Vineria Portofranco - Trequanda

Ho sognato per più di un anno di visitare questo posto, guardando le foto nei social network. oggi insieme a mia moglie e al piccolo francescano Sagrantino ho potuto realizzare questo piccolo desiderio e posso confermare a me stesso che ne valeva la pena! la posizione meravigliosa, il proprietario gentilissimo e premuroso, ci ha consigliato vini meravigliosi provenienti da diverse regioni d'Italia e ci ha portato deliziosi accompagnamenti. Sarei stato felice di rimanere più a lungo, ma torneremo sicuramente presto a questo delizioso piccolo luogo divino.

Montisi is a pretty hilltop town in southern Tuscany that few people can picture for they assume every village south of Siena is simply overrun with tourists for much of the year. Wrong. They are not, and this one certainly isn’t, so come here even in August and stroll the picturesque medieval streets and soak up the atmosphere of a bygone age. And when you are hungry, where better to stop than the little vineria of portofranco offering top quality tapas and wine on the main street. Visiting alone, I opted for a small plate of tagliere followed by the salad of the day. Plates of mixed hams and salami are available everywhere around here but rarely have I eaten cured pork of this quality. Was that cinnamon? Perhaps a hint of clove? My tastebuds were awaked as I nibbled a piece of simple pork sausage. Then came the salad – a mix of raw cauliflower, carrot and lamb’s tongue lettuce, subtly dressed in oil and vinegar. It was an effort to get through – there was a great deal of crunching involved – but later I felt as though I had eaten an entire box of multi-vitamins. I can’t remember the last time I ate anything that I knew was doing me so much good. And again, it was the quality of the ingredients. Everything is bio – obviously – including the wine. Friendly, efficient service in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Go there and support them. If you are a true foodie looking for something simple but the best, you won’t be disappointed.

We visited the proprietor Ilaria and her very friendly staff for a light lunch and to taste some delicious local wines. The wine tasting cave is amazing as it's beautifully cool (and coolly decorated too) as it's the natural temperature of the ground. Then we had our lunch in the restaurant and that was a wonderful experience, and we were sad to leave and not have the chance to enjoy even more beautiful antipasti and accompanying wine. We got talking to the Canadian/Czech couple next to us, and they had stumbled into the bar a couple of years back, and now return every year when they visit the area. A good sign. Hopefully, we will return too.

We arrived towards 3:30pm so late but the first question was a welcoming “what can we do for you”. A great start! We chose a few small plates. But one had just been finished for the day so an alternative was suggested. Which tasted fabulous. And our other choices were just as good. Wine was proposed to match the food and it did . The owner took the time to explain their ideas and showed us the wine cellar/cave with pride. Despite being very busy preparing for the evening session. A really lovely experience finished off by a simple but perfect coffee. Will definitely revisit when we are next in the area. Would recommend.

Sono contento/a di aver mangiato e bevuto qui. Il proprietario è davvero bravo, la cantina è spettacolare e i piatti sono ben curati e particolari. Ogni piatto ha un'anima, proprio come il villaggio di Montisi, con i suoi 287 abitanti e 4 distretti. Merita sicuramente una visita.