Sommelier Michela Bigio

Sommelier Michela Bigio is the soul of La Sosta del Cavaliere’s dining room, where her passion for wine and dedication to hospitality create unforgettable experiences. As a certified professional sommelier with the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS), along with credentials as maître, food and wine guide, and bartender, Michela brings comprehensive expertise to every aspect of the guest experience.

Together with Chef Leonardo Fiorenzani—her partner in both life and this culinary adventure—Michela has built La Sosta del Cavaliere into one of Tuscany’s most respected fine dining destinations. Her expert guidance through the restaurant’s extensive wine collection and thoughtful pairings have become integral to what makes dining here such a distinctive experience.

A Partnership Built on Passion

The story of La Sosta del Cavaliere is inseparable from the story of Leonardo and Michela’s partnership. They met at the end of 2013, and what began as a professional collaboration evolved into a shared life project and vision for what a countryside restaurant could become.

“At the end of 2013, I met my partner Michela Bigio,” Leonardo recalls. “Together we began building not just a restaurant, but a complete experience that honors our territory while pushing culinary boundaries.”

When the restaurant closed during COVID in 2020, many would have seen an ending. Leonardo and Michela saw opportunity. “We decided to pursue our dream,” Michela explains. They undertook a comprehensive renovation, transforming the original osteria into the elegant fine dining establishment that exists today. This decision required courage, vision, and unwavering belief in their shared mission.

The renovation wasn’t just physical—it represented a philosophical shift toward the level of sophistication and attention to detail that now defines La Sosta del Cavaliere. Michela’s influence shaped every aspect: the modern design elements, the carefully curated art gallery showcasing local artists, the refined service standards, and of course, the wine program that has become one of the restaurant’s defining features.

Beyond Sommelier: A Complete Hospitality Vision

While Michela’s title is sommelier, her role encompasses the entire dining room experience. As maître and dining room director, she orchestrates service with the precision of a conductor leading an orchestra. Every detail—from the moment guests arrive to their final sip of wine—reflects her commitment to excellence.

“The dining room and wine cellar are the instruments that enrich our tasting journeys,” Leonardo notes. “Michela leads our front-of-house team in creating an experience that never disappoints. Our staff works as one cohesive unit to give each guest a moment with a unique imprint.”

Her credentials as a food and wine guide and bartender add additional dimensions to the experience. She understands not just wine in isolation, but how every element of service—from water selection to cocktail preparation to the final digestif—contributes to the guest’s journey. This comprehensive knowledge allows her to create seamlessly integrated experiences where every beverage choice enhances the culinary narrative.

The Art of Wine Selection

Michela’s wine list at La Sosta del Cavaliere showcases over 250 carefully selected labels from more than 170 wineries. Each bottle represents hours of research, vineyard visits, and personal relationships with producers throughout Tuscany and beyond.

“Our wine selection is rooted in territoriality,” Michela explains. “We celebrate Tuscan winemaking tradition while discovering producers whose passion and dedication mirror our own values.”

The list features prestigious estates alongside hidden gems from small artisan producers. Michela takes particular pride in championing winemakers whose work deserves wider recognition—producers who farm organically, respect terroir, and create wines of genuine character and distinction.

Her selection process involves extensive travel to vineyards, deep conversations with winemakers about their philosophy and practices, and meticulous tasting to ensure each wine meets her exacting standards. She doesn’t simply order from catalogs; she builds relationships. This personal connection allows her to share authentic stories with guests—the history behind a family estate, the challenges of a particular vintage, the innovation happening in unexpected corners of the wine world.

Masterful Pairings

What truly distinguishes Michela’s work is her intuitive understanding of how wine and food interact. The pairing experiences she has designed for La Sosta del Cavaliere’s tasting menus demonstrate sophisticated technical knowledge combined with creative flair.

For the five-course Ricordi menu (€70), Michela offers wine pairing options at €40 and €60, carefully selecting bottles that complement each dish’s flavor profile without overwhelming Leonardo’s delicate balance of tastes and textures. The vegetarian Terra menu receives equally thoughtful attention, with pairings that honor the vegetables’ natural character while adding complexity.

The seven-course Anima experience (€100) represents Michela’s most ambitious pairing work, with €60 and €80 options that journey through multiple wine regions and styles. From the opening Fior di Cavolo through the final Zola course, each wine selection builds upon the last, creating a narrative arc that parallels the culinary progression.

“I think about pairings as conversations between the plate and the glass,” Michela explains. “Sometimes the wine should echo flavors in the dish. Other times, it should provide contrast or introduce new dimensions. The goal is always harmony—creating something greater than either component alone.”

Her approach embraces both classical and natural wines, traditional varieties and experimental winemaking. She might pair Chef Leonardo’s modern interpretation of Tuscan ingredients with a classic Brunello, then surprise guests with an orange wine or skin-contact white for dishes featuring more unexpected flavor combinations.

Recognition and Achievement

The wine program Michela has built has been recognized as one of La Sosta del Cavaliere’s greatest strengths. When the restaurant earned 2 Forks in the Gambero Rosso guide and inclusion in Identità Golose 2025, critics specifically noted the excellence of both the wine cellar and dining room service.

“Great satisfaction for our work and our family,” Michela reflected when the Gambero Rosso recognition was announced. “This confirms our dedication and motivates us to continually improve. The evaluations embrace all aspects of the restaurant, but it’s fundamental that everything centers around the cuisine, with the dining room and cellar ensuring we never disappoint.”

The JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs) organization, which welcomed Chef Leonardo in March 2025, highlights how Michela’s wine program expertly balances prestigious labels with discoveries from small passionate producers. When La Sosta del Cavaliere won the Forchettiere Award as Tuscany’s best restaurant in April 2025, it was victory for the complete experience that Michela and Leonardo have created together.

A Philosophy of Hospitality

For Michela, professional service means more than technical competence—it’s about creating genuine human connections. Her animated storytelling about wines, her enthusiasm when discussing a favorite producer, and her intuitive sense of what guests need create an atmosphere where people feel welcomed into something special.

Guests frequently comment on how Michela’s presence transforms their evening from a meal into an exploration of Tuscan wine culture. Whether guiding first-time visitors through Italian wine basics or engaging experienced collectors in conversations about specific terroirs and vintages, she adapts her approach to meet each guest where they are.

This gift for hospitality extends to how she trains and leads the dining room team. Under her guidance, the service staff at La Sosta del Cavaliere embodies professionalism while maintaining warmth. They understand not just the mechanics of service, but the philosophy behind every choice—why a particular wine suits a dish, how the restaurant’s garden influences the menu, what makes Leonardo’s approach to Tuscan cuisine distinctive.

The Complete Experience

Michela has been instrumental in developing La Sosta del Cavaliere’s identity as more than a restaurant—it’s a cultural destination that celebrates Tuscan traditions through multiple artistic lenses. She worked with curator Elena Conti to establish the rotating art gallery that transforms the dining room into exhibition space, showcasing works by local artists that complement the countryside setting and culinary philosophy.

The elegant wine showcase that dominates one wall of the dining room reflects Michela’s belief that wine deserves to be celebrated visually as well as through taste. The bottles are displayed as works of art themselves—beautiful objects that represent years of viticultural skill, winemaking craft, and the unique character of their origins.

In summer, when service moves to the garden terraces overlooking the medieval village of Torri, Michela has created an al fresco experience that feels simultaneously sophisticated and connected to the landscape. The garden setting, with views of ancient stone buildings and rolling Tuscan hills, provides a backdrop where her wine program and Leonardo’s garden-driven cuisine achieve perfect synergy.

Looking Forward

“This is a particularly vibrant period of events for us,” Michela noted during the flurry of recognition in 2024-2025. Yet even as accolades accumulate, she remains focused on continuous improvement and discovery.

She continues exploring new producers, expanding her knowledge of emerging wine regions and winemaking techniques, and refining the pairing programs that have become a La Sosta del Cavaliere signature. Her commitment to education—both her own and her team’s—ensures that the wine program evolves while maintaining its core values of quality, authenticity, and connection to territory.

“We have no intention of stopping here,” Michela states with characteristic determination. For her and Leonardo, La Sosta del Cavaliere represents an ongoing journey of refinement, discovery, and dedication to creating exceptional experiences.

The Heart of La Sosta

At its essence, Michela Bigio’s work at La Sosta del Cavaliere demonstrates what happens when deep wine expertise combines with genuine passion for hospitality and unwavering commitment to excellence. Her wine program doesn’t simply accompany the food—it tells the story of Tuscany, celebrates the region’s winemaking heritage, and invites guests to discover flavors they never knew existed.

Together with Chef Leonardo, she has created something rare: a countryside fine dining destination where every element—cuisine, wine, service, setting, art—works in complete harmony. Where guests don’t just eat and drink, but experience the best of what Tuscan culture and contemporary culinary innovation can achieve together.

This is the legacy Michela is building, one perfectly paired glass at a time.