Central Italy

his region of Toscana (Tuscany) is a triangle shape and faces the Tyrrhenian sea to the west and surrounded by the regions of Liguria, Emila-Romagna, Marche, Umbria and Lazio. The central city of the region is Firenze (Florence) which was the major town of the Renaissance age from the late 15th century to the early 16th century where the great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael created many art works under the protection of the powerful Medici Family. The town is filled with the cultural treasures represented by the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

One of the most famous Italian wines called Chianti (say it – Kee-anti) is produced in the area. The mountainous parts of the region account for twenty five percent with sixty seven percent being rolling hills leaving only eight percent flat land towards the western coast.  The mountain region has a cool Mediterranean climate with large temperature differences. In the hills and flatlands, especially near the coast, it is cool in summer and is relatively warm and stable in winter, with enough rainfall from spring to autumn, these are ideal conditions for grape growing.  The picturesque rustic Tuscan scenery with cypress trees in dark green and olive trees in pale green stand on the gentle hills dotted with white farmhouses. Wine tourism is becoming increasingly popular with tourists staying in the farmers’ houses or residences to enjoy the natural environment. As Toscana has the Apennines to the east, its wines develop concentrated flavours with firm tannin which match the beef and wild boar dishes found in the region.

Toscana is the fifth largest wine producing state in Italy. As the producer of premium quality wines, Toscana is one of the three most important states in Italy, along with Piemonte and Veneto. Toscana has 42 DOPs which is the second largest following Piemonte and the production volume of the DOP wines share 13% of Toscana’s total wine production. DOCG Chianti is known as the flagship of Italian wines and represents most of Toscana’s red wines. The wine is made principally from the Sangiovese grape first recognised in the early 15th century. The unique shape of the Chianti bottle with the straw holder made the wine famous although it was originally a flask for farmers who would take it into their field and hang the bottle on a tree to sip the home-made wine directly from the bottle. Chianti Classico obtained an independent status of DOCG from Chianti DOCG after World War II. The Chianti Classico area has 7140 ha of vines across eight villages and is the original area designated as Chianti. The regulations for Chianti Classico are stricter than for Chianti including lower yield and at least 10 months ageing.  Most producers of Chianti Classico make wines with a high potential for aging, unlike the main Chianti winemakers who are producing easy drinking young wines. While longer ageing is becoming more popular, it’s important to note that the ‘riserva’ term has no real legal definition and is simply used by producers to indicate longer ageing. In general, Chianti wines are described as medium-bodied wines with firm, dry tannins. The main aroma characteristic is cherry, but it can also have nutty and floral notes as well.

DOCG Brunello di Montalcino was once thought be made from a separate grape variety, called Brunello, grown around the village Montalcino. However, in 1879, it was determined to be made from the same grape as found in Chianti to the north. The local name for Sangiovese has stuck and it remains Brunello di Montalcino. Although its history is young, the wine is known as one of the most expensive wines in Italy as it is a full-bodied wine, made from 100% Sangiovese that traditionally spends at least three years in oak barrels. Legal requirements say it must be at least two years in oak and four months in bottle, but producers will usually only release after 50 months, with ‘riserva’ wines after 62 months; although there is no legal definition or requirement to do so.