Tuscany

The region with the capital Florence is located in the centre of Italy on the Ligurian coast; it also includes the third largest Italian island of Elba. It borders Liguria and Emilia-Romagna to the north, Marche and Umbria to the east and Lazio to the south. Alongside Piedmont, Tuscany is probably the most famous Italian wine-growing region. The Etruscans were already growing wine here long before the Romans, making it one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Europe. In ancient times, the region formed the land of Etruria, named after the original people. In Roman, this means Tuscia, which then became Toscana. From the third century BC, the Etruscans were absorbed by the Romans. The Romans awarded small estates to long-serving legionaries for their services to the fatherland.

History

After the decline of the Roman Empire towards the end of the 5th century, Tuscany was ruled by Byzantines, Goths, Lombards and Franks. Under Emperor Charlemagne (742-814), the Via Francigena was built, linking northern and southern Italy and passing through Lucca, San Gimignano, Siena and Radicofani in Tuscany. From the 11th century onwards, the long hostile city-states of Florence and Siena emerged, as well as Genoa and Venice further north. It was at this time that Tuscan wine culture began to flourish due to the needs of the rapidly growing cities. In the Middle Ages, the "wine of Florence" was sold to the courts of rulers as far away as England and Russia.

The Medici family

The Medici family is inextricably linked with Tuscan history, as it was a great patron of art, science and viticulture. From the beginning of the 16th century, Tuscany was united under their rule and elevated to the status of a Grand Duchy by Pope Pius V (1504-1572) in 1569. Grand Duke Cosimo III (1642-1723) introduced 150 grape varieties at the beginning of the 17th century, including Cabernet Sauvignon (Uva Francesca).

After the Medici died out, Francis Stephen of Lorraine took over the inheritance. In 1860, Tuscany was united by referendum with the Kingdom of Sardinia, with which it was then merged into the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Under Cosimo III, the borders for the Carmignano, Chianti, Pomino and Val d'Arno di Sopra areas were also defined in 1716; these are among the first designations of origin in Europe. In the 19th century, Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809-1880) defined the rules for the production of Chianti. This marked the beginning of the rapid rise to wine power.

Climate and soil

The region, which covers around 23,000 km², is bordered to the north and east by the Apennines with the 2,216 metre-high Monte Terminillo. The vineyards cover around 60,500 hectares and extend as far as the Tyrrhenian coast. Two thirds of them are located on sunny mountain slopes between 100 and 500 metres above sea level. The vineyards alternate with olive groves and extensive forests. A total of 14 wine routes run through the region.

The summers are predominantly dry and hot, the winters mild and sometimes rainy. The climate is Mediterranean on the coast and continental in the interior with its hilly landscapes and mountains, especially in the Chianti and Montepulciano areas. The characteristic soils in almost all growing areas consist of clay-limestone components, Galestro and Alberese. In the Maremma, there are also sandy sections.

Grape varieties

The most important white wine varieties are Albarola, Ansonica (Inzolia), Canaiolo Bianco (Drupeggio), Chardonnay, Greco, Grechetto di Orvieto (Grechetto, Grechetto Bianco, Pulcinculo), Incrocio Bruni 54, Malvasia Bianca di Candia, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Malvazija Istarska (Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia del Chianti, Malvasia Istriana), Moscato or Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc), Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc), Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Procanico (Trebbiano Toscano variety), Riesling, Riesling Italico (Welschriesling), Roussanne, Sauvignon (Sauvignon Blanc), Sémillon, Traminer, Trebbiano Toscano, Verdello, Vermentino, Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Viognier.

The most important red wine varieties are Alicante Henri Bouschet, Barsaglina, Brunello, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Colorino (Abrusco), Malvasia Nera (Malvasia Nera di Brindisi), Merlot, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese clone), Pugnitello, Sangiovese (Morellino), Syrah and Vermentino Nero.

DOC/DOCG/IGT areas

Today, Tuscany is considered the centre of Italian quality wine. The proportion of DOC and DOCG wines is around 45 per cent. This is also where the phenomenon of wines known as Super Tuscans emerged, which often challenge the narrow DOC boundaries and some of which even surpass DOCG wines. Examples include Galestro, Ornellaia and Sassicaia. Tuscany is also the home of the famous holy wine Vin Santo.

From the 1990s onwards, the Maremma region in the south-west developed into a new, rapidly growing wine-growing area. Many well-known wineries invested in new vineyards here, such as Antinori, Castello Banfi, Castello di Querceto, Frescobaldi and Ricasoli. The IGT (regional wine), DOC and DOCG (quality wine) areas:

• Alta Valle della Greve (IGT)
• Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario (DOC)
• Barco Reale di Carmignano (DOC)
• Bianco dell'Empolese (DOC)
• Bianco di Pitigliano (DOC)
• Bolgheri (DOC)
• Bolgheri Sassicaia (DOC)
• Brunello di Montalcino (DOCG)
• Candia dei Colli Apuani (DOC)
• Capalbio (DOC)
• Carmignano (DOCG)
• Chianti (DOCG)
• Chianti-Classico (DOCG)
• Colli della Toscana Centrale (IGT)
• Colli dell'Etruria Centrale (DOC)
• Colli di Luni (DOC)
• Colline Lucchesi (DOC)
• Cortona (DOC)
• Costa Toscana (IGT)
• Elba (DOC)
• Elba Aleatico Passito or Aleatico Passito dell'Elba (DOCG)
• Grance Senesi (DOC)
• Maremma Toscana (DOC)
• Montecarlo (DOC)
• Montecastelli (DOC)
• Montecucco (DOC)
• Montecucco Sangiovese (DOCG)
• Monteregio di Massa Marittima (DOC)
• Montescudaio (DOC)
• Morellino di Scansano (DOCG)
• Moscadello di Montalcino (DOC)
• Orcia (DOC)
• Parrina (DOC)
• Pomino (DOC)
• Rosso di Montalcino (DOC)
• Rosso di Montepulciano (DOC)
• San Gimignano (DOC)
• Sant'Antimo (DOC)
• San Torpè (DOC)
• Sovana (DOC)
• Suvereto (DOCG)
• Terratico di Bibbona (DOC)
• Terre di Casole (DOC)
• Terre di Pisa (DOC)
• Toscana or Toscano (IGT)
• Val d'Arbia (DOC)
• Valdarno di Sopra or Val d'Arno di Sopra (DOC)
• Valdichiana Toscana (DOC)
• Val di C ornia (DOC)
• Val di Cornia Rosso or Rosso della Val di Cornia (DOCG)
• Val di Magra (IGT)
• Valdinievole (DOC)
• Vernaccia di San Gimignano (DOCG)
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (DOCG)
• Vin Santo del Chianti (DOC)
• Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (DOC)
• Vin Santo di Carmignano (DOC)
• Vin Santo di Montepulciano (DOC)

Chianti-Gaiole: Chianti-Chaolo by Adbar - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Map: CC BY-SA 3.0, Link