley just south of Siena, the rolling hills lined with cypress trees depict picturesque scenes of Tuscany. This is Sangiovese territory at its best. On one side of the river, you will find Montalcino, home to the renowned Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. and on the other side, Orcia D.O.C. We have spent time in both regions visiting producers and tasting exceptional Sangiovese wines.

Beloved New Orleans Chef Frank Brigtsen is widely recognized for revitalizing Creole Acadian cooking. This year his namesake restaurant, Brigtsen’s, marks 40 years since its opening in 1986. Located in a charming Victorian cottage at 723 Dante Street in the Uptown Riverbend neighborhood, Brigsten’s draws a loyal clientele of regulars, as we saw firsthand this past Friday when we dined there for an early dinner.

In the Tuscan region of the Maremma, Rocca di Frassinello is the brainchild and joint venture between media magnate, Paolo Panerai, owner of Domini Castellare di Castellina, and Baron Eric de Rothschild of Chateau Lafite, owner of the legendary Bordeaux first growth property. Both Panerai and Baron de Rothschild are passionate about the intersection of art, design and fine wine.

Whether it is supplied to homes, commercial buildings or used to create works of art, much of the world’s finest marble stone is sourced in the steep mountain slopes of the Apuan Alps above the seaside towns of Massa & Carrara, not far from Pisa. This area is located in the northwestern tip of Tuscany. To the east are the Candia Hills and Apuan Alps. To the west is the Tyrrhenian Sea and many resorts.

Antonio Bullieri and Maria Elena Poggianti acquired Fattoria Uccelliera’s land in the 1960s. The winery is located in Crespina Lorenzana in the southern hills of the province of Pisa, forty kilometers west of Florence. Production includes wines from both the Colline Pisani DOC and Chianti DOCG appellations. Fattoria Uccelliera is both a winery and an agritourism with separate buildings on the property for overnight accommodations Aerial view of Fattoria Uccelliera.

Tell anyone you are visiting Monte Carlo, and naturally the glamorous casino town on the French Riviera comes to mind. But Tuscany’s Montecarlo DOC and its medieval fortress-capped village by the same name are a world apart. Located in the northwest province of Lucca, DOC Montecarlo is a hilly region with soils of clay, limestone and sandstone, blessed with diurnal temperature swings that are ideal for cultivating grapes to make wine. In the distance are the Apuan Alps.

A visit to Tuscany is a bucket list trip for many travelers and an important reason to taste the region's renowned wines and foods.