Champagne in Lucca: bottles for the evening

People often come to Lucca for Sangiovese. It makes sense: Brunello di Montalcino, Bolgheri, Chianti Classico, and Tuscan wines are the ones that most often end up in our glasses. But people who come in for Champagne usually are not looking for a lesson. They are looking for a well-made bottle, a table for the evening, and something savory to eat without turning the wine into a ceremony.

We are at Via Calderia 12, just a few steps from Piazza San Michele. We open in the evening, Monday to Saturday, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The dining room is small, but the wine list is not: almost 200 labels, mostly Italian and French, chosen one by one and updated often. These are not numbers meant to impress. They are meant to help us find the right bottle when one table wants an old Brunello and the table next to it asks for Champagne.

Champagne in Lucca, without the usual scene

Champagne works well at the table, especially when we do not treat it as an accessory. A bottle can open the evening with focaccia, Cilento tomatoes, Tuscan olive oil, and Maldon salt. It can accompany a selection from the pantry, from Culatta di Parma to Jamón 100% Ibérico de Bellota, or Italian and French cheeses, from Tuscan pecorino to Jura Comté. It can also stay through the main course, if the table feels like drinking that way.

There is no single correct way to order. For two people who have walked the walls all day, a bottle and the toasted focaccia with Cilento tomato to share with their hands are often an excellent start. For those who want to linger, Champagne can give way to a Tuscan red with the slow-cooked beef roast, served with chimichurri sauce and tangy beef jus. For a lighter dinner, the pantry does its job without asking for anything else.

Our French side did not arrive to decorate the list. Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux are a precise part of our identity, alongside important producers and smaller ones. The Bordeaux Experience, for example, includes châteaux from the 1980s onward. It is not a list built for people who want to tick off names. It is a list for those who know that a bottle with a few years behind it can change the rhythm of a dinner.

Tuscany first, then France

For many international guests, this is their first evening in Lucca. They arrive from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, or Spain. They have one to three days in the city and want to drink Tuscany. We understand: this is not the time to force someone to order something else.

That is why Tuscany comes first at the table. Brunello di Montalcino, Bolgheri, Sangiovese, Vermentino, and other Tuscan wines, plus Barolo when the evening calls for Piedmont, are the most requested part of the list. There are also older vintages, because sometimes the best question is not “what is the most famous wine?” but “do you have something I would not easily drink at home?”

Champagne comes in when it adds something, not when it has to prove something. It can be the choice of someone who loves France. It can be a bottle shared by people who would otherwise order three different reds. Or it can be a way to start and then move on to a Brunello. It depends on the table, your appetite, and how much time you have. We ask brief questions and pour accordingly.

A list that changes by the glass too

Not everyone wants a bottle. Not everyone needs a bottle. Our selection of wines by the glass changes often (today there are nine), so those returning to Lucca or living between the city, the Piana, and Versilia have a concrete reason to sit back down at the counter or book a table during the week.

Sometimes a glass of Sangiovese is the simplest answer. At other times, the evening calls for a fresh white, a Piedmontese red, or a French choice. The point is not to have everything available all the time. The point is to keep the selection alive. Pier Giulio chooses the bottles one by one, and the list is constantly changing, so the wine you found here a month ago may no longer be available. It is not spite. It is the reason it is worth coming back.

This rotation is also useful for those who do not want a full dinner. You can have a glass, order a few slices of cured meat, some cheese, or a Gillardeau oyster, and stay as long as you like. If you want caviar, we have it. If you only want focaccia and a glass, that is perfectly fine too.

For those who choose the bottle

A bottle of Champagne does not replace the rest of the list, and the rest of the list does not have to shrink in front of Champagne. This is the part that matters to us: being able to move naturally from Tuscany to France, without imposing a hierarchy.

If you are looking for a red to go with the beef roast, we can start with Tuscany. If the table wants cured meats, cheeses, and conversation, we can consider a French or Italian bottle without turning it into an exam. If you are collectors, Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux with mature vintages are here for a reason. If you are on vacation and simply want to drink well tonight, you do not need to know anything in advance.

Context makes the difference. A rare old vintage may be perfect for four people who have decided to stay for a long time. For two people with a late reservation and little appetite, a well-chosen glass and a shared selection from the pantry may be enough. A serious list must allow for both.

A place to return to, not just pass through

We opened in June 2024 and we are from Lucca. This matters above all because we know that the historic center does not live on just one evening. Visitors passing through find us for a Tuscan bottle and straightforward cooking. Those who live here can return to see what has changed by the glass, look for an old vintage, or try a guided tasting.

Tastings are available by reservation and start at 20 euros. They are not structured as lectures. They are a way to put several bottles on the table with a clear thread, for those who want to give the list a little more time. We also organize private events when a group wants the dining room and a selection designed for the occasion.

We received a Silver Star in the Best Newcomer List category at the Star Wine List of the Year International Open 2025, and another in the Best Medium-Sized List category in 2026, as well as Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 and, once again, in 2026. We consider them useful signals, not reasons to speak more loudly. The work remains choosing well, cooking a few things with care, and welcoming everyone who comes through the door.

If you are looking for Champagne in Lucca, come with an idea or with no idea at all. Book on OpenTable or call +39 376 203 5395. We will ask what you feel like drinking, what you feel like eating, and how much time you have. From there, the evening takes care of itself.

Pier Giulio Bendinelli