pasta and wine in volpaia, italy

One of the most charming villages in all of Tuscany is the tiny hamlet of Volpaia. It’s about two blocks long and one block wide but contains THE essentials for an Italian town: two restaurants, a wine bar, a church and a coffee bar/gelato stand. That’s it… really!

The economy appears to be based mainly on agriculture with a bit of agri-tourism thrown in (you can stay on a working farm here, FYI). The lone shop sells three items: wine, vinegar and olive oil. A few varieties of each, of course, but no tourist trinkets to speak of. Which is probably why I like it so much. The only nod to visitors is a temporary stand selling handmade jewelry. Otherwise, it’s very quiet, with none of the omni-present Chianti tour buses trucking up the hill. You can stroll the entire town in about 5 minutes but there are pockets of charm that may cause you, like me, to dally. It was so serene, it felt like being in an outdoor church (probably why I kept the camera in my bag the whole time).

After a brief walkaround, we had a lovely, lazy lunch with the Jevons’ family despite being seated next to a family of 30+ celebrating a baptism. The dish above was my selection: pici (very fat spaghetti and a specialty of the area) with a homemade ragu – delicious!

If you’re looking for a slice of Tuscany without the crowds, I highly encourage you to visit Volpaia. You won’t be disappointed!