As the largest wine producer in the world, Italy is the ideal destination for wine lovers, and no place in Italy makes more or better wine than Tuscany. The unique micro-climate, the rich soil and fantastic warm weather combine to make stunningly rich, bold and powerful reds. Tuscan wine has been celebrated around the world since the Middle Ages.
To fully understand how wine in Italy, and therefore Tuscany, is classified and categorized, you should first read our post on the basics of Italian wine classifications. The general gist is that wines are grouped based on their terroir, or the piece of land that they are grown. A designated area combines a specific micro-climate, precipitation, soil and water quality to produce similar styles of wine. Like the French, the Italians believe this is a better way to categorize wines rather than by the grape like we do in the United States. Hence, Chianti wines come from the region of Chianti, even though they are most often made from Sangiovese grapes.
Anyhow…Here we’ll go over the main grape varietals and wine styles that you should make sure to try on your visit to the beautiful region of Tuscany.
Chianti Classico
You simply cannot talk about Tuscan wines without speaking extensively about Chianti Classico. Chianti and Tuscany are nearly synonymous when it comes to wine. Extending between Florence and Siena is the Chianti region which is full of fertile vineyards in the world.
Any wine produced at vineyards in the Chianti region can be called Chianti, but only Chianti Classico refers to wines from the historic core of the region where the micro-climate is perfect and the wines meet specific government standards of quality and composition. Because of this fabulous micro-climate and perfect soil wines produced in these select regions are eligible for the DOCG designation if they reach a certain quality.
Chiantis fall on the lighter side of the red wine spectrum. Known for their subtle hints of cherry mixed with violet aroma and crisp, tannic dryness, the wine cleanses the palate very well, making it a wonderful companion to Tuscany’s famous cuisine.
Chianti Classico is the Chianti regions most famous production and one of the oldest continually produced wines in the world, dating back to the 13th century. The wine is made from Sangiovese grapes, is usually dry, with high acidity and subtle cherry flavors. The difference between Chianti Classico and simple Chianti is due to the length of time it is aged in oak barrels. If you see a label that says Chianti Riserva, the riserva designation indicates that the bottle was aged for at least 24 months in oak barrels.
There are literally hundreds of vineyards between Florence and Siena and our write up under ‘Tuscany’ will give you all the information you need to visit a bunch of them. One of the most famous vineyards in Chianti is the Cantina Antinori new Chianti Classico. They have world renowned wines and excellent tours that you can book HERE.
For a step back in time, the Ricasoli family’s Brolio castle and vineyard is a must-visit as well. Situated northeast of Siena, this hilltop displays a castle with stunning Renaissance gardens, in addition to the oldest Chianti Classico of the region. The Ricasoli family has been producing wine since 1141 and today possesses a total of 240 hectares of vineyards. They export Chianti Classico worldwide and offer some of the best wine tours in Tuscany. To book your Tuscan wine tour at Brolio castle, consult the Ricasoli family’s vineyard tours page HERE.
Finally, the Montemaggio estate offers visitors high-quality Chianti Classico and numerous other Tuscan red wines. Montemaggio has been a certified organic estate since 2009 and provides one of the few Tuscan organic tours in the region. The family-owned vineyard ensures the quality of every bottle through a highly-selective cultivation process and manual pruning. Additionally, the land’s fertile soil, which is rich in sandstone and galestro, nurtures some of the finest grape varieties in Tuscany. If you’d like to book a fun wine experience at the Montemaggio estate, consult their wine tours and experiences page HERE.
Brunello di Montalcino
One of the most prestigious wine making regions in the world comes from the vineyards around the town of Montalcino, south of Siena. Here they also make wine from Sangiovese grapes, but because they are on a hilltop as opposed to the Chianti valley, the micro-climate gives a distinct flavor profile. These grapes ripen more than they do in Chianti and this additional maturity gives these wines a fuller, bolder, stronger body with deep flavors of dark red fruits. The high level of acidity and smooth tannins give it a bright finish so that it’s not overwhelming. This is an “earthy” wine evolved for roasts, mushrooms and truffles. Because of their complexity, these wines age wonderfully and are ideally held for 10 years before opening.
Rosso di Montalcino
Rosso di Montalcino is often seen (probably unfairly) as Brunello’s younger brother. It is from the same type of grape as Brunello, and shows many of the same characteristics, but it is bottled and enjoyed sooner, and it is therefore a bit less full-bodied.
Close to the town of Montalcino there are dozens of wineries that you can visit. Poggio Antico and Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona are two of the best places to visit on your trip.
Nobile di Montepulciano
Yet another wine made almost exclusively from Sangiovese grapes, but this one, as I’m sure you’ve probably guessed is grown in the hills around the town of Montepulciano. Dating back to the Etruscan era, this is one of the most popular local wine varieties in the region. Known for its intense tannins and high acidity, and aged in oak barrels for at least a year, the complex flavors of Nobile di Montepulciano age very well, much like the nearby Brunellos. can be intensely floral, flavorful and slightly tannic, making it well suited to fowl and game.
Again, there are dozens of vineyards to choose from, but two of the best are The Avognesi Company and the Salcheto Wine Estate. Salcheto also has an in-house restaurant that is a great place to finish off your day by having a wine tasting and a meal.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Just to the northwest of the Chianti region is the town of San Gimignano. This gorgeous, medieval town is known for many things, wine-making chief among them. This region specializes in Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which is a rare white wine for the region. Not nearly as renowned worldwide as Chianti Classico it is extremely popular locally.
Tuscany is known for its warm climate, and often times dark, dry, bold reds are not what you’re looking for on a hot summer day, or when you’re eating seafood by the coast. This crisp, acidic, dry white wine from the San Gimignano region is the perfect change up when you can’t handle anymore reds.
Vineyards that come particularly highly recommend are Pietraserena Vineyards, Cappella Sant’Andrea Vineyards where you can have dinner with your wine tasting in the family’s charming farmhouse, and La Rocca which is an ancient vineyard with a more modern twist.
Super Tuscans
These are the famous bottles of Tuscan reds that often go for hundreds of dollars a bottle, yet seem to appear low on the Italian wine classification scale. Super Tuscan refers to a style of red wine that originated in Tuscany, Italy, in the early 1970s. Many examples come from the region of Maremma, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast in the southwest of Tuscany. The earliest Super Tuscan wines were high quality red wines made by noble winemaking families that did not fit into the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) classification system because they used grapes not allowed by the rules of the DOCs in the region.
Because the wines were so good, yet being overlooked because they did not adhere to the strict rules that would let them reach the highest levels of classification, the wine producers went outside the DOC and came up with the term Super Tuscan on their own. Super Tuscan wines vary in style, but the influence of Bordeaux is apparent in their use of new oak barrels and French grapes like cabernet sauvignon and merlot in addition to sangiovese, the classic grape of Tuscany. The best Super Tuscans are rich and full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and spice from oak, and can age for decades.