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Wine Tasting |
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 Visiting
Tuscany is not complete without sampling some
of the excellent wines available throughout the
region. We offer wine tasting opportunities on
our
mini van tours .
Read on for more detail of the local wines.
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Vernaccia |
Vernaccia is a dry, pale white wine that is only
produced in
the San Gimignano area. It is so gentle that it has
been described as like drinking water. The
Vernaccia of San Gimignano was the first Italian
wine granted the "Name of Origin" in 1966. It also
attained the highest stamp of approval for Italian
wines in 1993, the "Controlled and Guaranteed Name
of Origin".
Vernaccia vines were first
introduced to the San Gimignano region about 1200
by Vieri De'Bardi. His ancestors later developed
the cultivation of the vines and by 1276 the wine
trade was flourishing. Official document state a
duty tax of 3 coins was established for every wine
sale outside of San Gimignano's jurisdiction and
there was a registration of superintendents for
the finer Vernaccia wines. So it had already
acquired notable prestige in the market. |
 
Wine maker
Vines near San Gimignano
Dante
Alighieri himself also pays tribute to the
qualities of Vernaccia and sees an old man
drinking the wine while wandering around Purgatory. |
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| Chianti
Wines |
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Grapes used for wine making
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Chianti wine production must use 80% Sangiovese
grapes and 10% Canaoiolo Nero which are both red
grapes. Plus 5% of each Trebbiano Toscano and
Malvasia of Chianti which are both white grapes.
The Ricasoli Baron dictated these rules for
Chianti wine production in the 19th century. The
white wine was added to keep the alcoholic rate
low as children had to drink it as well. These
percentages were however already used by the
peasants and that is why Chianti became so popular,
because it was the people's everyday wine.
Chianti became very popular but to safeguard the
product it can only be produced in designated
zones of Tuscany. Chianti Classico is produced
only in the actual Chianti region. |
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Vinsanto |
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Vinsanto is a a sweet, strong dessert wine
made from grapes left to dry in the sun. It is
traditionally served in a small glass with local
biscuits (biscotti or cantatucci) which are dipped
into the wine before eaten.
This wine is made with Trebbiano and Malvasia
grapes and dried in the "Vinsantaia", the room
under the ceiling, so the wine can absorb the
changing of the seasons, which is very important
for its fermentation. The colour is straw or amber
yellow and it has a dry or medium sweetish
alcoholic flavour. It is winey but with an almond
or raisin background.
Vinsanto was traditionally made on the Greek
island of Santorini. During Venetian control of
trade in the Cyclades Islands, their ships would
make stops at the port of Santorini to pick up the
delicious dessert wines produced there. The
Venetians referred to these wines as Santo or Vino
Santo after the Island of Santorini. When France
came to dominate the trade in the Cyclades the
Venetians began producing Vino Santo on their own
soil, and the tradition still continues today.
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Above: wine tasting
Below: wine barrells for storage
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Grappa |
Grappa is a spirit
distilled from the stalks that remains after the
grapes have been pressed and the juice run off.
The development and regulation of Grappa is
ongoing but all of it is made with a single,
slow-distillation process. It is not aged in
wooden casks like Cognac or Brandy and so the
resulting liquor is and remains clear. Italians
consider it to help in digestion particularly
after a big meal.
Grappa is supposed to have originated in the
northern provinces of Friuli Venezia-Giulia,
Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto
using a similar method the Austrians used with
apples. One legend
states that the first grappa produced in Italy
was by a Roman legionary who had returned to
Italy from Egypt in the 1st century BC inspired
by something he drank in Alexandria. However
other scholars suggest that the real date is
around the 6th century AD. A technique for
distilling apples was imported into north Italy
from neighboring Austria and applied to grapes.
In 1451 is the first recorded presence of grappa
production.
Whatever the origins grappa production in Italy
is now
well cemented and
produced in almost every winery in the country.
However European Union regulations require it to
be only made in Italy. The percentage of alcohol
is usually 37.5-40%
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Above: bottle racks (l), tractor of grapes (r)
Below: Wine cellar
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