Florence Wine Bars: Don't Miss Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina

My short trip in Tuscany wasn’t long enough to hit all the wine regions, so during my evening in Florence I decided to seek out an enoteca that might be able to fill in some of the gaps. I saw rave reviews for Pitti Gola e Cantina so headed there after taking in the amazing views form Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte.

Pitti Gola is located in the Pitti Piazza, immediately opposite the Pitti Palace & Art Gallery. Unfortunately they weren’t open until 5:30 on the Thursday I went, so I killed time siteseeing in the area, checking out several churches and side streets.

It was worth the wait! Pitti Gola is best known for their wine club and large selection of amazing Tuscan wines by the glass. They travel all over the area to find the best vintages which are then shipped to wine club members or available in the shop. Pitti Gola does offer fantastic food, but it’s a side note, provided to compliment the wine.

I grabbed a small table in the corner, there were only 6 indoor tables to choose from, and perused the menu. Tough call — do the Italian bubblies, or have the rare chance to compare 3 decades of Chiantis?

I eventually decided on the Chiantis and ordered the Chicken Terrine (which wound up being a great decision) from the limited food menu.

What really makes Pitti Gola so fantastic is that you’re taking a short wine tour, not just sipping wine. Each bottle was presented, a brief history of the vintage and other interesting facts provided. It was a great way to learn about the evolution of Chianti — in 10 minutes or less.

In the 1970s, the vintages often contained white grapes, basically whatever was growing in the vineyards. The 1980s was when regulations were tightened and the 2009 represents a more modern approach. All were fun and it was a bit of an extra thrill to be drinking wine older than I am!

I made friends with fellow wine lovers while I was there, so I stayed to try a few more wines.

An “orange” white. Pinot Grigio where the juice was left in contact with the skins for awhile. It smells like orange blossoms and has a pale orange/dark yellow color but maintains the crispness you’d expect from aÂ dry white.