Andreucci is a winery established in Tuscany in 1794, yet it has had a visible presence in the Texas Hill Country for a decade. Currently, Andreucci boasts two tasting room locations in Fredericksburg—one in the Highway 290 “wine corridor” and another on Main Street. Since opening the first tasting room location in 2015, they have been a favorite destination for visitors and wine club members, hosting private supper-club dinners with a revolving roster of chefs from different parts of Italy to highlight regional cuisines and, of course, an intensely educational experience of their wine selections.
As time passed, fellow travelers came in to talk with Flavio Andreucci, his staff, and partner Tony Conti about recent or past travels to Italy’s robust wine regions sprinkled throughout that familiar boot-shaped country. The love was infectious, not just for the wine but the country. So Andreuecci began to hatch a plan that would combine the great loves of travel and sipping into curated trips that would involve hosting up to 12 people at a time in the Tuscany region of Italy and soon Sicily.
Flavio Andreucci has deep roots in Italy, particularly in his hometown of Montefollonico, a stone’s throw from Montepulciano and many other desired and popular wine-growing regions. In fact, his roots run so deep, they reach back to when Napoleon Bonaparte ran campaigns in Northern Italy in the French Revolutionary War.
On view in each tasting room location, sippers can view the official order of cases of wine the Andreucci family supplied to Bonaparte and his selected staff.
So steeped in history, and with a love for this vast geological region of his birthplace, Flavio Andreucci was intent on maintaining the tradition of wine making on his family’s vineyard. What has transformed is sharing his love of land and wine with his club members and encouraging them in an act of vagary to explore with open minds and fresh palettes to partake in the sharing of Tuscany on a seven-day excursion. On this journey, one will find themselves transported and equally transfixed with the majestic beauty of 11th century architecture and adventure that expands beyond the taste buds of some of the best regional chefs and wines.
“I desire to share our rich culture, in concert with not just our wine but also our history, food and culture with everyone,” Flavio said when asked why Tuscany was important to share with Texans. In addition to wine production (regional growth that is in Tuscany, Sicily, Abruzzo, Piemonte, Alto Adige, and Emilia Romagna), Flavio also harvests some of the best olive oil at 400 liters a year. “Consider that if you want a super-high quality of olive oil, the farm will produce 220 pounds of olives and you will only receive 3 gallons of oil,” he said. The delicacy of high-quality production from grapes to olives is a labor of epicurean love for Andreucci.
Our adventure began May 12, seven glorious days of Tuscan dreams that were permeated with some of the finest foods, hiking, exploring piazzas, churches, and abbeys, in addition to the occasional regional retail therapy. Every day was carefully orchestrated to begin around 9 a.m., move people through numerous small, fortified villages. After this, a private hosted lunch featuring each specific town’s delicacies was to be had. After leisurely lunches, more exploring was done, and the group was left to rest from roughly 5:30 until 7 p.m., after which a regional chef would host the group with many courses and servings and, of course, wine from that region. In the leisurely Italian style, this lasted until 11 p.m. most evenings.
One particular standout chef is Lara Andreucci, Flavio’s wife. Together for 22 years, Lara blends her passion for cooking in concert with Falvio’s wine and olive oil. Although not technically trained as a chef, she learned alongside her Nona (grandmother) and manages to harness the best seasonal ingredients in the familial symphony of flavors that pair perfectly with Andreucci wines. For this excursion, artichokes were in season and squash blossoms were abundant. Every plating, from antipasta to dessert, was a delightful blend that left guests’ taste buds in a delightful rapture and craving more.
“Having a simple glass of wine is not in our DNA, but to pair food and wine is a beautiful and daily romance for us,” Lara said when asked about the marriage of food and wine. “Truly the right way to enjoy wine is to pair it with food for a whole palate experience. “Cooking has always been my passion because I love to bring people or my families together to sit down and enjoy life together. I cook in a traditional style but with my own touch.”
Before the meal was prepared the guests on this excursion had the delightful pleasure of taking a pasta class with a “Nona,” Flavio and Lara. Tagliatelle pasta was made, rolled, stretched and cut for the evening meal. While making pasta, the guests laughed in unison while learning and looking over the vast, undulating beauty of the Tuscan countryside. Once the pasta was cut and “Nona” approved, Lara took it back to the kitchen and Flavio gathered his eager pupils to hike his land with an expert truffle-hunting dog and his guide.
Truffle hunting was arranged by the Andreuccis on his vineyard estate. Within two minutes, the expert truffle-hunting dog “Spugna” led we gourmands to numerous truffles growing at the base of tree root systems. It was explained that the value of such truffles per kilo can fetch anywhere from 500 to 5,000 Euros. Once harvested the truffles were shaved and expertly blended as a main dish with the fresh pasta.
Every day was a carefully curated and explorative mission that included, at times, three Tuscan villages that incorporated history, architecture, cuisine, and wine from that region.
“Our Tuscany and Sicily experiences are not solely fixated on wine tasting or a cooking class,” Flavio explained. “If you want to reduce our country to only a glass of wine and tagliatelle pasta with a meat ragu, it defeats our purpose. We try to connect a virtual bridge from the U.S. and share our passion and history with our loved ones.
“This gives us pleasure when we see the euphoria in our guests’ eyes as they learn our history, take in our beauty, and learn the history of our diverse regions in Italy.”
From backroads to tiny villages and larger cities, they were all navigated in a timely manner so guests were allowed to relax and marvel at the natural beauty.
Towns included Monticchiello, Bagno Vignoni, Val d’Orcia Valley, Pienza, Montepulciano, Siena, Montalcino, and Florence. Every stop was intentional and purposeful in highlighting the history and tastes of the region. From Pecorino cheese to a favored gelato, fortresses and Benedictine monasteries, nothing was left out of this intentional tour. One guest from Katy, Texas stated, “I am awestruck. I feel like I’m in the most magical land.”
Is there a commonality between Texans and the people of Toscana?
“No, but that is the beauty of it!” Flavio replied. “Every person comes from their own culture and history. Our family has been beyond welcomed in Texas and we are grateful for that. We have had the privilege to learn a lot of history about Texas and if I can pinpoint one commonality it is the love we have of our regions and our wine.”