There is no better way to experience Tuscan wines than by visiting the wineries and vineyards where they are actually made and by meeting the people that make them. I have traveled throughout the region and find that by flying into either Rome or Florence and renting a car, you can create your own wine route stopping along the way to visit castles, cathedrals, agritourism farms, Roman Baths and more. For those not wanting to put in the effort, contact one of the many tour operators who will gladly arrange a tour for you. The beautiful scenery consisting of rolling hills, orchards, olive groves, vineyards, rows of cedars, fields of wild flowers and hundreds of quaint farmhouses that dot the landscape give rise to the feeling that you are in a fantasy world.  It is an incredible sensation to roll down your windows and breathe in the scent of rosemary and lavender while gazing at fields of poppies and sunflowers. It was during one of my trips through Tuscany that I came up with the name for this website!

Tuscany is located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast and is home to some of the world’s most notable wine regions. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The red wines from these areas are primarily made with Sangiovese grapes, whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis for the most famous white wine, the “Vernaccia di San Gimignano.” Tuscany is also known for the dessert wine Vin Santo, made from a variety of the region’s grapes. Overall, Tuscany has twenty-nine Denominazioni di origine controllata (DOC) and seven Denominazioni di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). In the 1970s a new class of wines known in the trade as “Super Tuscans” emerged. These wines were made outside DOC/DOCG regulations but were considered of high quality and commanded high prices. Many of these have become cult wines.
 
Super Tuscans are an unofficial category of Tuscan wines, not recognized by any of the Italian wine classification systems. The origin of Super Tuscans is rooted in the restrictive DOC practices of the Chianti zone prior to the 1990s. During this time Chianti could be composed of no more than 70% Sangiovese and had to include at least 10% of one of the local white wine grapes. Producers who deviated from these regulations could not use the Chianti name on their wine labels and would be classified as vino da tavola- Italy’s lowest wine designation. By the 1970s, the consumer market for Chianti wines was suffering and the wines were widely perceived to be lacking quality. Many Tuscan wine producers thought they could produce a better quality wine if they were not hindered by the DOC regulations.

The Chianti zone is Tuscany’s largest classified wine region and produces over eight million cases a year. In addition to producing the well-known red Chianti wine, the Chianti zone also produces white, other Rosso reds and Vin Santo. The region is split into the Chianti and Chianti Classico DOCG’s. The Chianti Classico zone covers the area between Florence and Siena, which is the original Chianti region while the larger Chianti DOCG zone includes the western part of the province of Pisa, the Florentine hills north of Chianti Classico in the province of Florence, the Siena hills south of the city in the province of Siena, the province of Arezzo and the area around the communes of Rufina and Pistoia.
 
The wine with the most famous pedigree in Tuscany is Brunello di Montalcino. The Montalcino range is located south of the Chianti Classico zone and features the historic town of Montalcino, which is full of cozy restaurants and wine bars featuring astonishing local wines, most unavailable outside of the region. Today there are about two hundred growers in the Montalcino region producing about 333,000 cases of Brunello di Montalcino a year. Brunello di Montalcino wines are required to be aged for at least four years prior to being released, with Riserva wines needing five years. Brunellos tend to be very tight and tannic in their youth, needing at least a decade before they start to soften. In 1984, the Montalcino region was granted the DOC designation of Rosso di Montalcino. Often called “Baby Brunellos”, these wines are typically made from the same grapes, vineyards and style as the regular Brunello di Montalcino but are not aged as long. While similar to Brunellos in flavor and aromas, these wines are often lighter in body and more approachable in their youth.

Another popular wine in Tuscany is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is produced amazingly enough in the Montepulciano area. The wine received its name back in the seventeenth century when it was the favorite wine of the Tuscan nobility. Located in the southeastern region of Tuscany, the climate of the region is strongly influenced by the sea. The wines are required to age two years prior to release, with an additional year for Riservas.

For white wine aficionados, Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the most prominent white wine in Tuscany, made from the Vernaccia grape in the areas around San Gimignano. The wine is dry, full bodied with earthy notes of honey and minerals.
 
Other regions within Tuscany include the Pomino, Bolgheri and Carmignano regions. The Pomino region near Ruffina, historically known for the prevalence of the French wine grape varieties, making wines from both Cabernets as well as Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot blanc, Pinot Grigio in addition to the local Italian varieties. The Bolgheri region of the Livorno province is home to one of the original Super Tuscan wines Sassicaia, first made in 1944 produced by the marchesi Incisa della Rochetta, cousin of the Antinori family. The Bolgheri region is also home to the Super Tuscan wine Ornellaia. The Carmignano region has another Tuscan DOCG and was one of the first Tuscan regions to be permitted to use Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which the region had long historically grown, in their DOC wines.