Brunello
Chianti Classico
Nobile di Montepulciano
Super Tuscan Wines
The numerous list of wine denominations and classifications include some of Tuscany’s most prestigious wines. Wine country is vast, from the rolling hills of Maremma that lead towards Siena, all the way to the outskirts of Florence. Wine and food lovers know this area well, and for those who are not familiar with it – Tuscan wine country is a “must see” at least once in a lifetime.
Discovering these labels is a journey. Learning about the history and future of Tuscan wines becomes almost a mythical experience and has made a huge comeback in the Italian wine scene.
The Numbers Prove It – Italian Wine Is On The Rise!
In 2015, Italy ranked first among a list of countries who harvest the most wine. Italy produced over 48 million hectoliters of wine surpassing France at 46.45 million and Spain at 36.6 million.
According to IRI (International Institute of Research) data presented at Vinitaly in Verona, in 2014 Tuscan wine numbers showed promising growth for Italian wines which over the past decade have been low in numbers. Italians consumed over 11.7 million liters of Chianti, 6.3 liters of Sangiovese, 5.7 liters of Vermentino (Sardinia grapes are also included in these stats). Italians are once again drinking Italian wines on a regular basis, and this has come at no better time as substantial grape harvests, like never before seen, have dominated recent wine trends in Tuscany. For example – Chianti Classico has seen an increase in production with 290 thousand hectoliters produced in 2014. That a 10% increase from the previous year.
Our journey starts by returning to a time when labels were born, where cypress trees and pines began lining some of the most beautiful roads in the world. We travel in search of great wine from Siena to Montalcino and Montepulciano through woods and vineyards, and then go up along Chianti roads descending towards the hills of Maremma. We will chronicle the great wines of Tuscany, bunches of lush grapes and rows of vineyards which eventually end up bottled to one day tell the story of past generations.
