Wines from Tuscany

Bottles of Tuscan WineAn Introduction to Tuscan Wine

Italian wines are some of the most famous in the world,  and Tuscan wines include some of the best wines in Italy. The aim of this article is to provide a simple guide to Tuscan wines. Although I like wine, I am not an expert, so I do not intend here to give detailed descriptions of individual wines.  Instead I would like to provide readers with an outline of the different wines available in Tuscany, the grape varieties indigenous to Tuscany, and the ‘wine roads’ (Strade del Vino) around the many Tuscan vineyards.

Not just Chianti

Most of the wine produced in Tuscany is red wine, made above all from the Sangiovese grape. The best-known name is undoubtedly Chianti, but this is only one of the many types of wine produced in the region of Tuscany and there are actually 8 different areas of Chianti itself. But Tuscan wine is not about Chianti alone. Far from it. Below you can consult a list of the most popular and well-known Tuscan wines, including the few whites that the region produces using mainly the Trebbiano grape (except for Vernaccia). Vin Santo ('holy wine'), made from dried grapes, is also widely produced. It can be dry or sweet and is drunk as a dessert wine with special almond biscuits (cantuccini).

Lying in the CellarWhat do DOC and DOCG mean?

The letters DOC or DOCG on an Italian wine label mean Denominazione di Origine Controllata, and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, the latter superior to the first. They refer to government guarantees of the wines’ origins. About 300 wine growing regions in Italy have the DOC designation, while only 21 have a DOCG label. The DOCG wines conform to DOC laws and in addition are quality tested by government-appointed inspectors. However, this doesn’t mean that non-DOC wines are bad. On the contrary, some wine makers have broken away from the DOC restrictions to experiment with blends of grape varieties. These ‘new’and often very expensive wines in Tuscany have become known as “Super-Tuscans” even though they only bear a Vino da Tavola (table wine) label. Some of these Super-Tuscans are being produced in the Livorno Province, particularly in Bolgheri (municipality of Castagneto Carducci).
Another denomination, IGT, means that a wine is guaranteed to come from a specific wine-producing area.

Some of Tuscany’s Red wines:
Bolgheri DOC
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Carmignano DOCG
Chianti DOCG
Chianti Classico DOCG
Colline Lucchesi DOC
Elba DOC
Grattamacco
Montecucco DOC
Monteregio di Massa Marittima DOC
Morellino di Scansano DOC
Pomino DOC
Rosso di Montalcino DOC
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC
Sammarco
Sassicaia
Solaia
Tignanello
Val di Cornia DOC
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG

Some of Tuscany’s White Wines
Bianco di Pitigliano DOC
Bianco Vergine della Valdichiana DOC
Montecarlo DOC
Pomino
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG
Vinsanto Toscano (can also be made from red grapes)

A Traditional Chianti LandscapeGrape varieties indigenous to Tuscany

Aleatico (mainly on Elba for dessert wines) - some think may originate from Greece

Canaiolo Nero – until 1970 formed the basis, with Sangiovese, of Chianti Classico and other Chianti-type wines, as well as Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Ciliegiolo - seems to have arrived in Tuscany from Spain in 1870. Has been ‘re-discovered’ since 1990s in new wines with good results.

Colorino - remote origin, widely grown in Tuscany. Gives a good colour to wine and is often used with other grape varieties.

Malvasia Bianca lunga - widely grown on Chianti hills from where it is thought to originate. Limited use today, especially since white grapes are no longer allowed to be used in Chianti Classico Docg. A fundamental element of Vin Santo, also made with Trebbiano Toscano.

Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese grosso) -indigenous to the commune of Montepulciano  and is important in this area.

Sangiovese (Sangiovese piccolo)  - the kind of Sangiovese usually used for Chianti wines. The name is thought to come from sanguis jovis, or the blood of Jove (Jupiter). One of the most ancient grape varieties in Italy and most widely grown, also offers best quality wines. Originated in Tuscany.

Trebbiano Toscano - of Etruscan origins, one of most commonly grown varieties in Italy, mainly in Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Used to be blended into Chianti Classico wines, now goes into simpler Chiantis, light white wines, and Vin Santo.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano - imported either from Liguria, from Spain or Greece, has become popular again in the last few decades. Grown only in the San Gimignano area.

Other Grape Varieties: also being used in Tuscany is the Cabernet Sauvignon together with Sangiovese, often producing some excellent results.

Tuscany and the Wine Roads: Source: Terre di ToscanaThe Wine Roads of Tuscany These are great fun for wine enthusiasts but if you are going to actually consume wine in a number of wineries in one day, you are advised, for obvious reasons, to get a chauffeur driven car to drive you around! Alternatively, select a small number of wineries with suitable accommodation nearby and walk from there! Joking aside, these wine trails are intended to take the visitor on a tour of the area’s cultural, historical and natural delights, as well as their wonderful food and wine! So your tour of the various wineries can be combined - and watered down - with a look at some lovely churches, medieval villages, or perhaps a walk through the herb-perfumed countryside.
14 different wine roads – strade del vino – have been marked out in Tuscany, each one with its own symbol.  Famous wine-producing areas such as Montepulciano are covered, as are lesser known areas like Massa Marittima and the Costa degli Etruschi. Here’s a list of all 14 Tuscan wine trails which are a fairly good indication of Tuscany’s main wine-growing areas but do not cover all of them. Montalcino, for example, is not included. Below each name is a list of the main wines produced in this area:
Associazione Strada dei Vini Chianti “Rufina e Pomino”
-Chianti Rufina DOC
-Chianti Rufina DOCG
- Pomino Rosso DOC
-Pomino Bianco DOC
-Vin Santo di Pomino Bianco
-Vin Santo di Pomino Rosso

Associazione Strada del Vino Colli di Maremma
-Morellino di Scansano DOC
- Pitigliano White DOC
-Ansonica DOC
-Parrina DOC

Comitato Strada del Vino delle Colline Pisane
-Chianti Colline Pisane DOC

Strada del Vino Chianti Colli Fiorentini
-Chianti Colli Fiorentini

Strada del Vino Colli di Candia e di Lunigiana
-Candia di Colli Apuani (DOC) from the hills of Massa Carrara and Montignoso
-Colli di Luna (DOC) from the hills of Fosdinovo, Podenzana, Caprigliola
-IGT  Val di Magra

Strada del Vino Colline Lucchesi e Montecarlo
-Colline Lucchesi (DOC)
-Montecarlo (DOC)

Strada del Vino Costa degli Etruschi
-Sassicaia
-Ornellaia
-Guado di Tasso
-Val di Cornia DOC
-Bolgheri

Strada del Vino di Montecucco
-Montecucco DOC
-Maremma Toscana IGT

Strada del Vino di Montepulciano
-Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG – at its best after the 5th year
-Rosso di Montepulciano DOC
-Vin Santo di Montepulciano

Strada del Vino di Montespertoli
-Chianti Montespertoli

Strada del Vino Monteregio di Massa Marittima
-Monteregio di Massa Marittima

Strada del Vino Terre di Arezzo
-Chianti DOC,
-Chianti Colli Aretini DOCG
-Colli Etruria Centrale DOC
-Valdichiana DOC
-Cortona DOC
-Vin Santo from Chianti (DOC) and from Chianti Colli Aretini (DOC).

Strada Medicea dei Vini di Carmignano
-Carmignano DOCG – best at 3-6 years
-Carmignano DOC
-Barco Reale
-Carmignano Rosé DOC
-Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC
-Vin Santo di Carmignano Occhio di Pernice DOC

Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Some Useful Links about Tuscan Wine:

For helpful and well-written site about Tuscan wine click here 

For an excellent interactive map showing Tuscany's wine-growing areas, and a detailed list of wines, click here

For full information about the Tuscan wine roads, click here