Jasper James Stefano Falorni, an eighth-generation <i>salumaio</i>.
Guided by a culinary expert, Niloufar Motamed tracks down the best artisanal producers in northern Italy-from a cheese guru in Seggiano to a star vintner in Chianti.
The creator of the world's most expensive olive oil is standing in a dusty parking lot beside Tuscany's autostrada, hurling glass bottles against a concrete wall. Thwuck…doink. Thwuck…doink. Remarkably, not one breaks. "See?" Armando Manni says proudly. "I had these made specially in the Veneto—the bottle is a half-inch thick. The manufacturer thought I was crazy."
PAPPA REALE Ristorante Petronio
"Maremma is like Texas," says Petronio Scalabrelli, dressed in blue jeans, plaid shirt, and suspenders. At his humble restaurant in the heart of Italy's cowboy country, the walls are covered with sepia-toned photographs of ranch life in the early 1900's. The meal begins with fava beans and purple baby carciofi, which Scalabrelli plucked from his garden an hour earlier, served raw with a drizzle of salted olive oil. Next comes the signature pappa reale, a pillow-shaped potato pasta resembling an oversized, airy gnocchi, lightly swathed in a tart pork-and-beef ragù. It's followed by a grass-fed Florentine steak, seared on lava rock. Eggy, almond-dotted biscotti and house-made limoncello signal the end of the show. And that's just lunch. 74 Strada Statale, Marsiliana; 39-0564/606-345; lunch for two $60.
CHEESE Caseificio Seggiano
As we drive north, wild fennel overtakes guardrails, and forests of Mediterranean pine are replaced by endless fields of red poppies. We are heading to see Francesco Tamburelli, a cheesemaker who produces some of Italy's best pecorino di fossa, aged for seven months in wells lined with straw. Twelve years ago, this handsome Roman businessman fell in love and moved to Seggiano to join his fiancée's family business. Today, the small factory is creating one-of-a-kind cheeses, including a mellow pecorino dolce that inspires compulsive eating. Visit in the early morning to get a bite of the still-warm, buttery ricotta just after it's made. Via Privata, Seggiano; 39-0564/950-034; tours by appointment only.
BRUNELLO Siro Pacenti
The road to Montalcino has sweeping vistas of the Tuscan countryside: ocher-hued villas on hilltops, cypress trees, neon-green expanses. As we approach a long driveway, Manni raves about Siro Pacenti's wines, which he loves so much that he bought a case for his son's future cellar when he was born. The standout Brunello de Montalcino is a complex Sangiovese with powerful spice and red-fruit flavors, a precise marriage of grapes from several plots of land in Montalcino. It is aged for three years in Sylvain and Taransaud oak barrels, and then for another two in Pacenti's cave. Look for bottles from the 1995 and 1999 vintages to add to your own collection. 1 Localita Pelagrilli, Montalcino; 39-0577/848-662; tours by appointment only.
PINCI Osteria Le Potazzine
We wander Montalcino's winding cobblestoned streets, and after a stop at the medieval fortress, we come upon the family-owned Osteria Le Potazzine. Manni quickly secures the last available outdoor table (that Italian charm) and we order a gran piatto di affettati tipici del territorio (a platter of cured meats) from Carlo Pieri, an area salumaio. The sausages are spicy, well balanced, and flavorful. Next up, Manni suggests a local specialty: pinci fatii a mano, pasta rolled by hand to resemble thick spaghetti. The pinci arrive perfectly al dente, in a fresh pomodoro sauce redolent of basil. I can't say for sure that this is the best plate of pasta I've ever eaten, but having it in a square, with church bells tolling in the distance, makes it a contender. 10 Piazza Garibaldi, Montalcino; 39-0577/846-054; dinner for two $66.
SALUMI Antica Macelleria Falorni
Falorni is an institution: its salsicce and prosciutto have been made artisanally for eight generations. To walk into the salumeria is to walk into a world where all things porcine are prized. The intoxicating scent of pepper and smoked meat permeates the space; prosciutto with the tail still on hangs from the ceiling. A place of pride is reserved for products from the cinta senese, an indigenous wild black boar. The jovial, mustachioed co-owner, Stefano Falorni, can be found behind his fire engine–red Berkel slicer giving customers tastes of garlicky capocollo or paprika-tinged salame piccante. But the signature sausage of the macelleria is the finocchiona sbriciolona, a richly marbled salami spiced with wild fennel seeds. Accompanied by a bottle of Chianti, Falorni's velvety prosciutto Toscano is ideal for a picnic in the piazza. 71 Piazza G. Matteotti, Greve in Chianti; 39-055/853-029.
CHIANTI Il Molino di Grace
Manni drives with the abandon that only Italians can pull off, often overtaking cars on the hairpin turns. We are heading to Panzano to meet Frank Grace and his wife, Judy, who are living out the Tuscan dream: owning a winery in Chianti. Avid art collectors and travelers, they have shaken up the Italian wine establishment. In their sixth year of production, they received a prestigious Gambero Rosso award for best emerging winery. Il Molino's powerhouse is the 100 percent Sangiovese Super Tuscan, Gratius, the kind of wine you want to chew rather than sip. Save room for a bottle (or two) in your carry-on. Localita il Volano, Panzano; 39-055/856-1010.
STEAK Antica Macelleria Cecchini
It's not often that you run across a butcher who wears Prada shoes and spouts Dante and poetry while slicing meat in a book-lined space. Dario Cecchini's shop doubles as the town hall in Panzano. Sure, people come here to buy bistecca Panzanese, or Florentine beefsteak, but they mostly come to gossip and catch up on the town's happenings. Though his personality may not win you over (he admits to not liking American visitors because they don't buy enough), he is nonetheless the consummate host. Bowls filled with olives with sliced oranges and free glasses of Chianti greet customers. 11 Via XX Luglio, Panzano; 39-055/852-020.
NILOUFAR MOTAMED is a senior editor at T+L and a host of the Travel Channel show Travel Spies.
Where to Stay
Il Pellicano A Relais & Châteaux property on the Maremma coast. Sunset drinks on the terrace and a dip in the saltwater pool are a must. Porto Ercole; 39-0564/ 858-111; www.pellicanohotel.com; doubles from $830, including two meals.
Tenuta Villa Gaia Idyllic three-suite inn on the slopes of Mount Amiata. Rooms overlook olive groves and medieval villages in the distance. Seggiano; 39-0564/950-642; www.tenutavillagaia.com; doubles from $125.
Castello di Spaltenna This medieval castle has a bell tower dating back to the year 1000. The courtyard is a lovely spot for dinner. Gaiole in Chianti; 39-577/ 749-269; www.spaltenna.it; doubles from $255.
Where to Shop
As with artisanal food purveyors, high-quality, handmade Italian leather goods are becoming more difficult to find. Armando Manni shares his secret sources for custom shoes, jackets, and accessories.
Il Riccio Brothers Nicola and Michele Rossi make handmade shoes, belts, and briefcases that compete with the best bespoke leather goods in London or Rome. Pick from vacchetta toscana, alligator, ostrich, emu, or shark for your customized piece. The most prized skin?Reindeer salvaged from a shipwrecked galleon sunk in 1786. 36 Via Damiano Chiesa, Grosseto; 39-0564/ 417-593.
Carlo Fagiani This airy boutique in the center of Panzano is filled with colorful buttery-soft driving shoes and moccasins that have classic details such as contrasting stitching. Shoes and jackets are available in everything from suede to calf to crocodile. 17 Via G. da Verrazano; 39-055/852-239.
