Italy | Tuscany

Tuscan Villa on hillside

Located at the top of the Italian western peninsula, Tuscany represents quintessential Italy, a beautiful mountainous region, with olive trees, vines and cypress trees populating the hillsides. The twin jewels of Tuscany are Florence and Siena and they mark the most northerly and southerly parts of the famous Chianti DOCG region. It is in Tuscany that the Sangiovese grape excels in its many different guises from the famous wines of Chianti through to Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano and then blended with Montepulciano to make Rosso Piceno. However, in recent decades there has been a growing band of Tuscan producers utilising traditional Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot) which have excelled in the warm, Mediterranean climate.

Tuscany includes the little DOCG of Carmignano to the north of Florence, which then gives way to Chianti (with its seven different zones), which in turn moves through to Montalcino to the south of Siena and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to the east.

On the Tyrrhenian coast, the sub-regions of the Maremma and Bolgheri are located on low, flat land with rich soils. Bolgheri is best known for its famous cypress avenue, Sassicaia and Ornellaia.

Winemakers in Tuscany are continuing to evolve and innovate their practices combining tradition with modernity to produce some of Italy's (and the world's) finest wines.