Everything You Need To Know About Tuscan Wine

Wine has been made in Tuscany for over 3,000 years, since the time of the Etruscans, whose civilization was vanquished and absorbed into that of the Romans by the middle of the third century BCE. Vine cultivation and winemaking continued to flourish under the Roman Empire, during which time oak barrels came into use for the aging and storage of wine, eventually supplanting amphorae as the vessel of choice. In the first century CE, author and statesman Pliny the Elder praised the wines of Luni, an area which straddles Tuscany and Liguria, as the home of some of the best wines in the empire. Although the first written evidence of Sangiovese being grown in Italy is from the 16th century, it is believed to have been cultivated in Tuscany since the time of the Etruscans. Trebbiano may also have very deep roots in the area: Pliny the Elder strikes again, this time writing about wine called vinum trebulanum, which is believed to have been what is now known as Trebbiano Toscano. During the Middle Ages, care of vineyards and winemaking was undertaken by Benedictine monks throughout Tuscany and all of Italy, as it was in France. In the late Middle Ages, a system called mezzadria came into use, under which tenant farmers would work vineyards and keep half the grapes themselves while their landlords, who were noble families and members of the wealthy merchant class, took the rest. This system was in effect until the early 20th century.

One of the most famous regions in Tuscany is Chianti, which was first mentioned in writing at the end of the 14th century. In 1716, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de Medici delineated the borders of the Chianti region, and in 1872, what is considered the “recipe” for Chianti wine was written down by Baron Bettino Ricasoli, whose descendants continue making wine under the family name. The Italian appellation system was established in 1963, and Chianti received DOC status in 1967, one year after DOCG Vernaccia di San Gemignano, which was the first Tuscan region to be recognized under the new regulations. In 1984, Chianti Classico achieved DOCG recognition, and in 1996, Chianti Classico disassociated itself from the larger Chianti DOCG. Brunello di Montalcino was first recognized as a DOC in 1966 and became the country’s first official DOCG in 1980. The so-called Super Tuscans, which were red wines made with international varieties or outside of traditional regulations, were at first recognized only as vino de tavola or table wine before being granted IGT status. Bolgheri, the birthplace of the Super Tuscan movement, was acknowledged as a DOC in 1983 for white and rosé wines, with reds only being officially sanctioned in 1994.

Tuscany’s 8,878 square miles of pastoral farmland, vineyards, and historic stone mountaintop villages cover about the same amount of land as the state of New Jersey. With 242 miles of coastline, the region enjoys a classic Mediterranean climate with hot summers and wet, moderate winters, which offer sufficient groundwater for the mostly dry growing season. One of the world’s greatest cities for art lovers, Florence sits at the center of the region, about three hours north of Rome by car. Bordered to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea—the portion of the Mediterranean surrounded by mainland Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily—Tuscany is south of Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, west of Marche and Umbria, and north of Lazio, where the country’s capital city, Rome, is located. Home to cities such as Pisa, Siena, and Lucca and famed wine villages like Montalcino, Montepulciano, Bolgheri, San Gemignano, Greve, and Radda, the region’s rolling hills are covered with grapevines, olive trees, and cypress trees as well as tomatoes, artichokes, and rosemary. Most vineyards are planted between 820 and 2,000 feet above sea level, with Chianti Classico ranging from 1,300 to 1,800 feet and Montalcino’s vineyards at 820 to 1,850 feet. Although some of the vineyards around Bolgheri and in the coastal Maremma rise to over 1,250 feet, the majority are closer to sea level and have soils that favor the cultivation of varieties other than Sangiovese.

The most important red grape is Sangiovese, which is the main grape in DOCGs such as Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino (which must be made with 100 percent of the variety), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, and Montecucco Sangiovese. Additional DOCGs making Sangiovese-based wine include Carmignano DOCG, Suvereto DOCG, Val di Cornia Rosso DOCG, Colline Luchese DOCG, Maremma Toscana DOC, and Orcia DOC. Several of these also permit Merlot- or Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends. Other grapes here, which are mostly used for blending but can occasionally be found in interesting single-varietal IGT bottlings, are Ciliegiolo, Colorino, and Canaiolo Nero. The Super Tuscan movement in the 1970s gave rise to several DOCs and IGTs using traditional French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. Chianti Classico wines must be made with 80 percent Sangiovese, but Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot may also be included in the blend. While red grapes make up around 87 percent of the wine made in Tuscany, there are terrific whites as well, including Vermentino, Vernaccia, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Ansonica, and Chardonnay. The only white wine DOCG is Vernaccia di San Gemignano DOCG, but other white grapes, like Vermentino and Malvasia, are made as single-variety IGT wines; and white blends using other grapes, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, can also be bottled under the IGT Toscana label. Tuscany is responsible for around 8 percent of the country’s vinous output.

Tuscany offers incredible options for those seeking food-friendly wines, both red and white, that often overdeliver on quality for the price. Several Tuscan subregions also allow the production of rosé, sparkling, and sweet wines. Villa Rosa Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, a prime example of the highest quality level from Chianti, offers polished tannins and rich red berry flavors with a hint of Mediterranean herbs. Made with 100 percent Sangiovese, Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG offers red cherry, raspberry, vanilla, and fennel bulb flavors wrapped in a sheath of velvety tannins. The OG Super Tuscan, Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based stunner that lives up to its incredible reputation vintage after vintage. A blend of mainly Merlot with Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, Brancaia Il Blu Toscana IGT is a delectable Super Tuscan made with grapes grown in the Chianti zone rather than the area around Bolgheri. Querciabella Batar Toscana IGT, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, is a complex, elegant, and age-worthy white. Vermentino lovers will clamor for more after one sip of Ca’Marcanda Vistamare Toscana IGP, a Vermentino-Viognier-Fiano blend that features stone fruit flavors with an enduring saline finish.

Despite soaring temperatures in the late summer, 2021 is considered an excellent vintage for Chianti Classico and wines from Bolgheri, offering concentrated, balanced wines that are built for aging. The 2020 vintage produced Brunello di Montalcino that is fresh, youthful, and ready to drink now. A terrific year for Sangiovese, 2019 brought out the best in Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico. One of the best vintages in recent memory for Chianti Classico, 2016 was also considered one of the best vintages of the decade, if not the century, for Super Tuscans. The 2015 vintage was noted for bold, highly concentrated Sangiovese that will continue to mature well for a few more years, but may be at its peak now. Hailed as a season noted for both elegance and structure, 2010 produced incredible Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano that should be drinking beautifully now.