{"id":12299,"date":"2016-10-10T08:14:11","date_gmt":"2016-10-10T06:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/?p=12299"},"modified":"2016-10-10T08:14:11","modified_gmt":"2016-10-10T06:14:11","slug":"castello-di-spaltenna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/tuscany\/castello-di-spaltenna\/","title":{"rendered":"Gourmet Tuscany “revisited” at Castello di Spaltenna"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are some hotels that leave you speechless for the level of luxury (like this one<\/a>), others that dazzle with modernity and discretion (like this one<\/a>); and then there are hotels where the protagonist is the food<\/strong>. Castello di Spaltenna<\/a><\/strong> holds its own for its refined monastic setting, impeccable service and open views, but it’s really about the food, in particular the cooking of Executive Chef Vincenzo Guarino at Il Pievano restaurant<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A large and very formal, high-ceilinged dining room is the setting for Ristorante Il Pievano<\/strong>, from January 2016 the realm of Chef Vincenzo Guarino<\/strong>, who moved his way up in the kitchens of\u00a0Chef Gualtiero Marchesi in Capri, Peter Wiss in Gstaad and Nazzareno Menghini in Rome; he received his first Michelin star at \u201cI Salotti\u201d, in Tuscany at the Hotel Il Patriarca in Chiusi (SI), confirmed in 2012 at Vico Equense at \u201cL\u2019Accanto\u201d at Grand Hotel Angiolieri. He hopes to confirm it here at Spaltenna, just above the town of Gaiole in Chianti, a goal that seems entirely reasonable.<\/p>\n

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Chef Vincenzo Guarino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The extremely classic setting, menu font and hotel itself hardly prepare the visitor for the creativity of this chef from Campania, who has absorbed something of Tuscany and brought something of his homeland with him, and has made them encounter with much refinement. Perhaps because he’s just settling in, or because he likes challenges, it’s October and he’s already changed the menu four times since he arrived in January. Seasonal and local foods are an obvious refrain in the chorus that is this restaurant, and the other much repeated phrase is “Toscana rivisitata<\/em>” – revisited Tuscan food. Both are elements that you really cannot get away from if you’re doing gourmet in Tuscany. The trick is doing it with a new twist.<\/p>\n

Dining here is an experience, which is why it’s best to go with the tasting menu<\/strong>, of which there are two options. The first is more Tuscan oriented, with slightly fewer courses and a 3-glass wine flight. The second dips into more of the chef’s specialties, with more dishes and 4 glasses of paired wine (\u20ac110pp). We had the latter, which had more courses than I could count, as there were also pre-aperitivi and a pre-dessert and also a post-dessert! Portions are more than you’d expect of a tasting menu – you certainly won’t go away hungry, and in my case perhaps I ought to have paced myself a bit better for I had trouble finishing!<\/p>\n