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Tuscan wines, wines of tuscany, tuscany wines, tuscany vineyards, regional wines of tuscany
Tuscan wines, wines of tuscany, tuscany wines, tuscany vineyards, regional wines of tuscany
Regional wine of Tuscany

Tuscan wines, wines of tuscany, tuscany wines, tuscany vineyards, regional wines of tuscany

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Tuscany is one of the most dynamic wine-producing regions of Italy, comprising many of the country's most famous wine appellations. Chianti is the most diversified Tuscan appellation. It has always been the dominant strength of the region, due to its universality and uncontested personality.

Tuscan wines, wines of tuscany, tuscany wines, tuscany vineyards, regional wines of tuscany
Brunello di Montalcino is another famous Tuscan appellation, covering the vineyards around the fortified city of Sienna, where red wines achieve legendary depth and longevity. It produces some of the most expensive Italian wines.

Not far from Montalcino is Montepulciano and its Vino Nobile made from a special kind of Sangiovese named Prugnolo Gentile.

Tuscan wines, wines of tuscany, tuscany wines, tuscany vineyards, regional wines of tuscany
The Carmignano appellation, officially protected since 1716, produces a rare blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet. Also protected at the same time, the Pomino appellation produces an altitude wine made of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, as well as a special white Chardonnay-Pinot blend.

Starting in the 1970s, higher-end alternative wines have emerged in and out official boundaries of the traditional appellations. They are called the Super Tuscans and often bear the generic Toscana regional appellation. These wines have achieved cult status around the world, inspiring the rest of the region to raise their standards of production.

Coastal appellations of Tuscany are also gaining more and more prestige, such as Morellino di Scansano or Val di Cornia, Montecucco, Monteregio di Massa Marittima, Montescudaio, Capalbio and Sovana.

The pride of many Tuscan vintners are the Vin Santo appellations, a variation of several Tuscan appellations. Made from half-dried grapes aged in small wooden barrels, Vin Santo is an exquisite dessert wine. Most Vin Santos are made from Malvasia and Trebbiano.

White Tuscan wines have long been overshadowed by their red counterparts. The exception to that rule is the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, from the antique indigenous Vernaccia varietal. Other whites made of international varietals such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Griogo and Pinot Blanc are slowly getting momentum.

Tuscan wines, wines of tuscany, tuscany wines, tuscany vineyards, regional wines of tuscany
History
Vineyards around the city Florence have become one of the most dynamic producers of high-quality Italian wines, in sharp contrast with the past decades of overproduction when poor-quality Chianti exports around the world degraded the reputation of Italian wines.

This "modern Renaissance" has started around the Chianti appellation, in the central hills of the region, around Florence and Sienna, and spread to the coastal zones which weren't growing much wine until recently.

Most of the improvement has come from classical reds made of the indigenous Sangiovese, like Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Carmignano, all DOCG appellations. The other Tuscan red wines achieving international fame since the 1970s are the so-called Super Tuscans, often not grown in any official appellation, thus bearing the generic regional appellation Toscana.

Geography
The many soil and climate variations in the rough hills of central Tuscany give opportunities to vintners to offer a great diversity of wines and explore personal styles.

The wines of Tuscany

  • DOC appellations
  • Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario
  • Barco reale di Carmignano
  • Bianco della Valdinievole
  • Bianco dell'Empolese
  • Bianco di Pitigliano
  • Bianco pisano di S. Torpè
  • Bolgheri
  • Candia dei Colli Apuani
  • Capalbio
  • Cortona
  • Colli dell'Etruria centrale
  • Colli di Luni
  • Colline Lucchesi
  • Elba
  • Montecarlo
  • Montecucco
  • Monteregio di Massa Marittima
  • Montescudaio
  • Morellino di Scansano
  • Moscadello di Montalcino
  • Orcia
  • Parrina
  • Pietraviva
  • Pomino
  • Rosso di Montalcino
  • Rosso di Montepulciano
  • San Gimignano
  • Sant'Antimo
  • Sovana
  • Val d'Arbia
  • Val di Cornia
  • Valdichiana
  • Vin Santo del Chianti
  • Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
  • Vin Santo di Montepulciano

  • DOCG appellations
  • Brunello di Montalcino
  • Carmignano
  • Chianti
  • Chianti Classico
  • Vernaccia di San Gimignano
  • Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

  • IGT appellations
  • Alta Valle della Greve
  • Colli della Toscana Centrale
  • Maremma Toscana
  • Toscano (appellation)
  • Val di Magra


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Italian Wines
  • Italian Red Grapes
    • Sangiovese

      • The most well known of the Italian grapes and responsible for the famous Tuscan wines. Using tradional techniques, the wines are earthy, full of cherry fruit and cedar. The wines produced include such famous names as: Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano, Montefalco Rosso. The "Super-Tuscans", produced for the international market, blend the Sangiovese grape with Bordeaux varietals such as: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and often used French oak barrels to age.

    • Nebbiolo

      • Translated, the name means: "Little Fog", which refers to the autumn fog common in the region of Piedmont where it is grown. The grape seems to like these conditions but is difficult to cultivate otherwise. It is responsible for the famous wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, both produced in the Cuneo province of Piedmont. Barolo is often kept for more than 50 years, and is considered by many to be the greatest wine produced in Italy.

    • Montepulciano

      • This grape is planted in Abruzzo,and should not be confused with the town of the same name in Tuscany. It produces a wine with silky plum-like fruit, friendly acidity, and light tannin, recent bottles have improved greatly on those in the past.

    • Barbera

      • This grape is the most widely grown in Piedmont and southern Lombardy, particularly around the towns of Asti, Alba and Pavia. Previously, the Barbera wines were considered a poor alternative to Barolo, but recently they have improved dramatically. The wine has bright cherry fruit, a very dark color, and a food-friendly acidity. It is being produced increasingly for the international market.

    • Corvina

      • This is the grape that makes Valpolicella and Amarone, the best known wines of the Veneto. Valpolicella has dark cherry fruit and spice. If the grapes are dried, a process called "passito", they produce a wine called Amarone. Some are aged for more than 40 years and can command extremely high prices. Amarone di Valpolicella was awarded DOCG status in 2009.

    • Nero dAvola

      • A native varietal of Sicily, this grape was virtually unheard of a few years ago. Now, the quality of the wine is improving steadily and it is becoming increasingly popular on the international market for its plummy fruit and sweet tannins.

    • Dolcetto

      • This grape is called "Little Sweet One", because it is easy to grow and produces great wines for everyday drinking. It is grown alongside the Barbera and Nebbiola grapes in Piedmont and produces wine with flavors of concord grape, wild blackberries and herbs.

    • Negroamaro

      • Translated, the name means "Black and Bitter". It is grown extensively in the region of Puglia where it is used to produce the Salento wines: spicy, toasty, and full of dark red fruits.

    • Aglianico

      • Considered by many to be the "Noble Varietal of the south" Aglianico grapes are primarily grown in the regions of Campania and Basilicata. The name is derived from Hellenic, so the grape is considered to be a Greek transplant. Thick skinned and spicy, the wines are often both rustic and powerful.

    • Sagrantino

      • This grape is native to Umbria. It is only planted on 250 hectares, but the wines produced from it are world-renowned. Inky purple, with rustic brooding fruit and heavy tannins, these wines can age for many years.

    • Malvasia Nera

      • Red Malvasia varietal from Piedmont. A sweet and perfumed wine, sometimes elaborated in the passito style.

Other major red varieties are Ciliegolo, Gaglioppo, Lagrein, Lambrusco, Monica, Nerello Mascalese, Pignolo, Primitivo (Zinfandel in California), Refosco, Schiava, Schiopettino, Teroldego, and Uva di Troia. "International" varietals such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc are also widely grown.
  • Italian White Grapes
    • Catarratto

      • This is the most widely planted white varietal in Salaparuta, south western Sicily.

    • Trebbiano

      • This is the most widely planted white varietal in Italy. It is grown throughout the country, with a special focus on the wines from Abruzzo and from Lazio, including Frascati. Mostly, they are pale, easy drinking wines, but trebbiano from producers such as Valentini have been known to age for 15+ years. It is known as Ugni Blanc in France.

    • Moscato

      • Grown mainly in Piedmont, it is mainly used in the slightly-sparkling (frizzante), semi-sweet Moscato d"Asti. Not to be confused with moscato giallo and moscato rosa, two Germanic varietals that are grown in Trentino- Alto-Adige.

    • Nuragus

      • An ancient Phoenician varietal found in southern Sardegna. Light and tart wines that are drunk as an apertif in their homeland.

    • Pinot Grigio

      • A hugely successful commercial grape (known as Pinot Gris in France), its wines are characterized by crispness and cleanness. As a hugely mass-produced wine, it is usually delicate and mild, but in a good producers" hands, the wine can grow more full-bodied and complex. The main problem with the grape is that to satisfy the commercial demand, the grapes are harvested too early every year, leading to wines without character.

    • Tocai Friulano

      • A varietal distantly related to Sauvignon Blanc, it yields the top wine of Friuli, full of peachiness and minerality. Currently, there is a bit of controversy regarding the name, as the EC has demanded it changed to avoid confusion with the Tokay dessert wine from Hungary.

    • Ribolla Gialla

      • A Slovenian grape that now makes its home in Friuli, these wines are decidedly old-world, with aromas of pineapple and mustiness.

    • Arneis

      • A crisp and floral varietal from Piedmont, which has been grown there since the 15th century.

    • Malvasia Bianca

      • Another white varietal that peeks up in all corners of Italy with a wide variety of clones and mutations. Can range from easy quaffers to funky, musty whites.

    • Pigato

      • A heavily acidic varietal from Liguria, the wines are vinified to pair with a cuisine rich in seafood.

    • Fiano
      • Grown on the southwest coast of Italy, the wines from this grape can be described as dewy and herbal, often with notes of pinenut and pesto.
    • Garganega

      • The main grape varietal for wines labeled Soave, this is a crisp, dry white wine from the Veneto wine region of Italy. It"s a very popular wine that hails from northeast Italy around the city of Verona. Currently, there are over 3,500 distinct producers of Soave.

    • Vermentino

      • This is widely planted in northern Sardinia and also found in Tuscan and Ligurian coastal districts. Wines are particularly popular to accompany fish and seafood.

    • Verdicchio

      • This is grown in the areas of Castelli di Jesi and Matelica in the Marche region and gives its name to the varietal white wine made from it. The name comes from "verde" (green). The white wines are noted for their high acidity and a characteristic nutty flavour with a hint of honey.

Other important whites include Carricante, Catarratto, Coda de Volpe, Cortese, Falanghina, Grechetto, Grillo, Inzolia, Picolit, Traminer, Verduzzo, and Vernaccia. As far as non-native varietals, the Italians plant Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer (sometimes called traminer aromatico), Riesling, Petite Arvine, and many others.
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