Everything moves too fast: people have stopped walking and started running, and this is having a huge impact on both our planet and our happiness.
We asked ourselves whether we, too, had become part of this mechanical and hectic lifestyle, and more importantly, whether we could make a change.
The answer had always been right under our noses. We are among the luckiest people on the planet, we have our animals, our garden: our land is full of life. This serendipity made us realize that sharing is the only true way to have a meaningful impact on this rushed and soulless way of living. There is no need to corrupt or distort nature, it already gives us what we need. And this is exactly what you’ll find at Serendipity. The dishes, the wines, the olive oil, and the honey we serve are all naturally produced, with very little interference from humans.
Just like in the vineyards, the soil is tended following a biodynamic approach. So the only thing we do is follow the seasons and respond to the land’s needs. Thanks to this little golden plot of land, we decided to serve simple dishes that speak for the land and for us. The dressing is specifically our own production, such as the Extra Virgin Olive Oils and the sweetener too: the honey is produced right on the farm. Then the synergic garden provides for herbs (mint, basil, sage, rosemary, elden flowers, various salads, calendula, dandelions…) added to the spring salads, vegetables – of course- but the ones for local use: zucchini, tomatoes of most shapes and colors, eggplants, carrots, celery, onions, peppers, squashes, cauliflowers.
The patio seats in the middle of a coup where chickens run free and undisturbed. Eggs are collected from their nesting homes right there. And with such fresh eggs, frittatas become a must.
The dishes reflect whatever the garden has to offer
Just like in the vineyards, the soil is tended following a biodynamic approach. So the only thing we do is follow the seasons and respond to the land’s needs. Thanks to this little golden plot of land, we decided to serve simple dishes that speak for the land and for us. The dressing is specifically our own production, such as the Extra Virgin Olive Oils and the sweetener too: the honey is produced right on the farm. Then the synergic garden provides for herbs (mint, basil, sage, rosemary, elden flowers, various salads, calendula, dandelions…) added to the spring salads, vegetables – of course- but the ones for local use: zucchini, tomatoes of most shapes and colors, eggplants, carrots, celery, onions, peppers, squashes, cauliflowers.
The patio seats in the middle of a coup where chickens run free and undisturbed. Eggs are collected from their nesting homes right there. And with such fresh eggs, frittatas become a must.
Our beehives are the cherry on top of our biodiverse ecosystem
We have chosen a nomadic approach to beekeeping: the bees are moved seasonally from one area to another depending on blossoms availability. This means, that depending on the season and the location the bees are in, we are able to harvest some honey for ourselves (the majority is left to the suppliers: the bees). Our nomadic bees are taken to 4 different areas, and each area has its main flowers to source from: here on the premises where they make wildflower honey (a mix of most flowers found in the spring), on the west side of Montalcino, where the weather is more humid and cooler and water is plenty. This is where we get ivy honey from. The other two locations are both on the Monte Amiata, but at different altitudes, the higher is where we source Chestnut honey and the lower where we get other kind of wild flowers. Our proximity to the Mount Amiata is a godsend for the bees that can enjoy cooler weather during the hot summer months of Montalcino where most flowers suffer the heat and lack of rains.
These honey types (and we mentioned only some of the many that we have every year, since every year is different) glaze our local cheeses selection, our desserts, adding sweetness, adding some subtle bitterness, allowing us to play around with taste and matter as we please. Each honey type has its own consistency: grainy, oozy, velvety…it is like picking a beautifully made garment. You will never know what you are in the mood for until you try it.
Our proximity with the Monte Amiata in the years has given us the luxury of meeting the best local cheese producers and pick the ones with the approach that remains closer to ours
We have built a deep connection with the cheesemakers of Mezzavia: their goats graze daily across diverse organic pastures, herbaceous fields, shrubs, and woodlands, rich in local plant species, flowers, fruits, and even acorns in season. This natural, varied diet keeps the animals healthy and is the secret behind the rich aromatic complexity of their milk and cheeses.
Everything is dressed with olive oil from trees living in our farm, most of which have been here for much longer than we have. Our Extra Verigin olive oils are cold pressed and produced from various kinds of Tuscan Olive Tree varieties. One from the ancient Olivastra Seggianese, century old plants that produces a higher yield, lighter more elegant style oil. The other from a mixture of Tuscan Varietals (Moraiolo, Leccino, and Frantoiano). This olive oil is an explosion of greens and bright yellow shades, spicy and fruity. Olive Oil has the power of changing and enhancing raw foods, dishes or even just bread. It’s main magic comes from the different power it yields through the year. The younger the olive oil the spicier, the older the gentler. Seasonality applies to olive oils as well, so depending on the time of the year of your visit, not only dishes will change, but the dressing will change too.
