Italian winery restaurants: Six top venues to try

Wineries in Italy have long recognised the need to provide visitors with experiences that tell the story of the cultural and environmental context in which their wines are produced. Today, there are 20 Michelin-starred restaurants dotted across Italy that are associated with wineries: more than 5% of the total number of starred restaurants across the country.

The restaurants I have highlighted in the following pages are just some of the examples of how these haute cuisine destinations – capitalising on fresh, seasonal and local produce, and often with impressively curated wine lists – offer wine lovers a way to connect with a brand beyond a simple cellar tour or tasting.

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Italian winery restaurants: Six to try

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Locanda del Pilone – Michelin *

Boroli

Alba, Piedmont

Our journey to the top vineyard tables starts in Piedmont, at Locanda del Pilone. Situated on a hilltop, nestled among the vineyards with a backdrop of mountains, the restaurant offers a view of the Langhe landscape that will take your breath away.

Step into the Savoy-era dining room, admiring the period furniture and the refined yet welcoming manor house vibe. As you take your seat, you relax into a sense of wellbeing that lingers throughout the meal: the efficient front-of-house staff move expertly, swiftly presenting you with the wine menu.

Among its more than 1,400 labels, prestigious Piedmont wines stand out – not least those of the owners, the Boroli family. There’s also room for Champagne (this is a Krug Ambassade after all) and other international wines.

The food, traditional Piemontese, is made with top-quality ingredients inspired by international influences. The dish that’s well worth making the trip for is the tajarin (traditional, fresh, thin and narrow egg noodles, typical of the Langhe region), made with 40 yolks, butter and Parmigiano: intense, authentic and sumptuous. Enjoy it with a glass of Boroli’s Barolo Villero, or GD Vajra’s Barolo Bricco delle Viole.

Keen to share this enchanting place with others, the family opened the venue in 2000. ‘We offer our customers, most of whom visit from abroad, an unforgettable experience,’ says winemaker Achille Boroli.

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Ristorante Oseleta – Michelin *

Vigneti Villabella

Cavaion Veronese, Veneto

Now we head east to Veneto, where, close to Lake Garda’s eastern shore, a long, cypress-lined avenue stretches through vineyards. At the far end, an imposing 18th-century villa awaits. Upon entering Ristorante Oseleta, situated in a wing of the Villa Cordevigo, you find the rather sombre dining room where guests are served with impeccable savoir-faire. Every time I come to this oasis of pleasure, I’m delighted by the food, which favours local produce (the field-to-fork vegetables are grown in the villa’s kitchen garden) masterfully interwoven with Mediterranean flavours and oriental inspirations.

The villa represents the headquarters of Vigneti Villabella, owned by the Cristoforetti and Delibori families, and the estate’s wines feature strongly in the restaurant’s 450-label wine list, which also focuses on wines from Verona, along with international labels.

Cod cooked in oil at a low temperature, with Lamon beans, candied mandarin and cacciucco sauce, is a delight that triggers unusual emotions due to the interplay between strong and delicate flavours. Accompany the dish with Vigneti Villabella’s Vigna Morlongo Bardolino. Co-owner Franco Cristoforetti says: ‘Villa Cordevigo was a gesture of love for our local area.’

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Locanda Margon – Michelin *

Tenute Lunelli

Ravina, Trento

Follow the Adige river north for an hour, climb a vine-draped hillside and emerge onto a natural terrace immersed in more vines. Looking out over the Adige valley’s spectacular views, we’ve arrived at Locanda Margon, the ‘drawing room’ of the Lunelli family, owners of Gruppo Lunelli, which includes traditional-method sparkling wine producer Ferrari and Bisol 1542.

The Lunellis’ good-living ethos is presented in refined surroundings. The service in the modern dining room is impeccably professional and perfectly paced. Each time I find myself back here I’m tempted to try the Passione Bollicine (‘Sparkling Passion’) menu, experimental pairings of Ferrari wines and haute cuisine. The dishes, designed around the sparkling wines themselves, are accompanied by a selection of wines by the glass. The recipes, which are invariably surprising, always have a connection to the Trentino region.

The wine list offers a thrillingly large range of vintage Ferrari – bottles impossible to find elsewhere – as well as other well-known Italian and French labels. The winning dish is game-filled pasta in royal sauce, with lentils and black truffle, accompanied by Ferrari’s Riserva Perlé Rosé, Trentodoc. ‘The restaurant originally developed as a gastronomy lab to find the ideal pairings with Ferrari Trentodoc,’ explains Camilla Lunelli, director of communications and external relations.

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Trattoria Enrico Bartolini – Michelin *

Terra Moretti 

Castiglione della Pescaia, Tuscany

Naturally, our itinerary must include Tuscany, so returning south, we head for the unspoilt Maremma region, towards Trattoria Enrico Bartolini. A long road fringed with cypresses and umbrella pines winds through vineyards and cattle pasture, the prelude to our encounter with a cuisine that reflects this unique region’s energy.

The venue is owned by Terra Moretti (Acquagiusta, Bellavista, Contadi Castaldi, Petra, Teruzzi and Sella & Mosca), which is renowned for its pioneering hospitality model and boasts a long and prestigious relationship with haute cuisine. Once seated, gaze through picture windows onto the Mediterranean scrub and vineyards, basking in the warmth of the fireplace, wooden beams and exposed brickwork.

The open kitchen and wood-fired oven point to an authentic, quintessentially Tuscan experience. The produce is local, with fruit, vegetables, herbs and olive oil sourced from La Badiola, the surrounding estate. The Maremma-based menus include many barbecued dishes, and the estate’s own wines feature among the mainly Tuscan wine list.

A highpoint on the ‘100% embers’ menu is the Tuscan pork pluma with tarragon: the meat is extremely juicy and tender. Pair this with a Maremma wine: perhaps a Morellino di Scansano by Roccapesta, Monteverro’s Toscana red (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot) or even Ornellaia or Sassicaia from Bolgheri. ‘A high-calibre gourmet offering is a great strategy for
promoting the region and boosting its economy,’ says the group’s vice-president Carmen Moretti.

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Don Tumà

Masseria Cuturi

Manduria, Puglia

The next stop lies deep in the south, in Puglia. Producer Masseria Cuturi is said to be the birthplace of Primitivo di Manduria, and here is the only non-starred restaurant on our tour: Don Tumà. It’s a truly magical place, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields, Mediterranean scrub and ancient woodland. It’s also an open-air museum where you can admire remains of the ancient Messapian civilisation.

The cuisine harks back to the traditional Masseria lifestyle, when everything was made on site. This translates to classic local recipes that attract both Pugliese and international diners to its microcosm. The Masseria serves mainly its own wines, with a select few from other vineyards. The dish to try is the cavatelli (typical Puglian fresh pasta) with mushrooms: a traditional recipe with a strikingly appetising texture. Enjoy it with a glass of Monte Diavoli Primitivo di Manduria by Masseria Cuturi. Owner Camilla Rossi Chauvenet says: ‘The restaurant started as a means of promoting our wines and fostering appreciation of our beautiful surroundings, creating memories linked with the area, so that even back home, when they sip our wines, our customers feel they are right here.’

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Zash – Michelin *

Cantina Maugeri

Riposto, Catania, Sicily

And now, finally, a volcanic energy pulls us over the water to Sicily. At the foot of Mount Etna, in a lush, scented garden, complete with a citrus grove, ancient trees, herbs and a vegetable garden, stands the 19th-century country manor that houses Zash. The intimate, cosy restaurant is spectacularly located in the estate’s original palmento, the traditional Sicilian winemaking facility, which has been meticulously restored to salvage all of its magical, romantic atmosphere.

In the excellent hands of the friendly staff, you can relax and enjoy the charms of a menu that’s firmly rooted in Sicilian tradition, but with enough northern and southern Italian influences to spark your curiosity. While the wine list’s accent is primarily on Etna wines (including those made by the owners, Maugeri), it also offers a curated choice of other Italian labels, plenty of Champagne and a good international selection.

The most prized dish is grilled tuna belly in two versions: with onion and smoked aubergine, and with sweet-and-sour red onion and lime. Try pairing this tasty, light and inviting choice with Maugeri’s Frontebosco Etna Bianco Superiore, or the Kudos Etna Bianco Superiore by Federico Curtaz. ‘Zash was created to offer visitors an experience, to show people our region, to convey our passion,’ notes co-owner Carla Maugeri.

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