Chianti Wine Tasting: Paired Lunch at Casa Emma
My first full day in Chianti was spent wine tasting and I wound up arriving late to my lunch and tour at Casa Emma, having misjudged how long my first tasting would take.
Which meant I was immediately seated outside on the patio to start my lunch with pairings. Not necessarily a bad thing!
Casa Emma wines were good, but at their price points (14-50€) not amazing. The food pairings, however, were utterly delightful and I highly recommend planning a tasting with lunch there!
The placemat provided a helpful overview of where the varietals are located in the vineyard you’re looking at. The restaurant was about two-thirds full but still fairly quiet. I was the only solo diner but for once wasn’t getting weird reactions from the wait staff.
First up was a basket of dangerously delicious bread served with Casa Emma’s own extra-virgin olive oil and balsalmic vinegar and paired with their entry level Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Vignalparco (single vineyard, 100% Sangiovese). The wine was nice, the olive oil and balsamic fantastic!
Next a gigantic appetizer plate from local farms — various charcuterie, cheeses, and fresh tomato and artichoke toppings paired with their Chianti Classico Riserva. This reminded me of my tasting in Sicily, and I would have been perfectly happy with just this as my meal!
But thank goodness it wasn’t, since homemade pasta paired with their high end wines was the next course. There were three options and I was having difficulty decided. “Why pick?” and before I knew it they had offered me a half portion each of the two I most wanted.
Spaghetti with sauce made from tomatos picked that day and paired with their 93 pt Chianti Classico Gran Selezione which was definitely impressive.
But it was the homemade tagliatelle with meat sauce and their merlot-based Solio I.G.T that really caught my fancy!
And though I had no room at all, I couldn’t resist at least trying dessert which was a fresh lemon tart.
And of course trying their specialty Vin Santo made by drying the grapes for 2 months before pressing and aging for 5-6 years. A very unique flavor, one I like but prefer in small quantities.
After the lunch I was given a short personal tour of their cellars and vineyards and given an option to purchase any of the wines or oils I had tried at lunch.
As I mentioned earlier, the wines were good but not remarkable enough to want to pay to ship them home, though I did pick up a bottle to drink that evening. BUT If you’re looking for a nice setting to drink good wine with lunch though, I highly recommend. To book a lunch, you can call them or I emailed them a few weeks out at info@casaemma.com to inquire about availability. It took about 2 hours to do everything was around 45 Euros I think.
More from this trip:
Iberia Business Class JFK-MAD
Iberia Lounge Madrid
Iberia Business Class MAD-FLR
An Afternoon in Florence
Wine Tasting in Florence: Best Wine Bar Ever
An Unexpected Issue Traveling Solo in Tuscany
Visited Casa Emma in 2012 for my wife’s birthday. Ordered ourselves a case of Chianti for a Christmas present to each other this year. It delivers tomorrow. I liked the wine a lot, but I think I liked the olive oil most of all.