By Catia Giorni
Photo by Edoardo Gori
There is a time of year when the landscape around Montone seems to change its voice. The air turns cooler, the colours grow deeper, and the forest once again takes centre stage. A few months ago, we arrived at La Taverna del Verziere in the height of summer, walking through Porta del Verziere and discovering its terrace overlooking the Valtiberina. Now we return to the same place, but the atmosphere is completely different. And the cuisine follows the rhythm of the season.
After all, seasonality has always been one of the principles guiding the restaurant’s owners. While in the warmer months the terrace invites guests to linger outdoors, with the arrival of autumn it is above all the food that tells the story of what is happening outside.
Mushrooms, truffles, chestnuts and pumpkin. Then game, fine cuts of meat and warmer, more comforting dishes. These are ingredients deeply rooted in this part of Umbria, and at La Taverna del Verziere they are not simply used to “dress up” an autumn menu: they become the starting point of the cuisine itself.
Truffles, of course, hold a special place. They are an ingredient that needs very little embellishment: when fresh, high-quality and treated with respect, just a few elements are enough to allow their character to shine through.
And quality is something on which there can be no compromise. “For us, knowing where everything we serve comes from is essential,” the owners explain. Truffles and mushrooms are sourced through local foragers, people who know the forest, understand its rhythms and follow the rules required to ensure that every product is certified and safe.
It is a direct relationship that speaks of something more than simply a short supply chain. It tells of trust built between people who share an intimate knowledge of the same land.
At this time of year, the ingredients themselves are enough to inspire new ideas. There is no fixed autumn menu, because the forest, by its very nature, does not follow a predetermined schedule. The kitchen works with what is available, when it is at its very best.
Over the years, this approach has inspired dishes such as braised meat parcels served with porcini broth, where the richness of the meat meets the intense aroma of the mushrooms. Then there are tagliatelle with truffle, one of those dishes that needs no introduction. Handmade pasta, truffle and just a few other ingredients: a simplicity that is only apparent, because when there are so few elements on the plate, every single one has to be just right.
Alongside the great treasures of the forest come pumpkin and chestnuts, with their naturally sweeter notes, while wild boar, cockerel and other meats allow the kitchen to explore deeper, more robust flavours.
Perhaps this is precisely what makes autumn so appealing: returning to La Taverna del Verziere several times may mean discovering something different on every visit. The menu is shaped by what the season provides and by the desire to transform each ingredient without ever losing its true character.
Naturally, when truffles, porcini mushrooms, braised meats and game arrive at the table, wine also becomes part of the story. The owners devote particular attention to their wine list, with a preference for Umbria, small wineries and those producers who, just like the kitchen itself, have a story to tell.
With braised meats, wild boar and richer dishes, red wine is an almost instinctive choice: an Umbrian Sangiovese, for example, or one of the many reds produced in Umbria and around nearby Lake Trasimeno.
But it would be a mistake to assume that the flavours of the forest necessarily call for red wine. “Some white wines can create very interesting pairings too,” they point out. A well-structured Verdicchio, a more complex expression of Trebbiano or a Pinot Bianco can accompany truffles and mushrooms while allowing their aromas to remain at the forefront.
And for those who want to venture even further beyond the usual pairings, there is craft beer. Here too, the focus is mainly on small-scale producers, including breweries from the Upper Tiber Valley: unfiltered beers, made in limited quantities and selected according to the season.
Autumn and winter are also the time when La Taverna becomes an especially welcoming setting for occasions to be shared. Company dinners, birthdays, First Communions, Confirmations, wedding aperitifs and receptions can all become an opportunity to create a bespoke menu.
In the end, from our summer visit to our return in autumn, La Taverna del Verziere has not really changed all that much. What has changed is everything around it.
The philosophy remains the same: begin with Umbrian tradition, choose the finest ingredients and do just enough to bring out their best qualities. It is a style of cooking that has no need to fill the plate with unnecessary elements, because sometimes an exceptional porcini mushroom, an authentic truffle, handmade pasta, carefully cooked meat and the right glass of wine are all that is needed.
Outside, meanwhile, Montone dresses itself in the colours of autumn. And at La Taverna del Verziere, the forest comes to the table.
Info: Taverna del Verziere – Via dell’Ospedale, 25 – Montone (PG) – Tel. +39 333 998 804