While staying in Siena, it was a dream of ours to go on a wine tour through the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany. So we arranged through the hotel we were staying in for day trip through the Chianti region stopping in many vineyards and medieval towns along the way, with a beautiful lunch included!
We were on the tour with about 15 other people, from all around the world which made for an interesting trip! Our tour guide filled us in along the way of the history of the wine region, and at each stop would let us wander around and take in the scenery at our own pace.
The history of viticulture here dates back to its settlements by the Etruscans in the 8th century BC, with remnants originating in the region showing that Tuscan wine was exported to southern Italy as early as the 7th century BC.
Tuscany is home to some of the world’s most notable wine regions. It was very interesting to learn first hand about the different varietals of wine and grapes used within the region, as it is rather different to that of the vineyards here in Australia.
Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape. The Sangiovese grape is Tuscanys’ most prominent grape, however, many different clonal varieties exist, as many towns have their own local version of Sangiovese. Cabernet Sauvignon has been planted in Tuscany for over 250 years, but has only recently become associated with the region due to the rise of the Super Tuscans.
Super Tuscans are an unofficial category of Tuscan wines, not recognized within the Italian wine classification system. Previously, Chianti could be composed of no more than 70% Sangiovese and had to include at least 10% of one of the local white wine grapes.
Producers who deviated from these regulations could not use the Chianti name on their wine labels and would be classified as vino da tavola– Italys’ lowest wine designation.
By the 1970s, the consumer market for Chianti wines was suffering and the wines were widely perceived to be lacking quality. Many Tuscan wine producers thought they could produce a better quality wine if they were not hindered by the regulations.
I highly recommend doing a day tour of the Chianti region, it was very informative and certainly one of the highlights of our European trip.
Meeting with the local wine growers, tasting their olive oils and truffle oils were all fabulous, and seeing the passion and excitement they had for their products was just wonderful. We were even lucky enough to be shown the process for making beautiful balsamic vinegar (which is very different to the ones you can buy here in Australia) It is quite thick, and almost syrup-like in texture, and who knew it tasted so delicious on plain vanilla ice cream!
Experiencing life in Tuscany was everything we hoped it would be.
Every single person involved in producing the great quality wines and products, works so tirelessly to make this happen, and it was something wonderful to see. Although the Italians are known as having a simpler life, we were certainly shown a side that could lead you to believe otherwise. They are just very lucky to do what they love, surrounded by such beauty!
As the sun set on our day tour through the region, we felt truly blessed to have experienced a dream come true. With full bellies of local delicious produce, wine, truffle oil and balsamic vinegar in hand, we knew this was a memory we could treasure for the rest of our lives.
Have you ever been to Tuscany? Or tried authentic Italian balsamic vinegar?
