I got the name of Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina from Georgette, who told me it was around the corner from where we were staying at Residence Palazzo Belfiore (which, by the way, if you’re staying in Florence please check this place out. Federico and his staff do a remarkable job at making you feel home away from home). I’d asked for a recommendation for a place to chill out in that afternoon after arriving to town and she'd said the Enoteca was her favorite wine bar in Florence. After a long morning of travel from Sicily to Florence, my friends and I decided to take her advice and check it out.
She was right. Literally right around the corner from where we were staying and across from the Pitti Palace near Ponte Vecchio, the Enoteca is quite a charming establishment. Its wood-paneled walls are lined with traditional Italian wine, and the marble-topped bar and tables out front are comfortable and inviting. The guys who own the place are always around, and in fact, co-owner Manuele Giovanelli was the first person to get us seated with menus in hand. I’m by no means an expert on Italian wines, but at first glance, the menu presented a solid mix of varietals from some of my favorite regions in Italy.
Tuscany was well represented of course, but there were also selections from the Piedmont and whites and sparkling wines from Friuli Venezia Giulia, it's important to note that they focus on traditional Italian wines. Additionally, the menu has a great selection of seasonal hand-made pastas and cheese and charcuterie plates to pair with the wines. I actually hadn't anticipated lunch, but I took the opportunity on this first visit. Let me just say I highly suggest you also take the opportunity should you find yourself anywhere near Pitti Gola around meal times (a reservation wouldn't be a bad idea either, Tel. +39 055 212 704).
But what about the wine?
Manuele and his partners Edoardo and Zeno Fioravanti (brothers) have amazing palates and taste when it comes to Italy's wine. On this particular visit, they took me on a bit of a journey through big-barrel, small-producer chianti classico, represented by several selections they'd hand-picked for the wine club. “Uh… excuse me? Wine Club?” Turns out that the guys, guided and facilitated by Edo's lovely wife Shannon, run a wine club that allows their clients access to the guys' hand-selections on an annual- and semi-annual basis. Interesting...
I was definitely intrigued, but on this first visit I didn't dig too deeply into club details and instead focused on my excellent lunch and the wine pairings the guys suggested. I have to say that this first experience, and every subsequent visit over the past few years, has been charming, exciting, and rewarding. On each visit one of the gentlemen co-owners has taken a lot of delight in guiding not only me, but every guest in the room through wine selections. There is a sheer joy and pride in their work, and it shows, in person, and on the menus. So yeah, this is one of my go-to spots in Florence. I visit the city at least twice a year, and I never fail to visit Pitti Gola at least once or twice per visit. It is that good.
But, let's dig a little deeper into the wine club, which is a great solution for those who can't necessarily come to Florence from one day to the next. On my next visit, I asked for a few more details and dug a bit deeper into the Club idea. Turns out this was Shannon's stroke of brilliance, conceived as a way of keeping the party going so-to-speak. It seems that people visit the Enoteca, fall in love with a bottle or two, and then call back later to get more of their favorites. Setting up a club was a way to satisfy those requests and to be able to extend the Pitti Gola family beyond Florence and back to where a client/friend lives. The way the club works is a reflection of both the guys' excellent taste and desire to highlight quality small producers that otherwise would not have an audience and the team's overall professionalism and dedication to delighting friends with a great bottle of wine.
As a bit of a wine enthusiast, I belong to several wine clubs mostly winery-direct producers here in the USA that I've visited, or from cellar curators from whom I've learned to appreciate their selections and styles. I look forward to each and every shipment. But, if I'm honest, the one that consistently excites me the most is the shipment from Enoteca Pitti Gola. It is a little bit of the finest of Italy delivered to my doorstep. The wines the guys pull together and share are always of the highest quality and are a delight to drink. Also, they're rare in my part of the world, and honestly I have a lot of fun pulling from this catalog to drink with friends and neighbors. I like the reputation I've developed in my circle of friends for consistently having a great bottle to share. The Wine Club not only helps me discover new wines for myself, but allows me to share these treasures with friends and family, and isn't that what life is all about? Sharing things you love with people you love? With that sentiment in mind, I take a lot of pride in introducing the Enoteca Pitti Gola Wine Club to all of my friends and readers here at Italy Magazine™.
Edoardo Fioravanti, one of Enoteca Pitti Gola's three owners and a true Florentine
I hope you give it a try. I also realize it isn't for everyone. This isn't the least expensive way to get a case of Italian red. It isn't the fastest way either, because they only ship twice a year in the cool seasons so temperature extremes won't damage the wines. If your Uncle Morty likes any ol' wine for dinner “as long as it’s red and wet!” then this is probably not for him. BUT, if you enjoy discovering and sharing some great wines from small regional Italian producers who are frankly creating some astonishingly good wine, then give the Club a try. The guys select the wines by hand, and that care and attention show in every bottle. They've seen, and tasted first-hand, the care these wine makers impart in creating their product and have ensured quality along every step; from the vine to your glass.
Try the Club. I don't think you'll be sorry, and I welcome each of you to the extended family. Maybe next time we're in Florence, we can raise a glass together with Shannon and the guys!
Cin cin!
-Michael Tucker
CEO and Wine Enthusiast, Italy Magazine™
