Review of an award-winning wine list in the heart of Lucca

A review of an award-winning wine list should start from a simple question: what actually gets drunk at the table? Not from how many names are printed, or how many pages the list runs to. At Tomkat, at Via Calderia 12, a short walk from Piazza San Michele, the answer is often Tuscany. Brunello di Montalcino, Bolgheri, Barolo for those who want to head over to Piedmont, Sangiovese, Vermentino and a few bottles from small Tuscan producers that you won't easily come across elsewhere.

We have almost 200 labels, mostly Italian and French. These aren't numbers put there to impress. They are bottles chosen one by one and updated every week, for those who come to Lucca for two nights and want to drink well tonight, but also for those who live here and don't want to find the same list every time.

What makes a wine list award-winning

In 2025 Star Wine List gave us the Best Newcomer award. Wine Spectator gave us the Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 and 2026. In 2026 Star Wine List also gave us the Best Medium-Sized Wine List award. It's nice, of course. But an award doesn't pour the wine into the glass, and it doesn't decide what to order when the people at the table have different tastes.

For us, an award-winning list has to be usable. It should have depth without needing an instruction manual. It should let someone looking for a Brunello find a Brunello with character, and let someone who comes for a bottle of Champagne find a choice that goes beyond the most predictable names. It should leave room for an older vintage without turning the evening into an exam.

The French side is central to our identity. Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux are the reason many wine lovers seek us out. Tuscany, however, is where most tables begin. And that's as it should be: we're in Lucca, not in an auction room.

Reviewing the award-winning wine list from the table

People visiting Lucca for one to three nights often arrive with a clear idea: to drink a great Tuscan red and eat something that goes with it, without any theatrics. That's where we start. If you want a Sangiovese, we won't steer you elsewhere on principle. If you're looking for Brunello di Montalcino or Bolgheri, the list has bottles for a simple dinner and more mature vintages for those who want to linger a little longer over the wine.

Older Tuscan vintages have a natural place on the list. They are not a fetish. They make sense when the table has time, when you want to compare a wine with its own history, or when there are two of you and a bottle should become part of the evening. At other times a fresh Vermentino, another Tuscan white or a young, straightforward red makes more sense. It depends on the dish, on how many of you there are and on how much you feel like talking about wine.

The list isn't divided into “easy” bottles and “important” ones. It's built for different occasions. Some people come in after a day in town and want to order by the glass. Some book a table to drink Burgundy. Some drop by on a Wednesday evening for a bottle different from the one they had the month before. Everyone should find a reason to sit down.

Wines by the glass that change often

We have a selection of wines by the glass that changes often. For those passing through, it's an easy way to explore our list without opening a whole bottle. For those who live in Lucca, on the Lucca Plain or in Versilia, it's the most practical reason to come back: the bar never stands still.

Sometimes the glass is Tuscan, because that's what the table is asking for. Other times it leads toward France, perhaps Bordeaux or Champagne. We don't stick to a fixed formula. The list changes every week and the wines by the glass follow the same principle: bottles we would want to drink ourselves, at that moment, with the food we serve.

This also matters for those who don't want a full dinner. The pantry lets you put the evening together with Culatta di Parma, Jamón 100% Ibérico de Bellota, Tuscan pecorino and Comté from the Jura. There are also Gillardeau oysters and caviar. A well-chosen glass, a couple of things from the pantry, and dinner is sorted. No unnecessary ceremony.

Tuscany first, France for a clear reason

Tuscany on the list isn't a concession to tourism. It's the region we drink most often with our guests. Brunello, Bolgheri, Sangiovese and Vermentino have different styles, but they pair well with simple, direct cooking. The Focaccia y Tomate, with focaccia, Campanian tomato, Tuscan olive oil and Maldon salt, is shared by hand and asks for no fuss. With a local white or a Vermentino, the logic is immediate.

The slow-cooked beef roast, with chimichurri sauce and a tangy beef jus, changes the pace instead. Here a structured Tuscan red easily finds its place. A Barolo can work too, if that evening the table wants to leave the region without leaving Italy. The sweet-and-sour Pork Ribs call for a less automatic pairing: the biggest red isn't always the right one. This is when a two-minute conversation at the bar is worth more than a choice made on reputation.

Then there's France. Burgundy is for those looking for precision and vintages to discuss, but also for those who simply want a well-made bottle. Champagne isn't reserved for the start of the evening or for a special occasion. Bordeaux, on the other hand, has its own section: the Bordeaux Experience brings together châteaux from the 1980s onward. These are bottles with real age, not a wine-list pose.

The trade-off here is clear. An old bottle can be memorable, but it isn't always the best choice if you're looking for energy, immediacy or a wine to share quickly before heading out. We'll tell you so. We'd rather pour the right bottle than a bottle with too good a story.

A list to read with us, not against us

We don't ask our guests to know producers, plots or rankings. If you already have a Brunello or a bottle of Burgundy in mind, great. If all you know is that you want a Tuscan red that isn't too heavy, that's just as good. The list is wide, but that's exactly what the service is for: so you're not left alone in front of almost 200 labels.

We also organize guided tastings, bookable from 20 euros. They aren't generic lessons. They're a way to drink more than one bottle with a common thread, without turning the evening into a lecture. We also offer them to people who are only in town for a short time and want to understand what makes our selection special, from Tuscany to France.

We're open Monday to Saturday, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Reservations, especially for the same evening, can be made on OpenTable or by calling +39 376 203 5395. For private events, let's talk beforehand: a list like this one shows its best when we know who we're opening it for.

If you're in Lucca this week, come with a concrete request. A Brunello, a different glass, a bottle with a few years behind it, or the beef roast and some advice. We'll take care of the rest.

Pier Giulio Bendinelli