Agriturismo La Biccoca
We had the pleasure of saying at an agriturismo in Castel Rigone, a small town in Umbria which overlooks Lake Trasimeno. There are only 2 units at this agriturismo where we enjoyed our own private casita, hammock and lawn. There was a lovely pool which we were able to enjoy the first day, but it started feeling like fall the rest of the time we were there. We were greeted by our lovely hosts Paolo, Susan and Salvatore. Each morning, we woke up and walked over to the main house for a lovely breakfast prepared by our hosts with fresh bread, cereals, eggs and fruit from their garden. They were so helpful to helping us navigate the surrounding areas. We were so sad to be surrounded by their beautiful olive trees and not be able to taste their olive oil! Harvest time is happening now in October.
Aziendo Agraria Carlo & Marco Carini
Just 20 minutes from our Airbnb, we were able to visit this family run farm which has been around since the mid-800s. Now it is a 140 hectare (345 acres) estate which produces organic wine and olive oil, ‘Cinta Senese’ sausages and cheese. "There are approximately eighty pigs that graze in a forest of nearly ten acres, which features a dominant presence of oak acorn, arbutus, chestnut trees and a variety of grasses, precious food items for the ‘Cinta’s diet. During the harsh winters, the feed for the animals is enriched with products grown exclusively on the farm, including chestnuts. The pigs live in the wild for a period of two to three years; this renders their meat particularly dark and flavourful and marbled with fat, a trait that distinguishes it from other pigs and that allows for perfect aging." - Carlo & Marco Carini
From April to September, every Saturday and Sunday from 6:30pm onwards, they offer ‘torta al testo’ and homemade ‘Cinta Senese’ sausage tastings. We loved tasting the fresh oven made torta al testo and the delicious meats. The wine and meats were such a great pair!
Truffle School with Matteo - Citta' di Castello
We arrived in the town of Citta' di Castella at the Agriturismo Ca'Solare. We had a lovely day learning from truffle expert Matteo who went into depth about the history of the various truffles, how he became a truffle hunter, Matteo is a truffle hunter based in an area where competition is high (over 12,000 hunters in the city alone). We walked his land with his dad and trained truffle hunting dog where he showed us areas that typically grow truffles. Some truffles may be just below the surface but during winter months they could be almost a foot below! It was so fascinating to see them work and also enjoy the beautiful greenery of Umbria. After a couple hours in the field, we walked back to their house and enjoyed a lovely lunch with some of the truffles we found.
Montioni Oil Mill and Winery
Located in Montefalco which is in the central part of Umbria, Montioni is a family run oil mill and winery. The owner himself, Paolo, welcomed us to his tasting room and drove us around his olive groves where some trees were more than 90 years old and also walked in the vineyards with various varietals of grapes (sagrantino, sangiovese, and merlot). We later returned to the oil mill and cellar. He proudly shared the history of his family business and the care that goes into every olive oil and wine bottle. Montefalco region is know for its more complex red, sagrantino.
