The Wines of Tuscany

Transcription

Pagina 1
The Wines of Tuscany. Complete guide to DOC and DOCG wines
18:13
Complete guide to DOC and DOCG wines.
History, territory, characteristics and food pairing.
CM 92083B
13-01-2009
art. 2.67-09
copertavino_Eng.qxd:copertavino
Wine is a compound of humor and light.
(Galileo Galilei)
Complete guide to DOC and DOCG wines
Editorial project: Giunti Progetti Educativi and Toscana Promozione – Dept.
of Economic Development for Tuscany
Managing editor: M. Cristina Zannoner
Editorial coordination: Morgana Clinto
Coordination for communication: Toscana Promozione
Text edited by the Dept. of Economic Development, originals by
Emanuele Pellucci
Updating for the 2008 edition: Corrado Benzio
Editing and iconographic research: Fabio Leocata
Graphics, page format and cover: Studio Fridom
Editorial secretary: Margherita Romagnoli
Technical department: Elena Orsini
Translation from the italian: Catherine Frost
Original title: Vini di Toscana.Guida completa alle Doc e Docg
For information:
Direzione Generale dello Sviluppo Economico
Settore Produzioni Agricole Vegetali
Via di Novoli, 26 – 50127 Florence
tel. +39-055.4383078 – fax +39-055.4383150
[email protected]
www.regione.toscana.it
Toscana Promozione
Agenzia di promozione economica della Toscana
Villa Fabbricotti
Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 62 – 50134 Florence
tel. +39-055.462801 – fax +39-055.4628033
[email protected]
www.toscanapromozione.it
www.giunti.it
© 2008 Giunti Progetti Educativi S.r.l., Firenze
© 2008 Toscana Promozione, Firenze
First edition: December 2008
Reprint
6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Year
2011 2010 2009 2008
Printed by Giunti Industrie Grafiche S.p.A. – Prato, Italy
Complete guide to DOC and DOCG wines
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
WINE, A SYMBOL
4
7
OF
TUSCANY
9
DOCG WINES
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
CARMIGNANO
CHIANTI AND CHIANTI CLASSICO
MORELLINO DI SCANSANO
VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO
VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO
21
DOC WINES
ANSONICA COSTA DELL’ARGENTARIO
BARCO REALE DI CARMIGNANO
BIANCO DELLA VALDINIEVOLE
BIANCO DELL’EMPOLESE
BIANCO DI PITIGLIANO
BIANCO PISANO DI SAN TORPÈ
BOLGHERI AND THE SASSICAIA SUB-AREA
CANDIA DEI COLLI APUANI
CAPALBIO
COLLI DELL’ETRURIA CENTRALE
COLLI DI LUNI
COLLINE LUCCHESI
CORTONA
ELBA
MONTECARLO
MONTECUCCO
MONTEREGIO DI MASSA MARITTIMA
45
22
25
28
34
37
40
46
49
52
55
58
61
64
67
70
73
MONTESCUDAIO
MOSCADELLO DI MONTALCINO
ORCIA
PARRINA
PIETRAVIVA
POMINO
ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO
SAN GIMIGNANO
SANT’ANTIMO
SOVANA
TERRATICO DI BIBBONA
TERRE DI CASOLE
VAL D’ARBIA
VALDICHIANA
VAL DI CORNIA
VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI
VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI CLASSICO
VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
PRODUCTION REGULATIONS CURRENTLY
THE WINE AND FOOD ROADS
PHOTOGRAPHS
97
100
103
106
109
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115
118
121
124
127
130
133
136
139
142
145
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151
IN FORCE
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158
162
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5
Foreword
What is the best way to give a potential foreign visitor
a taste of our land? Have him sample one of the
many extraordinary wines of Tuscany. There is
nothing, in fact, that resembles us more
closely than our wine. Wine represents
our land much more clearly and distinctively than any picture could. And this
is because it contains all of the salient
features of the Tuscan spirit: respect
for history and tradition as well as the
ability to invest in the future with farsighted intuition; undying love of local
roots, coupled with the drive to explore
more global horizons.
And this is true of each of the many
wines of Tuscany. In the land of local
pride, in fact, although wine has a thousand
faces, none the same as any other, each of
these, mysteriously, puts us in contact with the
pulsing heart of our land. For this reason, getting to
know our wines is like entering into the heart of Tuscany and its
people. If then, as in this case, we investigate the world of “typicità,” the realm of appellations of origin, we take an even deeper step, one that leads us into an authentic and almost inextricable maze of emotions and qualities: a maze from which we
can escape, of course, but always with a sense of nostalgia and
an irresistible urge to return. To the readers of this guide, I wish
a happy journey through this Tuscany of a thousand flavors.
Along the way you will realize what treasures nature has lavished on this territory, but also how much creativity has been
exerted by those who have worked, and are working now, to discover flavors that are always ancient but always new.
Regione Toscana
7
THE FRUIT OF THE GRAPE
WINE,
A SYMBOL OF TUSCANY
The fruit of the grape
F
ruit of the grape and of man’s labor. This is wine: the fruit
of a plant as old as the world, and of the never-ending labor of man.
Wine is a religious symbol, it is food for the mind, it is a precious
heritage; so much so that it was once called the “fuel of the poor.”
And today it is a splendid ambassador of the land of Tuscany.
In recent years, it is said, the export of Italian wine has exceeded that of fashion. Wine is the new champion of made-in-Italy.
And Tuscany, the land of wine, from the northernmost areas
touching on Liguria to the borders with Lazio, plays a fundamental role.
9
THE FRUIT OF THE GRAPE
Official records tell of
nearly 63,000 hectares of
vineyards, over half of
which are classified as
DOC or DOCG.
Each year, this area produces approximately 3 million 300 thousand kilograms
of grapes, for an average of
nearly 65 quintals per
hectare. The wine produced
each year amounts, on average, to 2 million 300 thousand hectolitres.
Tuscany is outstanding
not so much for the quantity as for the quality of
the wine it produces. It is
the region that all winelovers dream of visiting at
least once in their lives, as
proclaimed every year by
the results of a referenThe god Dionysus
dum
held
by
an “oenological Bible”
and, at right, cupids, in
among
its
readers.
Their first ideal
a series of Pompeian
destination
is
Tuscany,
followed by
frescoes. On page 6,
the Bacchus by
Bourgogne and California.
Caravaggio, now in the
The importance, the quality, and the oUffizi, and an Etruscan
riginality of Tuscany (in wine language,
banquet scene.
the term is “typicality”) are also demonstrated by the number of its DOC (“denominazione di origine controllata”) and DOCG (“denominazione
di origine controllata e garantita”) wines. As of today there are 6 of
the latter (the latest arrival is Morellino di Scansano), and no less
than 36 of the former, thanks to very recent recognition of Terre di
Casole. Then there are the sub-areas (as exemplified by Chianti).
In a word, Tuscany seems to have practically no anonymous vine-
10
THE LONG HISTORY OF A GREAT WINE
yards. It is an imposing scenario, especially today when
the market is being enriched
with new wines and new
trends. Nor should it be forgotten that, alongside so
many DOC wines, there has
developed an entirely Tuscan
phenomenon consisting of a
wide range of quality wines
for which the term “Super
Tuscans” has been coined.
This name was coined, first
by journalists and then in
marketing, to indicate wines
of high value and quality produced in Tuscany, but not
bound by the precise regulations of the DOC wines. These
wines differ widely as regards
varietal composition, obtained through appropriate oenological
techniques, often linked to
particular brand names.
The long history
of a great wine
Today wine is produced all
over the world. But this
does not mean that a great
wine can be produced anywhere and with little effort.
What is it, then, that makes
a wine great?
On what does its appeal
depend? That’s not such a
hard question to answer.
11
THE LONG HISTORY OF A GREAT WINE
In addition to excellence, at times to rareness, the person who
buys or uncorks a bottle of wine wants that wine, starting from
its label, to have a history, to narrate a territory, to shine with
its own light, in addition to the sensations it imparts to the
palate and the brain. This is an aspect that has always been
important to those who remain true to their own DOC or
DOCG wine; as well as those who have wanted their great wine
to become a DOC; because that little word, by now synonymous with quality, speaks a language understood by winelovers the world over.
The wine of Tuscany, any DOC or DOCG wine, narrates a history, that of its territory; and so we offer this guide, the little map
of a land stretching from the vineyards at the foot of the Apuan
Alps to the grapes growing in the shadow of extinct volcanoes
on the islands of the Tuscan archipelago.
The image of our DOC and DOCG wines is that of ancient farmhouses topped by pigeon-lofts, or Renaissance villas, where the
wine producer himself will meet you and show you around.
And perhaps you will find a chapel with a Renaissance
Madonna by some little-known but extraordinary artist.
Within this frame the rittocchino or cavalcapoggio (patterns in
which the grapevines are planted on the hilly slopes) are the
emblem of a territory unique the world over. Whoever sips a
12
LABOR AND LOVE
Tuscan DOC wine will sense in that glassful the world’s most
beautiful landscape, that frescoed Madonna, and that church
where the sky seems to come closer to man; and will recall a
night spent on a holiday farm, or an unforgettable supper of
pappa al pomodoro or ribollita. All of this can be found in the
bottle you may sample in Sidney or Kuala Lumpur. It is a way
of life, encompassing relaxed living, reflection, and the recognition that art can be a wide-ranging heritage.
Labor and love
From Etruscan times to today, through the Renaissance and all
of the ages in which Tuscany has expressed its greatness, wine
has played a major role, among princes as well as peasants.
Wine has always been an important supplement to a diet poor in
everything, but especially in proteins and animal fats. Thus historical studies record that in the Middle Ages the minimum daily consumption was one liter of wine, but that liter could be doubled, and
could even rise to 4 liters a day for the wealthier classes. In the Tuscany of tenant farmers, wine was an ever-present element in the diet, but also a way to overcome the hardships of a life of privation.
The historic center of the world capital of marble, Carrara, once had
over 60 wine cellars; today only one is left. In the wine cellars, the
marble miners could pause for a moment, forgetting their fatigue.
13
LABOR AND LOVE
Today, with the peasant world gone forever, the old wine cellars are vanishing, but
the enoteca is flourishing, as a phenomenon midway between the classic wine bar
originating in Britain and the old-style Italian bottiglieria, or wine shop. Today the
enoteca has become the height of fashion,
and its managers are now rediscovering
what was a classic up to thirty years ago:
wine sold by the bottle but – and this is important – strictly DOC. For years, the queen
of wine sold in bulk has been the hilly area of the Florentine Chianti,
boasting authentic capitals such as Certaldo and Montespertoli.
Harvesting grapes on
the Florentine hills in a
painting from 1857 by
Giovanni Signorini. On
the previous page,
Francesco Leoncini,
Miracle of St. Francis
turning Water into
Wine, Pistoia, church
of San Francesco.
14
LABOR AND LOVE
In Tuscany today, everybody is producing wine: great names from
both opera and pop music, actors, movie producers and artists.
Prominent industrialists, leading fashion designers and racecar drivers are growing wine. And labels are being created by such famous
names in art as Fernando Botero, Igor Mitoraj, Sandro Chia, as well
as Pietro Cascella and the great Tuscan satirical cartoonists.
Originating in Tuscany, and flourishing there, is wine tourism, a
movement that has led to “open wineries,” bringing millions of people to visit the wine-producing companies. In Tuscany the cooperative wineries have entrusted their grapes to great wine experts,
and have thus risen to first place in the sector’s guides. And this
alone is enough to proclaim the region avant-garde. James Suckling, one of the world’s wine gurus, states that Tuscan wines are ex-
15
FROM THE LANDSCAPE TO THE BOTTLE
cellent with meals; which is to say, our wine is a central element of
conviviality, and not the triumph of solipsism.
From the landscape to the bottle
The Tuscan landscape was organised in a dense network of little farms dependent on small and large estates, most of them
owned by the nobility. And they were the first to grasp the
importance of producing great wines.
Take, for example, the wine of Carmignano, a splendid land where
the Medicean villas of Poggio a Caiano and Artimino stand. In 1716
Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici granted a sort of “denominazione
d’origine” to the wines produced on those slopes, where Cabernet
Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc had already made their appearance.
French grape varieties also arrived at Montecarlo di Lucca, thanks
to a physician returning home from France. Not to mention the
Dukes of Salviati, lords of the coast between Pisa and Viareggio.
They imported from France vine shoots of Cabernet Sauvignon,
which was not highly successful along the coasts of Versilia. The
same vine shoots were given to their cousins the Incisa della Rocchetta, who, in the mid-Seventies, created Sassicaia.
The history of DOC wines is a very Tuscan story, since it was Baron
Bettino Ricasoli, who had played a prominent part in the Unification of Italy, to stipulate the first regulations for the production of
Chianti wine (the formula was 70% Sangiovese, 20% Canaiolo and
10% white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia).
16
FROM THE LANDSCAPE TO THE BOTTLE
Baron Ricasoli’s ancestors had been wine growers since the year
One Thousand, but when he decided to renovate the winery in the
family castle of Brolio, he looked first and foremost to France.
The time was around the middle of the 19th century. The Iron Baron,
as he was called, also found a symbol for that
wine: the Black Rooster, which had been
the emblem of the Chianti League, of the
Communes that fought against Florence. It
was instead a veteran of Garibaldi’s troops
who, at about the same time, created Brunello
di Montalcino, one of the world’s greatest
wines. The first vintages were presented at
Siena in 1870. Brunello comes from Sangiovese Grosso, the most important
grape variety in our land, which forms
the basis for almost all of the great Tuscan red DOC wines. It is a great variety,
especially when carefully tended with
full respect for its characteristics. For
example, it cannot yield its finest fruit
when grown above a certain altitude.
But it also gives great results in the Super Tuscans, where it is often combined
with international varieties.
The history of the Sangiovese grape has
17
DOC AND DOCG: GUARANTEED QUALITY
been the history of this land, since the time when the yield per hectare
was extremely high, with large productions but limited quality.
DOC and DOCG: guaranteed
quality
The history of the Tuscan DOC and DOG
wines is being updated hour by hour. Dating from the end of May 2007 is the decree that establishes the Terre di Casole
DOC, in the Senese, the land around
Siena. It came after Terratico di Bibbona,
from the coast of Livorno, and after
Morellino di Scansano had become the
sixth Tuscan DOCG. The records are many:
Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the region ‘s
most famous white wine, and the first white
DOC in Italy; and Brunello, the very first DOCG.
Laws on DOC wines in Italy are relatively recent,
with the first regulations passed only in 1963. Today’s rules
come from the well-known Law 164 of 1992, still in force today. The
law stipulates regulations on production that indicate the area of provenance of the wine, the maximum quantities produced per hectare, the
methods and times of vinification, maturation and fining, as well as
the characteristics of the product when released on the market.
18
DOC AND DOCG: GUARANTEED QUALITY
For the DOCG – the top in quality estabOpposite page, a
lished by Law 164/92 – the rules become
bunch of grapes in an
stricter, with inspections conducted up
Egyptian bas-relief
to the moment of bottling. Bottles of
from the XVI century
DOCG wine bear in fact a label of control,
B.C. and, below, J.
a State mark applied to the lots of wine that
Steen, The Merry
Company, detail.
have passed the inspections conducted
by commissions.
A record of another kind is the flask of Chianti that Enrico Fermi
used to toast the news of his Nobel Prize for physics; he who had
left Italy, fleeing from the laws discriminating against Jews.
How much of Italy there is in that photo of the great nuclear physicist. For centuries the flask was the symbol of the Italy of wine, of
Tuscany, of Chianti. Hundreds of times the marketing wizards have
tried, and failed, to discover something equally striking, but the image is too potent to be replaced by any new symbol. But the power of Tuscan wine is just this: its ability to renew tradition.
And it is only fitting that the innovators have often been the nobility. Remember that Tuscany is the land of the Lorraines, of the Accademia dei Georgofili, of great land reclamation projects launched
by the grand dukes. It is also the land that has revived country style,
with the unmistakable fustian jackets of Maremma.
All of this is present in the glass of Tuscan wine you are holding; never forgetting that everything comes, as it always has,
from the labor of man.
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DOCG WINES
The DOCG is a recognition granted to only a very few wines; as
stated by the label, only those “of particular qualitative value”
can boast this honour.
The first DOCG in Italy was granted to a Tuscan wine, Brunello
di Montalcino, in 1980. As with the DOC, the fundamentals lie
in the regulations establishing the geographic area of production, grape varieties, yield, and organoleptic qualities of the
wine for which the DOC is requested. The inspections are, however, stricter, not limited to production alone but extending as
far as bottling, that is, to the finished product. At that point,
wine receiving the DOCG is given by the consortium that safeguards the mark and verifies its quality a label, a sort of State
seal, green for white wines and pink for reds. The label is
assigned to each individual producer in relation to the quantity
of wine that has passed the quality tests. And so when we find
the numbered DOCG mark on a bottle, we can be certain that
we are about to drink a truly extraordinary wine.
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BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG
HISTORY AND LANDSCAPE
Brunello di Montalcino
DOCG
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Brunello
is produced
exclusively
within the boundaries
of the municipality
of Montalcino, on
soil of various types,
excluding low valleys.
Consorzio del Vino
Costa del Municipio, 1
53024 Montalcino (SI)
tel. +39-0577.848246
fax +39-0577.849425
e-mail: [email protected]
22
Brunello di Montalcino is the supreme expression of a land that has
boasted a great winegrowing tradition for centuries. Highly esteemed
already in centuries past, the wines produced in this corner of Tuscany have always held true to the time-tested canons of tradition.
The first experiments in promoting and enhancing the characteristics of a very special raw material and a unique environment began only near the end of the 19th century. Brunello was created
around the middle of the 19th century by the efforts of a group of
local winegrowers who, through selective cloning of the Sangiovese
grape, obtained a product of the highest quality, the first Italian
wine to be obtain the DOCG recognition, in 1980. Its production
has undergone a definitive qualitative evolution, followed by the
spread of its reputation, image and name all over the world. From
the American newspapers we learn that even the stars of Hollywood have fallen under the spell of Brunello.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Brunello di Montalcino is made from grapes of the Sangiovese variety alone, called “Brunello” at Montalcino. These grapes are grown
mainly according to the cordone orizzontale speronato (horizontal spurred cordon) system,
which results in a low yield per hectare
(a maximum of 80 quintals).
Brunello di Montalcino wine cannot be released before January
1st of the year after the term of
five years calculated starting
from the year of vintage (six
years for the Riserva), always
with a minimum two years of
fining in oak barrels and six
months in the bottle. Vinification, preservation, fining and bottling must take place exclusively
within the Commune of Montalcino.
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BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG
ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS
Brunello di Montalcino has a characteristic deep ruby red color,
tending toward garnet with fining.
It has a characteristic intense aroma. The flavor is dry, warm,
slightly tannic, robust, harmonic and persistent. Its minimum
alcohol content is 12.5%
vol., but it frequently
reaches 13.5% vol.
CUISINE
is a classic wine to be
served with Florentine
steak, the queen of Tuscan cooking, and in
general with red meat,
roasts and game of all
kinds, in particular
wild boar, king of the
Mediterranean maquis.
But it is also perfect
with pigeon, one of the
favorite dishes of inland cooking. Excellent also with truffles
and mushrooms, it is a fine companion to aged cheeses such as
parmigiano and Tuscan pecorino.
It is also indicated as a “meditation wine” especially in bottles
from great years, well-preserved and at the peak of their qualitative evolution.
For the older vintages it is advisable to open the bottle ahead of
time or to decant it, and the wine should be served at a temperature of 18-20 ºC.
But Brunello, at a moment when wine-drinking customs are
evolving, can also be a daring accompaniment to fine fish
baked with vegetables.
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Carmignano
DOCG
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The Carmignano DOCG
includes only the
municipalities of
Carmignano and
Poggio a Caiano. A land
of low and medium-high
hills, with good exposure,
favorable to the cultivation
of grapes.
Consorzio Vini
di Carmignano
Piazza Matteotti, 8
59015 Carmignano (PO)
tel. +39-0571.910078
fax +39-0571.583399
25
CARMIGNANO DOCG
CARMIGNANO DOCG
Trebbiano Toscano, Canaiolo Bianco and Malvasia del Chianti,
up to 10%. Other red grapes can be added, up to 10%.
Maximum yield is 80 quintals per hectare.
Strong red wine, 14thcentury miniature.
Page 29, grape-pressing scene on a tapestry conserved at
Palazzo Medici
Riccardi, Florence.
This DOCG territory, whose hills overlook
Florence and Prato, is small in size but big
in tradition. It is a wine of ancient tradition that has retained over the years an image of its own, even when it was a product
included within the great Chianti family.
On these hills of Montalbano, where memories of Medicean times appear on every corner, wine has always
been produced. And the Medici family, who built here their splendid villas of Poggio a Caiano and Artimino, were its first promoters, considering that, in 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III granted to
the wine of Carmignano the first true patent of nobility, a kind of
DOC before its time, including it among the finest Tuscan wines
worthy of protection. In recent times, first with the DOC in 1975,
then with the DOCG in 1990, Carmignano has confirmed its standing as one of the great Italian red wines, elegant and with an international flavor deriving from the presence of Cabernet.
Carmignano DOCG is bright, intense ruby red in color tending
toward garnet with ageing; it has an intense aroma with a hint
of violets, which becomes more refined with aging. The taste is
dry, sapid, full, harmonic, mellow and velvety. The minimum
alcohol content is 12.5% vol.
Carmignano DOGC wine cannot be released before June 1st of
the second year after vintage.
The Riserva type is released starting from September 29 (St.
Michael’s Day and the Carmignano’s feast day) of the third year
after vintage.
Carmignano is a wine that ages splendidly.
CUISINE
Its special characteristics make Carmignano a wine to be served
with hearty roast meats, game and aged cheeses. Elegant and
velvety, when well aged it becomes an excellent “meditation
wine.” It pairs well with dishes from the traditional cuisine of
Prato and the Florentine plain such as stracotto alla pratese
(beef stew) and porchetta di maiale (roasted whole pig).
GRAPE VARIETIES
The basic variety is Sangiovese (minimum 50%), accompanied
by Canaiolo Nero (up to 20%) and by Cabernet Franc and
Cabernet Sauvignon (20%). White grapes are also present:
26
27
CHIANTI DOCG
Chianti and Chianti Classico
DOCG
This is a historic DOC, and is the largest in Italy. Within it are geographic sub-areas, the most ancient of which produces Chianti
Classico DOCG, which has its own production regulations.
Chianti has always been the Tuscan wine par excellence, a product that has made its region of origin famous the world over
and that still today, in its multiplicity of types coming from different production areas, keeps the prestige of Italian wine high
on international markets, even though the area is sometimes
called “Chiantishire” for the many British and Americans who
have moved there. The first demarcation of the Chianti wine
area dates from 1932, while the DOC dates from 1967 and the
DOCG from 1984. The Chianti appellation can be supplemented by the Superiore specification as well as by the geographic
specifications of Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi,
Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Rufina or Montespertoli, referring
to the various geographical sub-areas.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The basic varieties grown in the Chianti vineyards are:
Sangiovese (minimum 75%), Canaiolo Nero (up to 10%),
Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Chianti (up to 10%), and
Chianti DOCG
AREA OF
PRODUCTION
Various parts of Tuscany that
make up the great Italian winegrowing region, including in
whole or in part over 100 municipalities in the provinces of Arezzo,
Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena.
Consorzio Vino Chianti
Viale Belfiore, 9
50144 Florence (FI)
tel. +39-055.333600
fax +39-055.333601
28
complementary red grapes (up to 10%). The maximum yield of
grapes per hectare is 90 quintals, which drops to 80 for the subareas and 75 for the Superiore specification. Chianti wine cannot be released for consumption prior to March 1st of the year
after vintage, with the exception of Chianti Colli Fiorentini,
Rufina and Superiore, for which the release date is September
1st, and Chianti Montespertoli, for which it is June 1st.
29
CHIANTI DOCG
The Riserva must be aged for
at least two years, starting
from January 1st after the
year of vintage, with at least
three months of fining in the
bottle.
ORGANOLEPTIC
CHARACTERISTICS
The characteristics of Chianti
are: lively ruby red in color,
tending toward garnet with
ageing; harmonic, dry, sapid,
slightly tannic taste which
refines with time to soft and
velvety; intense winy aroma at
times with a scent of violets,
which becomes more highly refined during ageing. The minimum alcohol content is 11.5% vol. and 12% vol. for some subareas (Colli Fiorentini, Rufina and Montespertoli), for Chianti
Superiore and for Riserva. In the case of Chianti Riserva from
the sub-areas, the minimum alcohol content is 12.5% vol.
CUISINE
Any type of Chianti can be drunk as a young wine, fresh and
pleasing to the palate, although it is well known that the wine
from some areas is highly suited to medium or long ageing,
during which it acquires an unmistakable aroma and flavor.
In its great variety, Chianti is a wine for all occasions. Some
areas produce young wines to be served throughout the meal,
as well as with pasta dishes with meat sauce, boiled meats and
stews. From other areas, more highly structured wines, moderately aged, pair perfectly with poultry and roast veal. Lastly,
where wines of great character, high alcohol content and long
ageing are produced, the best combination is with roast meats,
game and aged cheeses. And a young Chianti can also be a worthy accompaniment to the savory fish stew called cacciucco.
30
Chianti Classico
DOCG
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The entire territory of the
municipalities of Greve in
Chianti (Province of
Florence), Radda in Chianti,
Castellina in Chianti and
Gaiole in Chianti (Province of
Siena) and part of the territory of
the municipalities of San Casciano
in Val di Pesa, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa
and Barberino Val d’Elsa (Province
of Florence) and Poggibonsi and
Castelnuovo Berardenga
(Province of Siena).
Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico
Via Scopeti, 155
Sant’Andrea in Percussina
50026 San Casciano V.P. (FI)
tel. +39-055.82285
fax +39-055.8228173
31
CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG
CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG
per hectare. Chianti Classico wine can be released starting from
October 1st of the year after vintage. The Riserva must be aged
for at least 24 months, three of which in the bottle.
The regulations stipulate that a scent of violets is one of the particular characteristics of Chianti Classico. The color must be bright
red, tending toward garnet with ageing. The flavor is harmonic,
dry but slightly tannic. Minimum alcohol content is 12% vol., rising to 12.5% vol. for the Riserva.
CUISINE
Chianti Classico DOCG refers only to wines coming from the ancient heart of the area in which Chianti wine is produced. Since
1996, Chianti Classico has been produced according to special regulations. As a whole, the Chianti Classico area does not cover over
7,000 hectares. With the 2006 vintage, a great innovation was introduced. For the first time, Chianti Classico was made without the
addition of white grapes (in this case, Trebbiano and Malvasia).
Visiting the Chianti Classico production area means discovering
stupendous landscapes but also such beautiful places as the town
of Radda, the Castle of Brolio, and San Felice.
This is a great wine that perfectly accompanies the great dishes of
Tuscan cooking, starting with bistecca alla fiorentina, the famous
Florentine steak, and continuing to stewed wild boar and roast pigeon. In general, all red meats go well with Chianti Classico, which
can also end a meal as an accompaniment to Tuscan pecorino, aged
or semi-aged. And Chianti Classico can even be paired with the fish
stew known as cacciucco in either the Livorno version or that of
Viareggio, more delicate in flavour.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The new rules for producing Chianti Classico call for Sangiovese
grapes, from a minimum of 80% to 100% (in the latter case, we
speak of a pure Sangiovese). White grapes having been eliminated, 20% of the formula can consist of other red grapes. Widely
grown in the area are Canaiolo, Colorino and other varieties
such as Cabernet and Merlot. Note that a new Chianti Classico
vineyard can enter production only four years after the
grapevines have been planted and that the maximum yield (lowered in the new regulations) has been established as 75 quintals
32
33
MORELLINO DI SCANSANO DOCG
HISTORY
AND LANDSCAPE
Morellino di Scansano
DOCG
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Morellino is produced on the
hilly terrain in the
Province of Grosseto
stretching from the
Ombrone to the
Albegna river, an area
that includes the entire
territory of the municipality
of Scansano and part of those
of Manciano, Magliano in
Toscana, Grosseto, Campagnatico,
Semproniano and Roccalbegna.
Consorzio di Tutela
Morellino di Scansano
Via Marconi, 23
58054 Scansano (GR)
tel. +39-0564.509931
fax +39-0564.507710
34
Morellino di Scansano is one of the
best-known Tuscan red wines, and
undoubtedly the most typical of
the area called Maremma, born in
an environment that combines the
advantages of hilly slopes with fragrant sea breezes, where grapevines were already cultivated by
the Etruscans. In a text from the
past century we read: “The wines
of Magliano, Pereta and Scansano
are excellent and in few places is
wine of such delicious quality produced.” So that it “closely resembles Chianti.”
In the last decade, Morellino di
Scansano has attracted great interest on the part of many producers, and the land designated to its
production has been substantially
increased.
Subsequent to the high quality levels achieved and the affirmation of
its own identity and image on foreign markets as well, Morellino
di Scansano received the DOCG
recognition in 2006.
Opposite page, a 16th-century miniature showing a
bizarre system of pressing
grapes in vogue at the
time. On the next page,
detail from a 16th-century
still life, and wine decanting
scene in a 16th-century
miniature.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Sangiovese (locally called Morellino, a name borrowed from the dark bay horses known as morelli,
very numerous here) is the basic variety, at times the only one (85100%). Other black grapes can be added (up to 15%).
The grape yield is 90 quintals per hectare.
35
MORELLINO DI SCANSANO DOCG
ORGANOLEPTIC
CHARACTERISTICS
Morellino di Scansano is
ruby red in color, tending
toward garnet with time;
the aroma is ethereal, intense, pleasant, refined;
the taste dry, warm, and
slightly tannic.
The minimum alcohol
content is 12.5% vol. with
two years of ageing of
which at least one in
wooden barrels, starting
from January 1st of the
year after harvesting, and
with a minimum alcohol content of 13,5% vol., this wine is entitled to the Riserva specification.
CUISINE
A wine for the whole meal
when young, it is instead particularly indicated for roast
meats and game when
aged and coming from a
good year. It is ideal with
the dishes of Maremma,
such as acquacotta (typical soup), scottiglia
di cinghiale (wild boar
stew), and maiale
ubriaco (“drunk”
pork), but even a
vegetable pie can
offer an unusual
but tasty combination.
36
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
DOCG
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
is produced exclusively
from vineyards
situated on hilly
terrain in the
municipality of
San Gimignano.
Consorzio della
Denominazione
San Gimignano
Villa della Rocca
53037 San Gimignano (SI)
tel. +39-0577.940108
fax +39-0577.942088
37
VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO DOCG
VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO DOCG
GRAPE VARIETIES
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is made from a variety of the same
name, with the possible presence of other non-aromatic white
grapes up to a maximum of 10%. In recent years the producers
have increasingly utilized these grapes, which have come to
enhance the basic variety. In any case, the yield of grapes per
hectare cannot exceed 90 quintals.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is straw yellow in color tending
toward golden with ageing. It has a fine, penetrating, distinctive
aroma and a dry, harmonic taste, with a characteristic slightly
bitter aftertaste.
The minimum alcohol content is 11% vol. (11.5% vol. for the
Riserva, after required minimum ageing of one year starting
from January 1st of the year after vintage, and an additional
four months of fining in the bottle).
CUISINE
White wine, miniature from
the Tacuinum sanitatis in
medicina, late 14th century.
Opposite page, an antique
botanical plate.
In the shadow of San Gimignano’s
fourteen medieval towers originates
what can be termed the most famous
white wine in the region. In the Tuscan wine panorama, Vernaccia holds
an outstanding place, fruit of a tradition that dates back, according
to documented records, to the middle of the 13th century. A wine
once beloved by popes and princes, Vernaccia has, over the centuries,
linked its excellent quality to the incomparable landscape of the San
Gimignano territory. Today’s Vernaccia, especially after the granting of the DOCG – it was the first white wine to receive this honor,
in 1993 – has undergone constant evolution not only in the vineyard
but also in the wine cellar. And this is why, when you sip a glass of
this wine, you will taste all the flavor of Tuscany.
38
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a wine that has
always been deemed excellent as an aperitif, outstanding with appetizers,
especially seafood, a delicious companion to all
fish and seafood dishes
and perfect with veal and
chicken as well.
It is ideal with a
seafood risotto, but also
with a dish of rice and
mushrooms.
To be served cold, at a
temperature of 11-12 ºC.
39
VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO DOCG
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
DOCG
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is
produced in the hilly areas of
the municipality of
Montepulciano,
preferably on soil of
Pliocene origin lying at
an altitude of 250 to 600
meters.
Consorzio del Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano
Piazza Grande, 7
53045 Montepulciano (SI)
tel. +39-0578.757812
fax +39-0578.758213
40
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano originates on the hills stretching between Val d’Orcia and Valdichiana, in vineyards occupying a magnificent landscape embellished by monuments, villas and ancient
farmhouses, outstanding among them the Basilica di San Biagio,
the masterpiece of Antonio da San Gallo.
The history of this wine starts from a centuries-old winemaking
tradition that already in the 17th century saw Nobile proclaimed
the “King of Tuscan wines” (Francesco Redi, Bacco in Toscana).
The fame of this wine, beloved by the nobility and the great lords
(from whence its name) has come down to our own day. Especially in the last few decades (the DOCG dates from 1980) its quality
has greatly improved, thanks to renovation of the vineyards and
modernisation of the winemaking equipment and techniques. Today Vino Nobile is deemed one of the very best Italian red wines.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The basic varieties are Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile from 70% to 100%) and
Canaiolo Nero (maximum 20%). Other
suitable grapes can be added (maximum
20%) on condition that the content of
white grapes does not exceed 10%. The
grape yield per hectare cannot exceed
80 quintals. With at least three years of
maturing calculated starting from January 1st of the year after vintage, of
which six months of fining in the bottle,
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano can bear
the Riserva qualification. Due to its particular characteristics, it is a wine suitable to medium or long ageing.
ORGANOLEPTIC
CHARACTERISTICS
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is ruby
red in color, tending toward garnet
41
VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO DOCG
with ageing. The aroma is intense, heterogeneous, ethereal,
characteristic; the flavor dry, well balanced and persistent, at
times with woody tones. The minimum alcohol content is
12.5% vol., 13% vol. for the Riserva.
CUISINE
A classic wine to be paired with roasted red meat, game and fine
poultry – such as faraona al cartoccio, guinea fowl baked in paper – but also with the classic pork roast called arista alla fiorentina, or with a dish of pappardelle served with game sauce. Excellent also with seasoned Pecorino di Pienza, especially the type
aged in caverns.
In the great vintages, moderately aged, it is a pleasant “meditation wine.” In this case the bottle should be opened well in advance, and the wine served at room temperature. It also pairs
well with fish stew, especially the savoury and spicy one called
cacciucco alla livornese.
42
DOC WINES
The year 1963 was a memorable one for the history of Italian winemaking: in that year, the law on appellation of origin for wines came
into force in Italy. Although much later than France, Italy passed
a law that was to establish rules for typical productions, but above
all to guarantee that consumers knew what they were drinking.
The regulations for DOC wines were subsequently amended and
updated, particularly in 1992 with Law 164.
Current DOC legislation has established two fundamental matters today. The first is that of the regulations, specifying the
geographical borders, the varieties of grapes used, the production yield, and the organoleptic characteristics of each appellation. In other words, it explains what a wine must be in order
to boast the DOC. The second matter has to do with inspections, entrusted to the consortiums of wine producers and, of
course, as with all food products, to the representatives of the
State and the Regions. Thanks to these guarantees, the 36
Tuscan DOCs can offer us top-quality wines, the full expression
of the many varieties produced in the territory of Tuscany.
45
ANSONICA COSTA DELL’ARGENTARIO DOC
Ansonica
Costa dell’Argentario DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Produced in the hills, foothills and
islands in the southern
part of the Province of
Grosseto, comprising
the municipalities of
Manciano, Orbetello and
Capalbio in part, and those
of the Island of Giglio and
Monte Argentario in whole.
Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario
DOC
c/o C.C.I.A.A. di Grosseto
Via Cairoli, 10
58100 Grosseto (GR)
tel. +39-0564.430111
fax +39-0564.415821
46
Today the Argentario promontory, one of the most beautiful
parts of Tuscany, a favorite vacation spot,
lends its name to the DOC of a white
wine, Ansonica, which has always
been produced on the promontory and the slopes of what
is known as the Costa
d’Argento, as well as the
Island of Giglio.
A fascinating itinerary
leads over the hills and
along the coasts of a magnificent landscape dotted
with ancient towns and
historic memories. On one
side the town of Capalbio
with its medieval architecture
and its Etruscan and Roman
ruins, on the other Ansedonia, a
modern town built in the vicinity of
an ancient Roman one. And then Porto
Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole, with its
imposing medieval fortress, on the
A wine amphora
promontory of Argentario, as far as the
from Etruscan times.
wild beauty of Giglio Island.
On page 42, caskHere above all viticulture is still pracmakers in a 15th-centiced on the characteristic terraces,
tury miniature. On
where grapes are hard to cultivate but
the following pages, a
14th-century miniayield products of the highest quality.
ture with three ladies
drinking a toast and
GRAPE VARIETIES
the grape harvest in a
The basic variety for this wine is
15th-century miniaAnsonica Bianco (at least 85%). Other
ture portraying the
grapes can be added (up to 15%).
month of September.
The environmental and cultivation conditions of the vineyards must be those
47
ANSONICA COSTA DELL’ARGENTARIO DOC
traditional to the area. The same is true of the planting arrangement, the training and pruning systems; all forcing methods are
excluded, a well as the Tendone (Arbor) system. The maximum
grape yield allowed per hectare is 110 quintals.
This wine is straw yellow, more or less intense, in color. It has
a characteristic, slightly fruity aroma; a dry, soft, lively and harmonic flavor. The minimum alcohol content is 11.5% vol.
CUISINE
Being a fresh, lively wine, Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario pairs
well with light seafood dishes, especially appetizers and fish.
It is also excellent served as an aperitif. But we recommend it
particularly with a surprising, mysterious dish: cuscussù alla
livornese, a couscous dish that reveals the exotic origins of the
city of the Four Moors.
Barco Reale di Carmignano, Rosato di
Carmignano, Vin Santo di Carmignano
and Vin Santo di Carmignano
Occhio di Pernice DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Comprises the territories of the municipalities of Carmignano
and Poggio a Caiano.
Soils lying at an altitude not exceeding 400
meters above sea level
deriving from calcareous
marl rocks of the Alberese,
schistose, clayey and arenaceous types.
Consorzio Tutela
dei Vini di Carmignano
Piazza Matteotti, 8
59015 Carmignano (PO)
tel. +39-0571.910078
fax +39-0571.583399
48
49
BARCO REALE DI CARMIGNANO DOC
With a DOC instituted in 1994, this wine falls within the “cascade” category, for which from a single registered grape variety
it is possible to produce several DOC wines, a practice already
successfully experimented in other DOCG zones.
Carmignano, with its red wine now classified in the superior
category, deserved in fact worthy recognition of its other wines
(alongside Chianti Montalbano DOCG, which has always been
produced in the same territory). On these hills beloved by the
Medici family was situated Barco Reale, a vast estate theater of
interminable hunting parties. The name today distinguishes a
quality red wine made from the same Carmignano grapes.
The winemaking tradition of this area also includes rosé
wines (once known as vin ruspo) and Vin Santo wines of the
highest quality.
THE GRAPES
Barco Reale and Rosato: Sangiovese (minimum 50%), Canaiolo
Nero (up to 20%), Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon (1020%), Trebbiano Toscano, Canaiolo Bianco and Malvasia (up to
10%); other red grapes may be added up to 10%.
Vin Santo: Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca Lunga (at
50
BARCO REALE DI CARMIGNANO DOC
least 75%); other white grapes may be added up to 25%.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese (minimum 50%);
other white or red grapes may be added up to 50%.
The maximum grape yield per hectare is 100 quintals.
Barco Reale di Carmignano: bright ruby red, brilliant color;
winy, intense, fruity aroma; dry, sapid, fullbodied, harmonic flavor; minimum alcohol
content 11% vol.
Rosato di Carmignano: more or less intense
rosé color, at times with ruby red reflections; fruity, winy, characteristic aroma; dry,
fresh, pleasantly acidulous, harmonic flavor; 11% vol.
Vin Santo di Carmignano: color ranging from
straw yellow to golden, to deep amber; ethereal, intense, characteristic aroma; harmonic,
velvety flavor, more rounded in the amabile
type; 16% vol.
Vin Santo di Carmignano Occhio di Pernice:
color ranging from deep pink to pale pink;
warm, intense aroma; mellow, velvety, rounded flavor; 16% vol.
CUISINE
Barco Reale is a wine for the whole meal and
is especially good with pasta served with meat
sauce, poultry, rabbit and white meats in general. The rosé is excellent as an aperitif, with Tuscan appetizers
as well as with soufflés.
The Vin Santo in both versions pairs beautifully with the whole
range of pastry and puddings.
The Occhio di Pernice type is decidedly a “meditation wine,”
but it can also be served with a dessert such as red-berry jam
tart; and of course with biscotti di Prato, the world-famous
Tuscan cookies.
51
BIANCO DELLA VALDINIEVOLE DOC
Bianco della Valdinievole
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The DOC area comprises
the territories of the
municipalities of
Buggiano, Montecatini
Terme and Uzzano, and
in part those of Larciano,
Marliana, Massa and
Cozzile, Monsummano
Terme, Pescia and Pieve a
Nievole.
Consorzio Vino Bianco
della Valdinievole
c/o Provincia di Pistoia
Piazza San Leone, 1
51100 Pistoia (PT)
tel. +39-0573.3741
fax +39-0573.374307
52
The Bianco della Valdinievole DOC area is
undoubtedly, at least as
regards quantities, one
of the smallest in
Tuscany, although its
territory includes many
of the municipalities
situated between Pistoia
and Lucca. Linked to
the wine tradition of
Lucca, viniculture in
this area has centurieslong roots; already in
the 15th century the
Prato merchant Marco
Datini wrote that, “Pescia is the great market of wines, specialized in the white ones,
the Trebbiani, which represent the salient feature of the
Valdinievole;” a real patent of nobility that, with its ups and
downs, has survived until our own time. More recently (the
DOC dates from 1976) the wineries have still further improved
their traditional wine by including new varieties of grapes to
supplement Trebbiano Toscano. And along with the white, the
Pistoia producers have added a Vin Santo that is marketed after
three years of maturing in caratelli (small wooden barrels).
Bianco della Valdinievole was esteemed by such famous personages as Puccini and Mascagni, as well as by the actor Totò, a frequent visitor to Montecatini Terme, the modern capital of the area.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Trebbiano Toscano (70-100%). Malvasia del Chianti, Canaiolo Bianco and Vermentino can be present in the vineyards, either alone or
in combination, up to 25%, as well as other white grapes up to 5%.
The yield per hectare cannot exceed 130 quintals.
53
BIANCO DELLA VALDINIEVOLE DOC
Bianco della Valdinievole is light golden yellow, tending
toward straw, in color. It has a slightly winy, pleasant aroma;
dry, lively, harmonic flavor, occasionally verging on sparkling,
with a minimum alcohol content of 11% vol. for the white
wine, 17% vol. for the Vin Santo.
The latter is produced in the types dry, demi-sec and sweet. In
color it ranges from straw to light amber; the aroma is intense,
ethereal, typical; the flavor harmonic, mellow, with a characteristic slightly bitter aftertaste.
CUISINE
A wine to be served with appetizers, soups, vegetables, grilled
fish and seafood. Perfect for pairing with the various types of
Vin Santo is a vast range of pastry, starting with the famous
cialde (wafers) di Montecatini, and going on to brigidini (aniseseed wafers), the specialty of Lamporecchio. This wine can also
accompany a vegetable pie or the famous giant asparagus of
Pescia, cooked al dente.
Preceding pages: the
Vitis vinifera in an
antique botanical
plate and a print
showing a tavernkeeper serving wine.
Page 57, Domenico
Induno, The Old Man
and his Dog, detail.
Page 58, autumn is
symbolized by the
grape harvest in a
miniature from the
Tacuinum sanitatis.
Page 62, antique print
with a grape-pressing
scene.
54
Bianco dell’Empolese DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The grapes used
in the production of
Bianco dell’Empolese
must come from vineyards situated in the
municipalities of Empoli,
Cerreto Guidi, Fucecchio,
Vinci, Capraia e Limite
and Montelupo Fiorentino.
Ente Tutela Vini dell’Empolese
e della Val d’Elsa
c/o Cantine Leonardo
da Vinci
Provinciale Mercatale, 291
50056 Vinci (FI)
tel. +39-0571.902444
fax +39-0571.509960
[email protected]
55
BIANCO DELL’EMPOLESE DOC
BIANCO DELL’EMPOLESE DOC
When released for marketing, Bianco dell’Empolese must present a light yellow color tending toward straw, a characteristic
aroma and a dry, harmonic, fresh, delicate flavor. The minimum alcohol content is 10.5% vol.
The Vin Santo type ranges from golden to amber in colour, with
an intense, ethereal, characteristic aroma, a flavor that is dry or
amabile, harmonic, mellow, with a characteristic aftertaste. The
minimum alcohol content is 16% vol. for the dry type and 15%
vol. for the amabile.
CUISINE
Bianco dell’Empolese was recognized as a DOC wine in 1989,
although good wines have always been produced on the hills
around the busy, industrious town on the banks of the Arno
River. The historian Federigo Melis recalls in fact how in the
past the wines of this district, especially those of the countryside around Cerreto Guidi and Vinci, were well known to the
Florentines.
From the improvement of these lands brought about by the
Medici family, who built one of their finest villas at Cerreto
Guidi, down to our own day, when the dedicated work of many
small and medium-sized wineries has improved the quality of
the local wines to the point of obtaining a DOC recognition, the
local winegrowing tradition has never been interrupted.
The DOC includes a Vin Santo in addition to the white wine.
An excellent companion to appetizers, soups, vegetable dishes,
fish and boiled meats, this wine is also good with artichokes,
the vegetable king of these plains; cooked artichokes, of course,
since the difficulty in pairing a raw vegetable of such particular
flavor, rich in iron, with wine is well known.
For the Vin Santo, the choice is between the dry or the sweet
type, to be served with pastry.
GRAPE VARIETIES
We are in the realm of Trebbiano Toscano, and this variety constitutes the basis of Bianco dell’Empolese (80-100%). Other
white grapes can be added, with a limit of 8% for Malvasia del
Chianti. The yield cannot exceed 120 quintals per hectare.
56
57
BIANCO DI PITIGLIANO DOC
Bianco di Pitigliano DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The Bianco di Pitigliano DOC
is reserved to wine
made from grapes
harvested from
vineyards situated in
Pitigliano and Sorano
and in part those of
Scansano and Manciano.
The environment from which Bianco di Pitigliano originates
is without doubt one of the most fascinating in Tuscany, its
hills covered with vineyards facing the striking profile of the
medieval town clinging to a high spur of tufo rock, enveloped
in the mysterious aura of a place once inhabited by Etruscans
and Romans.
Still today, the numerous caverns dug out of the tufo rock
bear witness to the presence of natural wine cellars used by
the farmers of yesteryear, who since the remote past have
cultivated grapevine on the surrounding hills.
It is only quite recently, after the evolution in local winemaking that has conferred on Bianco di Pitigliano the status of
DOC, that this usage been abandoned, although not entirely.
The progress in winemaking also derives from the adoption of
noble varieties that have served to “gentrify” the grapes of the
traditional varieties.
Consorzio Vino
Bianco di Pitigliano
Via Marsala, 23
58014 Manciano (GR)
tel. +39-0564.620532
58
59
BIANCO DI PITIGLIANO DOC
GRAPE VARIETIES
Trebbiano Toscano (50-80%), Greco, Malvasia Bianca Toscana
and Verdello, either alone or in combination, not over 20%;
Grechetto, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and Riesling
Italico (not over 30%), other white grapes (up to a maximum of
10%). The maximum yield per hectare is 125 quintals.
For the past 20 years or so, a kosher wine has been produced at
Pitigliano for the national and international Jewish community, in memory of the Jewish traditions of this area, still found in
many local dishes.
Bianco di Pitigliano is straw yellow in color tinged with green; its
aroma is delicate; its flavor dry, lively, neutral, with a slightly bitter base, of medium body, mellow. The minimum alcohol content
is 11% vol., which becomes 12% vol. for the Superiore type. Production of a Spumante
type, with minimum alcohol content of 11.5% vol.,
has recently been allowed.
CUISINE
A fresh, lively wine,
Bianco di Pitigliano
pairs well with many
dishes: various appetizers, soups, grilled or
steamed fish, snails,
vegetables, soft cheeses
and above all typical
Maremma specialties
such as acquacotta.
But we recommend
trying it also with mussel soup or with squid
on a skewer.
60
Bianco Pisano di San Torpè
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Overlapping that of Chianti
Colline Pisane, this area
extends over the plains
stretching along the Arno,
the Egola and the Elsa
rivers. The municipalities found
here are: Casciana Terme, Capannoli,
Chianni, Crespina, Lari, Palaia,
Ponsacco, Terricciola and in part
Cascina, Collesalvetti, Fauglia,
Laiatico, Lorenzana, Montopoli
Valdarno, Peccioli, Pontedera, Santa
Luce, San Miniato (in the Province of
Pisa) and Collesalvetti (in the
Province of Livorno).
Consorzio Vino Bianco
Pisano di San Torpè
Via Benedetto Croce, 107
56100 Pisa (PI)
tel. +39-050.501650
fax +39-050.643996
61
BIANCO PISANO DI SAN TORPÈ DOC
Bianco Pisano di
San Torpè is a
wine that has
been produced
by farmers in the
Pisan hills since
the remote past.
In 1980 they
decided to give
this wine a name
and production
regulations.
The name is that
of a Christian
martyr, one of
Nero’s soldiers,
who was beheaded and whose
body was abandoned on a boat
that landed in 68
A.D., at a village
on the French
coast, which was then named for him: Saint Tropez. The area where
Bianco Pisano di San Torpè is now produced was famous over the
centuries for its excellent Trebbiano wines, a tradition that has persisted over the years and, although with understandable evolution,
has come down to our own time.
Today the wineries are engaged in improving the quality of this
wine and promoting it in Italy and abroad. Along with the Bianco
type is a Vin Santo.
BIANCO PISANO DI SAN TORPÈ DOC
Bianco Pisano di San Torpè has a more or less deep straw yellow color, a winy, lively and characteristic aroma, and a dry,
harmonic, delicate flavor.
The minimum alcohol content is 11% vol. for the white wine
and 16% vol. for the Vin Santo. The latter cannot be released
prior to November 1st of the third year after vintage (or the
fourth year, for Vin Santo Riserva).
The color of Bianco Pisano di San Torpè Vin Santo ranges from
golden to amber, more or less intense; its aroma is intense, ethereal, aromatic; its flavour amabile or dry, harmonic, with a
characteristic aftertaste.
CUISINE
Bianco Pisano di San Torpè is a wine to be drunk young, a good
accompaniment to Pisan fish dishes and seafood soups, or fine
fish baked in paper.
As a more daring and imaginative alternative, it can be paired
with raw fish.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Trebbiano Toscano (75-100%). Other white grapes can be added
up to 25%.
The yield cannot exceed 120 quintals per hectare.
62
63
BOLGHERI AND THE SASSICAIA SUB-AREA DOC
Bolgheri and the Sassicaia
sub-area DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The grapes used to
produce Bolgheri
wines must grow in the
municipality of
Castagneto Carducci,
with the exclusion of the
territories west of the old
Via Aurelia. The Sassicaia
sub-area is a limited section
in the locality of Bolgheri.
Consorzio per la Tutela
dei Vini DOC Bolgheri
Loc. San Guido, 45
57020 Bolgheri (LI)
tel. and fax +39-0565.749705
64
This corner of Tuscany is rich in history and natural beauty,
starting from the famous Avenue of Cypresses, a verdant “outdoor cathedral” five kilometres long, immortalized by the poet
Carducci. Long known for its rosé wines, the Bolgheri area has
now become famous above all for its reds, thanks to the deep
commitment and experimentation
of wineries particularly interested in
the quality level of their products.
The evolution recognized in amendments to the regulations on DOC
wines with the addition of the red
wine type (as well as Vin Santo
Occhio di Pernice) and with the creation of the Sassicaia sub-area, has
allowed one of the great quality
Italian wines to be included in a
DOC, the label that has revitalized
the national sector as a whole.
Today the most famous Italian and
foreign winemakers are investing
heavily in the entire Bolgheri area.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Bolgheri Bianco: Trebbiano Toscano
(10-70%), Vermentino (10-70%),
Sauvignon (10-70%). If the content
of Vermentino or Sauvignon reaches
85%, the name of the variety can
appear on the label along with the
name Bolgheri.
Bolgheri Rosso, Rosato and Rosso Superiore: Cabernet
Sauvignon (10-80%), Merlot (up to 70%), Sangiovese (up to
70%), other red grapes (up to 30%). The Rosso Superiore type
must be aged for at least two years starting from January 1st of
the year after vintage, of which at least one year in oak barrels
and at least six months of fining in the bottle.
65
BOLGHERI AND THE SASSICAIA SUB-AREA DOC
Bolgheri Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese (50-70%),
Malvasia Nera (30-50%), other red grapes up to 30%.
Bolgheri Sassicaia: Cabernet Sauvignon (from 80% to 100%);
may contain other red grapes up to 20%.
Yield per hectare: 100 quintals for the white wines, 90 for the
others. For the Superiore type, the yield cannot exceed 80 quintals per hectare, for Bolgheri Sassicaia, 60.
Bianco, Vermentino, Sauvignon: color straw yellow; aroma
fine, delicate; flavor dry, harmonic, sapid; minimum alcohol
content 10.5% vol.
Rosato: color rosé; aroma winy, delicate; flavor dry, harmonic;
11.5% vol.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: color ranging from deep pink to
pale pink; aroma intense; flavor sweet, mellow, velvety and
rounded; minimum alcohol content 16% vol.
Rosso: color ranging from ruby red to garnet; aroma intensely
winy; flavor dry, harmonic; alcohol content 11.5% vol. (12.5%
vol. for Rosso Superiore).
Bolgheri Sassicaia: color deep ruby red or garnet; aroma winy,
rich and elegant; flavor dry, full-bodied, robust and harmonic;
well structured and elegant; alcohol content 12% vol.
Preceding page:
watercolored
woodcut from the
Hortus Sanitatis by
Johannes de Cuba
(1491).
On the following
pages, an old miniature with a winetasting scene and a
historical print.
66
CUISINE
The whites and rosés are wines to be
served young paired with soups, fish and
soufflés. The Sauvignon is appropriate for
more important fish and seafood dishes.
The red is good with the whole meal and
with white and red meats, and is incomparable with bistecca alla fiorentina. The
Vin Santo is ideal with dessert and pastry,
while Sassicaia should be paired with
demanding roasts and with game, from
wild boar to pigeon, especially when
served rare.
Candia dei Colli Apuani DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Candia dei Colli Apuani is
produced on suitable
soil in the hilly terrain
of the municipalities of
Carrara, Massa and
Montignoso. Of special
interest in visiting the area
are the “Via di Fontia” on
the Carrara side and the “Via
dell’Uva” on the Massa side.
Consorzio fra Produttori
Vino Candia dei Colli
Apuani DOC
c/o Federazione provinciale
Coltivatori Diretti
Largo Matteotti, 1 – 54100 Massa (MS)
tel. +39-0585.43852
fax +39-0585.43852
67
CANDIA DEI COLLI APUANI DOC
A stretch of hills
facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, behind it
the Apuan Alps.
On these steep
slopes the ancient
populations of
Carrara and Massa decided long
ago to cultivate
the grapevine and
to create the ancestor of today’s
Candia. Numerous texts mention
the “stupendous
vineyards and the
flourishing olive
groves” cultivated
by the courageous
farmers of this
area with great
sacrifice and little
recompense, considering that the cultivated areas have always been small in size
and the yield of grapes and wine equally limited. In recent years
the types specified in the new production regulations are amabile,
dry and Vin Santo. Looking out from the vineyards, the view sweeps
from the marble caves beloved by Michelangelo to the Gulf of La
Spezia, as far as the Tuscan Archipelago.
GRAPE VARIETIES
In this area, from time immemorial, Vermentino has been
grown, and this variety forms the basis of Candia: Vermentino
Bianco (70-80%) and Albarola (10-20%). Grapes from the
Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia varieties can be added, up to
68
CANDIA DEI COLLI APUANI DOC
a maximum of 20%, as long as the content of Malvasia Bianca
Lunga does not exceed 5%.
The yield per hectare is 90 quintals.
At the time of release for sale, Candia wines must possess the following characteristics: for the amabile or abboccato type, color that
is more or less deep straw yellow; delicate, pleasant, slightly aromatic aroma and fruity,
sweet, harmonic, lively or
calm flavor, including also
the sparkling type. The dry
type, with a dry, at times
mellow, fruity, full-bodied,
harmonic flavor, and a bitter aftertaste, also includes
a sparkling wine. For both,
the minimum alcohol content is 11.5% vol.
There is also a Vin Santo,
with minimum alcohol
content of 16.5% vol. (of
which at least 14% vol. already developed and a
minimum of 2% to be developed).
CUISINE
A wine to be drunk young,
Candia is ideal with lean
appetizers and fish dishes but we recommend it above all paired
with rounds of fried chick-pea dough topped with Colonnata
Lard DOP or, for the amabile type, with delicate sweets such as
the typical rice and cream pie of Massa and Carrara.
69
CAPALBIO DOC
Capalbio DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The production area includes
part of the territories of
Capalbio, Magliano
in Toscana, Orbetello
and Manciano, in the
Province of Grosseto.
The Capalbio DOC includes the southern foothills and hilly
areas in the Province of Grosseto, stretching from the municipality of Magliano in Toscana, skirting the Maremma Natural
Park, known as the Uccellina, as far as the municipality of
Capalbio, and also including the territories of Orbetello and
Manciano.
The winemaking traditions of this area, which includes two more
DOC (Parrina and Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario) have always
contributed to enhancing the quality of the wines of the Grosseto
territory. The grape varieties and wines of this area have been
known since Roman times, when they were exported in ships
sailing from the port of Cosa. They became even better known in
the Middle Ages, and their fame spread still further in 1600 with
the establishment of the Stato dei Presidi (Garrison State).
There where the wild beauty of the Mediterranean maquis
meets the hills covered with well-cultivated olive groves and
vineyards, in a unique scenario of immense environmental
value, the Capalbio DOC, instituted in 1999, promotes the
value of the area’s typical grape species, both black and white,
with regulations providing for numerous alternatives that will
serve as further stimulus to the already highly-qualified local
producers.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Colli Meridionali della
Maremma Tuscany
Via Marsala, 73
58014 Manciano (GR)
tel. +39-0564/620532
70
Sangiovese, in the amount of at least 50%, is the basic variety
for the production of Capalbio red and rosé wine. The remaining 50% can consist of non-aromatic black grapes.
Trebbiano Toscano, present for least 50%, is the basic variety
for the production of Capalbio Bianco and Vin Santo, while the
remaining 50% can consist of non-aromatic white grapes.
Capalbio Vermentino, Capalbio Sangiovese, Capalbio Cabernet
Sauvignon must contain at least 85% of the variety of the same
name. With ageing of almost three years, of which at least six
months in wooden barrels, Capalbio Rosso Riserva is produced.
Maximum production per hectare is 110 quintals for the red
wines and 115 for the white wines.
71
CAPALBIO DOC
Capalbio Rosso: more or less
intense ruby red in color; characteristic winy aroma; dry, harmonic,
pleasantly tannic flavor; minimum
alcohol content 11% vol.
Capalbio Sangiovese: ample, winy
aroma, which takes on characteristic spiced tones in Capalbio
Cabernet Sauvignon. Both wines
have a dry, full-bodied, pleasantly
tannic flavor and a minimum alcohol content of 12% vol.
Capalbio Riserva: ruby red in color,
tending toward garnet with ageing;
ample, winy aroma; dry, sapid, harmonic, pleasantly tannic flavor, with
a minimum alcohol content of 12% vol.
Capalbio Rosato: more or less deep pink in color; winy, fruity,
fresh aroma, minimum alcohol content 10.5% vol.
Capalbio Bianco: color light straw yellow, delicate, fresh, fruity
aroma; flavor dry, minimum alcohol content 10.5% vol.
Capalbio Vermentino: straw yellow in color at times with greenish reflections; delicate, fruity aroma; dry, sapid flavor, minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Capalbio Vin Santo: color ranging from golden yellow to
amber; aroma ethereal, intense, characteristic; flavor harmonic, velvety, well-rounded, alcohol content 16% vol.
Colli dell’Etruria Centrale
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Coincides with that of
Chianti DOCG,
to which the Colli
dell’Etruria Centrale
wines also appear as
an accompanying
appellation.
CUISINE
The broad range of Capalbio DOC wines makes it suitable for
an equally broad and varied local cuisine, from appetizers to
fish and seafood dishes, from the typical soups of Maremma
(acquacotta), to mushrooms, to game dishes, especially wild
boar in sweet-and-sour sauce, to cheese (pecorino DOP); traditional desserts and pies are excellent with the Vin Santo.
72
Viale Belfiore, 9
50144 Firenze (FI)
tel. +39-055.333600
fax +39-055.333601
73
COLLI DELL’ETRURIA CENTRALE DOC
The Colli dell’Etruria Centrale DOC, recognized in 1990,
includes various types of wine: red, rosé, white, Novello, Vin
Santo and Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice.
The production territory is typically Tuscan: hills, woods,
olive groves and vineyards. The varied productions find in
the
appellation
ample range to promote viticulture
linked to the traditional varieties that
have always grown
in this territory.
The vineyards of Colli
dell’Etruria Centrale are
fully integrated into the
Tuscan landscape, representing a
more diversified component for the production and promotion
of those wines that take their place alongside Chianti DOCG.
This appellation, recalling the centrality of the Etruscan origins
of Tuscany, reinforces the concept of a strong link to the territory of production and its traditions.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Rosso and Rosato: Sangiovese (at least 50%), Cabernet
Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, Pinot Nero, Canaiolo Nero either
alone or in combination (up to 50%), other grapes (up to 25%).
Bianco: Trebbiano Toscano (at least 50%), Chardonnay, Pinot
Bianco and Grigio, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Malvasia del
Chianti, Sauvignon (up to 50%), other grapes (up to 25%).
Novello: Sangiovese (at least 50%), Canaiolo Nero, Merlot,
Gamay and Ciliegiolo (up to 50%), other grapes (up to 25%).
Vin Santo: Trebbiano Toscano and/or Malvasia del Chianti
(from 70% to 100%), other grapes (up to 30%).
74
COLLI DELL’ETRURIA CENTRALE DOC
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese (from 50% to 100%),
other grapes (up to 50%).
Yield per hectare is 120 quintals for all of the types.
Rosso: color ruby red, brilliant, lively, even that of medium intensity; aroma ranging from winy to fruity, fragrant, fresh, delicate;
flavor lively, harmonic; minimum alcohol content 10.5% vol.
Rosato: color more or less intense rosé; aroma fruity, fragrant,
fresh; flavor fresh, lively, sapid; minimum alcohol content
10.5% vol.
Bianco: color straw-yellow, at times with a greenish tinge;
aroma delicate and fruity; flavor sapid, lively, fresh, harmonic;
minimum alcohol content 10% vol.
Novello: color cherry red occasionally tending toward violet,
lively; aroma fruity, fresh; flavor lively, fresh, vigorous, harmonic; minimum alcohol content 10.5% vol.
Vin Santo: color ranging from golden straw yellow to deep
amber; aroma ethereal, intense, characteristic; flavor harmonic, velvety, more rounded in the amabile type; minimum alcohol
content 15% vol.
pale pink; aroma warm, intense; flavor gentle, soft, velvety,
rounded; minimum alcohol content 16.5% vol.
CUISINE
The red is a wine for the whole meal, good also with meats
including bistecca alla fiorentina.
The rosé pairs well with Tuscan charcuterie, starting from the
fennel-flavoured sausage called finocchiona, but also with ribollita (bread soup), onion soup and baked fish.
The white is ideal with appetizers in general, with soups and
fish dishes.
The Vin Santo Amabile goes perfectly with pastry, and the dry
type is a good “meditation wine.”
Lastly, the Novello is a seasonal wine to be drunk with pleasure
up to January, and very good with roast chestnuts.
75
COLLI DI LUNI DOC
Colli di Luni
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Found in part within the
Region of Tuscany and
in part within the
Region of Liguria.
In the Tuscan territory
the Colli di Luni DOC
involves, in part,
Fosdinovo, Aulla and
Podenzana; and in Liguria,
fourteen municipalities.
Consorzio Vini
Colli di Luni
c/o C.C.I.A.A di La Spezia
Via V. Veneto, 28
19124 La Spezia (SP)
tel. +39-0187.728249
fax +39-0187.777908
76
This is the northernmost DOC in Tuscany
Opposite page, the
grape harvest and
and the southernmost of the Ligurian
transporting the
ones. Colli di Luni is in fact a DOC equalgrapes in a Roman
ly divided between these two regions; in
mosaic.
common it has above all Vermentino, the
traditional grape variety grown on these
hills beside the sea. We are in Val di Magra, in an environment of
historic importance for viticulture, as confirmed by the references
to Luni wines made by Pliny the Elder.
From the Romans to the troops of Napoleon, many have been
the “colonizers” of these lands wed to viticulture. The granting
of the DOC to the wines of today is the just recognition of an
ancient tradition, but even more, of the dedicated efforts made
by the wineries in recent years. In addition to the white wine,
produced in two types, one of them made exclusively from
Vermentino grapes, the DOC also includes a red type.
GRAPE VARIETIES
For the Bianco, the required combination is Vermentino (minimum 35%), Trebbiano Toscano (from 25 to 40%); other white
grapes up to 30%.
77
COLLI DI LUNI DOC
The predominant presence of Vermentino (90-100%) produces
the wine Colli di Luni Vermentino; other white grapes are
allowed up to 10%. For the Rosso: Sangiovese (60-70%),
Canaiolo, Pollera Nera, Ciliegiolo (at least 15%). Other black
grapes are allowed up to 25% with a limit of 10% for Cabernet.
For all types the yield per hectare is 100 quintals.
Colli di Luni Bianco: color straw yellow to yellow; aroma delicate, pleasant; flavor dry, harmonic, characteristic. Minimum
Colli di Luni Vermentino: color more or less intense straw yellow; aroma intense, characteristic, fruity; flavor dry, harmonic,
with a hint of almonds. Minimum alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Colli di Luni Rosso: color more or less intense ruby red, tending to garnet with ageing; aroma delicate, winy; flavor dry, fine,
harmonic. Minimum alcohol content is 11.5% vol.
CUISINE
The white type goes well with the dishes of Ligurian cooking in
general: light appetizers, soups and pasta al pesto. The whole
range of fish and seafood dishes pairs very well with
Vermentino.
Tuscan cooking, especially white and red
meats, are ideal with
the red type; but it is
also excellent with
crostini al lardo (bruschetta with lard) and
above all, in a daring
combination, with a
dish of raw fish Italian
style or sushi, raw fish
Japanese style.
78
Colline Lucchesi
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
It extends over the territories
of Lucca, Porcari and
Capannori, on soils of
Eocenic origin yielding
a production that is
limited but high in quality.
Consorzio Colline Lucchesi
c/o Unione provinciale
Agricoltori
Via Barsanti e Matteucci
55100 Lucca (LU)
tel. +39-0583.342044
fax +39-0583.341920
79
COLLINE LUCCHESI DOC
The territory around Lucca, with its landscape of olive groves, vineyards and Renaissance villas, is one of the most fascinating corners
of Tuscany, frequented in the past by the English and Americans enamored of Lucca.
Here the tradition of wine, red wine in particular, dates from before the year One Thousand, as states an ancient document: “The
slopes of the hills north of Lucca were covered with vineyards in
the 9th-century.” Sante Lancerio, cellarman to Pope Paul III Farnese, a real wine connoisseur, recorded above all the wines produced by the noble families. In our own day, the Lucca wineries
have first improved and promoted the red wines, obtaining a DOC
in 1968, and then the whites, whose production regulations were
included in the DOC in 1985. Today producers are engaged in research involving grape varieties not traditional to this area.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Rosso: the basic grape is Sangiovese (45-70%), to which are added
Ciliegiolo and/or Canaiolo (maximum 30%), Merlot (maximum
15%) and other red grapes (maximum 15%, with the exception of
Aleatico and Moscato, for which the maximum is 5%).
Merlot: the basic variety is Merlot (minimum 85%), plus other black
grapes (up to 15% with the exclusion of Aleatico and Moscato).
Sangiovese: Sangiovese (minimum 85%), plus other red grapes (up
to 15%, with the exclusion of Aleatico and Moscato).
Bianco: Trebbiano Toscano (45-70%), Greco and/or Grechetto
and/or Vermentino Bianco and/or Malvasia del Chianti (maximum
45%), Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon (maximum 30%), other white
grapes (maximum 15%).
Sauvignon: Sauvignon (minimum 85%), plus other white grapes
(up to 15%).
Vermentino: Vermentino (minimum 85%), plus other white grapes
(up to 15%).
There is also a Vin Santo and Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice.
Rosso: color brilliant ruby red, verging on garnet when aged; aro-
80
COLLINE LUCCHESI DOC
ma pleasant, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, soft, vivacious only when of this year’s vintage; 11% vol. (11.5% vol. for the Riserva).
Bianco: color more or less intense straw yellow; aroma delicate, pleasant, characteristic; flavor dry, delicate, harmonic; 10.5% vol..
Sangiovese: color ruby red, garnet when aged; aroma characteristic
and pleasant; flavor dry and harmonic; 11.5%
vol. (12% vol. for the Riserva).
Merlot: color ruby red, verging on
garnet when aged; aroma characteristic, pleasant; flavor full,
dry; 11.5% vol. (12% vol. for
the Riserva).
Sauvignon: color ranging
from straw yellow to light
golden; aroma delicate, almost aromatic; flavor dry,
velvety, pleasant; 11% vol.
Vermentino: color more or less
intense straw yellow; aroma intense and delicate; flavor mellow,
fruity, dry; 11% vol.
Vin Santo: color deep golden yellow tending toward amber; aroma pleasant, harmonic,
characteristic; pleasantly sweet passito flavor (amabile type), dry,
velvety, harmonic flavor (dry type); 16% vol.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: color ranging from pale to deep
pink with a garnet tinge; aroma intense, characteristic; flavor
sweet, mellow, velvety; 16% vol.
CUISINE
The red type goes well with pasta served with meat sauce, with folaghe (water hen) alla Puccini, with Garfagnana lamb but also with
chestnut flour polenta served with pork. It is also a worthy companion for fish dishes such as cacciucco di pesce and triglie (mullet) alla
livornese. The white type accompanies appetizers, soups such as garmugia (a spring vegetable soup typical of Lucca), and the fish stew
of Serchio. It is also good with some local dishes such as tortelli,
spaghetti with ricotta and potatoes cooked with herbs.
81
CORTONA DOC
Cortona boasts precious works of art, from Fra Angelico to the
Renaissance church of the Madonna del Calcinaio. Viticulture
dates from Etruscan times, but international grapes are present, due to the Napoleonic occupation and above all to the
Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Cortona DOC, recognized in 1999,
is the achievement of the area’s wine producers, who have identified specific characteristics in the wine production techniques, soil and microclimate, to enhance the characteristics of
Cortona as a place with a great wine-producing vocation.
Cortona
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The area of production
of Cortona DOC
includes the land suitable for producing quality wine in the municipality of Cortona; vineyards may be planted
only at altitudes of at
least 250 meters above
sea level.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Cortona Rosato: Sangiovese (40-60%), Canaiolo Nero (10-30%),
other suitable red grapes up to 30%. For the specifications Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Grechetto, Riesling Italico, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Merlot, Pinot Nero, Sangiovese and Syrah,
at least 85% of grapes of the relevant variety must be present.
Vin Santo: Trebbiano Toscano and/or Grechetto and/or Malvasia
Bianca Lunga (from 80 to 100%), other white grapes up to a maximum of 20%.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese and/or Malvasia Nera (80100%), other black grapes (minimum 20%).
The minimum yields range from 90 to 100 quintals per hectare, depending on whether the grapes are red or white. The minimum density for new vineyards is 3300 vine-stocks per hectare. For the Vin Santo, ageing of at least three years is compulsory, which becomes five
years for Vin Santo Riserva and eight for Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice.
Consorzio Vini Cortona
c/o Cortona Sviluppo S.p.A.
Via Guelfa, 40
52044 Cortona (AR)
tel. +39-0575.630158
fax +39-0575.630227
82
Cortona Chardonnay: color straw yellow; aroma fruity, with lightly
aromatic substructure; flavor rich, harmonic, elegant; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Cortona Grechetto: color straw yellow; aroma fresh, delicate, characteristic, lightly aromatic; flavor dry and harmonic; minimum alcohol
content 11% vol. Cortona Pinot Bianco: straw yellow; aroma delicate, fine, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, elegant; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
83
CORTONA DOC
Cortona Riesling Italico: color straw yellow; aroma intense, aromatic, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, with intense aromatic aftertaste; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Cortona Sauvignon: color straw yellow; aroma intense, elegant,
characteristic con aromatic substructure; flavor dry and harmonic,
elegant; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Cortona Rosato: color from rosé to light red, without violet reflections; aroma fruity, delicate; flavor dry, delicate and harmonic; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Cortona Cabernet Sauvignon: color from ruby red to garnet; aroma
intense, characteristic, spicy; flavor full and harmonic, dry; minimum
Cortona Gamay: color from ruby red to garnet; aroma winy, intense;
flavor rich and harmonic; minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Cortona Merlot: color bright garnet red with some purplish reflections,
tending to brick red with ageing; aroma of berries with occasional light
herbaceous notes; flavor dry and harmonic, full-bodied; minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Cortona Pinot Nero: color from ruby to ruby-garnet; aroma intense, winy;
flavor dry, full, characteristic; minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Cortona Sangiovese: color ruby red verging on red-orange with ageing; aroma winy, intense and elegant; flavor dry and harmonic; minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Cortona Syrah: color from ruby red to garnet; aroma characteristic, elegant; flavor dry and harmonic; minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Cortona Vin Santo: color from golden yellow to deep amber; aroma
intense, ethereal, characteristic, scenting of ripe fruit; flavor smooth,
velvety, deeply rounded; minimum alcohol content 17% vol.
Cortona Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: color between amber and topaz,
with ample reddish rim that darkens to brown with age; aroma of ripe
fruit and other tones, intense, rich, complex; flavor fine, persistent,
with sweet aftertaste; minimum alcohol content 18% vol.
CUISINE
Due to its great variety, Cortona can accompany a wide range of
dishes: from first courses to meats, to game and, of course to
desserts for the Vin Santo types. A treat to be sampled is
Cortona a Bacche Rosse with the acquacotta of Casentino.
84
Elba
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The entire surface
of the Island
of Elba.
Consorzio di Tutela
dei Vini dell’Elba
c/o Azienda Agricola
Acquabona
Loc. Acquabona, 1
57037 Portoferraio (LI)
tel. +39-0565.933013
fax +39-0565.9406
85
ELBA DOC
ELBA DOC
HISTORY
AND LANDSCAPE
Insula vinifera, island abounding
in wine. This was Elba, on whose
steep slopes the grape has always
been cultivated, obtaining precious
vines from autochthonous varieties (Paradisa, Baianella, Riminese, Luglierina, Salamanna etc.),
but also those imported from
France during Napoleon’s sojourn
on the island. With time viticulture has changed and new
grapevines, obtained from traditional Tuscan varieties, have been promoted. Today, along with
white and red wine, the DOC has been enriched by other types:
Rosato, Ansonica, Aleatico and Vin Santo, as well as by additional
specifications. Recently the Moscato Bianco type has been added,
from which a fine Passito is made.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Elba Rosso, Rosato and Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese
(minimum 60%); other grapes up to 40%, with a limit of 10% for
white grapes.
Elba Bianco, Spumante and Vin Santo: Trebbiano Toscano “Procanico” (minimum 50%) and/or Ansonica and/or Vermentino (maximum 50%), other white grapes up to a limit of 20%.
Elba Ansonica: Ansonica Bianca (minimum 85%), other white
grapes up to 15%.
Aleatico: Aleatico (100%).
Elba Ansonica Passito: Ansonica Bianca (85% minimum), other white
grapes up to 15%.
Moscato Bianco: Moscato (100%).
The maximum yield per hectare cannot exceed 80 quintals for
Bianco, Ansonica, Spumante and Vin Santo, 70 for Rosso,
Rosato, Ansonica Passito and Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice, 60
for Aleatico and Moscato Bianco.
86
Elba Bianco: color from straw yellow to light straw; aroma
winy, delicately scented; flavor dry and harmonic, minimum
Elba Rosso: color ruby red; aroma winy; flavor dry, full-bodied;
11.5% vol.
Elba Rosso Riserva: color from intense ruby to garnet; aroma
intensely winy; flavor full, dry and harmonic; 12.5% vol.
Elba Rosato: color more or less intense rosé; aroma winy, fresh;
flavor dry and harmonic; 11% vol.
Ansonica: color from straw to amber; aroma intense and characteristic; flavor from dry to amabile, harmonic; 11.5% vol.
Ansonica Passito: from deep straw yellow to amber; aroma ethereal, intense; flavor harmonic, from amabile to dolce; 15% vol.
Vin Santo: color from straw yellow to golden to deep amber;
aroma ethereal, intense, characteristic; flavor harmonic, velvety, more rounded for the amabile type; 16% vol.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: from deep to pale pink; aroma warm,
intense; flavor sweet, mellow, velvety and rounded; 16% vol.
Aleatico: color from bright ruby red to dark red; aroma intense
and characteristic; flavor ranging from amabile to sweet, fullbodied, harmonic; 16% vol.
Elba Bianco Spumante: color light straw; perlage fine and persistent; aroma delicate, tenuous; 11.5% vol.
Elba Moscato Bianco: color from deep straw yellow to amber;
aroma intense, characteristic; flavor from amabile to sweet,
harmonic and velvety; 16% vol.
CUISINE
Wines to be consumed young, especially the whites, with appetizers, seafood and with the splendid shellfish from the waters of the
Archipelago. The Riserva reds are ideal with roast meats and game,
but also with wild mushrooms from Monte Capanne and with gurguglione, the typical fish soup of Elba. A great assortment of sweets
pairs with the dessert wines; the Passito is excellent with puddings.
The Moscato Bianco is good as an aperitif but perfect with desserts,
including schiaccia briaca, the island’s typical “drunken cake.”
87
MONTECARLO DOC
Montecarlo
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The DOC area includes part of the
territories of the municipalities of
Montecarlo, Altopascio,
Capannori and Porcari
in the Province of Lucca.
The grapes are grown on
soil formed of clayey schist
mixed with sandstone and
limestone. The climate, too,
is highly favourable.
Consorzio Vino Montecarlo
c/o Federazione
Coltivatori Diretti
Via Barsanti e Matteucci
55100 Lucca (LU)
tel. +39-0583.341746
fax +39-0583.331178
88
Montecarlo di Lucca was in the past a strategic fortress midway
between Serravalle and Lucca, a splendid town rich in scenic
beauty and even more in history.
Its history is also made of agriculture, with the grapevine and
the olive tree always predominant in the economy, as shown by
the ancient name (Vivinaia) of this medieval town on a hill
overlooking the Valdinievole and the plain of Lucca. A “wine
road” traversed the whole hillside, whose slopes were carpeted
with Trebbiano vineyards that yielded a wine highly esteemed
not only at the Medici Court but also by the Florentine taverngoers. The tradition of Montecarlo’s white wine lived on
through the years, and already by the end of the 19th century
its production had been further improved, thanks also to the
importation of new grape varieties from France (Pinot Bianco,
Roussanne, Sémillon, Sauvignon). In 1985, alongside the white
wine, the Montecarlo DOC included the production of red.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Montecarlo Bianco is made of Trebbiano Toscano (40-60%),
Sémillon, Pinot Grigio and Bianco, Vermentino, Sauvignon and
Roussanne (40-60%), on condition that at least 3 of these varieties account individually for 10%.
Montecarlo Rosso is obtained from Sangiovese (50-75%),
Canaiolo Nero (5-15%), Ciliegiolo and/or Colorino and/or
Malvasia Nera and/or Syrah and/or Cabernet Franc and/or
Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot (10-15%), and other varieties up to a maximum of 20%.
The maximum yield is 100 quintals per hectare for the white, 90
for the red. These grapes can also be used to produce Vin Santo
and Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice. Montecarlo Rosso, when subjected to ageing for two years starting from January 1st of the
year after harvest, is entitled to a Riserva specification.
Montecarlo Bianco: color more or less intense straw-white; brilliant limpidity; aroma delicate, characteristic; flavor dry, deli-
89
MONTECARLO DOC
cate, harmonic; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Montecarlo Rosso: brilliant limpidity;
color bright ruby red; aroma winy,
intense; flavor dry, sapid; minimum
alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Montecarlo Rosso Riserva: brilliant limpidity; color ruby red verging on garnet;
aroma winy, intense, characteristic; flavor dry, sapid, velvety; 12% vol.
Vin Santo: color ranging from straw yellow to golden, to deep amber; aroma
ethereal, intense, characteristic; flavor harmonic, velvety, more
rounded for the amabile type; 16% vol.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: color ranging from deep pink to pale
pink; aroma warm, intense; flavor sweet, mellow, velvety and rounded; 16% vol.
On the preceding
page: Dionysus transforms the mast of a
ship into a grapevine,
Athenian pottery (VI
century B.C.). Page
88, the “Osteria del
Fico” in Florence, in a
painting from 1501.
Below, harvesting with
panniers in an antique
print.
CUISINE
The white is good with appetizers, with the vegetable soups of Lucca, with risotti and fish dishes. It also pairs well with the classic
charcuterie of Garfagnana, such as biroldo and prosciutto crudo
bazzone. The red is ideal for the whole meal, and when moderately aged, with roast meats,
game and the typical
dishes of the Lucca territory.
Montecucco
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Located in the Province of
Grosseto, in an area
especially well suited to
the production of quality wines, including part
of the municipalities of
Cinigiano, Civitella
Paganico, Campagnatico,
Castel del Piano,
Roccalbegna, Arcidosso
and Seggiano.
c/o Provincia di Grosseto
Settore Agricoltura
Via Pietro Micca, 39
58100 Grosseto (GR)
tel. +39-0564.484111
fax +39-0564.28860
90
91
MONTECUCCO DOC
This a rather recently instituted DOC, recognized in July 1998,
which includes various types of wine: Rosso, Sangiovese,
Bianco and Vermentino. The red wines and the Sangiovese can
also be produced in the Riserva type. The area lies at the foot of
Monte Amiata, bordering on the vineyards of Montalcino, and
this alone guarantees a winegrowing area of great scenic beauty. In recent years production techniques have been improved
and refined, as demonstrated by the quality of certain wines,
reds above all, now well-known and constantly in demand on
the market. The area is also worth a visit for its wealth of agricultural products and game.
MONTECUCCO DOC
Montecucco Rosso: color deep ruby red; aroma winy and ample;
flavor harmonic, dry, sufficiently tannic; alcohol content 12% vol.
Montecucco Sangiovese: color deep ruby red; aroma winy, fruity
and characteristic; flavor harmonic, dry, slightly tannic; alcohol
content 12% vol.
Montecucco Rosso Riserva and Sangiovese Riserva: color ruby red
verging on garnet; aroma ample, winy and elegant, characteristic;
flavor full, dry, warm and elegant, at times with woody tones; the
alcohol content is 12.5% vol.
Montecucco Bianco: color straw yellow; aroma delicate, fresh, more or less fruity;
flavor dry and lively; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Montecucco Vermentino: color straw yellow; aroma delicate, fresh and characteristic; flavor dry, soft and sapid;
CUISINE
GRAPE VARIETIES
Montecucco Rosso is made from Sangiovese (minimum 60%)
and other non-aromatic red grapes. Montecucco Bianco is
made from Trebbiano Toscano (at least 60%) and other white
grapes. There are also Montecucco Sangiovese and Montecucco
Vermentino specifications, in which the respective grape varieties are present for least 85%, as well as a Riserva type, for
both Montecucco Rosso and Montecucco Sangiovese.
The yield per hectare must not exceed 90 quintals for the red
wines and 110 quintals for the whites.
92
Montecucco Rosso is an excellent accompaniment to
cheeses, cold cuts, Tuscan charcuterie and meats in general.
Montecucco Rosso Riserva and Sangiovese Riserva are superb with bistecca alla fiorentina, roast meats, wild boar and
aged cheeses, pecorino in particular.
Montecucco Bianco pairs well with soups,
appetizers and fish, but above all with the
shellfish of the Maremma coast.
Opposite page, pictorial representation of
the wine production
cycle. Page 95, fragment of a Roman
bas-relief with grapepressing scene.
Page 96, Andrea
Pisano, Noah, Museo
dell’Opera del
Duomo, Florence.
93
MONTEREGIO DI MASSA MARITTIMA DOC
Monteregio
di Massa Marittima
DOC
Although this DOC was recognized in 1994, the area has a long tradition of viticulture. Its territory boasts a long history, with the jewel that is Massa Marittima and the other medieval towns forming
a garland around it in the southern part of the Maremma Grossetana. From these hills and slopes come the wines of the Monteregio DOC, no less than nine types representing a composite reality
in the local winegrowing world, offering the producers a chance to
promote a whole series of grape varieties that have long formed
part of the Grossetano wine heritage. Two places in particular must
be seen: the historic centre of Massa Marittima and the famous Abbazia di San Galgano.
AREA OF PRODUCTION
All of the territories of
Massa Marittima and
Monterotondo Marittimo
and part of those of
Roccastrada, Gavorrano,
Castiglione della Pescaia,
Scarlino and Follonica in
the Province of Grosseto,
with the exclusion
of deep valleys.
c/o Provincia di Grosseto
Settore Agricoltura
Via Pietro Micca, 39
58100 Grosseto (GR)
tel. +39-0564.484111
fax +39-0564.28860
94
GRAPE VARIETIES
Monteregio di Massa Marittima Rosso, Riserva, Rosé and
Novello: Sangiovese (minimum 80%); other non-aromatic red
grapes (maximum 20%, maximum for each 10%).
Bianco: Trebbiano Toscano (at least 50%), Vermentino and/or
Malvasia and/or Malvasia di Candia and/or Ansonica (up to
30%); other white grapes not exceeding 30% (maximum for
each 15%).
Vermentino: Vermentino Bianco (at least 90%), other white
grapes for a maximum of 10%.
Vin Santo (also Riserva): Trebbiano Toscano and/or Malvasia
(minimum 70%); other white grapes up to 30%.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese (50-70%), Malvasia
Nera (10-50%); other black grapes up to 30%.
95
MONTEREGIO DI MASSA MARITTIMA DOC
The maximum yield of grapes per hectare is 110 quintals for the
Bianco, Vermentino and Vin Santo, 100 for the other types.
Rosso: color deep ruby red; aroma winy, fruity; flavor dry; 11.5% vol.
Rosso Riserva: color deep ruby red verging on garnet; aroma winy,
intense, fruity; flavor dry; 12% vol.
Novello: color ruby red; aroma winy, fruity; flavor dry, slightly
acidulous, sapid; 11% vol.
Bianco: color pale straw-yellow; aroma intense, delicate; flavor
dry, with medium body; 11% vol.
Vermentino: color brilliant straw yellow at times tinged with
green; aroma delicate, characteristic; flavor dry, mellow, velvety; 11.5% vol.
Rosato: color deep pink; aroma winy, fruity; flavor dry; 11% vol.
Vin Santo and Vin Santo Riserva: color from straw yellow to
golden, to deep amber; aroma ethereal, intense; flavor harmonic, velvety, more rounded in the amabile type; 16% vol.
pale pink; aroma warm, intense; flavor sweet, mellow, velvety
and rounded; 16% vol.
CUISINE
There is an ample choice of dishes with this vast range of wines, all
of which pair well with the traditional dishes
of Maremma. Here it is best to follow the
rules: light appetizers, soups and
fish dishes with the white wines;
cold cuts and meat with the red;
roasts, especially wild goose and
stewed wild boar, with the Riserva; the whole meal, and in autumn chestnuts, with the Novello. Typical sweets with the Vin
Santo, starting with ricciarelli and
cavallucci, cookies whose origin is contended between Siena and Massa Marittima.
96
Montescudaio
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Includes all of the territories
of Casale Marittimo,
Castellina Marittima,
Guardistallo,
Montescudaio, Riparbella
and part of those of
Montecatini Val di Cecina
and Santa Luce.
The grapevines are grown on
tufaceous or calcareous soil.
Consorzio DOC
Montescudaio
c/o La Casa del vino
Via Roma, 2
56040 Montescudaio (PI)
tel. +39-0586.655394 / 651611
fax +39-0586.655394
97
MONTESCUDAIO DOC
The Montescudaio DOC was recognized 30 years ago, and in 1999 the
production regulations were largely amended, with the recognition of
no less than ten different types of
wine. The slopes of Montescudaio,
Guardistallo and the five communes
in the Val di Cecina where these
wines are produced have a long
winemaking tradition, well developed already at the time of the
Signorie of the Della Gherardesca and Ridolfi families. This land
is also rich in historic memories and, thanks to its position, is a
place well worth a visit; to discover such fascinating sites as the valley of the Diavolo, or the area around Larderello, the geothermal
capital of Italy, with its boric acid fumaroles.
GRAPE VARIETIES
For Montescudaio Rosso the basic variety is Sangiovese, present for
at least 50%, while the Bianco is based on Trebbiano Toscano (minimum 50%), also in the Vin Santo type. When the varieties Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Vermentino
are present for at least 85%, the wine can bear the specification of
the variety in question. For the red wines there is a Riserva, subjected to ageing for at least 24 months (of which three in the bottle)
starting from November 1st of the harvest year. The Vin Santo is
produced by the traditional Tuscan vinification method.
The yield per hectare is 100 quintals for Montescudaio Rosso
and for the white wine bearing the name of the grape variety;
90 for the Montescudaio Rosso bearing the name of the variety
and 110 for Montescudaio Bianco.
Montescudaio Rosso: color more or less deep red, tending
toward garnet with ageing; aroma intense, characteristic; flavor
dry, full-bodied, harmonic; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Montescudaio Rosso Riserva (also with indication of the variety):
98
MONTESCUDAIO DOC
color ruby red tinged with garnet; aroma full and complex; flavor
warm, harmonic and persistent; alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Montescudaio Cabernet: color deep ruby red with light purplish
reflections, tending toward garnet with ageing; aroma intense,
persistent, characteristic; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 12% vol.
Montescudaio Merlot: color ruby red with purplish reflections
tending toward garnet with ageing; aroma winy, pleasant; flavor
full, harmonic, mellow; alcohol content 12% vol.
Montescudaio Sangiovese: color ruby red tending toward garnet with ageing; aroma winy, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, sufficiently tannic; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Montescudaio Bianco: color more or less intense straw yellow;
aroma fine and fruity; flavor dry, sapid, harmonic; alcohol content 11% vol.
Montescudaio Chardonnay: color more or less intense straw
yellow; aroma ample and characteristic; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 11% vol.
Montescudaio Sauvignon: color more or less intense straw yellow; aroma ample and characteristic; flavor dry and harmonic;
Montescudaio Vermentino: color more or less intense straw yellow; aroma ample and fruity; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol
content 11% vol.
Montescudaio Vin Santo: color ranging from bright straw-yellow to golden, to deep amber; aroma intense, ethereal, characteristic; flavor warm, harmonic, velvety, well-rounded for the
amabile type; 16% vol.
CUISINE
For the white wine, pairing with appetizers, first courses, snails,
eels and fish is recommended. The red wine can be served with the
whole meal, but when moderately aged is indicated for roast meats
and game dishes. It is ideal with cacciucco (fish soup) alla livornese
and with mushrooms and truffles, which grow abundantly in the
area. The Vin Santo is good with pastry, but some of the highest
quality products are at their best as “meditation wines.”
99
MOSCADELLO DI MONTALCINO DOC
Moscadello di Montalcino
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The entire territory
of the municipality
of Montalcino.
This is another of the
many oenological
treasures found in the
land of Montalcino,
and is undoubtedly
the one with most ancient tradition, being
known as a delicious
dessert wine already
in the 16th century.
Francesco Redi, a century later, referred to it as “that elegant, divine Moscadelletto di
Montalcino” so highly esteemed “by the gentlemen of Paris and
London.” The production of this wine has declined over the years
to the advantage of the red wines, starting from “his majesty Brunello,” and the small amounts produced were more out of respect for
tradition than for economic purposes. Only in recent years has
Moscadello di Montalcino come back into vogue, convincing the
local wineries to request a DOC (1985), and today a number of winemakers are producing it or planning to do so. The regulations allow for the production of several types (Bianco, Tranquillo, Frizzante and Vendemmia Tardiva) in order to meet the varying demands of consumers.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Consorzio Vino Moscadello
di Montalcino
tel. +39-0577.848246
fax +39-0577.849425
100
Moscadello di Montalcino is produced with grapes from the
Moscato Bianco variety. Other white grape varieties can be
added up to 15%. The different types are Tranquillo, Frizzante
and Vendemmia Tardiva.
The yield per hectare is 100 quintals, while for the Vendemmia
Tardiva type it is 50 quintals. Vinification, fining and bottling
must take place exclusively in the Commune of Montalcino.
The Frizzante type becomes frothy through natural fermentation; the Vendemmia Tardiva, produced with partially withered
grapes, undergoes fining of at least one year.
101
MOSCADELLO DI MONTALCINO DOC
Moscadello di Montalcino Tranquillo is straw yellow in color;
the aroma is characteristic, delicate, fresh and persistent; the
flavor is aromatic, sweet, harmonic, characteristic of muscatel
grapes; minimum alcohol content 10.5% vol.
The Frizzante type is distinguished by its fine, lively froth.
Moscadello Vendemmia Tardiva has a color ranging from straw yellow to golden yellow; aroma characteristic, delicate, persistent; flavor aromatic, sweet, harmonic; minimum alcohol content 15% vol.
On the preceding
pages, wine is offered
to a guest in a miniature from the
Tacuinum sanitatis. On
the opposite page, a
tapestry depicting
Bacchus, the wine
god.
CUISINE
In the past a wine “for lords and ladies,” today Moscadello di Montalcino contents the
diverse palates of all lovers of dessert vines.
Served at the end of the meal, the Tranquillo
and Frizzante types are excellent with pastry;
Moscadello Vendemmia Tardiva is a more
important wine, also suited for meditation.
It is excellent with aged pecorino cheese.
Orcia
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The Province of Siena, in
an area including in
whole or in part the
municipalities of Castiglione
d’Orcia, Pienza, Radicofani,
San Giovanni d’Asso, San
Quirico d’Orcia, Buonconvento,
Trequanda, Abbadia San
Salvatore, Chianciano, Montalcino,
Sarteano, San Casciano Bagni and
Torrita di Siena. This area has geological and climatic conditions exceptionally favorable to the grapevine.
Consorzio del Vino DOC Orcia
Via Borgo Maestro, 90
53023 Rocca d’Orcia
Castiglione d’Orcia (SI)
tel. +39-0577.887471
fax +39-0577.888454
102
103
ORCIA DOC
ORCIA DOC
This is a recent DOC, recognized
in February 2000, which includes
various types of wine: red, also
Novello, white and Vin Santo.
The approval of this DOC has made
available to both producers and consumers a tool for promoting and
safeguarding an area, the Val d’Orcia, in the Province of Siena, having
a strong vocation for the cultivation
of the grape, as demonstrated by the
wine produced here. Note that the
Val d’Orcia as a whole has been proclaimed a world heritage site by UNESCO. Among its many jewels are
the towns of Pienza and Bagno Vignoni, with its thermal swimming
pool dating from the Middle Ages.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Orcia Novello is cherry red in color tending toward bright violet; the aroma is fruity, fresh; the flavor lively, fresh, harmonic;
minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Orcia Vin Santo ranges in color from straw yellow to golden to deep
amber; the aroma is intense, ethereal, characteristic; flavor harmonic, soft and mellow; minimum alcohol content 16% vol.
CUISINE
Orcia Rosso can be considered a wine for the whole meal,
although it is at its best with first courses of pasta dishes such
as pici (handmade spaghetti) or tagliatelle with meat sauce, second courses of savory red meat, and medium-aged or fresh
Pecorino di Pienza cheese; it should be served at a temperature
of 16-18 ºC. The Novello type is a wine for the whole meal, to be
combined with simple, rather bland dishes; serve at a temperature of 15-18 ºC.
Orcia Bianco goes well with typical Tuscan appetizers and with fish
dishes, white meats and fresh cheeses. It is also adapts very well as
an aperitif wine, in which case it should be served at 12-14 ºC.
The Vin Santo is ideal as an aperitif, when served chilled, or as
a dessert wine, accompanying the typical Tuscan cookies.
Orcia Rosso, also in the Novello type, is made from Sangiovese
grapes (minimum 60%) and other non-aromatic varieties, on
condition that the white grapes do not exceed 10%. Orcia
Bianco is made basically from Trebbiano Toscano (at least 50%)
and other non-aromatic white varieties. There is also a Vin
Santo type, made from Trebbiano Toscano and/or Malvasia
Bianca Lunga (at least 50%). The yield per hectare must not
exceed 80 quintals.
Orcia Rosso is ruby red in color, tending toward garnet when
aged; the aroma is winy and fruity; flavor sapid, harmonic; minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Orcia Bianco is straw white in color, at times tinged with green;
the aroma is fine and fruity; flavor dry and harmonic; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
104
105
PARRINA DOC
Parrina
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The wines of
the Parrina DOC,
produced in four types
(Rosso, Rosso Riserva,
Rosato and Bianco),
come from a limited territory
in the municipality of
Orbetello.
This is another of Tuscany’s very small DOC zones, limited not only in territory but also in size of the vineyards and number of producers. The area stretches over a small strip of land in the southernmost part of the region, almost bordering on the sea, which
boasts ancient winemaking traditions. Without going back to the
Etruscans, although they too grew grapes here, this has been a land
of conquest. Here many people have passed through, and it seems
that the name of the locality from which the DOC originates comes
from Spanish. “Parra” in Spanish means in fact grapevine, or grape
pergola. While winemaking has always played a major role in this
area, favored also by the maritime climate, its wines have become
known and appreciated, first by the Italians and then by foreigners, only with the spread of tourism. Especially in recent years,
some wineries have attempted to cross the autochthonous grape
varieties with traditional Tuscan ones, to improve the quality.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The basic variety of Parrina Bianco is Trebbiano Toscano,
known in this area as Procanico (30-50%), and Ansonica and/or
Chardonnay (30-50%).
For the Rosso and Rosato, the regulations specify Sangiovese
(70-100%). In both cases, other suitable non-aromatic black
grapes (up to 30%) can be added for the red and the rosé wines,
white grapes (up to 20%) for the white.
The yield per hectare is 100 quintals for the white and 90 for the
others.
Consorzio Vino
Parrina DOC
Loc. La Parrina
58010 Albinia (GR)
tel. +39-0564.862636
fax +39-0564.862636
106
Parrina Bianco: color light gold straw yellow; aroma winy, fine,
fragrant, persistent; flavor dry but velvety, with a faint bitter
aftertaste; minimum alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Parrina Rosso: color ruby red; aroma delicate and pleasant; flavor dry, harmonic, velvety; minimum alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Parrina Rosso Riserva: color ruby red tending toward garnet;
aroma intense, with full, complex bouquet; flavor dry, austere;
notable character; alcohol content 12% vol.
107
PARRINA DOC
Parrina Rosato: color brilliant rosé; aroma delicate, with elegant characteristics; flavor dry, rounded, fresh, harmonic; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Parrina Rosso Riserva is subjected to compulsory ageing for at
least due years, of which at least twelve months in wooden barrels and three months in the bottle, starting from November 1st
of the year of vintage.
CUISINE
The white type is extremely good with appetizers, fish dishes
and vegetables, but is ideal with mullet and other fish from
the Orbetello lagoon.
The rosé type pairs well with first courses, boiled meats,
bacon and eggs; the red with meats in general, pasta and bean
soup, poultry but also with the roe of mullet fished in the
lagoon; the Riserva with heavy roasts, game, stewed wild boar
in particular, and aged cheeses such as pecorino.
Pietraviva DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The wines of this DOC come from
areas dedicated to viticulture in the
municipalities of Bucine,
Cavriglia, Civitella
Valdichiana,
Montevarchi and Pergine
Valdarno, all in the
Province of Arezzo.
Provincia di Arezzo
Via San Lorentino, 25
52100 Arezzo (AR)
tel. +39-0575.3354111
108
109
PIETRAVIVA DOC
The area of production of the new Pietraviva DOC boasts some
very special places. It is a highly interesting geographic area as
regards winegrowing, inasmuch as it includes various municipalities in the Province of Arezzo that have been involved in
viticulture for many years.
The Pietraviva DOC owes its name to a small fortified village in
the vicinity of the Commune of Bucine.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Pietraviva Bianco and Pietraviva Bianco Superiore must have
40 to 80% of Chardonnay, up to 30% of Malvasia Bianca Lunga,
and up to 20% of Trebbiano Toscano. Other white grape varieties suitable for cultivation in the Region of Tuscany can be
present in the vineyards up to a maximum of 30%.
Pietraviva Rosso, Pietraviva Rosato, and Pietraviva Rosso
Superiore are made of Sangiovese from 40 to 80%, Cabernet
Sauvignon up to 30%, and Merlot up to 30%. Other black grape
varieties suitable for cultivation in the Region of Tuscany can
be present in the vineyards up to a maximum of 20%.
Pietraviva with the indications Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, and
Sangiovese must contain at least 85% of one of the abovementioned
grape varieties, and for the remainder from one or more grape varieties of the same color suitable for cultivation in Tuscany.
Pietraviva Bianco: color straw yellow; aroma fine and delicate;
flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Pietraviva Rosato: color ranging from rosé to ruby red, without
purplish reflections; aroma fine and delicate, fruity; flavor dry
and harmonic, delicate; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Pietraviva Rosso: color ranging from ruby red to garnet; aroma
intensely winy; flavor full and harmonic; alcohol content 12% vol.
Pietraviva Bianco Superiore: color straw yellow, even intense;
aroma fine and delicate; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 12.5% vol.
110
PIETRAVIVA DOC
Pietraviva Rosso Superiore: color ranging from ruby red to deep
garnet; aroma intensely winy; flavor full and harmonic; alcohol
content 12.5% vol.
Pietraviva Chardonnay: color more or
less intense straw yellow; aroma
fine, delicate, characteristic; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Pietraviva Malvasia Bianca Lunga: color more or
less intense straw yellow;
aroma fine and delicate,
characteristic; flavor dry
and harmonic; alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Pietraviva Carbernet Sauvignon: color deep red; aroma winy,
characteristic, complex; flavor dry
and harmonic; alcohol content 12% vol.
Pietraviva Canaiolo Nero: color more or less intense ruby red;
aroma winy and characteristic; flavor dry and harmonic;
Pietraviva Ciliegiolo: color deep ruby red; aroma intense,
winy, characteristic; flavor full, dry and harmonic; alcohol
content 12% vol.
Pietraviva Merlot: color deep ruby red; aroma intense, winy
and characteristic; flavor dry, full and harmonic; alcohol content 12% vol.
Pietraviva Sangiovese: color ruby red, tending toward garnet
with ageing; aroma winy, characteristic; flavor dry, full and harmonic; alcohol content 12% vol.
CUISINE
A good red can be served with Valdarno chicken, best when
cooked on a brick in the Tuscan manner. Pietraviva Cabernet
Sauvignon can accompany a Chianina steak. Merlot is good
with mushrooms and truffles, which grow wild in this area.
111
POMINO DOC
Pomino
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The DOC area is limited
to the locality of
Pomino in the
municipality of
Rufina, in the
Province of Florence.
Fattoria di Pomino
Via Santo Spirito, 11
50125 Firenze (FI)
tel. +39-055.2381400
fax +39-055.211527
112
One of the smallest DOC areas is also
one of the best known internationally,
thanks to the top quality of its wines,
now offering ten types after recent
changes in the production regulations.
For the white and red types, there is also a Riserva. The high quality of these
wines derives from a terrain that is perfect for viticulture and a high-hills environment that favours a predisposition to ageing. Already by the 18th century the area was considered one of the
best in Tuscany.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Pomino Bianco: Pinot Bianco and/or Pinot Grigio and/or Chardonnay (70-100%), other white grape varieties (up to 30%).
Pomino Bianco Vendemmia Tardiva: Pinot Bianco and/or Pinot
Grigio and/or Chardonnay (70-100%), other white grapes (up to 30%).
Pomino Vin Santo: Pinot Bianco and/or Pinot Grigio and/or
Chardonnay (70-100%), other suitable white grapes (up to 30%).
Pomino Rosso: Sangiovese (minimum 50%), Pinot Nero and/or
Merlot (maximum 50%), other suitable red grapes (up to 25%).
Pomino Rosso Vendemmia Tardiva: Sangiovese (minimum 50%),
Pinot Nero and/or Merlot (maximum 50%), other suitable red grapes
(up to 25%).
Pomino Vin Santo Rosso: Sangiovese (minimum 50%), Pinot Nero
and/or Merlot (maximum 50%), other red grapes (up to 25%).
Pomino Pinot Nero: Pinot Nero (from 85 to 100%), other suitable
red grapes (up to 15%).
Pomino Merlot: Merlot (from 85 to 100%), other suitable red grape
varieties (up to 15%).
Pomino Chardonnay: Chardonnay (from 85 to 100%), other suitable white grapes (up to 15%).
Pomino Sauvignon: Sauvignon (from 85 to 100%), other suitable
white grapes (up to 15%).
The yield per hectare cannot exceed 90 quintals of grapes.
113
POMINO DOC
Pomino Bianco: color light straw yellow with greenish reflections;
aroma delicate, fruity, pleasant; flavor harmonic, dry with slightly bitter aftertaste; minimum 11% vol., 12% vol. for the Riserva.
Pomino Bianco Vendemmia Tardiva: color from deep straw yellow to amber; aroma ethereal intense; flavor harmonic and velvety; minimum 12% vol.
Pomino Bianco Vin Santo: from straw yellow to deep amber,
aroma ethereal, intense; flavor harmonic, velvety, characteristic;
minimum 15.5% vol. of which at least 14.5% vol. fully developed.
Pomino Rosso: color bright ruby red with more or less intense
garnet tinge; aroma winy, intense and characteristic; flavor: dry,
harmonic, robust, slightly tannic in the young wines; minimum
12% vol., 12.5% vol. for the Riserva.
Pomino Rosso Vendemmia Tardiva: color more or less intense
ruby red verging on garnet; aroma ethereal, intense; flavor harmonic and velvety; minimum 12% vol.
Pomino Vin Santo Rosso: color more or less intense garnet;
aroma ethereal, intense; flavor harmonic, velvety, characteristic;
minimum 15.5% vol. of which at least 14.5% vol. fully developed
Pomino Pinot Nero: bright ruby red, with various garnet tones;
aroma winy, intense and characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic,
robust, slightly tannic in the young wines; minimum 12% vol.
Pomino Merlot: bright ruby red, with more or less intense garnet
tinge; aroma winy, intense and characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, robust, slightly tannic in the young wines; minimum 12% vol.
Pomino Chardonnay: color light straw yellow with greenish
reflections; aroma delicate, fruity, pleasant; flavor: harmonic,
dry with slightly bitter aftertaste; minimum 12% vol.
Pomino Sauvignon: color light straw yellow with greenish
reflections; aroma delicate, fruity, pleasant; flavor: harmonic,
dry with slightly bitter aftertaste; minimum 11% vol.
CUISINE
The various types of white wine are good with appetizers and
fish dishes; the reds with roast meats and game, as well as poultry and seasoned cheeses. The Vin Santo is ideal with pastry,
but also with chestnut-flavoured ice cream.
114
Rosso di Montalcino
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The same as that of
Brunello, namely
the territory
of the municipality of
Montalcino, with
the exception of
deep valleys.
Consorzio Vino Rosso
di Montalcino
tel. +39-0577.848246
fax +39-0577.849425
115
ROSSO DI MONTALCINO DOC
ROSSO DI MONTALCINO DOC
GRAPE VARIETIES
Sangiovese 100%, with a yield of 90 quintals of grapes per
hectare. As no period of maturing in wooden barrels is required
for this wine, Rosso di Montalcino can be released for sale
starting from September 1st of the year after harvesting.
Rosso di Montalcino is a full-bodied, structured wine that
must present the following characteristics upon being released
for sale: color deep ruby red; aroma characteristic and intense;
flavor dry, warm, slightly tannic; minimum alcohol content
12% vol.
CUISINE
A land of great red wines, Montalcino
offers the connoisseur another of its
jewels, the Rosso DOC, a wine coming
from the same vineyards as Brunello
but which is released on the market
without the traditional ageing of its
“big brother.”
It is, however, a product of high prestige whose quality level has improved
even more after the granting of the DOC in 1983.
Rosso di Montalcino must also be credited with having
opened the way in Italy to the so-called “cascade” appellations, where from a single vineyard, several different DOC
wines can be produced.
The wineries can choose, in fact, either at the time of vintage,
or prior to it or during the course of ageing, the grapes destined to become Brunello, or whether the grapes or the wine
should be used to produce or bottle Rosso di Montalcino.
This is a choice that the producers have in fact capitalized on,
considering that this DOC absorbs 40% of the production
based on Sangiovese Grosso.
Previous page:
Aromatic old wine,
miniature from the
14th century. Page
118, The month of
October, detail of
fresco in the Castello
del Buonconsiglio
at Trento.
116
Rosso di Montalcino is a perfect companion to hearty first
courses, sauces, poultry, roasts and pecorino cheese. It is excellent with wild boar, as well as with the famous bistecca alla
fiorentina.
117
ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO DOC
Rosso di Montepulciano
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Rosso di Montepulciano is
produced within the
territory of the
municipality of
Montepulciano, with
the exclusion of
deep valleys.
Consorzio del Vino Rosso
di Montepulciano
Via delle Case Nuove, 15
tel. +39-0578.757812
fax +39-0578.758213
118
For its splendid palaces, its
monuments and the lovely
surrounding countryside,
Montepulciano has been
justly called the “pearl of
the 16th century.”
Within this refined and noble setting (which is as noble as its most ancient and
prestigious wine) only
wines of top quality could
originate. One of these is
Rosso di Montepulciano,
fruit of an important viticulture tradition that could
not be limited to Vino Nobile alone.
The need to produce a
greater quantity of wine
has thus convinced the local wineries to recur to that new Italian phenomenon known as
“cascade appellation,” in which a single vineyard is allowed to produce wine of several types, wherever the geographical and climatic conditions allow it.
This experiment has already yielded good results, sure to become
even better when more wineries decide to utilise this important
DOC.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The varietal composition calls for Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile
from 70 to 100%) as the basic grape, with the possible addition
of Canaiolo Nero (up to 20%).
Other varieties, up to 20%, can be added on condition that the
content of white grapes does not exceed 10%.
Aromatic grapes are excluded, with the exception of Malvasia
del Chianti. The yield per hectare is 100 quintals.
119
ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO DOC
Upon being released for consumption, Rosso di Montepulciano
must possess the following characteristics: color ruby red; aroma
intensely winy; flavor dry, persistent, slightly tannic; minimum alcohol content 11.5% vol.
Giotto, The Wedding
at Cana, detail from
the frescoes in the
Scrovegni Chapel. At
right, a 19th-century
still life by the English
artist Edward Ladell.
CUISINE
Indicated for the whole meal, but above
all for first courses of pasta with meat
sauce (such as pici, the traditional handmade spaghetti of Montepulciano, and of
much of the Siena territory) and of course
paired with white and red meats, including game, as well as bistecca alla fiorentina.
San Gimignano
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The entire territory
of the municipality
of San Gimignano
(Province of Siena).
Consorzio della
Denominazione San
Gimignano
Villa della Rocca
53037 San Gimignano (SI)
tel. +39-0577.940108
fax +39-0577.942088
120
121
SAN GIMIGNANO DOC
SAN GIMIGNANO DOC
In the territory of San Gimignano,
along with Vernaccia di San
Gimignano DOCG, San Gimignano DOC wines are produced
in various types: Rosso, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Nero, Vin
Santo and Vin Santo Occhio di
Pernice, as well as Sangiovese
Rosso and Rosato. The regulations for
this DOC, granted in 1996, were amended in 2003. This area is ideal for winegrowing,
due to its geological and climatic conditions and its highly professional producers. Winemaking is the most important industry in the
zone. Linked to wine production are cultural aspects that make it
one of the most fascinating localities in Tuscany. Of these wines, ancient memories exist (the red wine produced here was once called
“black wine” by the local farmers). Over three million tourists each
year contribute to the flourishing local wine market.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Rosso: Sangiovese (from 70 to 100%), Cabernet Sauvignon and/or
Merlot, Syrah and/or Pinot Nero (up to 20%), other suitable nonaromatic red grapes up to 15%.
Sangiovese: Sangiovese (from 85 to 100%), other suitable non-aromatic red grapes up to 15%.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet Sauvignon (from 85 to 100%), other suitable non-aromatic red grapes up to 15%.
Merlot: Merlot (from 85 to 100%), other suitable non-aromatic red
grapes up to 15%.
Syrah: Syrah (from 85 to 100%), other suitable non-aromatic red
grapes up to 15%.
Pinot Nero: Pinot Nero (from 85 to 100%), other suitable non-aromatic red grapes up to 15%.
Vin Santo: Trebbiano Toscano (from 30 to 100%), Malvasia del Chianti (up to 50%), Vernaccia di San Gimignano (up to 20%), other
122
suitable white grapes up to a maximum of 10%.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese (from 50 to 100%), other
suitable grapes (up to a maximum of 50%).
The maximum yield of grapes per hectare must not exceed 80
quintals (100 for the Vin Santo types).
Rosso: color more or less intense ruby red tinged with violet,
tending toward garnet with ageing; aroma winy, delicate; flavor
dry, harmonic, full-bodied, pleasantly tannic; 12.5% vol.
Sangiovese: color more or less intense ruby red, with garnet
reflections after long ageing; aroma winy, intense and elegant;
flavor dry and harmonic; minimum alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Cabernet Sauvignon: color deep ruby red, with garnet reflections after ageing; aroma intense, characteristic, spicy; flavor
full and harmonic, dry; minimum alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Merlot: color deep ruby red, tending toward garnet with ageing;
aroma winy with scent of berries; flavor dry, harmonic and full;
minimum 12.5% vol.
Syrah: color vermillion red; aroma characteristic, elegant, with
a hint of wild berries; flavor dry and harmonic; minimum alcohol content: 12.5% vol.
Pinot Nero: color ruby red; aroma intense, winy with possible
citrus fruit tones; flavor dry, full, characteristic, 12.5% vol.
Vin Santo: color ranging from bright yellow to golden; aroma
ethereal, intense, characteristic; flavor ranging from dry to
amabile, harmonic, velvety, persistent; minimum alcohol content 16.5% vol. of which at least 14.5% vol. fully developed.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: color ranging from deep to pale pink;
aroma delicate, warm, characteristic; flavor soft, rounded, velvety;
minimum alcohol content 16.5% vol. of which at least 14.5% vol.
fully developed.
CUISINE
These wines are an excellent accompaniment to aged cheeses,
game in general, grilled or barbequed red meat, and roasts.
Cakes and pastries are ideal combined with the Vin Santo.
123
SANT’ANTIMO DOC
Sant’Antimo
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The same as the other
Montalcino wines,
except for a
small portion of the
municipal territory to
the northeast.
The appellation is named for one of the symbolic monuments of
the Montalcino area, the Romanesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo. Built
in the 12th century at the foot of the hill of Castelnuovo dell’Abate,
and still today standing solitary in the valley surrounded by vineyards, olive groves
and cypress trees,
it is shrouded in
the mystical aura
of the past. The
DOC was requested by the
wineries to enhance and promote all of those
quality wines,
which, although
not falling within
the existing appellations, have now
become highly esteemed on the market.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Sant’Antimo DOC
tel. +39-0577.848246
fax +39-0577.849425
124
Rosso and Bianco: grape varieties bearing red grapes and white
ones respectively, suitable for cultivation in Tuscany. The Rosso
can assume the qualification Novello. Specifications
Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot: the corresponding grape varieties (at
least 85%), other grapes (up to 15%).
Vin Santo: Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca, alone or in
combination (minimum 70%); other grape varieties up to 30%.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese (50-70%), Malvasia
Nera (30-50%), other red grape varieties up to 30%. For the last
two, there is a Riserva qualification.
The yield is 90 quintals per hectare, except for Cabernet
Sauvignon, Pinot Nero and Merlot (80 quintals per hectare).
125
SANT’ANTIMO DOC
Rosso: color ruby red, tending toward garnet with ageing; aroma
winy, pleasant; flavor sapid, harmonic, at times austere; 12% vol.
Bianco: color straw yellow; aroma delicate, pleasant; flavor dry,
full, harmonic; 11.5% vol.
Vin Santo and Vin Santo Riserva: color ranging from golden straw
to deep amber; aroma ethereal intense, characteristic; flavor harmonic, velvety, more rounded in the amabile type; 16% vol.
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice and Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice
Riserva: color ranging from deep pink to pale pink; aroma
warm, intense; flavor mellow, soft, velvety, rounded; 16% vol.
Chardonnay: color straw yellow; aroma delicate, pleasant, characteristic; flavor dry, full, harmonic; 11.5% vol.
Sauvignon: color straw yellow; aroma delicate, characteristic,
intense; flavor dry, harmonic, slightly acidulous; 11.5% vol.
Pinot Grigio: color straw yellow; aroma delicate, floral, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic; 11.5% vol.
Cabernet Sauvignon: color deep ruby red; aroma characteristic,
intense; flavor full, velvety, pleasantly tannic; 12% vol.
Merlot: color deep ruby red; aroma characteristic, intense; flavor full, velvety, with fruity tones; 12% vol.
Pinot Nero: color light ruby red; aroma characteristic, marked,
at times with a hint of strawberries; flavor dry, velvety; 12% vol.
Novello: color ruby red tinged with violet; aroma fruity, fresh,
with a hint of newly pressed grapes; flavor light, pleasant,
winy; 11% vol.
CUISINE
Ample selection of dishes: red meats and cheeses for the red wines;
fish, soups and appetizers for the whites. Cold cuts, crostini and
pasta with meat sauce for the Novello. Cakes, pastry and other
desserts for the Vin Santo.
The reds can also be paired with omelettes, stuffed zucchini flowers, roast kid, and with first courses consisting of pasta with meat
sauce (including the famous pici, thick handmade spaghetti typical of the Siena territory).
126
Sovana
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The area of production
of the Sovana DOC
coincides mainly with
that of Bianco di
Pitigliano, involving the
territory of the
municipalities
of Pitigliano, Sorano
and part of Manciano
up to the border
with the Morellino
di Scansano DOC.
Colli Meridionali della
Maremma Tuscany
Consorzio dei vini DOC
Via Marsala, 73
58014 Manciano (GR)
tel. +39-0564.620532
127
SOVANA DOC
SOVANA DOC
In the territory where the famous Bianco di
Pitigliano is produced, with the awarding
of the Sovana DOC in 1999, just recognition
has been given to the high quality of the red
wines historically known in this land since the
time of the Etruscans, whose presence still hovers in the air, conferring on this area its unique
fascination. In one of Tuscany’s most beautiful environments, distinguished by deep vie
cave (paths through canyons) and historic
wine cellars dug out of the tufo rock and
winding under the towns (Pitigliano and
Sorano in particular), the Sovana DOC
enhances the black grape varieties traditionally grown here, such as Sangiovese
and Aleatico, to which are added varietals
such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
And through the vie cave we can reach the
Etruscan town of Sovana, situated at the
heart of the “tufo park,” which lends its
name to the DOC, where in 1025 was born
An Etruscan wine jar.
Ildebrando di Sovana, the future Pope
On the preceding
Gregory VII, and where illustrious famipages: pressing grapes
in a Roman mosaic
lies such as the Aldobrandeschi, the Orsiand frescoes in the
ni and the Medici ruled. Fascination, hisAbbey of Monte
tory and quality are thus the ingredients
Oliveto Maggiore.
of this DOC, which by combining modern
Page 130, detail from
technology with ancient winemaking trathe Works of Charity,
dition is rapidly emerging on the market.
school of Ghirlandaio,
15th century.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Sovana Rosso, Rosato and Rosso
Superiore: Sangiovese represents the basic variety (at least
50%); the remaining 50% can be made up of non-aromatic
black grapes. The Sovana Rosso Superiore wines contain a
minimum 85% of important varieties such as Aleatico,
128
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, in addition to Sangiovese. In
this case, they assume the qualification of one of the aforesaid
varieties. Wines with specification of the variety subjected to
ageing in wooden barrels for at least 24 months and fining in
the bottle of at least six months can assume the Riserva qualification. The production per hectare is 110 quintals for the Rosso
and the Rosato and 90 for the Superiore.
Sovana Rosso: color ruby red with violet reflections; aroma winy;
flavor harmonic and balanced; minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Sovana Rosso Superiore and Sovana Rosso Riserva: color deep red,
tending toward garnet with ageing, assuming particular tastes and
aromas depending on the grape variety utilised; minimum alcohol
content 12% vol.
Sovana Rosato: color rosé tinged with ruby red; aroma winy, delicate, con intense fruity tones; flavor harmonic, slightly acidulous;
CUISINE
Sovana Rosso is a perfect accompaniment to the typical cuisine of the
territory, from soups, including bean
and pasta soup, to tortello maremmano (Maremma filled pasta), to
game dishes for the Superiore, and
buglione di agnello (a local lamb dish)
for the Riserva. Special mention
should go to the pairing of Aleatico
with the sfratto (eviction), a typical
sweet recalling the history of the
Jews in Pitigliano and the neighboring villages. Still existing at Pitigliano
is the Jewish quarter from which, in
one of the many pogroms, the Jews
were evicted, an event commemorated in the name of this sweet.
129
TERRATICO DI BIBBONA DOC
This is one of the most beautiful Tuscan coastlines, with vineyards, olive groves and Mediterranean maquis sloping down to
sandy beaches, in the Province of Livorno. In 1549 the Commune
of Bibbona granted the lands in “perpetual rental” to Duchess
Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de’ Medici, but the men
of Bibbona retained the right to cultivate those lands upon payment of the terratico (land rent paid in kind). This is the origin of
the name of this new, very recent appellation, instituted in June
2006. This new DOC will allow important wineries to boast the
“denominazione d’origine controllata.”
Terratico di Bibbona
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The Terratico di Bibbona
DOC is granted to the
wines produced in the
municipalities of
Rosignano Marittimo,
Cecina, Bibbona and
Collesalvetti, all in the
Province of Livorno.
Province of Livorno
Via Sant’Anna
57123 Livorno (LI)
tel. +39-0586.2571111
130
GRAPE VARIETIES
Terratico Bianco is made from Vermentino (minimum 50%,
maximum 100%); other non-aromatic white grapes, suitable for
cultivation in the Tuscan region, can be added, either alone or
in combination up to a maximum of 50%.
Terratico Rosso, Rosso Superiore and Rosato must contain
Sangiovese (minimum 35%) and Merlot (minimum 35%). other
non-aromatic black grapes, suitable for cultivation in the
Tuscan region, can be added, either alone or in combination up
to a maximum of 30%.
The Terratico di Bibbona DOC wines with the specifications:
Trebbiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon, and Syrah must contain the relevant grape varieties, for at least 85%. Other non-aromatic grapes of the same
color as that of the varieties specified on the labels can be
added, up to a maximum of 15%.
Yields range from a minimum of 80 to a maximum of 100 quintals per hectare.
Terratico di Bibbona Bianco: color straw yellow; aroma fine
and delicate; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 11% vol..
Terratico di Bibbona Rosato: color rosé without violet reflections; aroma fine and delicate, fruity; flavor dry and harmonic;
131
TERRATICO DI BIBBONA DOC
Terratico di Bibbona Rosso: color ruby red; aroma intensely
winy; flavor full and harmonic; alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Rosso Superiore: color deep ruby red
tending toward garnet with ageing; aroma ample, winy and elegant, characteristic; flavor full, dry, warm and elegant, with
possible woody tones; alcohol content 13% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Trebbiano: color straw yellow; aroma fine,
delicate; flavor dry, harmonic; alcohol content 11% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Vermentino: color straw yellow; aroma
delicate, fine, fruity; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content
11.5% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Cabernet Sauvignon: color ranging from
ruby red to garnet; aroma intense, characteristic and spicy; flavor full and harmonic, dry; alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Merlot: color bright garnet red at times
with violet reflections, tending toward brick red with ageing;
scent of berries, intense; flavor dry, harmonic and full; alcohol
content 12.5% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Sangiovese: color ruby red, tending
toward red-orange with ageing; aroma winy, intense and elegant; flavor dry and harmonic; alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Terratico di Bibbona Syrah: color ranging from ruby red to garnet red, tending toward brick red with ageing; aroma intense,
spicy, with scent of berries; flavor dry, harmonic, full; alcohol
content 12.5% vol.
CUISINE
With such a vast range of grape varieties employed, there exists
no dish that cannot be paired with Terratico. They are undoubtedly wines that adapt to all of the main meat and fish dishes of
this part of Tuscany: from bistecca alla fiorentina to cacciucco
alla livornese.
Terre di Casole DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The area is limited to the territory of the
municipality of Casole d’Elsa
alone. But the operations
of vinification and bottling,
as well as ageing, can also be
carried out in the municipalities
of Colle val d’Elsa,
Monteriggioni, Poggibonsi,
Radicondoli, and San Gimignano,
all of them bordering on Casole and
situated in the Province of Siena.
Consorzio Terre di Casole DOC
c/o Studio di Agronomia Baffetti
tel. +39-0577.046459
fax +39-0577.0225372
Commune of Casole d’Elsa
Piazza Luchetti, 1 – 530313 Casole d’Elsa (SI)
tel. +39-0577.949728
e-mail: [email protected];
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TERRE DI CASOLE DOC
The Terre di Casole DOC is the latest arrival among those of
Tuscany. It comes from the wines produced at Casole d’Elsa,
among the most beautiful towns and territories in the Province
of Siena, not far from the towers of San Gimignano and the
glassworks of Colle val d’Elsa. Here we are practically at the
source of the Elsa River, which then runs down the valley to
empty into the Arno in the vicinity of Empoli. Overlooking the
vineyards is the ancient town of Casole,
one of the most fascinating and best preserved in the valley.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Terre di Casole Bianco, also in the Riserva
qualification, calls for a minimum 50% of
Chardonnay grapes. The rest of the blend
can consist of non-aromatic white grapes
coming from other varieties suitable for
cultivation in the region.
Terre di Casole Rosso, also in the Superiore
type, calls for a minimum of Sangiovese
grapes ranging from 60% to 80%. The rest of
the formula, from 20 to 40%, can consist of
non-aromatic red grapes coming from other
varieties suitable for cultivation in the region.
Terre di Casole Sangiovese and Sangiovese Riserva must be
made from Sangiovese grapes for a minimum of 85%, with the
rest consisting of non-aromatic red grapes.
Terre di Casole Passito is made of Chardonnay grapes for at
least 50%, the rest consisting of non-aromatic white grapes.
TERRE DI CASOLE DOC
Terre di Casole Rosso: color ranging from ruby red to garnet.
Aroma intense, flavor dry and harmonic. Minimum alcohol
content 12% vol.
Terre di Casole Rosso Superiore: color bright red with violet
reflections that tend toward garnet with ageing. The aroma is
intense, with a scent of berries, and the flavor is dry, full.
Minimum alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Terre di Casole Sangiovese: color ranging from red to garnet
with intense, characteristic aroma; flavor full and harmonic,
dry. Minimum alcohol content 12% vol.
Terre di Casole Sangiovese Riserva: color red with violet reflections,
tending toward garnet with ageing. The aroma is intense, characteristic, at times with a scent of berries, spicy. The flavor is full and
harmonic. Minimum alcohol content 12.5% vol.
Terre di Casole Passito: color ranging from golden yellow to deep
yellow. Rich ripe fruit aroma. Minimum alcohol content 15% vol.
CUISINE
The whites are excellent as aperitifs, with light appetizers, fish
and delicate dishes. Terre di Casole Riserva can also be paired
with soups, especially bean soups and bread soups such as
pappa col pomodoro.
The reds go well with red meats, game, pigeon in particular but
also wild boar or partridge.
Terre di Casole Passito is well suited to cheeses but also to foie
gras dishes, and as a “meditation wine.”
Terre di Casole Bianco: color straw yellow, with fruity aroma
and dry flavor. Minimum alcohol content 11% vol.
Terre di Casole Bianco Riserva: color straw yellow with intense,
highly characteristic aroma. Taste dry and harmonic. Minimum
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135
VAL D’ARBIA DOC
Val d’Arbia
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
This is a vast territory,
with a wide variety of
soil types and
microclimates. It
includes the municipalities
of Siena (as a whole),
Castellina in Chianti, Radda
in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti,
Monteriggioni, Castelnuovo
Berardenga, Sovicille, Asciano,
Monteroni d’Arbia, Murlo and
Buonconvento.
Consorzio Vino
Bianco Val d’Arbia
c/o Province of Siena
Assessorato Agricoltura
Via Massetana, 106 – 53100 Siena (SI)
tel. +39-0577.241111
fax +39-0577.241601
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It has been
called “the
modern
vine with
an ancient
tradition,”
and while it
is true that
Bianco Val
d’Arbia is a
product of
our own
times, produced through up-to-date techniques of vinification
and preservation, it is also true that the origin of this wine is to
be found in what was once white Chianti. Most of the territory of
this DOC extends in fact over the slopes of both Chianti Classico
and those of the so-called Chianti Senese.
A name and an environment, Val d’Arbia, with a wealth of historical significance. This was the tragic site of the battle of 1260, mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy, where the Sienese
Ghibellines defeated the Florentine Guelphs in such a bloody battle that the waters of the Arbia stream were “dyed red.”
Today we can say that the battle theater consists of the vineyards
and wineries where competent producers, each interpreting his
wine in his one way, confront one another, this time in friendship.
On one side remain those faithful only to the traditional grapes,
on the other those who combine them with the so-called “noble
varietals.”
GRAPE VARIETIES
Val d’Arbia is produced from the varieties Trebbiano Toscano
and Malvasia del Chianti (70-90%) and Chardonnay (10-30%).
Other non-aromatic white grapes may be added (up to a maximum del 15%).
The maximum yield is 110 quintals per hectare.
There is also a Val d’Arbia Vin Santo, sweet, dry or demi-sec,
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VAL D’ARBIA DOC
which is made of the same grapes according to traditional
methods and aged in the small barrels called caratelli for at
least three years.
Val d’Arbia is pale straw yellow in color with greenish reflections; aroma delicate, fine, fruity; flavor dry, fresh, harmonic;
minimum alcohol content 10.5% vol.
The Vin Santo has a color ranging from straw yellow to more or
less deep amber; aroma intense, ethereal, characteristic; flavor
ranging from dry to sweet, harmonic, mellow, with a characteristic bitter aftertaste; minimum alcohol content 17% vol.
CUISINE
Fresh, fine and lively, Val d’Arbia is excellent served as aperitif.
It is also good with soups and vegetables, fish and white meat;
with chicken stew is another good combination.
The Vin Santo amabile pairs well with Senese pastry, starting
with panforte (hard candied fruit cake) and continuing with ricciarelli (almond cake), while the dry type is suitable also as a
“meditation wine.”
Valdichiana
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The Valdichiana wines are
produced over a vast
territory that includes, in
part, the municipalities
of Arezzo, Castiglion
Fiorentino, Cortona,
Foiano della Chiana,
Marciano, Monte San Savino,
Civitella, Sinalunga, Torrita di
Siena, Chiusi, Montepulciano
and Lucignano. Different soils
and climates give origin to wines
of varying characteristics.
Consorzio Vini Valdichiana
Viale Giotto, 4
52100 Arezzo (AR)
tel. +39-0575.27229
fax +39-0575.27229
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139
VALDICHIANA DOC
In Etruscan times this area was known as “the granary of Etruria,”
but its hillsides were already dotted with vineyards. At a later time
Pliny the Elder described the excellence of these wines: Talpone
(red) and Ethesiaca (white). Wine production orbited around the
major Etruscan centres of the Valdichiana, from Arezzo to Montepulciano, and was practised on the slopes around them. The importance of this economic activity is confirmed more than once in
the documents of the Bishopric of Arezzo, which record “parish
churches with ample land planted to grapevines, so that the ministers of the cult do not live in poverty.” In the 19th century the merchants of Burgundy and Champagne utilised the white wines of
Valdichiana as sparkling wines after the Phyloxera had destroyed
the vineyards in these French regions. The winemaking tradition
has been enriched and promoted in recent years with the DOC, first
as Bianco Vergine and then as Valdichiana, for the white as well as
the red and rosé types. Valdichiana is famous also as the homeland
of Italy’s most famous breed of cattle, from which come the finest
Florentine steaks.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Bianco or Bianco Vergine: Trebbiano Toscano (minimum
20%); Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Grechetto, Pinot Grigio
either alone or in combination (up to 80%); other non-aromatic white grapes can be used in producing this wine up to a
maximum of 15%.
Rosso and Rosato: Sangiovese (minimum 50%); Cabernet,
Merlot, Syrah either alone or in combination (maximum 50%);
other non-aromatic grapes may be used in producing this wine
up to a maximum of 15%.
The specifications Chardonnay, Grechetto and Sangiovese are
also produced, when at least 85% of the grapes come from the
variety of the same name.
Vin Santo and Vin Santo Riserva (dry and amabile): Trebbiano
Toscano and Malvasia Bianca either alone or in combination
(minimum 50%); other non-aromatic white grapes up to a maximum of 50%.
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VALDICHIANA DOC
Bianco or Bianco Vergine: color straw yellow, also with greenish reflections; aroma neutral, characteristic, rich in delicate,
pleasant scent; flavor dry, also with slight aftertaste of bitter
almonds; alcohol content 10% vol. (11% vol. for the sparkling
type). A naturally sparking type, slightly amabile in flavour, is
also produced.
Chardonnay: color straw yellow tinged with green; aroma delicate, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, mellow; alcohol content 10.5% vol.
Grechetto: color straw yellow with greenish reflections; aroma
delicate, characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic, sapid; alcohol
content 10.5% vol.
Rosso: color brilliant ruby red, verging on garnet with ageing;
aroma winy, fruity, fragrant, fresh when consumed young; alcohol content 11% vol.
Rosato: color more or less deep pink; aroma winy, fresh, fragrant; flavor harmonic, fresh; alcohol content 10.5% vol.
Sangiovese: color brilliant ruby red, verging on garnet; aroma
winy, fruity, fragrant; flavor sapid, lively, harmonic; alcohol
content 11% vol.
Vin Santo and Vin Santo Riserva: color ranging from straw yellow,
to amber, to brown; aroma ethereal, warm, characteristic; flavor
harmonic, velvety from dry to amabile; alcohol content 15% vol.
CUISINE
The white wines, for their freshness and liveliness, are excellent served as an aperitif. They pair well with soups and
boiled poultry, goose in particular, and with the soups made
from the broth, as was once customary on the tables of the
Valdichiana farmers, on the occasion of the great agricultural operations of summer. They are particularly good with
appetizers, suitable with all cooked vegetables, and are magnificent with all fish dishes. The reds are a good accompaniment to roasted white meats, grilled dishes, all red meats and
roasts, game, aged and spicy cheeses. The Vin Santo is excellent as a dessert wine.
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VAL DI CORNIA DOC
Val di Cornia
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The grapes used to
produce the wines of
Val di Cornia grow
in the municipalities
of Suvereto, Sassetta,
Piombino, San Vincenzo,
Campiglia Marittima
and Monteverdi Marittimo.
The Suvereto sub-area
lies within the borders
of the municipality of Suvereto.
Consorzio per la Tutela dei
Vini DOC Val di Cornia
c/o Cevalco SpA
Via della Fiera, 3
57029 Venturina (LI)
tel. +39-0565.852210
fax +39-0565.852266
142
Splendid landscapes, medieval villages,
churches and castles, hills where the Romans planted grapevines. Already by
the mid 19th-century the Val di Cornia
was called rich “in vineyards, olive
groves and well-cultivated fields.” The
evolution in its wines began in the
Nineties. Careful selection of grapes
and expert work in the wineries have assured high quality. Originally the DOC included red (also Riserva), rosé and white
wines. The latest modifications have introduced numerous single-varietal types and the Suvereto sub-area, where red
wine, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon are Sangiovese are produced.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Val di Cornia Rosso (including Riserva and Superiore) and
Rosato are made from Sangiovese (minimum 50%), Cabernet
Sauvignon and/or Merlot (maximum 50%), with the possible
addition of other red grapes (maximum 20%). The types
include Cabernet Sauvignon (also Riserva and Superiore),
Ciliegiolo, Merlot (also Riserva and Superiore) and Sangiovese
(also Riserva and Superiore) when the variety of the same name
is present for at least 85%.
Val di Cornia Bianco: Trebbiano Toscano (minimum 50%),
Vermentino Bianco (up to 50%), other white grapes up to 20%.
Vermentino and Ansonica are also produced, when the relevant
grape varieties account for at least 85%.
The DOC also includes Aleatico Passito (Aleatico 100%) and
Ansonica Passito (Ansonica 100%).
The Suvereto sub-area wine is made of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot, with the possible addition of other non-aromatic red grapes
(max 10%). When the Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon
varieties are present for at least 85%, and non-aromatic red grapes
up to 15%, the respective specifications are produced.
The yield per hectare ranges from 60 quintals for Val di Cornia
143
VAL DI CORNIA DOC
Aleatico Passito to 70 for Val di Cornia Ansonica Passito and
from 100 for red and rosé wines to 120 for Val di Cornia Bianco.
Val di Cornia Bianco: color brilliant, limpid straw yellow; aroma
delicate, more or less fruity; flavor dry, fresh; 11% vol.
Val di Cornia Ansonica: color brilliant straw yellow; aroma intense,
characteristic; flavor dry, harmonic; 11.5% vol.
Val di Cornia Rosato: color rosé, pale rosé, brilliant and limpid; aroma winy, delicate, more or less fruity; flavor dry, fresh and pleasant; 11% vol.
Val di Cornia Rosso: color ruby red of good intensity, brilliant, limpid;
aroma winy, delicate; flavor dry, velvety, harmonic, well-bodied;
12% vol.
Val di Cornia Ciliegiolo: color ruby red; aroma winy, delicate; flavor
dry, velvety, harmonic, well-bodied; 12% vol.
Val di Cornia Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon: color ruby red tending toward garnet with ageing, brilliant, limpid; aroma
winy, delicate; flavor dry, velvety, harmonic, well-bodied; 12% vol.
Val di Cornia Aleatico Passito: color deep ruby red, brilliant, limpid;
aroma intense, winy; flavor slightly sweet, full-bodied; 16% vol.
Val di Cornia Ansonica Passito: color deep straw yellow, brilliant,
limpid; aroma characteristic intense; flavor amabile; 17% vol.
Val di Cornia Suvereto: color ruby red, even deep, brilliant, limpid;
aroma winy, delicate; flavor dry, harmonic, well-bodied; 12.5% vol.
Val di Cornia Suvereto Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Sangiovese: color deep ruby red or garnet, also brilliant in the
Sangiovese; aroma delicate and characteristic in the Cabernet
Sauvignon and the Sangiovese; flavor dry, harmonic, well-bodied in the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Sangiovese; 12.5% vol.
CUISINE
The reds adapt to meat dishes and game in general, as well as
to cheeses. The rosé is excellent with the whole meal, or with
pasta dishes, eggs and soufflés; the white with soup, boiled fish,
and boiled meats. The dessert wines pair with a vast assortment
of sweets; the Passito is best with soft desserts and puddings.
144
Vin Santo del Chianti
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The area of production of
Vin Santo del Chianti
DOC coincides with
that of the Chianti
DOCG.
Viale Belfiore, 9
50144 Firenze (FI)
tel. +39-055.333600
fax +39-055.333601
145
VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI DOC
In Tuscan winemaking, Vin Santo has occupied an important
place and enjoyed high status since the Middle Ages. Many
explanations for the name have been given. A Sienese legend
tells of a monk who in 1348 distributed the wine used by his fellow monks to celebrate Mass to the sick, who were restored to
health after drinking it, giving rise to the belief that it was a
miraculous, or santo, wine. When in 1349, on the occasion of
the Ecumenical Council held in Florence, the Greek patriarch
Bessarione drank vin pretto (pure wine), he exclaimed, “This is
Xantos wine!”, probably alluding to the famous Greek Passito
of Thrace. His fellow diners thought he had found such virtues
in that wine as to proclaim it santo, or holy, and since then vin
pretto has been known as “Vin Santo.” Lastly, the name santo
may derive from the fact that it has always been used in celebrating Mass. Recognition of the Vin Santo del Chianti DOC
(August 1997) marked an important stage in the promotion of
a product so traditional to Tuscan winemaking. Vin Santo del
Chianti can be supplemented by the specifications Occhio di
Pernice and Riserva.
VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI DOC
vety dry or more rounded for the abboccato, amabile, and sweet
types. The minimum alcohol content is 15.5% vol. (16% vol. for
the relevant sub-areas), of which, for the dry type, a maximum
of 3% vol. still to be developed and for the amabile type a minimum of 3% vol. still to be developed.
For the Occhio di Pernice type, the color ranges from deep pink
to pale pink; the aroma is warm, intense, and the flavor amabile
or sweet, mellow, velvety, rounded; alcohol content is 16.5% vol.
(17% vol. for the relevant sub-areas), of which at least 14% vol.
fully developed.
CUISINE
In line with tradition, Vin Santo pairs with and enhances dry
pastry, pies in general and the sweets of Siena in particular. It is
delicious with Prato cookies, which are quite different from the
Tuscan cantucci produced on a larger scale.
Vin Santo can also be served with other courses: the abboccato
type is good with fresh marzolino cheese, the dry type with
raveggiolo. When very dry, it is delicious with chicken liver pâté.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The varieties include Trebbiano Toscano and/or Malvasia (minimum 70%) with the possible addition of complementary white
and red grapes. The Occhio di Pernice type instead, is made of
Sangiovese (minimum 50%) and possible complementary white
and red grapes (not over 50%).
The maximum yield of grapes per hectare is 110 quintals, lowered to 100 for the additional and geographic Chianti specifications, which can be utilized for the Vin Santo del Chianti and
Vin Santo del Chianti Occhio di Pernice produced in the relevant sub-areas.
For both the amabile and the dry type, the color ranges from
straw yellow to golden, to deep amber, with an ethereal,
intense, characteristic aroma and a flavor that is harmonic, vel-
146
147
VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI CLASSICO DOC
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
Coincides with the Chianti
Classico territory and
includes all of the
municipalities of
Castellina, Gaiole,
Radda and Greve in
Chianti and part of those
of Barberino Val d’Elsa, San
Casciano Val di Pesa,
Tavarnelle Val di Pesa,
Poggibonsi and Castelnuovo
Berardenga.
Vin Santo del
Chianti Classico DOC
Via Scopeti, 155
Sant’Andrea in Percussina
50026 San Casciano V.P. (FI)
tel. +39-055.8228245/6
fax +39-055.8228173
148
This is a DOC entirely reserved to the Vin Santo type, one of the
most traditional products of Tuscan winemaking, considering that
a wine of this name has been produced since the middle of the 14th
century. But already before then, a similar vine was produced, called
vin pretto, which means pure wine, with no additions or corrections. Vin Santo has always been the wine of hospitality, of friendship, the wine never missing from any home, from those of the lords
and ladies to those of the peasants.
It is a wine to be drunk at any time of day, but preferably at the
end of a meal.
Still today, Vin Santo is the wine of tradition, since it is produced by the methods of the past, from selecting the best
bunches of grapes to drying them on mats or grates; from the
storage places where it is preserved (in general, under sheds
well ventilated at all seasons) to the long maturing in the small
barrels called caratelli.
It is significant that the first specific DOC was assigned to the
Vin Santo of the classic area of Chianti, a territory uniquely
emblematic of Tuscan viticulture.
149
VIN SANTO DEL CHIANTI CLASSICO DOC
GRAPE VARIETIES
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico: Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia,
either alone or in combination (minimum 70%); with the possible addition of other white or red grapes (maximum 30%).
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice: Sangiovese
(minimum 50%); with the possible addition of other white or
red grapes (maximum 50%).
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico: color ranging from straw yellow to
golden, to deep amber; aroma ethereal, intense, characteristic; flavor harmonic, velvety, more rounded in the amabile type; 16% vol.
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice: color ranging
from deep pink to pale pink; aroma warm, intense; flavor sweet,
mellow, velvety and rounded; 17% vol.
There is also a Riserva type. The minimum time of maturing in wood
is three years for the normal type and four years for the Riserva, calculated starting from the year when the grapes are harvested.
CUISINE
Vin Santo is traditionally served at the end of a meal, as accompaniment (especially the amabile type) to dry pastry, Tuscan
cantucci, pies and sweets
in general. But this wine,
very hard to produce and
to appreciate, can be
served at any time of day
and on the most diverse
occasions. The dry type is
more suited for drinking
apart from meals, either
as aperitif or meditation
wine. It is occasionally
served with chocolate, in a
daring combination.
150
Vin Santo di Montepulciano
DOC
AREA OF PRODUCTION
The area of production for the
Normale, Riserva and
Occhio di Pernice types
coincides with the areas
most suited to the production of quality wines in
the municipality of
Montepulciano. All of the areas
with advantageous exposure and
climatic conditions are thus
included, with the exclusion of
deep valleys and of altitudes lower
than 260 or higher than 600
meters above sea level.
Consorzio Vin Santo di
Montepulciano
Piazza Grande, 7
tel. +39-0578.757812 – fax +39-0578.758213
151
VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO DOC
Since time immemorial, the splendid territory of
Montepulciano, with its gentle hills stretching between the Val
d’Orcia and the Valdichiana, has produced wines of the highest
quality. Among these, the most famous is undoubtedly Vino
Nobile di Montepulciano, which, not without reason, has
earned the name “King of wines.”
Another pearl of local winemaking, whose tradition is lost in
the night of time, is Vin Santo: the wine of hospitality and
friendship. It was produced in small quantities through careful
selection of the grapes, a long period of drying and long vinification in caratelli, small oak or chestnut wood barrels. The high
sugar concentration deriving from the long drying of the grapes
on grates gave a wine that was both highly alcoholic and sweet,
resulting in the tradition of a Vin Santo tending toward sweet.
Today, as then, Vin Santo is produced in total respect for tradition. As in the past, it is the wine of hospitality and friendship,
normally offered on great occasions. The gift of a bottle of Vin
Santo should be considered a gesture of great friendship, but
even more, of great respect and esteem for the person to whom
it is given.
VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO DOC
fruit; flavor full and velvety, intensely rounded; 17% vol. of
which at least 2% still to be developed.
Vin Santo di Montepulciano Riserva: color ranging from golden yellow to deep amber; aroma intense, ethereal, characteristic of ripe fruit; flavor full and velvety, intensely rounded; 17%
vol. of which a minimum of 2.5% still to be developed.
Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice: color between
amber and topaz with ample reddish rim that deepens to brown
with age; aroma intense, rich and complex, with the scent of
ripe fruit and other tones; flavor fine, persistent, with sweet
aftertaste; 18% vol. of which at least 3% still to be developed.
CUISINE
Other than as a dessert wine, Vin Santo di Montepulciano can
be served at any time of day as a “meditation wine,” pouring
small amounts into large wineglasses in order to fully appreciate its characteristics.
GRAPE VARIETIES
The grape varieties used to produce Vin Santo di
Montepulciano and Vin Santo di Montepulciano Riserva are:
Malvasia Bianca, Grechetto Bianco and Trebbiano Toscano
which, either alone or in combination, must account for at least
70%; other non-aromatic white grapes can be added (maximum
30%). For the production of Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice, the
use of Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) is allowed for a minimum
of 50% and other grape varieties up to a maximum of 50%.
The maximum yield of grapes per hectare must not exceed 80
quintals.
Vin Santo di Montepulciano: color ranging from golden yellow
to deep amber; aroma intense, ethereal, characteristic of ripe
152
153
PRODUCTION REGULATIONS
CURRENTLY IN FORCE
DOCG WINES (“VINI A DENOMINAZIONE DI ORIGINE
CONTROLLATA E GARANTITA”)
• BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
executive order 19 May
1998, published in G.U.
no. 133 of 10 June 1998
• CARMIGNANO
executive order 9 July
1998, published in G.U.
no. 172 of 25 July 1998
• CHIANTI AND CHIANTI
CLASSICO
decree 10 March 2003,
published in G.U. no.
73 of 28 March 2003 as
regards Chianti; directorial order 15 September 2005, published in
G.U. no. 227 of 29 September 2005 as regards
Chianti Classico
• MORELLINO DI SCANSANO
directorial order 14 November 2006, published in G.U. no.
278 of 29 November 2006
• VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO
ministerial order 9 July 1993, published in G.U. no. 169 of
21 July 1993
• VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO
executive order 27 July 1999, published in G.U. no. 185 of
9 August 1999
DOC WINES (“VINI A DENOMINAZIONE DI ORIGINE
CONTROLLATA”)
• ANSONICA COSTA DELL’ARGENTARIO
ministerial order 28 April 1995, published in G.U. no. 125
of 31 May 1995
154
• BARCO REALE DI CARMIGNANO OR ROSATO DI CARMIGNANO
VIN SANTO DI CARMIGNANO OR VIN SANTO DI CARMIGNANO
OCCHIO DI PERNICE
24 July 1998
• BIANCO DELLA VALDINIEVOLE
decree of President of the Republic 9 January 1976,
published in G.U. no. 140 of 29 May 1976
• BIANCO DELL’EMPOLESE
decree of President of the Republic 18 April 1989,
published in G.U. no. 256 of 2 November 1989
• BIANCO DI PITIGLIANO
decree of President of the Republic 17 April 1990,
published in G.U. no. 244 of 18 October 1990
• BIANCO PISANO DI SAN TORPÈ
executive order 14 July 1997, published in G.U.
no. 170 of 23 July 1997
• BOLGHERI AND SASSICAIA SUB-AREA
ministerial order 5 November 1994, published in G.U. no.
• CANDIA DEI COLLI APUANI
executive order 14 April 1997, published in G.U. no. 102 of
5 May 1997
• CAPALBIO
executive order 21 May 1999, published in G.U. no. 127 of
2 June 1999
• COLLI DELL’ETRURIA CENTRALE
7 July 1997
• COLLI DI LUNI (inter-regional Liguria-Toscana)
ministerial order of 1 December 1995, published in G.U.
no. 26 of 1 February 1996
• COLLINE LUCCHESI
16 July 1997
• CORTONA
executive order 1 September 1999, published in G.U. no.
210 of 7 September 1999
• ELBA
executive order 15 September 1999, published in G.U. no.
224 of 23 September 1999
OR
155
• MONTECARLO
ministerial order 17 October 1994, published in G.U. no.
253 of 28 October 1994
• MONTECUCCO
executive order 30 July 1998, published in G.U. no. 185
of 10 August 1998
• MONTEREGIO DI MASSA MARITTIMA
242 of 15 October 1994
• MONTESCUDAIO
executive order 25 October 1999, published in G.U. no.
• MOSCADELLO DI MONTALCINO
ministerial order 28 September 1995, published in G.U.
no. 2 of 3 January 1996
• ORCIA
decree of Direttore Generale 14 February 2000,
published in G.U. no. 51 of 2 March 2000
• PARRINA
ministerial order 2 August 1993, published in G.U. no. 200
of 26 August 1993, amended by ministerial order
12 January 1994 and by executive order 8 September
1997, rectified in G.U. no. 276 of 26 November 1997
• PIETRAVIVA
ministerial order 14 July 2005, published in G.U. no. 146
of 25 June 2005
• POMINO
ministerial order 7 February 2005, published in G.U. no.
40 of 18 February 2005, rectified by directorial order
12 June 2006 published in G.U. no. 147 of 27 June 2006
• ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
ministerial order 7 June 1996, published in G.U. no. 148 of
26 June 1996
• ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO
9 August 1999
• SAN GIMIGNANO
general managerial order 7 August 2003, published in
G.U. no. 194 of 22 August 2003, partially amended by
directorial order 21 March 2006, published in G.U. no. 75
of 30 March 2006
156
• SANT’ANTIMO
ministerial order 18 January 1996, published in G.U. no.
26 of 1 February 1996
• SOVANA
1 June 1999, supplemented and amended by executive order 12 November, 1999 published in G.U. no. 276 of 24
November 1999
• TERRATICO DI BIBBONA
directorial order 28 June 2006 published in G.U. no. 163 of
15 July 2006
• TERRE DI CASOLE
directorial order 28 May 2007, published in G.U. no. 129
of 6 June 2007
• VAL D’ARBIA
order of the Prime Minister of 4 November 1991, published in G.U. no. 83 of 8 April 1992
• VALDICHIANA
ministerial order of 9 March 1999, published in G.U. no.
64 of 18 March 1999
• VAL DI CORNIA
general managerial order 21 February 2000
published in G.U. no. 52 of 3 March 2000
• VIN SANTO OF CHIANTI
executive order 28 August 1997, published in G.U. no. 226
of 27 September 1997
• VIN SANTO OF CHIANTI CLASSICO
271 of 20 November 1995, nullified and replaced by Notice
of rectification of 9 December 1995, published in G.U. no.
287 of 9 December 1995
• VIN SANTO DI MONTEPULCIANO
157
THE WINE AND FOOD ROADS
STRADA DEL VINO E DELL’OLIO DI LUCCA E MONTECARLO
VERSILIA
Associazione Strada del vino e dell’olio di Lucca e
Montecarlo Versilia
Registered office: Via di Celli, 52 – 55010 San Gennaro
Capannori (LU)
Secretariat: Vinolia scrl
tel. +39-0583.909034, +39-348.0368293
fax +39-0583.978742
[email protected]
www.stradavinoeoliolucca.it
STRADA DEI VINI CHIANTI “RUFINA E POMINO”
Villa di Poggioreale
Viale Duca della Vittoria, 7 – 50068 Rufina (FI)
tel. +39-055.8399944 – fax +39-055.8396154
[email protected] – www.chiantirufina.com
STRADA DEL VINO E DEI SAPORI DI “MONTEREGIO DI MASSA
MARITTIMA”
Associazione Strada del vino e dei sapori “Monteregio di
Massa Marittima”
c/o Comune di Massa Marittima
Via Garibaldi, 10 – 58024 Massa Marittima (GR)
tel. +39-0566.902756 – fax +39-0566.940095
Information and sampling: Wine Bar of Monteregio
Via Todini, 1/3/5 – 58024 Massa Marittima (GR)
[email protected] – www.stradavino.it
STRADA DEL VINO “COSTA DEGLI ETRUSCHI”
Consorzio Strada del vino “Costa degli Etruschi”
località San Guido, 45 – 57022 Bolgheri (LI)
tel. for information and tours +39-0565.749768
tel. and fax management and secretary +39-0565.749705
[email protected] – www.lastradadelvino.com
STRADA DEL VINO “COLLI DI CANDIA E DI LUNIGIANA”
Associazione Strada del vino dei Colli di Candia e di Lunigiana
158
Via San Leonardo, 492 – 54037 Marina di Massa (MS)
tel. +39-338.8853067
fax +39-0585.865539
[email protected] – www.stradadelvino.ms.it
STRADA DEL VINO DELLE “COLLINE PISANE”
Operational headquarters: c/o Comune di Terricciola
Via Roma, 37 – 56030 Terricciola (PI)
tel. +39-0587.656540
fax +39-0587.655205
[email protected]
www.stradadelvinocollinepisane.it
Administrative headquarters: c/o Amministrazione
Provinciale di Pisa – Settore Agricoltura
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 14 – 56125 Pisa
STRADA MEDICEA DEI VINI DI CARMIGNANO
Associazione c/o Museo della Vite e of Vino
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 1 – 59100 Carmignano (PO)
Secretariat: tel. +39-055.8712468
Andrea Bassini tel. +39-055.8750265
[email protected]
www.carmignanodivino.prato.it
STRADA DEL VINO “VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO”
Villa della Rocca – San Gimignano (SI)
[email protected]
Information and booking: San Gimignano Tourist
Information Office
Piazza Duomo 1 – 53037 San Gimignano (SI)
tel. +39-0577.940008 – fax +39-0577.940903
[email protected]
STRADA DEL VINO E DEI SAPORI “COLLI DI MAREMMA”
Associazione Strada del vino e dei sapori “Colli di Maremma”
Registered office: Palazzo of Pretorio, 4 – 58054 Scansano (GR)
tel. and fax +39-0564.507381
Operational headquarters: c/o Comune di Scansano
Via XX Settembre – 58054 Scansano (GR)
tel. +39-0564.593056
[email protected] – www.stradavinimaremma.it
159
STRADA DEL VINO DI “MONTEPULCIANO”
Associazione Strada del vino di Montepulciano
Piazza Grande, 7 – 53045 Montepulciano (SI)
tel. +39-0578.717484 – fax +39-0578.752749
[email protected] – www.stradavinonobile.it
STRADA DEL VINO DI “MONTESPERTOLI”
Via Sonnino, 19 – 50025 Montespertoli (FI)
tel. +39-0571.657579 – fax +39-0571.658877
[email protected]
www.chianti-montespertoli.it
STRADA DEL VINO “TERRE DI AREZZO”
Via Ricasoli, 38/40 – 52100 Arezzo (AR)
tel. and fax +39-0575.294066
[email protected] – www.stradadelvino.arezzo.it
STRADA DEL VINO DI MONTECUCCO E DEI SAPORI DELL’AMIATA
Associazione Strada del vino di Montecucco
e dei sapori dell’Amiata
Piazzale Cap. Bruchi, 3 – 58044 Cinigiano (GR)
tel. +39-0564.994630 – fax +39-0564.994898
[email protected]
www.stradadelvinomontecucco.it
STRADA DEL VINO “D’ORCIA”
Via Borgo Maestro, 90 – 53023 Rocca d’Orcia (SI)
tel. and fax: +39-0577.898199
[email protected] – www.stradavinorcia.it
STRADA DEI SAPORI DI “CASENTINO”
Via Roma, 203 – 52013 Ponte a Poppi (AR)
tel. +39-0575.3354241/+39-0575.520511
fax +39-0575.3354248
[email protected]
STRADA DEI SAPORI DELLA “VALTIBERINA”
Via Matteotti, 8 – 52037 San Sepolcro (AR)
[email protected]
www.stradasaporivaltiberina.it
160
STRADA DELL’OLIO “MONTI PISANI”
Soc. Coop. a r.l. “Oleif. Soc. Monti Pisani”
Via Provinciale Vicarese, 28
56010 Caprona Vicopisano (PI)
tel. +39-050.788079
fax +39-050.788692
[email protected]
STRADA DELL’OLIO E DEL VINO “MONTALBANO”
Le Colline di Leonardo
Piazza Fra’ Giuseppino Giraldi, 6
51035 San Baronto Lamporecchio (PT)
tel. +39-0573.803064
fax +39-0573.81427
[email protected]
[email protected]
ASSOCIAZIONE STRADA DEI SAPORI E DEI COLORI
DELL’APPENNINO PISTOIESE
Via Tigri, 24 – 51024 Cutigliano (PT)
tel. +39-0573.688009 (Ilvo Ducci)
[email protected]
Registered office: Viale Villa Vittoria, 1
51028 San Marcello Pistoiese (PT)
ASSOCIAZIONE STRADA DEL MARRONE
MUGELLO DI MARRADI
Registered office: Piazza Scalelle, 1 – 50034 Marradi (FI)
Operational headquarters: Palazzo Torriani, Via Fabroni, 58
tel. +39-055.8042363/+39-335.6926512/+39-328.8127597
fax +39-055.8042835
www.stradadelmarrone.it – [email protected]
Tourist Office
tel. +39-055/8045170
www.sagradellecastagne.it
[email protected] – www.pro-marradi.it
www.comune.marradi.fi.it
DEL
161
PHOTOGRAPHS
Archivi Alinari, Florence: p. 35. Atlantide PhotoTravel, Florence:
© Massimo Borchi pp. 64, 67, 142, 151; © Guido Cozzi pp. 70, 77.
Corbis: © Roland Gerth/zefa p. 46; © Wolfgang Meier/zefa p. 28; ©
Atlantide PhotoTravel p. 55; © John and Lisa Merrill p. 79; © Dennis Marsico p. 97. Giunti archives: Stefano Amantini p. 73; Massimo Borchi pp. 56, 122; Anna Bini, Gilles de Chabaneix, Catherine
de Chabaneix pp. 44, 145; Guido Cozzi pp. 37, 101; Cristian Sarti
pp. 17 (upper left), 18 (upper right); Antonio Sferlazzo pp. 17 (upper right), 51, 54, 63, 112, 116, 150.
Courtesy of Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino pp. 8, 20,
162
22, 23, 102, 117, 124, 154. Courtesy of Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini Cortona Doc pp. 82, 163. Courtesy of Consorzio Vino Chianti
Classico pp. 30, 31, 32, 33 (lower left), 33 (lower right), 41, 147, 148,
149. Courtesy of Ella Studio pp. 85, 153 (R. Ridi). Courtesy of
Archivio Toscana Promozione pp. 7, 16, 25, 43, 91 (M. Beldramme).
Where not otherwise indicated, the photos belong to the Giunti
archives.
The Publisher is willing to settle any royalties that may be due for
the publication of pictures from unascertained sources.
163
164
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167
Pagina 1
The Wines of Tuscany. Complete guide to DOC and DOCG wines
18:13
Complete guide to DOC and DOCG wines.
History, territory, characteristics and food pairing.
CM 92083B
13-01-2009
art. 2.67-09
copertavino_Eng.qxd:copertavino
Wine is a compound of humor and light.
(Galileo Galilei)

The Wines of Tuscany

Transcription

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