Savoring Brunello di Montalcino at Fattoria dei Barbi

The narrow roads begin climbing as you near the historic hill town of Montalcino, south of Siena in the wonderfully scenic Val D’Orcia in Tuscany. Montalcino is surrounded by rolling hillsides with vineyards producing the area’s famous red wines, most notably Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino.

There is no shortage of beautiful wineries to stop at for a tasting, but one that offers a wonderfully enjoyable experience is Fattoria dei Barbi, situated just 2.5 miles from the heart of Montalcino. Run by the Colombini family, an old Sienese noble family with deep roots in the area, Fattoria dei Barbi is a charming cluster of stone buildings surrounded by vineyards, which provide visitors a delightful array of food and wine tasting choices plus a Brunello and Montalcino Community Museum to learn more about the area’s most famous wine.

The Colombini family has been in Montalcino since 1352, and at the present Fattoria dei Barbi estate since 1790. The name Barbi derives from Barbo, a reference to the seashell fossils found throughout the vineyards. Brunello production began in 1892 when the grapes used were limited solely to the Sangiovese variety. Brunello is aged for four years, at least two of which must be spent in wood barrels. Giovanni Colombini had the idea to open the first Italian public wine shop in Montalcino’s Fortress in 1936, where today there is still an Enoteca selling the area’s famous reds. The family created the first so-called Super Tuscan wine in 1969, and was the first to export bottled wine to the U.S., France, England and Asia.

Today the estate spreads over 750 scenic acres, and wine production is 800,000 bottles annually, of which 200,000 are Brunello. We enjoyed a tour of the property and the grounds with visits to the tasting room, cellars, taverna, vineyards and on-site museum. From the parking area, we headed first to the wine shop, from where we began our cellars tour, which Barbi has been offering since the 1950s. Your guide will take you down into the historic cellars with their huge oak barrels and interesting displays about the history of the family and the Brunello wine heritage. Tours last roughly 30-40 minutes, and the cellars have a collection of bottles dating back to 1870.

Back in the wine shop, we enjoyed a tasting of several of the Barbi brands, including the Brunellos. The tastings can be done either before or after the cellar tour. There is also the option to add a Tuscan snack of meats and cheese. The shop sells the estates olive oil and grappa along with its wines, and can arrange shipping back home in carefully packed wine crates!

For those with a heartier appetite, we strongly recommend heading next door to the charming Taverna dei Barbi, where you can have a full lunch or dinner (daily except Wednesdays), and try the local Montalcino specialties. The room itself is very atmospheric, with a large central fireplace and flags, paintings and wine displays adorning the stone walls. The Taverna seats 60 indoors, and can comfortably accommodate up to 150 more guests outdoors and in the garden area.

The Taverna serves a delightful menu whose dishes are creative reimagining of antique recipes that appeared on the tables in affluent households of the Montalcino area in the 19th century, combined with the chef’s new creations and using only local Montalcinese ingredients.

We enjoyed sampling from the intriguing menu choices, and chose for our appetizers an antique recipe featuring Collo di Nana Ripieno con Salsa Verde (Stuffed Goose Neck with Green Sauce) and a modern creation featuring Uovo in Camicia su Crema di Pecorino Fresco dei Barbi, Insalata Mesticanza, Olive Taggiasche, Acciughe e Noci ( Poached Egg on Sheep Cheese Cream with a Mixed Salad of Anchovies, Nuts and Olives). The goose neck was stuffed with mixed meats, milk, bread and spices and it is a traditional dish from Montalcino. The poached egg dish enhanced the creaminess of the fresh cheese and the egg and well paired the crunchiness of the nuts and the saltiness of the anchovies.

After lunch, we walked up the gravel road alongside the vineyards to the on-site Brunello Museum. Here the exhibits focus first on the community of Montalcino and its history and the trades that local residents engaged in. Here we learned about Montalcino’s own Sagra del Tordo or Festival of the Thrush, held the last weekend in October. In a nod to the area’s hunting heritage, the festival features an archery contest between competitors from each of the town’s four quarters, as well as a colorful parade with participants dressed in medieval garb. The last section of the museum covers the history of the famous Brunello wine, and the history of the families that first began Brunello production. Note that the Taverna and museum are seasonal, and close between early December and mid-February.

Though you’ll doubtless want to make multiple winery stops along the curving roads cutting through the area’s vineyards, and carve out time to stroll the the charming streets and piazzas of Montalcino, savoring the sweeping countryside views and ending at the Fortress, the stop at Fattoria dei Barbi provides a delicious and educational introduction to the world of Brunello wines in the beautiful Montalcino area of the Val d’Orcia.