My Villa Cerna Journey — From Masterclass to Meatloaf 🍷🍅

My first encounter with Villa Cerna was during a Master Class led by Jeff Porter in New York. Wine No.4 on the lineup was the 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva—a glass that left strong impressions of tobacco, earth, tomato leaves, and savory notes.

Fast forward: I had the honor of tasting the 2010 vintage with none other than Andrea Cecchi himself—owner and winemaker. Having tried many well-aged Montalcinos from various tenutas, I found this aged Chianti Classico surprisingly deep, structured, and complex. It made me realize how underrated older Chiantis can be.

That tasting prompted me to put Cecchi on my Chianti travel list. And—dream achieved. I didn’t expect to taste side by side with Andrea at the Cecchi headquarters in Castellina, overlooking the Villa Cerna vineyards. The first hill and gateway of the Chianti Classico Region.  We explored the entire range, from Chianti Classico to Gran Selezione [stay tuned for a focused review on that].

Afterward, I crossed the street in the rain to visit Foresteria Villa Cerna—a charming stop that led me to pick up the Valore di Famiglia Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020 (a perfect Father’s Day gift) and a bottle of Coevo. I promised myself: “I must get a bottle of Villa Cerna too.”

Fast forward to today. After a hectic workweek and Decanter Masterclass prep, my husband made meatloaf with sun-dried tomatoes. Thinking of a perfect wine pairing, Andrea’s words came to mind:

“Chianti Classico is meant to be drunk with food.”

And yes—it was perfect. Alongside the tomato leaves, vanilla, tobacco, and savory tones, I also picked up floral hints, red cherry, and black plum. With food, the wine’s vibrant acidity and smooth tannins really shined.