Tuscany is certainly one of the world’s most famous Italian regions due to its endless beauty, art, history, culture and magnificent agricultural products, in particular wine and olive oil. From the time the ancient Etruscans settled in the gentle rolling hills of Tuscany, viticulture and wine production have been important elements of everyday life.
The most characteristic winemaking areas are: the region south of Florence, in which the world renowned Chianti and Chianti Classico are produced, south of Siena and the area of Montalcino where Brunello dominates and slightly easterly, Montepulciano with its wine named Nobile. The area of Bolgheri, near the sea between Livorno and Grosseto has become famous in recent years thanks to outstanding Super Tuscan Sassicaia.
The one thing most of these regions have in common is the selection of grape varietals. In general, Sangiovese is the dominant red varietal and Trebbiano is the dominant white varietal.
Sangiovese is often combined with small amounts of locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Cilegiolo and other grapes into wonderful blends such as Morellino di Scansano and of course, the signature Tuscan wines, the Chianti and Chianti Classico.
In addition to these magnificent, well-known reds, the local production includes a few distinguishable whites, the most notable being, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Malvasia and Trebbiano Toscano.