From the Po Valley to the Chianti hills: my journey trough two ways of serving food
There are experiences that change the way you see this profession. For me, arriving at Fattoria di Corsignano was exactly that: a new way of experiencing hospitality and restaurant service.
I have worked as a waiter for years, mainly between the Ferrara area and Veneto. I grew up around a cuisine made of fresh stuffed pasta, cured meats, risottos, and seafood. But here in Tuscany, I discovered something different.
For the first time, I found myself working in a restaurant that does not simply serve wine: it serves its own wine. And that makes an enormous difference.
At Fattoria di Corsignano, wine is not just a product paired with food; it is part of the identity of the place itself. Every bottle tells the story of the land, the work in the vineyards, and the choices made by the people who live and work here every day.
As a head waiter, this completely changes the way you present an experience at the table.
It is no longer just about recommending a label, but about sharing a real story: explaining where that bottle comes from, describing the aromas and flavors of the Tuscan countryside, and watching guests taste a wine produced only a few meters away from where they are sitting.
Tuscan cuisine also had a strong impact on me.
Coming from Emilia, I was used to more delicate flavors, often linked to the rural traditions of the plains, with stuffed pasta dishes and seafood cuisine. Here, instead, everything has a stronger, more essential and authentic character: Florentine steak, Tuscan crostini, pappa al pomodoro, pici pasta, pappardelle, olive oil produced directly on the estate, and then the bread — completely different from Ferrara’s famous “coppia ferrarese” — simple and balanced, capable of accompanying every dish without ever overpowering its flavors.
They are truly two different ways of experiencing the table.
In Ferrara and Veneto, I found a cuisine that is elegant in its abundance, deeply connected to immediate conviviality. In Tuscany, instead, I am learning a cuisine that focuses on raw ingredients, territorial identity, and the deep connection between food, wine, and landscape.
And perhaps this is exactly what makes working here so special: every service is not just a job, but a way of telling the story of the territory.
Among the new experiences I am living through are the Cooking Classes.
It is the first time I have assisted a chef and helped translate an experience like this from behind the scenes. It is fascinating to see guests participate with such enthusiasm, learning local recipes and cooking techniques in a warm and convivial atmosphere.
Finally, Fattoria di Corsignano has allowed me to work closely with people from all over the world. Most of our guests come from abroad, especially American and Northern European travelers attracted by the atmosphere of what many call the “Chiantishire.”
Working with people from different cultures has made me realize how every service is also a human exchange: every guest brings something new with them and, at the same time, takes away a small piece of us.
At Fattoria di Corsignano, I did not simply find a place to work, but a place that taught me that the truest form of hospitality is born from the meeting between people, territory, and passion.
Vittorio Benazzi