Tuscany wine

Tuscany is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. It is home to some of the best Italian wines, from the elegant Brunello di Montalcino, through to the whites wines from Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the Vin Santo sweet wines. The rolling hills, pleasant Mediterranean climate and long history make this an exceptional region that is well worth finding out about.

Tuscan wine history

The origins of Tuscan wine date back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. The wine must already have been famous at that time, because amphoras from the 7th century BC have been found with remnants of Tuscan wine in southern Italy and modern day France. And in the 3rd century BC, the Greeks made several references to the quality of the wine from this Italian region.

Later on in the Middle Ages, like in many other places, the monasteries were the area’s main producers and they were in charge of preserving plant heritage as well as farming methods.

Later, landowners began to produce wine and sell it to the merchants of Florence. It was then, in 1282, that this city’s wine merchants’ guild was created. The guild regulated the sales of Tuscan wine.

Now, following behind Piedmont and Veneto, Tuscany is the region producing the third highest amount of quality wines classified as DOC or DOCG. Most of the wine produced in Tuscany is high quality because the soil is poor and winemakers prioritise low yields and high quality over quantity.

Grape varieties

80% of the area’s wine production is red and the most common grape variety is Sangiovese. Other local varieties cultivated in Tuscany are the Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia Nera and Mammolo red varieties, and the Malvasía, Vermentino and Vernaccia white varieties. However, there are also international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, especially used for Super Tuscans, and other red varieties like Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The main international white varieties are Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Location, climate and soils

Tuscany lies in central Italy, along the Tyrrhenian Sea. It also includes seven small islands. To the north it borders Emilia-Romagna, to the northwest there is Liguria, Umbria is to the east and Lazio to the south.

The area has a Mediterranean climate, with relatively mild winters and fairly hot summers. Rainfall in concentrated mainly in autumn and winter.

The terrain is quite rugged because of the nearby Apennine mountains. The hills bathe the region and help soften the summer heat. The best vineyards lie in the highest areas, at an altitude of between 150 and 500 metres above sea level. There are also different types of soil, from more calcareous soils with sandy clays to slates called galestro and volcanic soils.

Tuscan wine classification and regions

Tuscany is home to 29 DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and 7 DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita).

Let’s take a look at some of the most famous:

Chianti: includes wines produced throughout Tuscany. Within Chianti, if the grapes come from Florence, Pisa, Prato or Areso, the wine is classified as Chianti Classico. The typical Chianti bottle is called Fiasco and it is protected around the base with a straw cover. Chianti are made mainly from Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Malvasia and Trebbiano.

Brunello di Montalcino: wine made in the Montalcino region with a particular Sangiovese clone that is suitable for making single variety wines. All Brunello di Montalcino wines are aged in oak for three years and spend two more years in the bottle before being sold.

Nobile di Montepulciano: wine that is produced near Siena and made mainly with Sangiovese and Canaiolo. These are usually powerful, but the barrel and bottle aging does great things to them, adding elegance and finesse.

Super Tuscans: this is not really an official wine classification, but it is used for wines produced with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bolgheri area. They are powerful but elegant wines with very good aging potential.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano: the first wine to be given DOC classification was this single-variety Vernaccia white wine made in the surroundings of this beautiful medieval town. Winemakers continue to vinify today, maintaining the same style as always to make one of the best whites in Tuscany, a voluminous white with honeyed and mineral notes.

Other Tuscan regions that produce quality wines are DOCG Carmignano, DOCG Maremma and DOCG Morenillo di Scansano. Tuscany is also home to a delicious sweet and floral Malvasia and Trebbiano wine called Vin Santo.

Some outstanding Tuscan wineries

Castello dei Rampolla: one of the leading Chianti wineries. They are pioneers of ecological and biodynamic practices, producing wines with minimal intervention to ensure that they fully express their terroir.

Le Macchiole: another leading winery in Tuscany. It is located in Bolgheri. This family winery was set up during the eighties. They work organically and make wines with little extraction, where the barrel aging does not hide the grape’s potential.

Fonterenza: a winery run by the Padovani twin sisters. They work biodynamically and make Brunellos di Montalcino with great aging potential as well as other, fresher and juicier natural reds.

Azienda Agricola Casanova di Neri: a leading family winery in the Montalcino area. It was founded in 1971, and the team vinifies in cement with native yeasts using large barrels for aging so as not to change the wine’s flavour too much.

Tua Rita: one of the most representative wineries in Suvereto. They work following the principles of organic farming and vinify exclusively using native yeasts for fermentation. Their wines are rich and elegant, a sample of Tuscany’s finest and most delicate.

Tuscan wines are like no others in the world. One sip transports us to its beautiful landscapes through varieties that are perfectly at home in this terrain and well looked after by the local winemakers. See for yourself!