Casa Chianti Classico — Attraction in Radda in Chianti

I came here because it was close to where I was staying. I was a bit confused as to what it had to offer so when I drove there with my mates it was lovely to walk around and discover that it's an enoteca with a restaurant in another room. We fell head over heels in love with the waiting staff as the waiter sat us down for lunch by a window with the most beautiful views of rolling Tuscan hillsides. Before sitting down to eat, we approached the sommelier in the enoteca to ask him for wine recommendations for lunch, and we checked out the bistrot online and discovered that they hand roll their pici. We couldn't resist ordering their pici cacio e pepe. Oh my, best pici cacio e pepe I've ever had. It's a slight portion but it was highly indulgent and satisfying - with this food and lovely wine, we were in heaven! We shared their homemade tiramisu which was very good. After lunch we decided to do a wine tasting as the enoteca happened to be empty. It was super fun as we were given a couple of interesting examples of chianti but we weren't allowed to taste it until we had gone upstairs and followed the chianti journey through time. We returned to the sommelier after the tour to discuss the experience. We also wanted to take advantage of his knowledge and hospitality and bought a bunch of excellent wines to enjoy back at our airbnb. I cannot recommend this place enough: really knowledgeable and lovely staff, the wine selection is great, the museum/tasting is fun and the food was top. I cannot wait...

Saved this as a "must come again", so you may go. This is the perfect blend of local produce, local passionate staff, beautiful wines, all in a mesmerising 17th century setting. Sitting in this little courtyard, with a ~400 year old well as the centrepiece, classical music playing in the background, it couldn't be more romantic. After choosing your dishes, if you're interested in choosing a special wine, the very friendly and helpful sommelier Giuseppe will be more than obliging - I tasted a Riservas and two Gran Seleziones that he recommended, the latter were so perfect I just had to buy a dozen to be shipped home to Australia (plus a take-away, plus a special bottle of Balsamico!). Or you can go for the Classicos at only €6/glass. My waiter was Andrea, a very friendly but professional local guy; he would come and talk about the food (e.g. how the pigs are bred and the quality of their fat), check in regularly but not too often - literally the perfect waiter. The food - classic local Italian dishes, made with fine local produce, prepared perfectly. Nothing pretentious, affordable, but I would be prepared (and have in many other places) to pay more.

I'll definitely be back.

Re my price guide - I would say I spent more than standard, only because I pigged out on 4 courses after a big bike ride (~€55), plus my wine choices were top shelf (€8-12/glass). The food prices are not cheap but they're certainly not expensive, and as noted there are good €6/glass...

Wouldn't it be great if the Chianti Classico wine producers had a central location where visitors could come and learn about what makes the region special, the various brands of the region, and what the individual wineries had to offer? Unfortunately, the execution of the idea is poor. The tastings are over-priced with no descriptions, and the service--if you can call it that--not only lack enthusiasm but is down right rude. It's unfortunate because this place could really be a boon for agritourism in the region. The consortium needs a new staff and a new approach, but until then you're better off picking a few wineries to visit where the people take pride in...