Chestnuts and new wine

Autumn is a truly beautiful season, thanks to the colours of nature, the atmosphere brought by the first chill in the air, and the delights of the table. Among these are undoubtedly chestnuts and new wine – a pairing well worth trying whilst exploring the countryside around Florence..

Chestnuts – or the more gourmet version known as ‘marroni’ – are a common fruit deeply rooted in our region. In the poorer mountainous areas, where farming was difficult, chestnuts and the flour made from them used to be the equivalent of bread – in other words, the staple of the diet. Today, it is easy to find small chestnuts in the woods, safely tucked away in their husks, whilst the chestnut groves are almost all privately owned and well maintained; between October and November, it is even possible to take part in the harvest there.

Chestnuts are eaten either boiled – also known as ‘ballotte’ – or roasted – also known as ‘bruciate’. This latter version goes very well with new wine, that is, a young red wine released in the same year as the harvest.

Bruciate and new wine are a classic part of evenings spent round the fire, whether at friends’ houses or on trips to the countryside; that’s why it’s hard to enjoy them in city restaurants; however, you can experience them at the numerous festivals organised in autumn in many towns and villages.

From villages in the Apennines such as Marradi or Palazzuolo sul Senio, where chestnuts are celebrated every Sunday in October, to Firenzuola and San Piero a Sieve. There is also a chestnut festival in Tosi, in the municipality of Reggello.
At these festivals, roasted chestnuts are often served with mulled wine – the warm, spiced version of the drink, perfect for warding off the first chill of winter.

Why not plan a trip to one of these places, to experience flavours that come from far away, from a rural world closely linked to the cycles of nature?

How do you get to these places? Marradi can be reached by train on the Faentina line from Florence SMN (regional trains, a journey of one hour and 30 minutes). Palazzuolo sul Senio can be reached by car or bus; the same applies to Firenzuola. San Godenzo can be reached by car or bus from Dicomano, consider a two hours trip. 
San Piero a Sieve can be reached by train from Florence SMN in 35 minutes.
Tosi, on the other hand, can be reached by car or by Autolinee Toscane bus from Pontassieve.