Shopping Like a Local in Tuscany | Market Day, Olive Oil & Vino Sfuso

Welcome back to Tuscany. Today we're taking you along as we shop for our weekly essentials. Fresh vegetables from the market, wine on tap from a wonderful local vendor, and extra virgin olive oil from a nearby organic farm. This is everyday life in a small Tuscan town. We shop daily for simple seasonal ingredients, honest flavours that come straight from the land. In Vica Pesana we're lucky to have three weekly markets, two small farmers markets on Monday and Wednesday, and a slightly larger general market every Saturday. Each one has its own charm. On Wednesdays we're able to buy amazing biodynamic cheese from the lovely Jenny, which is produced in a nearby hilltop town here in the province of Pisa. Just look at these delicious cheeses. Morning everyone, it's Wednesday morning. Lorenzo and I are off to the local market. It's the small market's small... Is it the farmer's market today? Yeah, yeah, it's called Diretti. In Italy we have a local market every Wednesday. Talk about, you know, depends from the weather, depends from the seasons, that every time they've got different things. Andiamo a vedere. This is a Campagna Amica market, part of Italy's largest network of farmers selling directly to the public. Most are small family-run farms focused on local traditions, sustainability and community. It's more than just a market, it's a way to support real Italian agriculture and all those small producers. Beautiful stuff from local producer, all natural, fantastic. Then we're going to have Baccelli as well. Very nice with the pecorino cheese on the salad, on the soup. So I'm just trying some pecorino cheese. This is fresh pecorino cheese. And this is what we eat with the Baccelli, so the fava beans. We just saw Lorenzo getting at the next store. We usually shop daily rather than doing a big supermarket run, though we do still need the supermarket for a few things. Here in Bicobosano, we're lucky to have a baker, a butcher and a small grocery store just a short walk away. We'll introduce you to them properly in another episode. We're back home now to drop off the shopping and next we'll introduce you to another local vendor who sells right here in Bicobosano, but only once a week. Every Thursday and all year round, our favourite fishmongers, Simone and his dad, roll into town with a van full of treasures from the sea. Fresh, briny and full of coastal flavours. This is one of our shopping highlights of the week. The delicious seafood comes straight from Tuscany's port of Livorno, famous for its fish market. Livorno is approximately 36km away from Bicobosano. That's just over 20 miles, so all that fresh seafood doesn't have very far to travel. Hello! My name is Simon. He's our favourite fish man! Bicobosano is surrounded by a beautiful landscape of pine-covered hills and olive groves. It sits on the lower slopes of the Monte Pisano, a small range of hills that rises like an island between the plains of Pisa and Lucca. It's a peaceful spot, rich in biodiversity and perfect for lovers of nature. Here you can enjoy walking in the quiet lanes between the olive groves, or hiking up into the hills for romantic views and glimpses of the sea. But more importantly, this area is known for something special. It's high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil. We buy our olive oil right here in Bicobosano, at the olive oil mill at the edge of town. Il Frantoio di Bicobosano produces its very own award-winning olive oil, and it's also the place where local producers can bring their olives to be pressed once a year. Ok, ragazzi, buongiorno! Welcome to Bicobosano Frantoio. Every time I come here to buy olive oil, I come here and sit down and look at the beautiful view of my town, Bicobosano. The Frantoio is situated 15 minutes from my home, from my casa colomba, and this morning I came here to buy some olive oil. The best olive oil, of course, because we have this beautiful hill, Mount Pisano, full with olive trees, and we are not far away from the sea. That makes the olive oil unique. So, remember, if you come to visit Bicobosano, come to visit the Frantoio. You can also do olive oil tasting, ok? Ciao ragazzi, ciao! The Frantoio usually opens for the pressing season from the last week of September and runs right the way through to the end of December. When the pressing season arrives, it's not all about business. It's also a celebration. Everyone is welcome to witness the first press and to taste the new extra virgin olive oil. It really is a party atmosphere. The local priest kicks off the party and blesses the entire process, from the hands that harvest the olives to the machines that press them. Because here, olive oil is more than just a food. It's sacred. It's part of life. And yes, it's even used in the church for baptisms and many other rituals. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. So, let's start with the last one. Thank you. In the small town of San Giovanni alla Vena, part of the Bicobosano district, there's a hidden gem tucked behind a pretty pink facade. This is where locals in the know come to buy their wine, but not just wine. Welcome to Bottigail, which means the happy barrel. A true haven for food lovers and wine enthusiasts. And this is where we come to get wine and yummy delectables, lots of different foods, and cheeses, and hams. But what's unique about this place is you can see Lorenzo in the background there. We can get wine on tap, which we love. We've been invited for lunch, so we're going to get some of this wine. While many imagine Tuscans sipping fine wines at alfresco lunches, the truth is simpler. Most locals choose honest, everyday wine, poured with lunch, shared with friends, and enjoyed without pretension. These stainless steel vats hold vino spruzzo, local, unlabeled Tuscan table wine. Today's red? Just €2.80 a bottle. We bring our own bottles, they get filled straight from the tap, and then it's corked up and ready to go. Bravo, Mari, bravo! So it's lunchtime here in Tuscany, and we've decided to stop in Bottegaia and have a spot of lunch, because apart from doing great wine, they also do some fantastic cold cuts, some cheeses, some hams. This is one of our favorite places. Okay, so we're going to chin-chin to all of you for tuning in, and we also want to say a huge thank you for all the support you gave us in the last video. I also want to take this opportunity to say another chin-chin to our friends Nicky and Carlo, because we know a lot of you found us. We love you guys, thank you very much. And another chin-chin to Bottegaio. Bravo, bravo! Wow, the best! Okay, we'll see you next time, guys. Don't forget to subscribe if you'd like to see more of this. Hit the notification button, and he's started already. We can't wait. And Lorenzo tucks into lunch. All we'd like to say is, if you enjoyed our content, please give us a like. Please hit the notification button if you'd like to see more, and don't forget to subscribe. Okay, now we're going to enjoy some lunch. Maybe next time you could be here with us.