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    Bottega Torciano - My incredible sommelier

    Bottega Torciano

    5.0(2 reviews)
    7.0 km

    Wine tasting while the kids make fresh pasta? In Tuscany?!! Ummmm, yes please!! This place was a…read moredream! An absolute dream! I didn't book a cooking class in advance because I had no idea on our last trip just when we would be in Tuscany, but I knew I HAD to get my kids one! Wasn't leaving without one. Luckily, I came across this place who snuck me in a private class for the same day, at the time of MY choosing! Amazing! (Especially in prime time tourist season!) Communication was a tad iffy at first, but the owner himself called me and spoke English well enough to explain everything to me....the €50 per person price and they even send me the coordinates to this, one of a few locations of Torciano on Whats App. We were greeted so warmly by all upon arrival. The kids were told to wash up and then they were suiting in aprons. They were regular sized but the staff folded them just so to fit. I was immediately handed a glass of rose' and thought to myself "yaaaaaaassss". The kiddos were brought back to a professional kitchen with a chef who spoke pretty fair English. She had the kiddos mixing the flour for their own dough for pasta, chopping herbs and peppers with huge knife that honestly had me a tad nervous, but I trusted her. They boiled and peeled tomatoes for their sauce and rolled out their dough. They cut it by hand and not in a pasta making machine, which I personally loved! I actually loved the in consist shape and size of their noodles! It gave the dish such a rustic organic feel. I was such a proud mama!!! They mixed cheeses and plated their tri pepper crostini and their bruschetta. Not without a taste first. They also mixed sugar with marscapone for their tiramisu! It was a different type of tiramisu than I've seen. It was simply placed in a bowl. No fancy layers, just uber thick, creamy cheese with a powdered cocoa top. Since the kids are vegetarians they nixed making the white wine pork chop dish, which is usually included in this class. The chef did however still show us how to make it from afar and replaced that entree with a hearty omelette instead when it can time to chow down. All the while I was given a sample of the most incredible balsamic I have EVER tasted as well as many different wines. This was even before my proper tasting! They made me feel like royalty! We were soon seated at a lovely table where my tasting official began with a super informative, friendly sommelier!! I didn't try a wine I didn't like! I wound up purchasing the rose' and the prosecco, which is usually too sweet for me. This was actually on the drier more subdue (in a good way) side! I also bought an incredible cab sauv/Merlot Tuscan blend and their Vernaccia, a delicious crisp white. I was actually gifted a bottle of their All You Need Is Love, which retails at €120! It was fascinating to not only learn the process for making each specific variety, but also to hear which regions in Italy each grape grows and the reasons for the locations such a temperature etc. They also served us the 4 course meal the kiddos made! Everything was outstanding and that pasta I'm still dreaming about. Thick tagliatelle cooked perfectly al dente. It was UNREAL!! Our super kind waiter suggested I tried some pepporcini oil to drizzle atop the simple pomodoro covered pasta. It made the dish even more delicious, if you can imagine! It was the perfect amount of heat and flare. I bought a bottle of this to take home also. He said it was fantastic just drizzled over grilled veggies. It is!! I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone!! I appreciated them treated my nature 7 &9 year olds like adults in the kitchen. The class wasn't "dulled" down for them and they learned a ton. Since we've been home they've had a desire to help in the kitchen even that much more than they did before. They know how to properly chop veggies and use real knives. We plan on hosting a big family dinner making exactly this menu and popping open a bottle or two of their incredible wine. Overall such a wonderful experience for both my children and myself! Come VERY hungry and make sure to leave some room in your luggage for all the wine and oils you'll want to purchase. (I actually ditched most of my large toiletries and my hair dryer in exchange for these wines ((covers eyes)).) They do ship charging only a flat rate but you must buy a case of each type of wine, at a 30% discount though! Once I enjoy MOST of these bottles, I'm certainly placing a international order! It all just fantastic!

    From the owner: Vieni a gustare la cucina toscana a Bottega Torciano! Bottega Torciano si trova a Poggibonsi, a…read morepochi minuti da San Gimignano dove gustare ottima carne alla griglia, pasta fresca fatta da noi e i vini della nostra azienda. Fatevi coccolare dai nostri antipasti, con i migliori salumi e formaggi toscani. I primi piatti comprendono pasta al ragù tradizionale o di cinghiale, la classica ribollita e la pappa al pomodoro. Oltre al menù stagionale, fatevi consigliare i piatti del giorno dal personale di sala! Durante le stagioni del tartufo, potrete gustare ad esempio piatti a base del tartufo che raccogliamo nella nostra Tenuta. Potete scegliere se accompagnare il vostro pranzo o la vostra cena con un bicchiere di vino o con una bottiglia ad esempio di Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico o Vernaccia di San Gimignano, tutti di nostra produzione, che potrete anche acquistare al ristorante. Infine potrete deliziarvi con uno dei nostri dolci, sempre fatti da noi. Vi aspettiamo a Bottega Torciano!

    Photos
    Bottega Torciano - Beautiful space. Given drinks and aprons upon entering.

    Beautiful space. Given drinks and aprons upon entering.

    Bottega Torciano
    Bottega Torciano

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    Tenuta Torciano - Wine tasting

    Tenuta Torciano

    4.1(101 reviews)
    4.5 km
    €€

    I have visited the winery twice and ordered wine to be shipped via their distribution location in…read moreIllinois to Texas. My wine was shipped without cold packs in 94 degree Texas heat and loosely wrapped. Unfortunately, the wine was hot to touch so the wine isn't good. I've been trying to get this matter resolved with no luck so far. Instead, my emails are being ignored. I have worked in the wine industry for many years and would never treat a customer like this. I'd be glad to update this review if and when the matter gets resolved.

    This experience was the highlight of our group tour to San Gimignano from Livorno. It was part of a…read moreNCL tour that included a visit to the medieval village, but with emphasis on the wine of the region. We were taken to this lovely estate, while dodging roosters and chickens as our bus entered through the main gate. It's such a picturesque setting for a wine tasting. I can see that many events are celebrated in these vineyards all year round. The beautiful rose bushes along the trail leading to the wine tasting room added even more charm. Gabrielle was our guide for this tour. He gave us a great presentation of all that Tenuta Torciano has to offer. It all started with the appetizer plate that went perfectly with their amazing Vernaccia wine. It is such a beautiful golden color with a bright and crisp fruity taste. The grape is only grown in this region. It's a must try when in San Gimignano. I was also very much in love with the Rosato IGT Toscana wine that is very deep pink in color. It looks so pretty in the bottle. It was my second favorite of the 9 or 10 different wines that we tasted. It was an extremely generous amount for the cost. I even purchased a couple of reds, which I'm not usually fond of because they give me headaches. These did not have that affect on me. The Super Tuscan red wines called Bartolomeo & Baldassarre totally won me over. In all honesty, I've never spent this much on wine in my entire life. It was worth it. They ship it straight to your home. They have a stateside warehouse in Chicago which makes it so convenient. The package arrived a couple of days after we returned from our trip. It was exactly what we ordered, and packed with such wonderful care. Great service! We also were given the opportunity to try their flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegar. The truffle oil was drizzled over the lasagna for the tasting, but it was the balsamic vinegar that was a big hit with my husband. We've been getting a lot of use out of it when making bruschetta and caprese salad at home. It's delicious! The sweet ending to our tasting was the Vin Beato dessert wine. We dipped the cantucci (or biscotti cookies) into the wine. It was the perfect ending to a lovely wine tasting experience. I really wasn't expecting a full meal, nor was I expecting so many different wine samplings. It exceeded our expectations. I believe they have a number of different experiences here like truffle hunting and horseback riding. Just check out their website. I would have never known about this place had I not booked a tour through the cruise line. It was a memorable visit with an excellent wine tasting. I'd do it again if ever in San Gimignano.

    Photos
    Tenuta Torciano
    Tenuta Torciano
    Tenuta Torciano

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    I Balzini - winetastingroom - Updated August 2026

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