This Sunday I had the awesome opportunity to go with my friend Debora/gourmet expert AmbasciatoreGusto to visit Fattoria LaVacchio, an organic farm located about 18-20km from Florence. Debora stocks products from the farm in her B&B in Florence and I was itching to try the famous ‘antipasto‘ {cheese & cured meat appetizer} that she kept telling me about so as soon as she said lunch sunday? – I jumped at the chance to tag along.

We met up at the restaurant, Mulino a Vento – a beautiful place to eat with a view you normally would pay big bucks for, a  place with certain seductive tranquillity about it. Around since the 1940’s and named after the village windmill –  which is still in use to grind the farm’s wheat for use in the restaurant. Just imagine a huge outdoor terrace where you can feast on the best of Tuscany while simultaneously feasting on some really fabulous seasonal food and wine [mind you the prices were more than fair!]. Scattered around the restaurant were incredible ceramic pieces that they create themselves in a special ceramic workshop.

The wine — we tried a few different ones that they make on their farm, a white table wine, a rose and their no-sulfites red DOCG version. I liked them all, especially the rose and red wine. The antipasto lived up to its reputation, I am a sucker for cured meats and pecorino cheese. We also tried a variety of pastas – potato ravioli with wild boar ragu, tagliatelle with fresh vegetables from their garden. For dessert, I had a vin santo flavored gelato which was the perfect sweet ending to a great meal. This is absolutely somewhere I will be taking my family when they come to visit or better yet — myself when I need a great day out in the countryside.

We were all in somewhat of a food coma, hence the great need for a walk around the farm afterwards  ‘to digest’ { I love when Italians say that, you can use that excuse for anything including consuming alcoholic beverages}. The farm was built-in the 1700’s and owned by Peruzzi – a Florentine noble family {of course – this being Tuscany everything has some sort of noble touch or a history older than that of my home state of Texas}. The farm is now in the hands of the Lottero brothers from Genova who have retained the traditional farming techniques along with the biological cultivation and production of wine and oil. Yes it is a certified organic farm, pesticides need not apply.

We walked in the warm sun {finally} to the cantina where they store their wine. They showed us what kinds of wine storage facilities they use and the different types of wines they carry – I might have been tempted to open one of the taps and pour myself another glasss but somehow I resisted this. Along with us on our walk/visit were two cute dogs and an adorable little girl who stuck her head in the empty metal wine container to hear her voice echo.

One interesting fact {and the reason I took so many gorgeous photos} is that in order to closely control the presence of diseases — hundreds of roses have been planted near the vineyards, because they are particularly sensitive to certain diseases.

Needless to say, we didn’t want to leave. I wanted to happily escape my daily realities of working and running all over the city and lose myself in this farm, picking fresh veggies and making pasta from scratch. Of course, I know that I need to be closer to the city and its crazy chaos but its nice to get out in the countryside every once in a while and this really was the perfect Sunday. We spotted these people who had the brilliant idea to take a snooze right in the field beyond the vineyards in front of the restaurant. I for one, would happily bring back the idea of the ‘siesta’  or ‘pisolino’ to daily life. Magari.. 

Fattoria LaVacchio

Via di Montefiesole, 55
50065 Pontassieve

Related articles

• Blogger day at Villa di Petroio (Rufina) (girlinflorence.com)